Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43) Torah Reading on Dec. 6, 2025
This week’s Torah reading continues the dramatic journey of Jacob, who is fleeing from his brother after stealing his blessing and manipulating him out of his birthright. Now, he divides his family to protect them, as he has heard that his brother is headed to meet him with 400 men. Jacob wrestles some kind of […]
Vayetzei (Genesis 28:10-32:3) Nov. 29, 2025: The Ladder Within
This week’s parasha brings us Jacob’s dream – “a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and messengers of God were going up and down on it” (Gen. 28:11). The scene is captivating in itself, portraying God standing immediately next to Jacob and blessing Jacob with land, descendants and protection. […]
Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Torah Reading Nov. 22, 2025: Honest Reading
The family dramas in the book of Genesis are a powerful example of the realness of the characters and stories of our biblical ancestors overall – they are not “teaching stories” with simple heroes and heroines whose qualities and actions are to be emulated wholesale, but instead they are human, complex, troubled, often inspiring and, […]
Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23) Torah Reading Dec. 13, 2025: The Power of Perspective
December 11, 2025 by Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller • D'var Torah
The parasha this week features huge dramatic motion and emotion – Joseph, favored by his father Jacob, dreams of ruling over his brothers, who sell him into slavery in Egypt. This was terrible, but not as bad as their earlier intent to kill him! Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute in order to conceive a […]