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YINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 9: Don't Be Afraid!“וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה׳ וַתֹּאכַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִים” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).After Aaron and his sons perform the various korbanot as part of the inauguration ceremony, ה׳ sends a fire down to consume the various offerings: “Fire came forth before ה׳ and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar” (verse 24). The important piece here is not the miraculous event but the people’s reaction after:“וַיַּרְא כָּל־הָעָם וַיָּרֹנּוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).“And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces” (verse 24 cont). The reaction in the verse seems ambiguous. Was this a happy reaction or a fearful reaction? The commentators generally agree that this reaction was a happy one. The people were shouting for joy and bowing down to ה׳.But the last time the people witnessed a miraculous heavenly show they did not have the same...
2026-01-1402 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 8: Oil is Thicker than Wine “וַיִּצֹק מִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה עַל־רֹאשׁ אַהֲרֹן וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ לְקַדְּשׁוֹ” (ויקרא ח׳:י״ב).He poured some of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him (verse 12). Chapter 8 of Leviticus is almost like the “ויקהל־פקודי” of the inauguration ceremony laid out by ה׳ at the end of Exodus. A key part of the ceremony is the pouring of the anointing oil on the vessels of the Mishkan, and most importantly, on Aaron’s head. The anointing oil acts as the link between the vessels and Aaron. Just like the vessels act as the conduit between the people and the service to ה׳, so too does Aaron.Yaacov is the first person in Tanach to use oil as an anointing medium. In “וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יַעֲקֹב בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּ...
2026-01-1304 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 7: Fat Free (and Blood-Free) Diet“דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵייִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כָּל־חֵלֶב שׁוֹר וְכֶשֶׂב וְעֵז לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ” (ויקרא ז׳:כ״ג).In the middle of discussing the sacrifices, the Torah takes a slight detour todiscuss the forbidden parts of animals—the fat and the blood. The fat and theblood are the parts of the korban that are sacrificed on the altar. The fatsare burned at the end of the day and the blood is sprinkled or poured on thealtar. Because these two parts of the sacrifices are exclusively for ה׳, they are forbidden for humanconsumption. The Tur, Yoreh Deah 64 explains that this verse, “דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כָּל־חֵלֶב שׁוֹר וְכֶשֶׂב וְעֵז לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ” (ויקרא ז׳:כ״ג),comes to teach that the fat is only prohibited on these kosher animals. Fat ofa non-kosher animal is simply prohibited as eating a non-kosher animal.Another reason that blood isprohibited is presented later in Deuteronomy:“רַק חֲזַק לְבִלְתִּי א...
2026-01-1202 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 6: Is This Burning an Eternal Flame?“אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶּה. וְהָאֵשׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד־בּוֹ לֹא תִכְבֶּה, וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עֵצִים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, וְעָרַךְ עָלֶיהָ הָעֹלָה, וְהִקְטִיר עָלֶיהָ חֶלְבֵי שְׁלָמִים” (ויקרא ו׳:ה׳–ו׳).“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out: every morning the priest shall feed wood to it, lay out the burnt offering on it, and turn into smoke the fat parts of the offerings of well-being. A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out” (verses 5–6). This verse is most known nowadays as the source of the ner tamid placed above the ark in shuls. We will see later that the fire on the altar actually had divine origin. In fact, the two eldest sons of Aaron are thought to have died because they attempted to start the fire on the altar instead of waiting until the fire descended from heaven. Why would ה׳ command the people to keep the fire burning if the fi...
2026-01-1102 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 5: Two Turtle Doves“But if one’s means do not suffice for a sheep, that person shall bring to God as the penalty for that of which one is guilty, two turtledoves or two pigeons—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering” (verse 7).וְאִם־לֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ דֵּי שֶׂה וְהֵבִיא אֶת־אֲשָׁמוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא שְׁתֵּי תֹרִים אוֹ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי יוֹנָה לַה׳ אֶחָד לְחַטָּאת וְאֶחָד לְעֹלָה׃The ability to bring a sin offering is an essential part of asking for forgiveness. The proper animal to bring is a sheep, but God does not want anyone to feel priced out of the sin offering. Therefore, someone who cannot afford a sheep is allowed to bring two turtledoves. Someone who cannot afford even the two doves is instructed to bring a tenth of an ephah of flour.Working backwards—why does some...
