July 29, 2010 | Ekev

Vayishlach

What's In A Name

I was named for my grandfather. Twice. Rabbi Velvel Heller's name in Hebrew was Ze'ev; in English, Wolf, an exact translation. Ze'ev is also my first name in Hebrew (Zev in English.) My middle name is Aviezer[1], which has in it the three letters of Ze'ev, zayin, aleph and bet. My grandfather was...

My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) -- Vayishlach (3)

For those of us without rabbinical training, the workings of the classic rabbis can sometimes seem strange. For example at the beginning of Parshah Vayishlach Jacob sends messengers to soften up his brother Esau ahead of his return. He begins one such message, "I stayed with Laban and remained...

My video divrei Torah on this parasha from youtube Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg

vayishla Jacob wrestles and gets renamed Israel JewU285 God was on Jacob's side as Jacob wrestlesd himself JewU292

My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Vayishlach (2)

Did you ever call a helpline or a billing office and discover you had a new best friend? Suddenly a total stranger is addressing you by your first name as if you’re old pals. As we see in this week’s Parshah VaYishlach, names have power and meaning. Jacob wrestles with an angel who renames...

The Empathy of Israel

i Jacob wrestles an angel, at night, before meeting with his brother Esau. Jacob has not seen Esau for more than twenty years. Jacob fears that Esau may want to kill him. * The angel changes Jacob's name. The angel calls Jacob, Yisrael: Israel. For, the angel says to Jacob, of...

My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Yayishlach

What goes around comes around. The Torah does not pull punches in telling the stories of the patriarchs, even if our Hebrew School teachers do. A story you probably didn't learn as a child has to do with the rape of Jacob's daughter Dinah by Shechem, a local tribesman who then has the audacity...

About Ekev

Parshat Ekev

The concept of teshuvah, repentance, is a given in traditional Jewish circles: One who sins before God has the inalienable right to repent and to be absolved. Nevertheless, an analysis of the Torah indicates that such a theology might be absent from the text. In this week’s portion, Ekev, Moses...read more

About Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld
Missing

Joined: 08/08/2007

Shmuel is Rabbi of Ohev Sholom -- The National...

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My video divrei Torah on parasha Ekev by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gTQopsAJnY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcRu3tjoBkQread more

About Jonathan Ginsburg
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Joined: 09/26/2007

Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg and hs wife Rabbi Avigail...

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Rabbi Menachem Creditor

Joined: September 20, 2007

Rabbi Menachem Creditor is the spiritual leader of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, CA. He is the founder and facilitator of ShefaNetwork.org: The Conservative/Masorti Movement Dreaming from Within, co-founder of KeshetRabbis: The Alliance of Gay-Friendly Conservative/Masorti Rabbis, and...

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michaelmelen

Joined: July 25, 2009

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richardbarth

Joined: October 2, 2007

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