Genesis 48

 My video for Genesis 48 can be found on instagram:

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Genesis 22-23

 Genesis 22 and 23 are too climactic moments in the narratives of Avraham, Sarah and Isaac. 

Following chapter 21 where Ishmael was sent away, Abraham is now asked by the Holy One to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. This is one of the most challenging readings of our Torah, one we read on Rosh Hashanah. 

We wonder what was Avraham thinking? 

Why didn’t he argue with God?

Why was he eager to get up early and go?

Did he know they would return? (He did tell the lads they’d return.)

What was the test?

Having spent a year collecting sources for an anthology of sources on the subject for Rabbi Neil Gillman, I have spent significant hours reading and studying this chapter  what strikes me most is the fact that this sacrifice is not some ancient anomaly but one that we emulate in every generation  

We continually send our young men and women to sacrifice their lives for our values, for our ideals, for our freedoms. We see it as noble, yet criticize Avraham.

Here I am at one of the most contested and meaningful sites in Hebron. The holy site of the tomb of the patriarchs was bought by Avraham in chapter 23 of Genesis.  The deed he acquires was supposed to prevent any future disagreement or debate. He desired to know that his ownership was uncontested-even overpaying to ensure this. 

How can we get to a world where this tomb creates unity rather than division?

How can we create a world where peace is a value in all cultures?

Week 3 of #929

We are now in our third week of studying the TaNaKH.  Beginning at the beginning, we have gone from Creation to Noah to Avram.  We are on a journey.  It moves in fits and starts.  Throughout Genesis we hear the stories of our ancestors.  We see the complicated relationships that our ancestors have.  Sometimes they make incredible choices.  Sometimes they are challenged and challenging.

In today's reading (chapter 13), Lot and Avram go their separate ways.  Avram closes the chapter giving thanks.  In Hevron, he builds an altar to God.  

How do we thank God today?  

When and where do we express our gratitude?

How do we thank others?

How do we solve our disputes?

All these questions appear in just eighteen verses!

 

Genesis Chapter 6

Genesis 6 has angels sleeping with humans, wickedness increasing in the world and Noah finding favor in God's eyes.  It is a complicated and violent world.  From creation to this moment is only ten generations--yet their lifespans are tremendous.  Noah comes into the picture and God hits the reset button.

Genesis 6

When humankind began to increase on earth and daughters were born to them, 

the [males among the] divine beings Others “sons of God.” saw how pleasing the human women were and took wives from among those who delighted them.— 

יהוה said, “My breath shall not abide in humankind forever, since it too is flesh; let the days allowed them be one hundred and twenty years.”— 

It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared on earth—when divine beings cohabited with the human women, who bore them offspring. Such were the heroes of old, the men of renown. 

יהוה saw how great was human wickedness on earth—how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. 

And יהוה regretted having made humankind on earth. With a sorrowful heart, 

יהוה said, “I will blot out from the earth humankind whom I created—humans together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.” 

But Noah found favor with יהוה. 

This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.— 

Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. 

When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on earth, 

God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth. 

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make it an ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 

This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 

Make an opening for daylight in the ark, and terminate it within a cubit of the top.. Put the entrance to the ark in its side; make it with bottom, second, and third decks. 

“For My part, I am about to bring the Flood—waters upon the earth—to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is breath of life; everything on earth shall perish. 

But I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark, with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 

And of all that lives, of all flesh, you shall take two of each into the ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female. 

From birds of every kind, cattle of every kind, every kind of creeping thing on earth, two of each shall come to you to stay alive. 

For your part, take of everything that is eaten and store it away, to serve as food for you and for them.” 

Noah did so; just as God commanded him, so he did.

https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.6?ven=The_Contemporary_Torah,_Jewish_Publication_Society,_2006&vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah&lang=bi&aliyot=0

929--A new opportunity for daily blessing

 Dear friends,

As we journey through our years together, we have opportunities to learn and grow. As a community, we have a number of exciting educational and social possibilities, where we can come together and inspire.  Sometimes our endeavors are local--like our new reminder that every day is mitzvah day--and some are national--like our partnership with USCJ's incredible ScholarStream programming.  

Sometimes we have the chance to participate in something even larger than that.  A number of our members participate in Daf Yomi, studying a page of Talmud each day.  While an incredible learning experience, it is more than many might wish to take upon themselves.  Today I want to share a bite-size program, that will lead to a great accomplishment. 929 is a program to read one chapter each day of the TaNaKH, the Jewish Bible.  The newest cycle began this past week and continues through 8/27/2025.  Each Sunday-Thursday you read one chapter (5 per week) and review on Shabbat.  It is not a huge time commitment, but reading a little each day you see the depth and breadth of our Scriptures.  

Of course, as Jews, TaNaKH is just the beginning.  We have thousands of commentaries and thousands of years of Jewish practice that follow--yet learning some of our foundational texts can lead to great meaning.  On the webpage: https://www.929.org.il/lang/en/today/ you can sign up for regular reminders, read the chapter in English, see works of art and more.  On a communal level, I will be sharing daily lessons at my "other" facebook page.  My goal will be to inspire questions and share positive thoughts about the day's readings. Link: https://www.facebook.com/morejoylessoy/. If you "like" that page, you will see my posts.  The more you interact, the more other people will be able to see it.  I will also share brief videos at times and am considering the best way to create a weekly podcast.  (If you have great ideas or would like to participate, let me know.

If you are interested in signing up with CBI, please follow the link here

https://forms.gle/VzoTCgh47HxngJo48

In my lunch and learn this week, we learned about the mystical power of community in prayer and study.  May this endeavor lead us to holiness and blessing!