2026-01-0802 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 4: Taking responsibilityChapter 4 discusses a rarity—leaders taking responsibility for their actions. The Torah lists three possible scenarios where a leader must bring a communal offering.The first is a priest that makes a mistake. “If it is the anointed priest who incurred guilt, so that blame falls upon the people, he shall offer for the sin of which he is guilty a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 4:3–4).אִם־הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶחֱטָא לְאַשְׁמַת הָעָם וְהִקְרִיב עַל־חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר תָּמִים לַה׳ לְחַטָּאת׃ וְהֵבִיא אֶת־הַפָּר אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי ה׳׃The priest must have made an unwitting wrong decision and acted on that decision. The bull must be presented in front of the Mishkan and only then brought inside. It is interesting that in this case we have a bull as the offering a high priest must bring. The Torah usual...
2026-01-0703 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 3: We Come in Peace“If his sacrifice is a Shlamim offering, if he brings it from cattle, whether male or female, unblemished he shall bring it before the Lord” (verse 1).וְאִם־זֶבַח שְׁלָמִים קָרְבָּנוֹ אִם־מִן־הַבָּקָר הוּא מַקְרִיב אִם־זָכָר אִם־נְקֵבָה תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ לִפְנֵי ה׳׃Why is this korban called a shlamim? Rashi gives two answers. Both answers connect shlamim with the word shalom. His first answer is that the shlamim brings peace into the world, although Rashi does not explain why. Other commentators explain that the shlamim brings peace into the world through the connection between God and the person bringing the sacrifice. Rashi’s other answer is that the shlamim creates harmony between the altar, the priest, and the person who brings the korban because they all receive a portion of it.
2026-01-0602 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 2: You're a Handful!“The priest shall scoop out of it a handful (kometz) of its choice flour and oil, as well as all of its frankincense” (verse 2).וְהֵרִים מִמֶּנּוּ בְּקֻמְצוֹ מִסֹּלֶתָהּ וּמִשַּׁמְנָהּ עַל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָהּ וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה׳׃What is a kometz? The Gemara in Yoma 47b explains that the word means handfuls. If the word was only "handfuls," then the measurement could have been an overflowing fistful. Therefore, later in chapter 6 verse 8, the word is repeated in the singular. But the plural is needed in our verse so that one does not think the amount is a small pinch. Ultimately, the Gemara explains that the Kohen would take a fistful of incense and then hold it in his three middle fingers. He then would move his thumb and pinky across the top and bottom of the...
2026-01-0501 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiLeviticus 1: Wholly Sacrifices“If your offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you shall make your offering a male without blemish. You shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in your behalf before God” (verse 3).אִם־עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ מִן־הַבָּקָר זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לִרְצֹנוֹ לִפְנֵי ה׳׃The Hebrew word for “without blemish” is תָּמִים (tamim). The word first appears early in Genesis describing Noah:“This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was without blemish in his age; Noah walked with God.—” (Genesis 6:9).אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ׃First, on a more practical level, the Torah may be using the word for these sacrifices as Noah was the first person in the Bible to build and bring sacrifices on an altar:“Then Noah built an altar to God and, taking of every pure animal and of every pure bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20).וַיִּבֶ...
2026-01-0404 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 40: A Little Help From My Friends“In the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up/ Moses set up the Tabernacle, placing its sockets, setting up its planks, inserting its bars, and erecting its posts.” (verses 17–18)וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן׃וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־אֲדָנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־קְרָשָׁיו וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־בְּרִיחָיו וַיָּקֶם אֶת־עַמּוּדָיו׃The use of passive voice in the verse is puzzling. Moshe is the one who puts the building together and the people create the Mishkan. Why does verse 17 not have an active subject building the Mishkan and the very next verse say that Moshe put up the Mishkan? Rashi explains that the people did not know how to erect the actual Mishkan structure, so they brought it all to Moshe. The problem was that the Mishkan was extremely heavy and no one person could build it on their own. God performed a mirac...
2026-01-0101 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 39: Surveying CreationAt the end of chapter 39, the people bring all the finished pieces of the Mishkan to Moshe for final approval. This seems like a prudent last step in the building of the Mishkan. When doing any construction project, it is important for the owner to review all the work to make sure everything is in proper order. But this scene also evokes three verses from the time of creation.“Thus was completed all the work of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites did so; just as God had commanded Moses, so they did” (verse 32).וַתֵּכֶל כָּל־עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ׃This first verse in the section uses the same word from the last day of creation in Genesis:“On the seven...
