Collection
Sourcesheets on the Parashat HaShavua from Rabbi Joshua Rabin, rabbi of the Astoria Center of Israel in Astoria, Queens.
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Parashat Vayeshev 5785: Unmasking Deception
This sourcesheet provides an introduction into Robert Alter's literary analysis of Joseph's tunic alongside the story of Judah and Tamar.
Parashat Bereishit 5785: Taming the Leviathan
Could it be that God is NOT all-powerful? The presence of the Leviathan makes the question more complicated than it first seems.
Parashat Toledot 5786: Why Do I Exist?
How are we to understand Rivka's provocative question about her difficult pregnancy?
Parashat Vayera 5784: Emoting the Akedah
"But okay, say God provided the ram. So what? Once Abraham raised the knife, in his heart, it was as if he'd killed him. He could never forget that. And neither could Isaac." -The Believer
Parashat Lekh Lekha 5784: Love And Fear vs. Love Or Fear
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."-Michael Scott, The Office
Parashat Noah 5784: The Tower of Disaster
What was it like for people in the days after they could no longer understand one another?
Parashat Re’eh 5784: Idols to Wealth
"What is an idol? Any god who is mine but not yours, any god concerned with me but not with you, is an idol." -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Parashat Vayishlakh 5785: Wrestling to Win
Can one build a legacy without victory?
Parashat Vaethanan 5784: Afraid to Love
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."-Michael Scott, The Office
Parashat Matot/Masei 5484: Stomaching the Truth
Too often, we avoid facing uncomfortable truths about ourselves. The laws of vows, and the process for nullification of vows, demands that we no longer avoid the truth just because it is unpleasant or inconvenient.
Parashat Shelakh Lekha 5785: Do We Need All the Answers?
What might be at stake for the rabbis in analyzing when Moshe felt it was necessary to render judgment with or without God’s advice?
Parashat Behaalotekha 5786: Ye of Imperfect Faith
How does Rabbi Akiva's perspective on the imperfection of Moshe's faith impact your understanding of Moshe?
Parashat Pinhas 5783: A “Legacy” of Zealotry
Our rabbis go out of their way to justify Pinhas' zealotry, which naturally, makes many of us uncomfortable. What does it look like to "embrace" a history of zealotry without condoning it?
Parashat Korah 5786: A Crowdsourced Lobotomy
Creation is about making order out of disorder. Perhaps the reason that Korah's dispute is so horrifying is that he just wants to see the world burn?
Parashat Hukkat/Balak 5786: Don't Lose Your Head
How might a single word used by Moshe serve as a cautionary tale about what happens when leaders forget the true sources of their power?
Parashat Hayyei Sarah 5785: Yitzhak’s Trauma
When the Torah tells us that Isaac goes into the field to "meditate," rabbinic sources debate whether "meditation" is traditional prayer, contemplation in nature, or some combination.
What lurks beneath each perspective is a question of how Yitzhak must deal with trauma.
Parashat Vayetze 5785: Israel's Assurance
Alongside this close reading from Yair Zakovitch, this close examination of Jacob's dream provides a window into how this dream is a metaphor for feeling seen when we feel abandoned.