יום ראשון, כ״ח חשוון תשפ״זSunday, November 8, 2026
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Question: I am contemplating traveling to Israel. My flight will take place during Chanukah, which means that I may miss one night’s candle-lighting. What are my options? Yaakov J. Via E-mail
The dreams which Yosef repeated, which he should have kept to himself, in which he lorded it over his brothers, so enraged them that they decided to preemptively kill Yosef, before he killed them. How do you kill a brother? You try to forget he is a brother. You estrange him.
The siddur provides us with an appropriate lens through which we can study halacha, hashkafa, and Jewish history.
The number four is noteworthy, and the Maharal explains that four represents the division of that which ought to be unified. So, in the physical world, the Divine Mercy is represented by the Name of four letters, but this is also a necessary refraction of the unified essence of the Infinite as it is experienced by us mortals here below.
Even when we are fully cognizant of this hornet’s nest brewing within us, we still need Hashem’s help to succeed.
People move people; ideas alone rarely do. When we face difficult tests, we draw strength not from abstractions but from the flesh-and-blood figures who shaped us.
Yaakov, from birth, was perfect - a tzaddik, who until age 77 never left the walls of the yeshiva. Yaakov was a genetic tzaddik from birth and he remained so his entire life. Eisav was born challenged and he never managed to surpass his handicaps.
Halachic authorities caution against overburdening mourners, and many contemporary guides acknowledge the legitimacy of firm visiting hours or limited access based on the mourner’s needs. Yet even these measures do not always suffice.
We learn a very interesting principle with regard to Yiddishkeit. The reward for those who learn Torah amid difficulty and challenges is incomparably greater than one who has a relatively easy life and does not have to worry about his weekly expenses.
A goat represents impetuousness, as it jumps about and often in the Gemara is a symbol of an animal that breaks boundaries (Sukkah 14b). Holding back from eating the first fruits until a portion is dedicated to G-d represents patience.
We are able to understand and experience the spiritual through the physical, as the two are intrinsically connected. If you're wondering how to understand this concept, consider the way other human beings experience, relate to, and understand you.
Looking at it differently, Shabbat Mevorchim is before Chanukah about 40% of the time and on Shabbat Chanukah (with one sedra or the other), 60% of the time.
When we recall the story of Chanuka, we think not only of the Hasmoneans’ stunning victory over the Seleucid Greeks, but also of the special gift that followed: the miracle of the oil. In the newly rededicated Temple, a single sealed jar of pure olive oil was found, enough for just one day – yet it burned for eight.
Judaism believes that it’s not so much what I know as what/who I am! Book knowledge isn’t worth much, if that knowledge doesn’t cause a transformation within the person.
By Alan Magill
It is important to know, that in addition to my father's full-time job he fixed televisions on the side to earn extra money. Not like today's flat-screen TVs, but televisions with picture tubes and other varying shaped tubes.
I honestly don’t know whether that chair was already cracked or if it broke while I was loading the chairs, Nosson said. If it was my fault, I want to pay for it. Mr. Adler examined the chair. Hard to know, he replied. I don’t inspect the chairs individually when people return them. Let’s ask Rabbi Dayan what the halacha is.
Even Eruv Tavshilin! “One Might Have Thought That We Remove the Tendons…” (Zevachim 86a)
On a personal level, especially being an out-of-towner, I looked forward to the arrival of The Jewish Press all week long. Right in the beginning pages, the paper laid out what was in store for the coming days, and if it was a week blessed with a holiday, the paper spelled out what to do and what had to be avoided. For those of us who could not remember from year to year, The Jewish Press was there to remind us.
By taking all of these precautions, Yaakov managed to overcome the murderous designs of Eisav, to the point that Eisav dropped his lethal plans and suggested that he and Yaakov travel through life together, as one unit. Let’s travel on together (33:12).
There is a noticeable difference in the purpose and destinies of the Avot and the Imahot. The Avot are more "universal" and the Imahot are more focused specifically on "giving birth" to the Twelve Tribes, to Am Yisrael.
