Judah
Judah or Joseph: Will the Real Hero Please Stand Up
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I love kitsch spaghetti westerns. While I can finish an entire bucket of popcorn in the first half of the movie, my favorite part is the showdown: the classic face-to-face shootout that pits two men against each...
Jacob’s deathbed vision of Shiloh; a glimpse of Messiah
Before dying, Jacob blesses his sons in a burst of prophetic vision, blessing Judah as the father of the Davidic dynasty by saying, “The scepter shall not depart from Yehuda, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet; So that tribute...
Sheol: The Grave or so Much More?
The meeting between Joseph and Judah was fraught with import for all present, but also impacted the house of Jacob and all the future generations of Israel to come. But Judah is concerned for his father, stating that if they return...
Two Sticks, One Kingdom
The Torah portion of Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27) completes the story of Joseph’s slavery in Egypt. The story culminates in a dramatic meeting between Judah and Joseph, ending in revelation and reconciliation. Jacob’s household...
The Showdown Between Joseph and Judah
The portion of Vayigash describes the pivotal showdown between Joseph and his older brother Judah. The meeting between the long-separated siblings is far from a pleasant reunion. Joseph appears to Judah as Zaphnath-Paaneah, the second...
Are twins double the trouble in the Bible?
The narrative of Joseph's descent into Egypt is put aside for one chapter as the Torah relates the unusual story of the levirate marriage between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. This unusual union resulted in twins and, similar to...
How does Levirate marriage set the stage for the resurrection of the dead?
The story of the Children of Israel descending into Egypt, so central to the rest of the Bible, is interrupted by the anomalous story of Judah and Tamar. A deeper look at the story will reveal why Judah and Tamar are also essential to the...
The Portion of Vayechi
In this, the final portion of the book of Genesis, we read of Jacob’s blessings to his sons and grandsons on his deathbed, and his final passing and burial. The book concludes with Joseph’s final days, as well, and his death and enbalming...
Weekly Torah Portion: Man Plans and God Laughs
The following is a taste of our Israel Bible Reading Plan. Follow the weekly portion with summaries, insights and lively conversation. To register, click here. Last week’s portion ended with a cliff-hanger, as Joseph called for Benjamin’s...
Weekly Torah Portion: The Descent into Egypt
This week’s portion begins in the middle of the story of the final confrontation between Joseph and his brothers, before Joseph reveals himself to them. At the end of last week’s portion, we heard Joseph’s cruel accusations and Judah’s...