Redeeming Esau, Redeeming Ourselves
"I have loved you!" says the Eternal One. But you say, "How have You shown Your love for us?" "Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" says the Eternal One, "But I have loved Jacob, and hated Esau. . ." (Malachi 1:2-3)
Hearing Is Believing
The Torah has a way of conveying great drama in concise language. As a work of literature, it also incorporates some of the most sophisticated techniques of foreshadowing and thematic coherence.
Recognizing Torah Voices
Among the most exquisite stories in all of Tanach is Genesis 27, Isaac's blessing of Jacob. In this essay I wish to highlight the artistry of this author. I shall also draw attention to the bracketing structure that the redactor has built around the story.
Jacob's Ladder
As a kid, I loved to play "cat's cradle," the game with a piece of string with the ends tied together. You start with the string around your hands and then interlace it between your fingers to make different patterns with names describing what they look like.
Not by Might, Not by Power
The widely-heralded book, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, by Paul Kennedy, (New York, Random House, Inc.) was published in 1987. Kennedy's thesis is that a superpower emerges, grows, plateaus, and eventually declines, replaced by a new nation.
Our (More-or-Less) Four Matriarchs
At the core of this week's parashah is the creation of a people, Israel, as a confederacy of tribes. One might expect a people's legend of origins to derive from events valorous or noble.
The Simple Art of Thanksgiving
As a rabbinical student in Israel I camped out with my classmates under a star-glutted Negev sky to see Comet Hyakutake burn its trail through the night. It was a Shehecheyanu moment, and we offered the blessing with wide eyes.