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Tol’dot – תּוֹלְדֹת (Genesis 25:19−28:9)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Tol’dot – תּוֹלְדֹת (Genesis 25:19−28:9)

Then [King Avimelech] made for [Isaac and Rebecca] a feast, they ate and they drank. — Genesis 26:31

This week’s Torah Portion contains a moment when Isaac and Rebecca visit King Avimelech of Gerar to form a peace treaty with him. To make the treaty binding, they share a meal together. As we sit with the gratitude and challenges of Thanksgiving,  I pray we all can take a moment to be grateful for our peace and reinvigorate our call to bring peace to others and to our world in such desperate need of it. 

Parsha Tol’dot – תּוֹלְדֹת Torah Summary:

Rebekah has twins, Esau and Jacob. (25:19-26) Esau gives Jacob his birthright in exchange for some stew. (25:27-34) King Abimelech is led to think that Rebekah is Isaac’s sister and later finds out that she is really his wife. (26:1-16) Isaac plans to bless Esau, his firstborn. Rebekah and Jacob deceive Isaac so that Jacob receives the blessing. (27:1-29) Esau threatens to kill Jacob, who then flees to Haran. (27:30-45) Tol’dot – תּוֹלְדֹת Then [King Avimelech] made for [Isaac and Rebecca] a feast, they ate and they drank. — Genesis 26:31 This week’s Torah Portion contains a moment when Isaac and Rebecca visit King Avimelech of Gerar to form a peace treaty with him. To make the treaty binding, they share a meal together. As we sit with the gratitude and challenges of Thanksgiving, I pray we all can take a moment to be grateful for our peace and reinvigorate our call to bring peace to others and to our world in such desperate need of it.

Chayei Sarah – חַיֵּי שָׂרָה (Genesis 23:1−25:18)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Chayei Sarah – חַיֵּי שָׂרָה (Genesis 23:1−25:18)

וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃

And these were the lives of Sarah – one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years – [these] were the years of Sarah’s lifetime.

This week’s Torah Portion is named after the lifetime of Sarah, which in the Hebrew (and subsequently the English) comes off as a bit weird. Although Abraham generally gets a lot of press for his actions and conversations with God, the Torah goes out of it’s way to make sure that we as the readers know that Sarah was arguably more extraordinary than Abraham himself. She is the only woman in the Torah whose lifespan is given in such detail and it is because of her that we get the rest of our story. May we all have the courage to live our lives like Sarah, making the most of each of our days.

Parsha Chayei Sarah – חַיֵּי שָׂרָה Torah Summary:

Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah in order to bury his wife Sarah. (23:1-20) Abraham sends his servant to find a bride for Isaac. (24:1-9) Rebekah shows her kindness by offering to draw water for the servant’s camels at the well. (24:15-20) The servant meets Rebekah’s family and then takes Rebekah to Isaac, who marries her. (24:23-67) Abraham takes another wife, named Keturah. At the age of one hundred and seventy-five years, Abraham dies, and Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah. (25:1-11) Chayei Sarah – חַיֵּי שָׂרָה

Vayeira – וַיֵּרָא (Genesis 18:1–22:24)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Vayeira – וַיֵּרָא (Genesis 18:1–22:24)

וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

Then Adonai appeared to [Abraham] among the trees as he sat at the opening of his tent, during the heat of the day.

This week’s Torah Portion begins with Abraham becoming aware of God’s Presence as he sits near his tent after he and his entire household had just been circumcised, officially entering into the covenant with Adonai. Despite the understandable pain he may have been experiencing, he and Sarah choose to welcome three strangers into their household, feeding them the choicest foods they could prepare. Despite the pain in our world, may we all strive to be like Abraham and Sarah in this moment, welcoming and loving the stranger and all those cast out by our society.

Parsha Vayeira – וַיֵּרָא Torah Summary:

Abraham welcomes three visitors, who announce that Sarah will soon have a son. (18:1-15) Abraham argues with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (18:16-33) Lot’s home is attacked by the people of Sodom. Lot and his two daughters escape as the cities are being destroyed. Lot’s wife is turned into a pillar of salt. (19:1-29) Lot impregnates his daughters, and they bear children who become the founders of the nations Moab and Ammon. (19:30-38) Abimelech, king of Gerar, takes Sarah as his wife after Abraham claims that she is his sister. (20:1-18) Isaac is born, circumcised, and weaned. Hagar and her son, Ishmael, are sent away; an angel saves their lives. (21:1-21) God tests Abraham, instructing him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. (22:1-19) Vayeira – וַיֵּרָא

Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ (Genesis 12:1−17:27)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ (Genesis 12:1−17:27)

“Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, between my herders and yours, for we are kin. Is not the whole land before you? Let us separate: if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north.’” Genesis 13:8-9. We do not have to love each other or even get along, from Avram our first ancestor we learn that we can achieve a just peace in the land of Israel by dividing the land and allowing each other peace and dignity.

Parsha Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ Torah Summary:

Abram, Sarai, and Lot go to Canaan. (12:1-9) Famine takes them to Egypt, where Abram identifies Sarai as his sister in order to save his life. (12:10-20) Abram and Lot separate. Lot is taken captive, and Abram rescues him. (13:1-14:24) Abram has a son, Ishmael, with his Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. (16:1-16) God establishes a covenant with Abram. The sign of this covenant is circumcision on the eighth day following a male baby’s birth. (17:1-27) Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ “Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, between my herders and yours, for we are kin. Is not the whole land before you? Let us separate: if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north.’” Genesis 13:8-9. We do not have to love each other or even get along, from Avram our first ancestor we learn that we can achieve a just peace in the land of Israel by dividing the land and allowing each other peace and dignity. Lech L’cha – לָךְ-לְךָ

Noach – נֹחַ (Genesis 6:9−11:32)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Noach – נֹחַ (Genesis 6:9−11:32)

“Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God” Genesis 6:9. What kind of a righteous person hears from God that the world will be destroyed and builds himself an ark, and saves only his own family? What kind of a person does not fight for the rest of humanity? No wonder Abraham is our ancestor and not Noah.

Parsha Noach – נֹחַ Torah Summary:

God decides to cause a flood that will destroy the world, sparing only Noah’s family and the animals that Noah gathers together on the ark. (6:9-8:22) Life starts over again after the Flood. The Noahide Commandments are listed, and God uses a rainbow to make a symbol of the first covenant. (9:1-17) People start to build a city and the Tower of Babel. God scatters the people and gives them different languages to speak. (11:1-9) The ten generations from Noah to Abram are listed. (11:10-29:2) Noach – נֹחַ “Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God” Genesis 6:9. What kind of a righteous person hears from God that the world will be destroyed and builds himself an ark, and saves only his own family? What kind of a person does not fight for the rest of humanity? No wonder Abraham is our ancestor and not Noah. Noach – נֹחַ