by RabbiOlivier | Dec 12, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Mikeitz Genesis 41:1 – 44:17 Joseph: Interpreter of Dreams, Creator of Reality Our Torah portion begins with Pharaoh’s famous dreams. The first one: seven cows coming up from the Nile fat and sturdy, followed by seven cows sickly and gaunt. The latter eat the...
by RabbiOlivier | Dec 5, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Vayeishev Genesis 37:1 – 40:20 The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Joseph Meet Joseph. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son, to whom he gave the famous coat of many colors. Though we meet him at seventeen as our Torah portion opens, Joseph is described as a lad, a...
by RabbiOlivier | Nov 21, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Vayetzei Genesis 28:10 – 32:3 God Was In This Place There is one verse in this week’s Torah portion which encompasses the entirety of the Kabbalistic endeavor: “Waking from his sleep, Jacob said, ‘Truly, the Eternal is in this place, and I did not know it!’”...
by RabbiOlivier | Nov 14, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Tol’dot Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 Inward Bound There is a popular ice-breaker I often use to start a workshop or a meeting. I ask the people present, as they introduce themselves to the group, to add before their name an adjective that reflects who they are in...
by RabbiOlivier | Oct 17, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Noah Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 Noah: A Righteous Man in His Generation? There is a thought-provoking Midrash about Noah from this week’s Torah portion that details a debate between two rabbis as to why the biblical author begins with introducing Noah as “a righteous...