Question: I am contemplating traveling to Israel. My flight will take place during Chanukah, which means that I may miss one night’s candle lighting. What are my options? Yaakov J. Via E-mail
Just as I passed, the body of Manny Godard was returned to Israel, and only three photographs of fallen hostages remained. Many people stopped there, just as I did.
I said that I believe what this popular saying is meant to convey is that we mistakenly believe that when we make plans, we are in control. That is what Hashem is laughing about.
In a world of polarization, we are losing our grasp of nuance. We voice our opinions with absolute certainty, convinced of our own correctness while condemning, with equal certainty, the positions of political or ideological opponents. We leave little room for subtlety, little patience for complexity. We
The haftara continues the saga of the two adversaries, envisioning a final battle in which Yaakov will ultimately prevail. This vision is presented in response to the challenges of the parsha.
For us, the Children of Israel, the destruction of the Second Beit HaMikdash at the hands of Rome is still a raw memory, and we are still enduring the long exile that began on that day.
We are given clear direction. When you look around the world and feel frightened. When the darkness feels crushing. Take another look.
The greatest danger is not the hand of Eisav’s sword, but the hand of his friendship.
There are different methods of calculating numeric value. One such method is called AL-BAM, in which alef corresponds to lamed, bet to mem, gimel to nun, and so on. AL-BAM gematria is based on taking the first 11 letters of the alef-bet and matching them with the second set of 11 letters. The values that result are: Alef = 30, Bet = 40, Gimel = 50, Dalet = 60... Lamed = 1, Mem = 2, Nun = 3, Samach = 4... and so on.
We also have another teaching: Any item that is suited to be consumed by the fire (ishim) on the altar shall not descend. A person who attains a position of leadership – a play on the word ishim, which can also connote a prestigious person – may allow some degree of honor and bearing in order to maintain authority, provided he is pure and sincere in his motives.
There are two different types, or aspects, of perfection. The first is static perfection (sheleimus), where something is, has been, and always will be absolutely perfect. Such a being does not struggle, has no conflicting wills, and never fails. The second type of perfection is more nuanced, and in some sense, even more powerful.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught, If you believe you can damage, believe you can repair. Owning our story means believing in repair, even when estrangement or shame feels irreparable.
Later that day, Daniel called Mr. Sorscher. I know that you worked hard,” he said apologetically. “But I’m being relocated. Since I can’t take the place in the end, I assume I’m not obligated to pay the full fee.
A Matter Of Doubt “When You Make [Four] Applications [Of Blood], You Transgress…” (Zevachim 80a)
Maybe each of us really should be asking ourselves that very question: Who am I, and where am I a shaliach? Because in a deeper sense, every one of us is an emissary.
Having become an expert in the laws of Choshen Mishpat, Yaakov now felt ready to duel with Lavan.
Question: Did we have a siddur and a holiday machzor before Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press? Is it possible to give a historical perspective on our prayers as found in the siddur and the machzor? Jerry Gross (Via E-Mail)
Often someone hosts a guest out of a feeling of obligation to perform a mitzvah, or out of sympathy when they see someone without food or lodging. Therefore, during the meal the guest cannot be totally certain if their host is hosting them with pure joy or because it is out of a feeling of obligation.
A lack of derech eretz or moral clarity in children is frequently a reflection of what they witness, or fail to witness, in their parents.
As you likely know, the Jewish surname Barber originates specifically within the Ashkenazic Jewish community. While this doesn’t entirely rule out possible Hebrew or Aramaic origins, it makes them less likely.
A theme we find pervading these parshiyot and the various commentaries upon them is the grudge that the enemies of Israel hold from past generations, as a consequence of which they are constantly seeking to torment and persecute and even exterminate us – or to dispossess us – in every generation.
All told, Vayeitzei is the third largest sedra (of 12) in Bereishit. Yet it has none of the 613 mitzvot.
