Dinah, The Daughter of Jacob
Dinah, the seventh and youngest child of Leah and Jacob, was born the same year as her half-brother Joseph. In fact, the Talmud (Brachot 60a) notes that Leah specifically prayed for her…
Benjamin, The Son of Jacob
The youngest of twelve brothers and one sister, Benjamin, the son of Jacob, appears in the Biblical narrative to be a passive personality whose life is seemingly dictated by the fate of…
Asher, Son of Jacob
Asher was the second son born to Zilpah, Jacob's wife, the former handmaid of Leah. The ninth son in the household (after Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Dan, Naphtali and Gad), he…
Vayechi 5773-2012
"The Patriarch Jacob Did Not Die!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Vayechi, the patriarch Jacob, passes away at age 147. The Torah, in Genesis 49:33,…
Vayishlach 5769-2008
"What's in a Name?" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Parashat Vayishlach seems to be a virtual endurance test for poor Jacob. In this parasha, Jacob at last encounters his brother Esau who has…
Passover,Passover Resources,Wisdom,Articles,JudaismJudaism,Passover,Literacy,Wisdom
The Story of the Exodus
The Story of the Exodus Table of Contents Going Down to Egypt Slavery Redemption From Slavery What exactly were the ten…
Vayigash 5780-2019
“The Reunion of Jacob & Joseph: An Immortal Lesson about Love” (updated and revised from Vayigash 5760-1999) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, we…
Vayeitzei 5769-2008
"Leah, the Fourth Matriarch" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In parashat Vayeitzei, Jacob leaves Beersheba, fleeing from his brother Esau who threatened to murder him. Upon his arrival at the…
Zebulun, Son of Jacob
Throughout her life, Leah suffered from the terrible insecurity of knowing that her husband loved her sister Rachel more than he loved her. Each time she bore a child, the statement she…
Toledot,Weekly Message,Genesis
Toledot 5773-2012
"The Sale of the Birthright" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, we learn of the sale of the birthright by Esau to his twin brother Jacob. In order to…