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HOW TO MAKE IT BACK HOME This week’s parashah covers the twenty-year period in which Ya’akov Avinu lived in Padan Aram with his father-in-law Lavan. In the end, Ya’akov returned to Eretz Yisrael, making him the first Jew (since Avraham received the commandment of Lech Lecha) to dwell in Chutz LaAretz for an extended period…
DWELL IN THE LAND There was a famine in the Land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Avraham; and Yitzchak went to Avimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell (שכן) in the Land that I shall tell…
THE GOD OF THE LAND Avraham said to his servant… “I will make you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. Rather, you shall go to my land and to my…
THE GREATER TEST R’ Levi bar Chita said: “[The Torah] says lech lecha twice [once in the beginning of last week’s parashah – Go forth from your land…to the Land that I will show you (12:1), and once in the story of Akeidat Yitzchak – Please take your son…and go forth to the land of…
WHEN THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY When God commanded Avraham to leave his birthplace and go to “the Land that I will show you” (12:1), our forefather did not hesitate nor question the order. On the contrary, he immediately picked up and began his journey, as it says two verses later, And Avraham went…
THE FLOOD AND ERETZ YISRAEL What connection could there possibly be between this parashah and the Holy Land? Seemingly, the flood affected the entire world, as the verse says, Everything that was on dry land died (7:22). Furthermore, this is essentially a universal parashah. It deals mainly with the father of mankind (hence, the seven…