The Zohar teaches that sulam (ladder) and kol (voice) share the same gematria: 136. The ladder is not just a structure; it is also a sound. The ascent is not only movement, but utterance.
Moshe Rabbeinu was exceedingly humble, and consistent with his humility he was raised to one of the highest levels that a human can reach.
A worthwhile journey often includes a long winding path, twisting and turning in all directions, leading you on a seemingly endless quest.
Each sacrifice’s range of time to consume represents the experience of holiness and influence (hispashtus) that it is supposed to have.
Welcomed into Lavan’s household, he worked seven disciplined years in order to marry Rachel. The Torah describes these years as passing quickly because of his deep affection for her.
Rabbi Glatt offered viewers some strategies for handling potential conflicts between religious law and court practice, including politely explaining the religious practice to the court.
A lack of derech eretz or moral clarity in children is frequently a reflection of what they witness, or fail to witness, in their parents.
In an age of rampant antisemitism – when Jewish people are vilified, targeted, and mocked – this silence becomes even harder to justify. When the world scorns us, unity should come naturally.
There were righteous men before Avraham, but Avraham was the first to establish a nation by passing his legacy to his descendants through his children.
some authorities are stringent and prohibit buying raffle tickets with maaser money or rule that if the ticket was purchased with maaser money, the prize belongs to tzedakah.
A Light Mix-up “Anything That Is Counted…” (Zevachim 73a)
My answer to this double loss is one thing: do, do, do – and then do some more. Choose life. Hold on to routine. Act. Work. Wake up each morning and take on the day’s tasks.
We weren’t even out of Egypt yet when G-d made us partners with Him in the matter of kedushat z’man, the sanctity of time.
That is our oxygen tank on this alien planet. If we discard that tank we will perish in accordance with the laws of nature.
If HaKadosh Baruch Hu was so extreme in His response to this mockery, then it cannot be such a trivial thing and we need to further explore why such drastic steps were necessary.
Question: Did we have a siddur and a holiday machzor before Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press? Is it possible to give a historical perspective on our prayers as found in the siddur and the machzor? Jerry Gross Via E-Mail
A lesson here appears on a national level, where we see that we will get further through strength and success than through patience for abuse. But how to apply such thinking is best left to strategists and political thinkers.
Rivkah hears the struggle inside her. It’s not a metaphor, nor a symbol, but the ache of nations colliding in her womb.
Though man shares the responsibility to populate the world with all living beings, his responsibility is more significant because only he creates others in G-d’s image.
If Yitzchak would distance himself from Eisav and display his dislike, Eisav would surely not be influenced to improve his ways.
Maharal says that when Yitzchak was brought as a korban, his own status changed, elevating him to a higher level of kedusha. He was no longer just some person, even a very righteous one – he had become a designated offering and a part of the Divine Service.
The considerable amount of danger that is engendered by being in proximity to holiness is not simply a matter of historic interest. Rather, it pertains to every observant Jew in a very real way, every day of our lives.
G-d in relation to the world is one giant kal v’chomer. After all, in essence, a kal v’chomer says that if you have the lighter item, surely you have the stronger item.
As the military phase recedes, the struggle shifts to the diplomatic front and to the charged arena of public opinion. Here, too, our resolve is tested, as our principled defense of land and people is distorted and condemned.
The Torah is not only a guide to living a life of truth within the physical world; it is also the literal blueprint and DNA of this physical world.
For those of us who have the merit and privilege to study the timeless words of Gemara, the thumb plays a particularly significant role. We can hardly imagine learning Gemara, trying to explain a particularly challenging novel exegetical explanation, without passionately thrusting our thumb downward and then upward.
We must respect the feelings of individual mourners who may have personal or practical or psychological reasons and/or wounds rationalizing their not wanting to discuss their deceased relatives, but the main point of sitting shiva is to set up a mourning process that will help people adjust to the pain of loss.
Baruch didn’t really suspect Yosef of stealing, but the problem of the missing $500 needed to be clarified.
