What can Yaakov’s struggle teach us about the complexities of identity and faith?

In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Michael Hattin delve into Yaakov’s dramatic encounter with the mysterious “Ish” in Parshat Vayishlach. They explore themes of personal transformation, … Read the rest

The post Vayishlach 5785: Wrestling with the Divine first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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What can a fraught meeting between brothers teach us about our own instincts?

The events of October 7 shattered the worldview for many of us, and can cause us to approach how we understand the Torah differently. In this week’s … Read the rest

The post Vayishlach 5784: Faith in Humanity vs. Survival first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Yaakov returns from Lavan’s house to meet Esav, and he is petrified. Esav is coming with 400 men. Is he seething with hatred and violence, or has he possibly missed his brother and is instead coming to welcome him. The … Read the rest

The post Vayishlah 5783: Confronting Hate first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Parashat Vayishlach 5782 – Cyclical History

Description: Does History repeat itself? Nachmanides thinks it does! He reads the entire standoff between Jacob and Esau as a paradigm of future events – Isael and Rome, Judaism and Christianity. What are we … Read the rest

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Jacob is a man divided within himself, as suggested by the paradoxical statement that “Jacob remained alone,” yet “a man struggled with him.” With an emphasis on the recurring “guiding words” in the text, we will explore the nature of… Read the rest

The post VaYishlach 5781: Facing Forward first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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