Rabbi Chanan Morrison
The blessings recited over most foods refer to God as the Borei, the Creator: “Creator of fruits of the ground”, “Creator of fruits of the tree”, “Creator of fruits of the vine”, “Creator of types of food”, and so on.
But the blessing for bread — Hamotzi — doesn’t fit this pattern. Before eating bread, we say, “Who brings forth bread from the earth”. Why do we not acknowledge God as the Creator of bread, as we do with other blessings?
Rabbi Channan Morisson ( based on the writings of HaRav Kook)
“God’s angel appeared to Moses in the heart of a fire, in the midst of a thorn-bush.” (Ex. 3:2)
Why did God choose a sneh, a thorn-bush to reveal Himself to Moses?
Exodus 1:1 – 6:1
The Children of Israel though oppressed, become very numerous in the land of Egypt. Joseph is gone and is now either consciously or unconsciously forgotten by the new Pharaoh who burdens the people of Israel under slavery .Out of fear or hatred Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives, Shifrah and Puah, to kill all male babies at birth but theydo not comply to the decree .Pharaoh then commands every Egyptian to cast every newborn Hebrew baby into the Nile.
Genesis 47:28-50:26
The Torah portion describes the final 17 years of Yaacov’s life in Egypt and begins with the words Vayechi Yaacov, which means “and Yaacov lived.” These were the final years of his life and yet the portion begins with the words “and Yaacov lived.” And at this time, Yaacov’s vision for his children was beginning to blossom and Abraham’s vision and prophecy was beginning to materialize.
Vayigash Genesis 44:18-47:27
We are told that Judah approaches Joseph to plead for the release of Binyamin, his younger brother. The use of the word approach is instructive. Again we see an active stepping into destiny and decision making that changes history. He offers himself as a slave instead of Binyamin.
Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows that are swallowed up by seven lean cows, and of seven fat ears of grain swallowed by seven lean ears. Yosef iscalled out of the prison cell and interprets his dreams. He tells tham that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of hunger, and advises Pharaoh to prepare the grain during the first seven years. Pharaoh senses that Yosef is speaking truth and appoints Yosef to be the governor of Egypt. Yosef then marries Osnat, and they have two sons, Menassheh and Ephraim.
by Matisyahu and Ephraim Rosenstein
Light up and be a hero.
1. The real weapon is not ammunition but ideas. Ideas win wars.
The Chanukah uprising was brought about because the Seleucid Hellenist empire (an offshoot of an empire left behind by Alexander of Macedonia) was imposing its civilization of Hellenism on a nation that believed in one God. Hellenists offered pleasures and a good life — a sensual, body-oriented civilization inhabited with many gods and deities. It sounds quite tempting. But with all its temptation, it negates the deepest recesses of the human search. Human beings search for ideas, for inspiration, for one great redeeming hope that will make us one. This is represented by the belief in one God, as opposed to the many infighting, quarreling deities of the Greek Olympus. True, many gods, with their politics and failings, reflect pretty well human society.
by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
Having survived the trickery of uncle Laban and the enmity of his brother Esau, Jacob finally returned to his homeland.
“Jacob arrived whole (shalem) to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan” (Gen. 33:18).
In what way was Jacob shalem? The Talmud explains that he was “whole in body, whole in money, whole in his Torah knowledge” (Shabbat 33b).
