Collection
Sourcesheets on the Parashat HaShavua from Rabbi Joshua Rabin, rabbi of the Astoria Center of Israel in Astoria, Queens.
astoriacenter.org/Sheets
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Parashat Beshallah 5779: Leadership of the Quietly Courageous
What can we learn from Nahshon jumping into the water WITHOUT saying a word?
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 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 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 Vayishlakh 5785: Wrestling to Win
Can one build a legacy without victory?
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 Noah 5784: The Tower of Disaster
What was it like for people in the days after they could no longer understand one another?
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 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 Miketz 5783: Yosef Made Himself a Stranger
How does one make themselves a stranger?
Parashat Bo 5786: Slavery With Interest
Why connect the slaying of the firstborn and lending with interest?
Parashat Vaera 5778: A World Without Hope
What is the significance of the term קֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ?
Parashat Shemot 5785: Choosing (Not) To Know
Why do people choose NOT to know?
Parashat Toledot 5786: Why Do I Exist?
How are we to understand Rivka's provocative question about her difficult pregnancy?
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 Vayigash 5785: Silence from Shame
Pretend you are one of Joseph’s brothers. What is the first thing that goes through your mind immediately after Joseph reveals himself to you?
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 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?