Lekh Lekha:
Abraham and Sarah’s Laughter
When God promises Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son in their old age, both respond with laughter. Their reactions appear remarkably similar, yet God responds to them differently. Abraham receives reassurance, while Sarah is challenged for her apparent disbelief. Why does God treat their seemingly identical reactions so differently?
The legal institution of yibbum ultimately points beyond the law itself to enduring Torah values: preserving families, protecting the vulnerable, and sustaining the covenantal community through acts of love and responsibility.
The Torah commands us not to harbor endless hatred for those who have persecuted us. It also teaches us that there are really wonderful people who overcome the hateful anti-Jewish stereotypes of their families/societies, and who embrace Judaism and the Jewish People. And we embrace them for their wisdom and courage. We need more of them.
Life doesn't have to be--and should not be--a rat race. We each have the power and responsibility to assert our freedom and autonomy, to consider our souls as well as our bodies. May the forthcoming holy days be a time of spiritual growth and purification.
How wonderful it would be if instead of shandas and stoopers, we had courageous leaders who refused to be part of any “big tent” that included antisemites, racists and those who would slander and undermine the state of Israel. Wouldn’t it be heartening to have Jewish profiles in courage instead of defilers of courage?
Whistle-blowing in our daily professional life is a real issue. Examples of purposeful misrepresentation, hypocrisy, and malfeasance can be found. These are problems for individual conscience to solve when confronting injustice and evil. Can we rely on our own conscience to choose correctly and to regulate the personal impulses that might drive ourselves or others to commit unfair, unjust, and even, criminal actions?
Strange as it may seem, it may be easier to have faith in God than faith in humanity. The Holocaust is a notorious example of how bad human beings can be. But if we look at humanity today, we still see hatred, violence, anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism, terrorism, vicious conspiracy theories, lies, crimes large and small.
Every seven years, after experiencing a year of radical dependence upon God, the nation gathers once again as it gathered at Sinai. The covenant is renewed, the Torah is heard anew, and every generation is invited to stand once more before God alongside its ancestors.
Mitchell First, an accomplished scholar in his own right, has published a review of Rabbi Hayyim Angel's new commentary, The Heart of the Five Megillot. It appeared in The Jewish Link, July 30, 2026, page 127.
Reviewing: “The Heart of the Five Megillot” by Rabbi Hayyim Angel (2026)
Living as a thinking Jew requires a multi-generational approach. We are rooted in our history and strive to be faithful to the ideals of our ancestors. But the world changes. We don’t live in the days of Abraham and Sara, or in Temple times, or in the Middle Ages or even in more recent generations. We face new circumstances and challenges and must be wise enough to apply ancient wisdom to our current realities.