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Bereshit

Parashat Bereshit

The Creation Narrative:

  • The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (particularly Introduction and Ch. 1). Rabbi Sacks argues that religion and science complement each other, each asking and answering different questions about the origins and nature of the world.
  • The Ideal and the Real, by Rabbi Zvi Grumet, Tradition vol. 34 no. 3 Fall 2000. Rabbi Grumet suggests that the first two chapters of Sefer Bereshit describe the ideal world that God created, followed by an account of the world as it actually existed through the partnership of God and man. He explains that this model can help us understand other dual accounts throughout Sefer Bereshit and other sections of Humash.
  • Bereishit: The Concepts of Creation, the Beginning of Time, and the Big Bang: the Relationship between Faith and Science, Rav Yoel Bin-Nun. Rav Bin-Nun suggests that the fundamental idea of the creation story is the unity of God.

Creation of Man and Woman:

  • Lonely Man of Faith, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav describes the dual narrative of the creation of man and woman as representative of the dual nature of humanity and the pragmatic and existential ways in which man and woman relate to each other.
  • Family Redeemed, Ch.1, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav describes the “existential community” created by Adam and Chava, in response to man’s realization of his existential aloneness through the naming of the animals.
  • Majesty and Humility, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav explores the identity of man as both “cosmic-conscious” and “origin-conscious,” as represented by the dual narrative of man’s creation. These two aspects of man are reflected in two kinds of religious experience: experience of God through majesty and through humility/self-defeat.

Kedushat Zeman/Shabbat:

  • Sacred and Profane, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav describes the different experiences of holiness represented by kedushat makom and kedushat zman.
  • Kehunah and Kedushah: The Priestly Role, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks explains the notions of holiness in space and in time and the connection between emptiness/inactivity and holiness.

The Sin of the Tree of Knowledge:

  • Sin-a-Gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, ch. 2, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin. Rabbi Bashevkin explores the notion of original sin and its relevance to Jewish theology.
  • The Art of Listening, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks suggests that the story of Adam and Chava’s sin teaches us that Judaism prescribes a morality that derives from the voice of God and an internal sense of right and wrong. He distinguishes between an ethic of guilt, which focuses on righteousness and on the notion of an inner voice (hearing), and an ethic of shame, which focuses on honor and on appearances (sight).

Kayin and Hevel:

  • Violence in the Name of God, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks suggests that Kayin’s reaction to Hashem’s rejection of his offering teaches that his offering was one of egotism and desire for power, rather than self-effacement in the presence of God. This is a commentary on the connection between religion and violence in history.
  • From Kayin to Korach: The Fellow Founders of Foment, Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier. Rabbi Zuckier compares parallels in the stories of Kayin and Korach, both narratives of destruction of society and the natural order.
  • The dialogue between Hashem and Kayin, and Kayin’s subsequent failure, can be understood as Kayin’s internalization of shame where Hashem wanted him to feel guilt. The psychological difference between shame (debilitating rejection of the self) and guilt (remorse for one’s actions, which can lead to healthy growth) is explored in the following sources:

Lemech:

  • The Double Helix: From Lemech to Noach, Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein. Rav Lichtenstein explores the messages of the story of Lemech and what it teaches us about man’s purpose and the development of civilization in Parashat Bereshit.

Parashat Noach

  • Parashat Noah: The First World and the Second, Professor Jonathan Grossman. Professor Grossman writes that the Flood represented a second creation of man, in which he is no longer as exalted as previously. The permission to eat meat represents that man becomes part of nature rather than its ruler.
  • The Language of Babel: At the Tower with Rashi, Ramban, Netziv and Orwell, Rabbi Jeffrey Saks. Rabbi Saks explores interpretations that Migdal Bavel represented totalitarianism and the suppression of individual thought and communication.
  • Individual and Collective Responsibility, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks argues that dor hamabul and Migdal Bavel represent the extremes of cultures based on individualism and on collectivism, and the failures of both. These lead to the election of Avraham, who represents a fusion of individualism and collectivism.
  • The Spiritual Legacy of Noah and Avraham, Rav Michael Rosensweig. Rav Rosensweig explores differences in personality and legacy of Noah and Avraham, drawing a connection to the different purposes and legacies of Noahide and Jewish law.
  • Chazal’s Interpretation of Cham’s Sin, Rabbi Chaim Jachter. Rabbi Jachter explores textual supports from peshat for Chazal’s interpretation of Cham’s sin, along the way drawing parallels among the various sins of the beginning of Sefer Bereishit.
  • Nefesh HaRav, pp. 272-273, Rav Hershel Schachter. Rav Schachter explains the Rav’s interpretation that Shem represents ethics whereas Yefet represents etiquette.

