Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Toldos Don’t Pick Your Poison                                                                    By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי כִּי זָקֵן יִצְחָק וַתִּכְהֶיןָ עֵינָיו מֵרְאֹת וַיִּקְרָא אֶת עֵשָׂו | בְּנוֹ הַגָּדֹל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בְּנִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו  : הִנֵּנִי “And it was when Yitzchak had become old, and his eyes were dimmed from seeing, that he summoned Eisav, his older son, and said to him, ‘My son.’ And he said to him, Here I am.’”  - Toldos   27:1             Before relating the episode of Yaakov ultimately receiving the  berachos  (blessings) from Yitzchak, the Torah describes that the reality was that Yitzchak had intended to give the  berachos  to Eisav. The  passuk  (verse) begins the story by setting the scene that Yitzchak had become hard of sight in his old age. This ultimately played a vital role in Yaakov’s ability to pretend that he was Eisav in order that he would be able to receive the  berachos . However

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Chayei Sarah Out of the Foxhole and Into the Parking Spot                                                                    By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקֹּד הָאִישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לה': וַיּאֹמֶר בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱ לֹקי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר לאֹ עָזַב חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ מֵעִם אֲדֹנִי אָנֹכִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ נָחַנִי ה' בֵּית אֲחֵי אֲדֹנִי: “And the man bowed low and prostrated himself to Hashem. He said, ‘Blessed is Hashem, G-d of my master Avraham, Who has not withheld His kindness and truth from my master; as for me, Hashem has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”  - Chayei Sarah   24:26-27             Avraham sent his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Yitzchak. If we stop to think about it, Eliezer truly had a great responsibility. Avraham trusted that Eliezer would not just find the proper wife for Yitzchak, but the proper matriarch for  B’nei Yisroel . There is no doubt that the trust that

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Chayei Sarah! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  This Land is My Land. Avraham challenged Efron and the B’nei Cheis that he was willing to act as a foreigner and pay for the Cave of Machpeilah, but that if they were not willing to sell it then he would force them to since he had a right to Eretz Yisroel. How was this attitude any different from Lot’s in last week’s parsha when his shepherds would allow their flock to graze on others’ property since it would one day belong to Avraham anyway? Another question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  Just for looks? Rashi (24:10) writes that Avraham’s camels were different from many others’ because he was careful to muzzle the

~Torah Parallels:  Thoughts on The Parsha~ Parshas Vayeira Lost in the System By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה  וְהָאֱלֹקים  נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי : וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ : “ And it happened after these words that G-d tested Avraham and He said to him, 'Avraham', and he said, 'Here I am.” And He said, 'Please take your son, your only one, whom you love – Yitzchak – go to the land of Moriah, and bring him up there as an offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you.” -Vayeira  22:1-2 The  mishna 1 mentions that there were ten tests that Avraham  avinu was given. During this final test, Avraham was commanded to take his son, Yitzchak, and offer him as a  karbon  (sacrifice) to Hashem – what we now refer to as  Akeid

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Vayeira! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  Two in one? Rashi tells us that one malach cannot perform two missions. Yet we know that the same malach that came to heal Avraham was the one who went to save Lot from Sodom (see Rashi 19:1). How could that malach perform multiple missions?  Another question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  The Ram. Rash comments (22:13) that the ram that appeared for Avraham to shecht in place of Yitzchak was prepared during he sheishes y’mei beraishis.  Why did the ram have to be created special from sheishes y’mei beraishis? What was so important that this ram be created at the beginning of time, live for centuries, and survive the mab