2025-12-3103 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 38: Record Breaking“These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses’ bidding—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.” (Exodus 38:21)אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל־פִּי מֹשֶׁה עֲבֹדַת הַלְוִיִּם בְּיַד אִיתָמָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן׃What are these “records”? According to Rashi, the “records” are a listing of the weights and amounts of the materials used in the Mishkan—a kind of public accounting to show transparency and integrity. Ibn Ezra explains that this verse is really the concluding verse of the previous portion listing all the vessels in the Mishkan. Ramban disagrees, noting that the last section of the verse mentions Ithamar’s oversight, while Elazar was the Kohen in charge of the vessels, suggesting this is not mer...
2025-12-3002 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 37: Ripple EffectThe last chapters of Exodus are a repeat of earlier chapters detailing the blueprints for the Mishkan. Why are these chapters repeated? One possible answer is to mimic the stories of creation. Recall that the first chapter of Genesis and the second chapter of Genesis seem to offer varying creation stories. However, the first chapter matches the earlier chapters of Mishkan by providing the blueprint for creation. The second chapter describes the actual physical building of the world just like these later chapters describe the actual building of the Mishkan: (Exodus 39:32)וַתֵּכֶל כָּל־עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ׃Looking at the chronology of the book of Exodus reveals a second answer. The first several chapters of the book follow...
2025-12-2905 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 36: Who Knows Fifty?“They made fifty copper clasps to couple the tent together so that it might become one whole.” (Exodus 36:18)וַיַּעַשׂ קַרְסֵי נְחֹשֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁים לְחַבֵּר אֶת־הָאֹהֶל לִהְיוֹת אֶחָד׃Why were there fifty rings? The number fifty does not appear often in the Torah—certainly not as often as some of the other repeated numbers like 3, 7, 10, and 40. The width of Noah’s Ark was fifty cubits (Genesis 6:15). When a man seduces a young woman and sleeps with her, he must pay her fifty shekels if the father will not consent to the couple getting married (Deuteronomy 22:29). There are also fifty days between Passover and Shavuot (Leviticus 23:16). The connection between the Ark and the Mishkan seems straightforward...
2025-12-2802 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 35: Please Don't Start a FireChapter 35 begins with yet another commandment to keep Shabbat. The text includes a specific law this time:“You shall kindle no fire throughout your settlements on the sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:3)לֹא־תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת׃Why is this law singled out? The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat explains that the verse comes to teach that kindling fire was not permitted “throughout your settlements” but it was permitted in the Temple. This meant that the burning of the fats and other sacrificial rites that included fire were allowed. Later on, the Gemara connects this verse to the previous one:“On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you sh...
2025-12-2503 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 34: This Time You Must Play Your PartIn chapter 34, God gives Moshe and the people a redo of the giving of the Ten Commandments. This time, God handles things differently. Moshe is told to carve the tablets himself:“Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.” (Exodus 34:1)פְּסָל־לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וְכָתַבְתִּי עַל־הַלֻּחֹת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ׃The first time, God helped fashion the tablets. The first time, Moshe is told to bring the elders and Aaron with him up the mountain. This time, Moshe is told to go up by himself:“No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout the mountain.” (Exodus 34:3)וְאִישׁ לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עִמָּךְ וְגַם...
2025-12-2403 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 33: The Golden OyAfter the sin of the golden calf, God tells Moshe that an angel of God will now lead the people into the promised land. If God would dwell amongst the people, then God would end up destroying them because of their stubbornness. “When the people heard this harsh word, they went into mourning, and none put on finery” (Exodus 33:4).וַיִּשְׁמַע הָעָם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה וַיִּתְאַבָּלוּ וְלֹא־שָׁתוּ אִישׁ עֶדְיוֹ עָלָיו׃ (שמות ל״ג:ד׳)Why did the people react this way? What is the “finery” that they removed? Rashbam explains that the verse should be taken literally, that the people were so upset with God’s message that they took off their jewelry. Chizkuni adds that it refers to jewelry and fancy clothing from Egypt. Rashi explains...
