By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz “You’re a lot shorter in person than I expected.” That is the phrase that actors hear most often. It is the flip side of the “larger than life” perception of famous people. Science fiction stories about time...
The Passover Seder is a generational affirmation, a transmission of the story of God’s miraculous redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt. In this context, the Seder plate, as the centerpiece of the Seder table, is a visual aid,...
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the Jewish liberation by God from slavery in Egypt. In the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew Bible describes the Israelites freedom under the leadership of Moses. The holiday...
Like his father Jacob who also died in Egypt, Joseph wanted to be buried in the Promised Land. But unlike his father whose body was embalmed and taken to Hebron directly after his passing, Joseph had to wait 139 years until the Jews left...
There are several Pharaohs mentioned in the Torah. The first contact with an Egyptian ruler described in the Bible takes place when Abraham goes to Egypt to escape a famine (Genesis 12). But the influence of the Egyptian monarchs in the...
While Israel was being blessedly prolific in Egypt and growing into a nation, Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill the male Jewish babies. Shiphrah and Puah defied Pharaoh’s order and received God’s blessing for their courage. Their...
https://youtu.be/xbbdfWTLpQI See fascinating evidence that proves the accuracy of the Bible and learn from Rabbi Akiva Gersh about the archeological evidence from the ancient cities of Pithom and Raamses mentioned in Exodus 1:11, "So they...
The identity of these “Hebrew midwives” (meyaldot haivriyot) is debated by Jewish commentators. Many rabbis have assumed the literal meaning: that they were Jewish women. Other commentators, including the Abrabanel, argue that the story...
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...
Many wondered why the 10,000 Jews expelled from their homes in Gaza did not use weapons to defend their land. Thank God, the lesson of Joseph's sale remains strong. This week's portion begins the story of Joseph. We learn that Jacob...
