Rav Zachariash’s weekly blog on the parsha
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. (Bereishis 42:35) The Chasam Sofer (Moses Schreiber 1762–1839) discusses an important idea in one of his teshuvos (Chelek 6:59). He emphasizes [...]
“And Yehuda said to his brothers, ‘What gain is there if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?’” (Bereishis 37:26) When judges deliver a judgment, they usually look for a precedent. The idea is simple: if a similar case has previously been decided, that ruling provides a framework for how to proceed. This principle [...]
“And Yaakov said to Shimon and Levi, You have brought trouble on me to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land…” (Bereishis 34:30) The commentators argue at length over the justifications Shimon and Levi gave for destroying the inhabitants of Shechem. It is clear from the verses that Yaakov strongly disagreed with their [...]
“Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Hashem is present in this place, and I did not know it!’” (Bereishis 28:16) The gemora in Sanhedrin (95b) tells us that after Yaakov Avinu had already passed the location of the future Beis Hamikdash, he said, “How could I walk right past the place where [...]
“and Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivka as a wife, the daughter of Besuel the Arammian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Lavan the Arammian.” (Bereishis 25:20) In last week’s parsha, Chazal taught us that when Yitzchak brought Rivka into his home as his wife, the same miracles that took place in Sarah’s [...]
“He said I will not eat until I say what I need to say” (Bereishis 24:33) Why did Eliezer refuse to eat before delivering his message to Lavan? Generally, we assume that one with a connection with a talmid chacham will be positively influenced. We rarely worry that a talmid chacham himself may be affected [...]
And the Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (Bereishis 18:1) Avraham Avinu treated his guests royally. As a result, klal Yisrael merited many “perks” from Hashem (See Bava Metzia 86b). But did Avraham Avinu really do hachnasas orchim at [...]
And Avram said to Lot, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are brothers. (Bereishis 13:8) The shepherds of Lot quarreled with the shepherds of Avraham. Avraham was troubled by this and said to Lot, “Why should we fight? We are like brothers!” To [...]
“And, behold, I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which there is a breath of life from under the heavens; and everything that is on the earth shall die.” (Bereishis 6:17) The Zohar reveals that the deeper meaning of this verse lies in the haftara “Mei Noach [...]
“Because you have done this…” (Bereishis 3:14) Have you ever wondered why the snake, which began as an upright creature, was condemned to crawling on its belly as punishment? The Dubno Magid (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz of Dubno 1741–1804) explains with a parable. A wealthy man, passing through a town where he had family, encountered [...]