No Halacha Is Irrelevant “Anticipating The Arrival of Moshiach”
My heart raced as I stood before the original handwritten manuscripts of Rambam. The very ink strokes of one of our greatest minds lay before me. To imagine him bending over parchment nearly nine centuries ago, carefully inscribing words that would guide Jewish law and philosophy for generations, was overwhelming.
Usually when someone dies, the first reaction is to cry. After drying one’s tears, one collects one’s thoughts and eulogizes the deceased. In the case of Sarah, however, we are told that the tears came after the eulogy.
Question: I see that some people refer to the month of Cheshvan as Marcheshvan. Which name is correct? Nachman M. (Via E-Mail)
Sometimes our deepest spiritual experiences come when we least expect them, when we are closest to despair. It is then that the masks we wear are stripped away. We are at our point of maximum vulnerability – and it is when we are most fully open to G-d that G-d is most fully open to us.
While it is true that Hashem is referred to as the G-d of the Land of Israel specifically at times (2 Kings 17:26, 2 Chron. 32:19), it is not immediately clear why Ramban thinks this notion is being highlighted here instead of some plainer explanation of the text.
Curiously, although Avraham Avinu completely trusted Eliezer as his administrator with regard to his estate and his wealth, when it came to finding a wife for Yitzchak, he made Eliezer take an oath to assure that he would carefully adhere to Avraham’s guidelines in choosing a wife for Yitzchak. Why?
We ask Hashem that the Satan should never succeed in causing us to regret having done a mitzvah.
Living for yourself doesn’t mean acting selfishly. It means acting with integrity, even when no one is watching.
There are 5,846 pesukim in the Torah, and 54 sedras. The average number of pesukim per sedra is 108. Chayei Sara’s 105 pesukim puts it slightly below average, ranked at 32.
Why Avraham deferred the task of making bread to Sarah? If he was so meticulous and diligent in performing the mitzvah of welcoming guests and prepared the calf tongues in mustard sauce himself, why did he not also prepare the bread?
Some classical commentaries suggest that Avraham specifically wanted a wife to be chosen for Yitzchak from his own extended family in Aram Naharaim. A careful review of the text, however, reveals that Avraham never clearly makes that request of his servant. He simply tells Eliezer to return to Avraham’s land and birthplace and to search for a wife there.
When the Torah relates at the end of the parsha (after already describing the death of Yishmael) that he fell before all his brethren on the approach to Ashur, Rabbi David Abuchatzera interprets this as a reference to the Purim story.
What happens when you remove an organ from the body? You are left with empty space. If you remove a kidney or liver, what remains is the empty space that this organ used to occupy. The same applies to spiritual organs as well.
The ashes represent Yitzchak’s (and Avraham’s) willingness to completely eliminate their egos in service and recognition of G-d. When that level of self-obliteration is accomplished, no physical sacrifice is necessary.
This is not the time for lengthy speeches. Now is the time to proceed.
Question: I see that some people refer to the month of Cheshvan and others as Marccheshvan. Which is correct? Nachman M. (Via E-Mail)
Can we prevent outside people from selling in our community when it affects our businesses adversely?
The Fat of the Land “Only Those Whose Chelev Are Forbidden…” (Zevachim 70a)
Even in mercy, we so often suffer. As much as we may always count on divine mercy, the divine calculus remains beyond our ken and we have been visited by destruction all too often.
Yishmael did not turn into the righteous son he had the potential to become. He mocked Yitzchak and this resulted in Avraham, on Sarah’s behest, banishing Hagar and Yishmael from his house.
We are told that the encounter between Avraham and the three travelers took place on Pesach (Bava Metziah 86a) and that the “ugos,” the cakes that Sarah baked for them, were matzot. Here again the power of hospitality had its magical effect.
I instituted in my shul that once coats are hanging on the coat rack, the one who wants the window closed gets his way.
We live among people who espouse diverse philosophies. We are undoubtedly different, but it is that very disparity that empowers us to bring people closer to Hashem.
November 6, 2026 
