chessed

“The Torah’s Recipe for Finding a Proper Mate”
(updated and revised from Chayei Sarah 5763-2002)

This week's parasha is a primary source from which we learn much about the qualities that one should look for when seeking a mate. The lessons that may be gleaned from our scriptures serve as a sound guide, even for contemporary times. They are not primitive. In fact, in many instances, they are light-years ahead of contemporary practices and understandings.

“Learning to Revere G-d”

The Bet HaLevi explains why the Israelites gained a sense of “Yir’aht Shamayim,” reverence for Heaven, only when they saw the Egyptians drown at the sea, and not earlier when they beheld the Ten Plagues that struck the Egyptians in Egypt.

The Curse of Ham; The Blessing of Shem and Yafet"

The books of the Torah are filled with superb narratives, each one surpassing the next. The story of the flood is followed by the story of Noah planting a vineyard, resulting in the curse of his son, Ham, along with Noah's grandson, Canaan, and the blessing of Noah's sons, Shem and Yafet. What is the meaning of the blessing of Yafet, and how is it meant to impact on Shem's descendants--the Jewish people?

"The Torah's Recipe for Finding a Proper Mate"

This week's parasha is a primary source from which we learn much about the qualities that one should look for when seeking a mate. The lessons that may be gleaned from our scriptures serve as a sound guide, even for contemporary times. They are not primitive. In fact, in many instances, they are light-years ahead of contemporary practices and understandings.