Parsha POV

If you haven't listened to part 1 check that out first. Part 2: Maimonides offers a radically different way to understand what Jacob was attempting and why it failed. The answer challenges common assumptions about prophecy, the "end of days," and what Jacob thought his sons needed to know. It turns out the failed revelation might teach us more than the revelation itself ever could have.

I know, I know, it's Parshat Vayigash this week but because our in person class in on break I'm sharing a 2 part on Parshat Vayechi - The End of Days - Part 1: Jacob calls his sons to his bedside with a stunning promise: "Come together and I will tell you what will happen at the end of days."  And then, nothing. The revelation never comes. The Talmud explains that the Divine Presence departed from...

In Part 1, we laid out questions: Why does the Midrash connect Greece to the "horn of an ox"? Why is Yosef described by Moshe using that imagery? Why does Yosef's rise to power in Egypt matter for understanding Chanukah? Now we return to put the pieces together. Chanukah always falls during the Torah portions that tell the story of Yosef, and that timing isn't coincidental. In this episode, we exp...

Chanukah always falls during the Torah portions that tell the story of Yosef, but the connection is rarely explored directly. In this episode, I do something simple: I ask questions. Why does the Midrash connect Greece to the “horn of an ox”? Why is Yosef described by Moshe using that imagery? Why does Yosef’s rise to power in Egypt matter for understanding Chanukah? And what is Chanukah really te...

📖 Parshat Vayeishev This Week: Yosef's life is a rollercoaster, sold into slavery, rises in Potiphar's house, wrongly imprisoned, and becomes Egypt's viceroy. Through every high and low, one thing remains constant: success. What's his secret? The Torah repeatedly states, 'God was with Yosef,' but more importantly, Potiphar saw that God was with him. Yosef's success wasn't hidden faith; it was vis...

An engaging Torah study session exploring Parshat Vayishlach, where Jacob prepares to reunite with his brother Esau after years of separation. The discussion covers the concept of angels (malakhim) in Jewish tradition, Jacob's wrestling match with the angel and his resulting limp, the significance of name changes (Jacob to Israel), and the tragic story of Dinah. The session concludes with powerful...