A Quick Torah Thought

Why is it that the mitzvah of Chanukah, in its purest, simplest form is a light for every home?  I remember as a child enjoying jelly donuts from a local Chabad van, after a public lighting in the lawn of Great Neck House. Likewise, I've seen many large electric Chabad menorahs lit throughout the streets of Jerusalem, at central junctions, intersections and the like.  That notwithstanding, I think that there's something missing a little bit in that conceptualization of the commemorative day, a day instituted for praise and thanksgiving.  In my humble opinion, the rabbinic command was placed on each and every home because that is the unit entrusted with preserving the Jewish faith from one generation, like we say in the prayer U'vah Letzion : "Lo yamushu toratcha, m'picha, u'mipi zar'acha, u'm'pi zera zar'acha" (The words of the Torah shall not leave your mouth, your offspring's mouth, and the mouth of your offspring's offspring.).  ...

 Many a reason is given for Rachel's premature death. The presumption in the Torah is that were one of the foremothers or fathers to die because of anything other than old age, the deceased, or those in his or her party acted in a less than becoming way.  Rachel is often blamed for bringing about her own death. "If you don't give me children," she tells Jacob, "I shall die." Likewise, she steals her father's idols, Jacob promising that the one with whom the idols are found "shall surely die."  Very rarely, though, is the blame placed on the man. Even when Rachel trades her night with Leah, Rashi relates that her actions were worthy of distaste because she didn't adequately appreciate "her night in bed with the tzadik ." This latter example I find most odd, because Rachel, in essence was willing to give up something so dear to her, i.e. relations with her husband, in the hope of having a child from him, bespeaking her righteousness...

 A colleague and friend, Rabbi Adiel Levi, pointed out a very nice insight into this past week's parsha. The shepherds in Lavan's hometown, Haran, for lack of trust of one another, had placed a large stone on the mouth of the town well so that only were all the flocks there would the shepherds be able to remove the massive, cumbersome stone covering the well.  When Yaakov asks why they are loitering about at the well, they answer that only when all the shepherds are there will we be able to "roll off" the stone: " Ve'galelu et ha'even me'al pi ha'be'er, ve'hishkinu hatzon ." When Yaakov, the perennial yeshiva student and tent dweller shortly thereafter sees Rachel, his soulmate and future beloved, the verse changes course, and uses a different root for the word, "roll." It doesn't says " galal" but rather, " va'yagel ."  Yaakov, not one know for his astounding strength, or prowess, through the pow...

Though Eisav is often seen in our mind's eye as a hairy red-faced brute, lacking grace, or intellect, it's hard in many ways to reconcile that conception with our reading of this week's parsha.  Eisav was a man who Isaac was a step away from granting the mantle of Jewish leadership until this very day. There was something on a spiritual leader that appealed to Isaac very much, not simply the knavery, the question Eisav was wont to ask, "How do I tithe salt" and the like.  In the end, Isaac also acquiesces and blesses Eisav. What was is that he had that was so alluring?  I heard an interesting explanation from Rabbi Faivelzon. The verses tell us: "The lads grew up, Eisav becoming a hunter, a man of the field, Yaakov, wholesomely dwelling in his tent."  I have exercised a little poetic license in translating the above verse, though I feel that it's no less accurate than that of Artscroll or JPS.  Within the above verse, related Rabbi Faivelzon, one can...

 Eliezer is presented in the Parsha of Chayei Sarah as a man of uncanny foresight, diplomacy, and true devotion to his master.  It would seem, though, in my humble opinion, that a contradistinction is being made between Avraham, whose son, Yitzhak, would be the forbearer of the Jewish people, and Eliezer who Avraham avers could never succeed him. When Avraham turns to Hashem in his old age, yet childless, he states, "And all I have is Eliezer to inherit me."  In this week's parsha, I think, through this contradistinction we see what Avraham exemplifies in this world, and why Eliezer - though the text never in fact states that the servant is indeed Eliezer - fell short.  Eliezer needed to give God a test, not at a time of great duress - he could have waited for "women's hours" at the well to be over - but rather, that was a normative means of operating for him. Few are the incidences in the Tanach where we see our leaders give God a test, or seek to learn the...