Parshat Vayigash

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Judah's plea for Benjamin, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and Jacob's family descends to Egypt. Genesis 44:18-47:27.

When A Man Dies

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition has some fascinating – and sobering – ideas about that transition. It's a moment watched over, judged, and ultimately, a reckoning. Imagine this: As a person breat...

AngelsHeavenHell/GehennaTorah

The Origin Of The Shema

Tree of Souls

"Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" – "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4). We say it every day, often multiple times a day. But where did it ...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

God Keeps The Sabbath

Tree of Souls

In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Imagine this: right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the ...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

The Descent Of The Light-man

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition is rich with stories of dreams and visions, and the power they hold. One particularly striking tale, found in Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz, tells of a dream th...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

The Bartered Birthright

Tree of Souls

Let’s talk about Jacob and Esau, and a bowl of… lentil stew. Genesis tells us that the twins were different from the start. "When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a...

CreationPatriarchs

Red Lentils

Tree of Souls

Take lentils, for example. Humble, unassuming… yet, in Jewish tradition, they're deeply tied to mourning and sorrow. Why lentils? The tradition tells us that when Cain killed Abel,...

CreationAngelsPatriarchsAdam & Eve

The Stolen Blessing

Tree of Souls

That feeling, that raw, unfair sting, is at the heart of the story of Jacob and Esau, and the stolen blessing. The scene is set: Isaac, now old and with failing eyesight, calls for...

HeavenPatriarchsAdam & Eve

Rachel And The Stolen Idols

Tree of Souls

Today, let's dive into one such mystery: Rachel and the stolen terafim. We all know the story: Jacob, fleeing his father-in-law Laban, takes his wives and children and makes a run ...

CreationDemonsHeavenHell/Gehenna

Meeting The Place

Tree of Souls

Maybe you drove past a friend's house without stopping, or forgot to say thank you to someone who deserved it. Imagine that feeling, amplified on a biblical scale. The Torah tells ...

CreationAngelsHeavenPatriarchs