Parashat Lech Lecha

  • Finished and Unfinished Journeys, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin. Rabbi Goldin explores the concept that Avraham continued Terach’s journey, and suggests that Avraham’s greatness is rooted in his persistence and perseverance.
  • Grow Up! A Religious Imperative, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm. Rabbi Lamm characterizes the commandment to Avraham to leave his childhood home as an imperative to develop maturity, and explores the meaning of maturity and its manifestations in Avraham’s story.
  • Gerut, Avdut, and Innuy: The Covenantal Formula in Go Forth and Learn: A Passover Haggadah, Rabbi David Silber. Rabbi Silber interprets the promise of exile and slavery in brit bein habetarim as a prerequisite to becoming a nation of compassion.
  • A Palace in Flames, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks explores the interpretations of Avraham’s search for God, and what they teach us about Avraham’s moral legacy.
  • Perspectives on the Avot and Imahot, Rabbi Avishai David. Rabbi David explores the concept of maasei avot siman lebanim and different approaches to understanding the actions of the avot and imahot.
  • Abraham and the 1960’s: Technocracy and the Journey Inward, Sam Glauber. The author explores Abraham’s identity as a seeker who chafes against a technocractic, progress-oriented society.

Parashat Vayera

  • Lot: Hero or Villain?, Eldad Zamir, Alei Etzion Vol. 10, Tishrei 5761.  The author explores Lot’s personality and evolution over the course of his story.
  • The Binding of Isaac, Rabbi Mois Navon, Hakirah Vol. 17 Summer 2014.  Rabbi Navon offers an interpretation of the meaning of akeidat Yitzchak in the individual’s avodat Hashem.  
  • Theological Issues in Sefer Bereishit: The Akeida, Rav Chaim Navon.  Rav Navon explores theological and moral issues in understanding the akeidah. 
  • And Sarah Died, Dr. Yehuda Gellmann, Tradition Vol. 32 No. 1 Fall 1997.  Dr. Gellman explores the different experience of the akeidah for Avraham and for Sarah, and the root of the difference.
  • The Patron Saint of Rabbis’ Kids, Rabbi Elli Fischer.  Rabbi Fischer explores the meaning of Yitzchak’s experience as the son of Avraham Avinu. 
  • Rebuilding a Future When our World Comes Crashing Down, Dr. Ezra Sivan.  Rabbi Sivan interprets the stories of Lot’s daughters, Tamar, and Rut as a yibum triangle which teaches psychological and religious insight into rebuilding after one’s life narrative has been disrupted. 
  • Lot’s Wife Was Never Salt (and Why That Highlights the Greatness of Abraham), Rabbi Mark Glass. Rabbi Glass explores the story of Sedom’s destruction to understand the moral difference between Lot’s wife and Avraham and their differing concerns for the city of Sedom.  

Parashat Chayyei Sarah

  • Halakhic Morality, pp. 193-207, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. In this section, the Rav describes the notion of different religious styles and personalities. This idea connects to Chazal’s concept that Parashat Hayyei Sarah teaches us the importance of learning from the conversations and everyday life of the avot (יפה שיחתן של עבדי בתי אבות מתורתן של בנים)
  • A Tribute to the Rebbetzin of Talne, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav describes the concept of torat imekha, which represents the legacy of Sarah Imenu.
  • Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention in The Art of Biblical Narrative, Dr. Robert Alter. Dr. Alter explores Biblical betrothal scenes at wells, analyzing how the use of this type-scene contributes to our understanding of the relationships and personalities described in each narrative.

Parashat Toledot

  • Rivka: The Enigma Behind the Veil, Dr. Esther Shkop, Tradition Vol. 35 No. 3 Fall 2002. Dr. Shkop offers a new understanding of Rivka’s behavior and motivation in Parashat Toldot.
  • The Importance of Trust, Rabbi Daniel Yolkut. Rabbi Yolkut explores the lack of communication between Rivka and Yitzchak about the prophecy that foretells Yaakov’s and Esav’s destinies, and what it teaches us about trust and fear of stigma.

