Peshischa on the Parsha: Pushing Passed Your Limits, Limiting Your Celebration - Jan 2, 2020 - Quoting from the Mei Hashiloach, we spoke about Yehuda’s resilience to change his mind and push himself to not give up. Similarly, the Avnei Nezer explained that Yehuda set a high goal for himself, taking responsibility even for that which he couldn’t control, thereby making himself push his limits. We then discussed the lesson of Yosef and Binyamin’s embrace- the empathize even during celebration.

Vayigash: Taking a Step for Ourselves - Jan 2, 2020 - After discussing the journey of Yosef and the brothers, and how it could be that there was no communication for all these years with Yaakov, we tried to understand the purpose of Yehuda’s “approach”. While we find very little in terms of new information that he presents to Yosef, that may not be the point. As the Rokeach explains that this accounts for one of our ‘steps’ before shmoneh esrei, we discussed how this step differs from the other 2, and how Yehuda’s plea represents a humble reckoning with oneself.

Legal Holiday Learning: Rabbi Bernard Illowy’s handling of intermarriage controversies - Jan 2, 2020 - One of the most fascinating rabbinic figures in early American Jewish history was Rabbi Dr. Yissochar Dov Bernard Illowy. A student of the Chasam Sofer, and a PhD from The Univetsity of Budapest, Rabbi Illowy came with a wealth of rabbinic and secular knowledge to the united stated in the mid-19th century. As he soon learned, due to a laxity in religious observance, the few orthodox rabbis in the country at the time were left to pick up the pieces. We discussed 2 issues of the time- burying a woman who some said wasn’t Jewish in the Jewish cemetery, and disallowing mohalim from circumcising babies born to non-Jewish women.

Legends & Lessons: Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch - Dec 31, 2019 - Rav Hirsch is considered by many to be the father of Modern Orthodoxy. While it’s difficult to discern how today’s orientation compares to his proposed ideology, he was certainly a trailblazer in creating a philosophy that embraced modern culture while staying committed to every aspect of religious service. Progressing from smaller to larger cities through his career, he is most known for his last ~35 years as the Arab in Frankfurt, a city overtaken with the new Reform movement but one in which he nonetheless successfully grew the Orthodox community. We also looked at the beginning conversation in his fictional but prototypical ‘nineteen letters’.

Peshischa on the Parsha: Having Enough to Believe In - Dec 26, 2019 - We started with a simple connection between two similar ideas of the Chiddushei HaRim- that both the brothers and the Jewish people in Chanukah cannot be ‘meraglim’ or living with ‘hergel’, but instead living deliberate lives of avodas Hashem. We suggested that one of the ways to get out of that habitual mode is explained by an idea from the Ishbitzer later in the Parsha- when a person realizes they’ve had ‘enough’ to believe fully in Hashem.

Mikeitz & Channuka: Being Correct but also Right - Dec 25, 2019 - When Rav Tarfon would hear a student suggest a new Torah insight, he would respond in one of three ways- “kaftor vaferach”, a reference to the button and flower of the menorah, when he agreed; “lo yered beni imachem”, Yaakov’s statement to Reuven, when he disagreed but understood; “akapeach es banai” when he thought it made no sense. Connecting the Menorah to Yaakov in this weeks Parsha, we analyzed the true meaning of these phrases and understood a concept which lies at the root of the Chanukah story.

Early American Teshuvot: Turning a Church into a Shul - Dec 25, 2019 - In the first installment of our Legal Holiday Learning series, we looked at two teshuvot responding to two congregants of the same shul struggling to start on the lower east side of manhattan in the 1850’s. At the heart of the matter was whether they’d be allowed to buy their first substantial building for the congregation if it was previously used as a Church. Does the building itself take on the character of the worship done inside? Or is it simply a neutral structure which has no inherent status?

Mishlei & Modern Psychology - Dec 24, 2019 - Getting more personal (at least according to the Malbim), Shlomo HaMelech starts off the fourth Perek explaining how he was raised and taught by his father- Dovid HaMelech. The Torah is at once something the Jewish people acquired AND something Hashem gifted to us. While the sentiments in Mishlei are oftentimes harsh and critical of mankind, these warnings come from a place of love and support. We discussed the importance of active listening, tough love, and the emotional pull of visuals over information.

Mishlei 3:31-35- The Company You Keep - Dec 20, 2019 - Continuing last weeks theme, Shlomo HaMelech teaches us how to relate -and not relate- with certain individuals. We discussed the emotional draw one might experience for ‘successful’ sinners, or the intellectual draw of justifying certain acts and thinking you won’t be swayed by other things that that person succumbed to. When we do that, Hashem will share His secrets with us like with Avraham. We finished the 3rd perek discussing who we make as our role models. Who we praise will filter into who we become.

How Yosef Matured “with” Hashem: A study in Vayeishev’s Chiastic Structure - Dec 20, 2019 - Taking a macro-view to the Parsha, we notice the the themes from the beginning and end are very similar and that they point to a pivotal center for Yosef’s development. We analyzed how Chamishi paints a picture of Yosef which we had yet to see explicitly in the Parsha- living with Hashem ‘on his lips’. We noted how this shift is exemplified through the lack of Hashem’s mention in the first half of the Parsha, and is prevalent throughout the second half.