The splitting of the ‘Sea of Reeds’ is one of the seminal events in Jewish history. This week’s Torah Parsha (BESHALACH) begins with a description of how the Israelites finally left Egypt, and the yoke of the Pharaoh. What had been considered impossible had occurred! The mightiest army in the ancient world – -the Egyptians, […]

This week’s Torah Parsha (BO) continues with the story of Exodus. God had already inflicted seven devastating plagues on Egypt, subsequent to the Pharaoh’s perpetual denial to free the enslaved Israelites. In Parsha (BO), it becomes apparent that from the very first time that God approached Moses (behind the burning bush); He had a grandiose […]

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Last week’s Torah Parsha (SHEMOT) ended with Moses and Aaron both discouraged, as the Pharaoh of Egypt denied their request to free the enslaved Israelites. This week’s Parsha (VA’EIRA) describes with precise detail, the first seven of the ten plagues, which would eventually decimate all of Egypt. A major […]

The opening chapters of Exodus plunge us into a midst of epic events. Moses passes from Prince of Egypt; to Midianite shepherd; to leader of the Israelites, through a history-changing encounter with God, at the ‘Burning Bush’. The narrative begins with a new King of Egypt, “who did not know of Joseph” (1). However, the […]

In last week’s Torah Parsha (VAYIGASH), Joseph became overwhelmed with emotion, when he learned that his father, Jacob was still alive. He revealed his identity to his eleven brothers; and, urged them to bring his father and all of their wives and children to Egypt. The brothers were both stunned and elated. They gleefully returned […]

The major theme of the book of Genesis is dysfunctional family dynamics and sibling rivalry, which tend to repeat themselves, generation after generation. Adam and Eve never interacted with their two sons; Cain killed his brother Abel; Ishmael mocked his brother Isaac, and was forced from his home at the age of sixteen; Jacob stole […]

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Pulitzer Prize winning book for 2016: “Joseph and His Multi-colored Coat”….A single father with twelve sons and one daughter, born to four different women (all now deceased); a dysfunctional family; partiality; resentment; hatred; deceit; a scenario comparable to the popular television show, ‘Real housewives of Egypt’; and, crimes and […]

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In last week’s Parsha (VAYETZEI), we read about how Jacob had betrayed both his father (Isaac) and his twin brother (Esau), motivated by his mother, Rebecca. Jacob’s mother favored him over his brother, and was aware that Isaac’s birthright and blessings would be endowed to Esau, who was the […]

This week’s Parsha (VAYETZEI) begins with Jacob on the run from his family and home. Every aspect of his life is complicated. Although, he leaves his home with his father’s (Isaac) birthright and blessings, these blessings were obtained under false pretenses. His relationships with each of his family members are clouded, as is the journey […]

This week’s Torah Parsha (V’ZOTHABRACHA) is the final reading in the last of the five books of the Torah (DEUTERONOMY). The Parsha begins with Moses blessing each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Echoing Jacob’s blessings to his twelve sons, five generations earlier, Moses assigns and empowers each tribe with its individual role within the […]