Parashat Vayetze

  • Yemei Zikaron, pp. 62-82, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav explores the personalities of Rachel and Leah, and of their descendants, as different paradigms of religious experience and leadership.
  • Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention in The Art of Biblical Narrative, Dr. Robert Alter. Dr. Alter explores Biblical betrothal scenes at wells, analyzing how the use of this type-scene contributes to our understanding of the relationships and personalities described in each narrative.
  •  Why Did Isaac Love Esau?, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks suggests that Yitzchak loved Esav not despite Esav’s character, but because of it.
  • Did Yaakov Deal Justly With Lavan?, Rav Yaakov Medan. Rav Medan explores the interactions between Yaakov and Lavan to understand whether Yaakov’s actions were justified, and to uncover messages for the reader about the Torah’s standards of fairness between employers and employees.
  • Midrash, Miracles, and Motherhood: The Birth of Dinah and the Definition of Maternity, Tzarich Iyun L’Dinah, Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman. Rabbi Reichman explores how midrashic interpretation of the story of the birth of Dinah can be applied to contemporary halakhic discussion of new forms of reproductive technology.
  • The Dudaim: Friendship Between Sisters, Rabbi David Silverberg. Rabbi Silverberg suggests interpreting the story of the dudaim as reflecting the closeness of Leah’s and Rachel’s relationship.

Parashat Vayishlach

  • Confrontation, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. The Rav interprets Yaakov’s story as representative of the dual identity of a Jew as a member of general society and of the covenantal community.
  • Biblical Narratives and the status of Enemy Civilians in Wartime, Rabbi Yitzchak Blau, Tradition Vol. 39 No. 4 Winter 2006. Rabbi Blau explores Jewish values relating to war and attacks on civilians, based in part on the narrative of Shechem.
  • Jacob’s Silence and the Rape of Dinah, Rabbi Ari Silbermann. Rabbi Silbermann suggests that Yaakov’s reaction to Dinah’s rape reflects his experience of secondary trauma.

Parashat Vayeshev

  • The Maternal Effects on the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Rabbi Nachman Cohen, Hakirah Vol. 13 Spring 2012. Rabbi Cohen proposes a theory that the personalities of Yaakov’s twelves sons were “determined by the disposition and perspective of their mothers at the time of their birth.”
  • Yemei Zikaron, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, pp. 66-82. The Rav explores the personalities of the sons of Yaakov, with particular attention to the contrast between the nature and leadership of Yehuda and Yosef.
  • We Will Get Better, We Must Get Better, Rabbanit Rookie Billet. In this powerful, personal reflection, Rabbanit Billet describes the loss of her baby daughter to SIDS and how she found religious and emotional strength and meaning in the wake of her loss. Parashat Vayeshev describes two different reactions to the loss of children, that of Yaakov and that of Yehuda; this article can help students explore the ways in which such devastating loss is transformative in different ways for different people. The article is published in To Mourn a Child, edited by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks and Rabbi Joel B. Wolowelsky.
  • Of Deceptions and Conceptions: Rereading Tamar in Light of Rivkah, Sarah Golubtchik. The author explores the parallels between the stories of Rivka and Tamar in order to better understand Tamar’s character and Yehuda’s transformation.The Maternal Effects on the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Rabbi Nachman Cohen, Hakirah Vol. 13 Spring 2012. Rabbi Cohen proposes a theory that the personalities of Yaakov’s twelves sons were “determined by the disposition and perspective of their mothers at the time of their birth.”

Parashat Miketz

  • Joseph, the Master of Dreams, Dr. Hillel Chiel, Tradition Vol. 39 No. 1. Spring 2005. Dr. Chiel explores the significance of dreams in the narrative of Yosef and the transition from the period of the avot to the national story of Am Yisrael.
  • The Beginning of Wisdom, Dr. Leon Kass, pp. 150-172. Dr. Kass explores the meaning and values represented by Yosef’s ability to interpret dreams.

Parashat Vayigash

  • The Universalism of Particularity, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik. Rabbi Soloveichik interprets the story of Yehuda’s personal transformation and teshuva as representative of the need to feel responsible for one’s own family and people as a prerequisite for moral action.

Parashat Vayechi

  • The Pit Revisited, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm. Rabbi Lamm describes Yosef’s experience as he passed by the pit where he had been trapped by the brothers, and presents it as a metaphor for remembering one’s humble beginnings and maintaining humility.
  • Each Tribe A Blessing, Rabbi Alex Israel. Rabbi Israel explores the unusual nature of Yaakov’s “blessings” to his children, suggesting that they are meant to address the tensions of the past by finding a role for each son. Additionally, he reads this parashah as an extension of Yaakov’s efforts throughout his life to control his difficult circumstances.
  • Why Ephraim and Manasseh?, Professor Eli Mertzbach. Professor Mertzbach suggests five understandings of the significance of the blessing of Ephraim and Menashe.

