“And he [Jacob] lighted upon the place and tarried there all night because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of the Lord ascending and descending on it.” (Bereishith 28: 11-12)
“And Abraham was old, well stricken in age, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.” (Bereishith 24:1)
This is a remarkable statement: God had blessed Abraham “bakol,” in all things. Yet, in his old age, it would seem that Abraham had hit a nadir in his life, that almost everything had gone wrong for him.
I hope your academic year is going well.
Shalom uvrakha,
I hope your academic year is going well.
Thanks to the generosity of members of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, we are offering the following books to members of the University Network at no charge. If you'd like any or all of them, please email me your choice/s, your mailing address, the name of the University at which you are a student. Please send your request to [email protected]
Abraham must have been a very unpopular man in the society and family in which he was raised. He wouldn't likely have been elected to lead the citizenry of Ur Kasdim. He rejected their worldview, smashed their idols, repudiated their (un)ethical system. Who would vote for Abraham? He was a starry-eyed mystic and philosopher, not interested in pandering to the values and interests of his fellow citizens.
Thoughts for Parashat Nitsavim
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
The first section of this Shabbat's Torah reading expresses God's concern lest the Israelites revert to idolatry. As in so many other sections of the Torah, we are warned not to worship false gods. This is a grievous sin with terrible consequences.
ANGEL FOR SHABBAT KI TAVO--by Rabbi Marc D. Angel