Judaism

“Participating in the Communal Pain”

The names of the sons of Levi reflect the fact that the tribe of Levi felt the communal pain for all the tribes of Israel, even though they themselves were not personally afflicted.

“The Missing Years in the Life of Moses”

According to most calculations, Moses, the Egyptian prince, was only 20 years old when he was accused of killing an Egyptian and was forced to flee the land of Egypt. He does not return to Egypt until age 80. What happened during the intervening 60 years?

“Blessing the Children--Revisited”

One of the most meaningful and powerful rituals in Judaism--blessing the children on Friday nights and Jewish holidays, is derived from Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe, found in parashat Vayechi.

“Returning the Stolen Goblet to Joseph”

Returning the stolen goblet to Joseph raises many fascinating Jewish legal questions regarding returning lost and stolen objects to non-Jews.

“The Jealousy Between Brothers”

Why did Jacob favor Joseph, after all, Benjamin was his youngest son? Why was it necessary for Jacob to send Benjamin to Egypt, after all, the prophecy of going down to Egypt had been mostly fulfilled?