Shemot

Parashat Shemot

Parashat Vaera

Parashat Bo

Parashat Beshalach

Parashat Yitro

  • The Source of Faith is Faith Itself, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein. In this powerful, personal essay, Rav Lichtenstein explores the source of belief in God.
  • Forgive Us, Father-in-Law, For We Know Not What to Think: Letter to a Philosophical Dropout from Orthodoxy, Rabbi Shalom Carmy. Rabbi Carmy argues that religious faith, like all important choices in life, should be based not only on reason but on the full range of human faculties.
  • Parental Say in the Life Choices of the Post-Adolescent Child: Some Halakhic Guidelines, Rabbi Shalom Rosenfeld, Tradition Vol. 46 No. 2 Summer 2013. Rabbi Rosenfeld explores the parameters of parents’ and children’s obligations to each other; this article can be a useful resource for discussing the mitzvah of honoring one's parents.
  • The New York Times ran a series on modern-day applications of the Aseret Hadibrot. This one is about avodah zarah.
  • A Case for Chosenness, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik. Rabbi Soloveichik explores the notion of Hashem’s unique love for the Jewish people

Parashat Mishpatim

Parashot Terumah and Tetzvah

  • A Return to the Garden of Eden, Rav Amnon Bazak.  Rav Bazak explores the parallels between the building of the mishkan and the creation of the world to interpret the building of the mishkan as a tikkun for the sin of Adam HaRishon. 
  • Making Space, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.  Rabbi Sacks explores the parallels between the building of the mishkan and the creation of the world as representing the need to constrict oneself in order to make space for the other.  
  • Thoughts of the Heart, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.  Rav Lichtenstein interprets the religious symbolism of the juxtaposition of the korbanot and description of bigdei kehunah.
  • The Argument Over the Path to Faith and its Expression in the Parashiot of the Mishkan, Dr. Brachi Elitzur.  Dr. Elitzur explores the reason for the level of detail that the Torah provides about the commandment andParashot Terumah and Tetzvah execution of the building of the mishkan. 
  • In the Shadow of God: The Mishkan’s “Constructive” Theology, Ranana Dine.  The author compares Jewish and Christian views on the beauty of the Temple and of places of worship.

Parashat Ki Tisa

  • Rembrandt’s Great Jewish Painting, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, Mosaic Magazine, June 10, 2016.  Rabbi Soloveichik interprets the symbolism and messages of Rembrandt’s depiction of Moshe carrying the luchot.
  • Chet Ha-Egel Revisited, Rabbanit Dena Rock.  Rabbanit Rock explores the motivation behind the Jewish people’s alarming sin at chet ha-egel.

Parashot Vayakhel and Pekudei

  • See articles listed under Parashot Terumah and Tetzvah

Vayikra

Parashot Vayikra, Tzav, Shemini, Tazria, Metzora

Parashat Acharei Mot

  • On Jewish Faith During the Holocaust, Rav Yehuda Amital.  Rav Amital explores fear of judgment and the feeling of “ashreichem Yisrael” as two motivators to teshuvah.
  • The Universalism of Particularity, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik.  Rabbi Soloveichik interprets the avodat hakohanim as representing the importance of feeling responsible for one’s own family as a prerequisite to feeling responsible for mankind as a whole. 

Parashat Kedoshim

Parashat Emor

  • Holy Times, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.  Rabbi Sacks discusses the uniqueness of the description of the holidays that appears in Parashat Emor, and the purpose of sanctified times.
  • One Upon A Time: The Story Told by the Chagim, Rabbanit Dena Rock.  Rabbanit Rock explores the narrative process represented by the cycle of the Jewish year.

Parashat Behar

  • Orthodox Approaches to Biblical Slavery, Rabbi Gamliel Shamlo.  Rabbi Shamlo explores different halakhic understandings of the Biblical institution of slavery. 
  • Jewish Philanthropy - Whither?, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.  Rav Lichtenstein explores priorities in tzedaka and the values of giving to Jewish and non-Jewish causes. 
  • The Singer Solution to World Poverty, Dr. Peter Singer.  This is a thought-provoking, controversial perspective on the allocation of charity, written by a philosophy professor.  It is a great resource for stimulating discussion about the values underlying tzedaka and the morality of tzedaka allocation.

Parashat Bechukotai

  • Nothing Happens by Chance, Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein.  Rav Lichtenstein describes the haftarah’s emphasis on trust in Hashem during times of trouble, as described in the parashah.  

Bemidbar

Parashat Bemidbar "How Good Are Your Tents, Yaakov": The Organization of God’s Dwelling Place, Professor Jonathan Grossman. Professor Grossman explores the symbolism of the set-up of the encampment described in Parashat Bemidbar.

Parashat Naso Visions of Peace: Over Idealization and Under Realization, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm.  Rabbi Lamm describes the Jewish notions of peace (as referred to in birkat kohanim) as they relate to the world and to personal life, and how these two dimensions of human experience relate to each other.  

Parashat Behaalotekha

Devarim

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