2025-12-2302 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 32: A Golden MisunderstandingThe sin of the golden calf requires more than a short blog post to discuss. The dynamic between Moshe, Aaron and the people is one aspect that is integral to understanding the story. This dynamic is best compared to Plato’s Cave. In this allegory, there are people trapped in a cave who only see a shadow play on the wall. Their entire reality is based on this “show.” One day, a man escapes and sees the real world. He comes back to the cave and tries to tell people about the “real world.” Because the people lived exclusively in the cav...
2025-12-2205 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 31: Shabbat and the MishkanAfter the detailed description of the design of the Mishkan and the chief architects and builders, God reminds the people to keep Shabbat:“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.’”וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃ וְאַתָּה דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אַךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ כִּי אוֹת הִוא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם׃ (שמות ל״א:י״ב–י״ג)What is the connection between Shabbat and the Mishkan? This is the first of a few times that the Mishkan is connected to Shabbat. The Gemara famously uses this connection to explain two points. The first is specific to the time period of the building of the Mishkan. As important as building the Mishkan was for God, it was not more import...
2025-12-2103 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 30: Altar-native OrderChapter 30 discusses the golden incense altar. The altar was located inside the Mishkan structure in between the Shulchan and the Menorah right in front of the Holy of Holies. Why is the altar discussed here after the clothing of the Kohen Gadol and well after all the other vessels are discussed? Ramban explains that the altar is connected to the penultimate verse in the previous chapter where God proclaims that He will dwell amongst the people in the Mishkan. The incense altar is what allows God to dwell amongst the people because the incense represents the attribute of justice...
2025-12-1803 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 29 Head, and Shoulders, Ears, Thumbs, and ToesAfter the descriptions of the priestly vestments, the Torah discusses the inauguration ceremony for the priests. Aaron and his sons are instructed to place their hands on various sacrifices and to be anointed with the special oil. Moshe is also instructed to:“Slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the ridges of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and dash the rest of the blood against every side o...
2025-12-1702 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 28: Weight of the NationThe Kohen Gadol had two pieces of clothing that reminded him of the people. The first was the ephod. On the shoulder straps of the ephod were two stones. Engraved on these stones were the names of the tribes.“Six of their names on one stone and six of their names on the other stone in the order of their birth” (verse 10):שֵׁשׁ מִשְּׁמֹתָם עַל־הָאֶבֶן הָאֶחָת וְאֵת שֵׁשׁ הַשְּׁמֹת הַנּוֹתָרֹת עַל־הָאֶבֶן הַשֵּׁנִית כְּתוֹלְדֹתָם (שמות כח:י)“Six of their names on one stone and the remaining six names on the other stone, according to their birth” (Exodus 28:10).Were these the 12 names of the original sons, or the 12 names the sons minus Levi and including Ephraim and Menashe? Later in Devarim, when the nation is split...
2025-12-1602 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 27: Altar-ationsThe outer altar was made of wood and covered in copper. Covering an altar with a precious metal is a new concept in the Torah at this point. Throughout Genesis, many people built altars. Noah built one after the flood, Avraham built many altars at points of interaction with God. Moses also built an altar. For most of these altars, the Torah does not specify what material was used. Almost all of them use the verb “and he built” to describe their assembly. The assumption then is that these were all built out of stone. This differs from the copp...
2025-12-1503 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 26: Take Cover!“And make for the tent a covering of tanned ram skins, and a covering of Tchashim skins above” (verse 14)וְעָשִׂיתָ מִכְסֶה לָאֹהֶל עֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וּמִכְסֵה עֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים מִלְמָעְלָה (שמות כו:יד)Two questions from this verse. First, why does the goat hair cover need two more covers? The second is what does Tchashim mean? Tchashim is translated as fine leather in some places. Tachash also means an aquatic mammal—like a dolphin or seal. It is unclear where the Israelites would procure dolphin and seal skins in the middle of the wilderness. Unlike goats or rams, these animals would not be domesticated simply because there would be nowhere to keep them! Josephus describes tachash as skins “dyed blue,” from dye taken from sea...
2025-12-1402 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 25: What were the Cruvim?The holiest object in the Temple/Mishkan was the Ark. The cover of the ark had two כרובים (cherubim) on top. What exactly was a כרוב?The כרובים first appear in Genesis chapter 3 after Adam and Chava are expelled from Gan Eden:“It was driven out; and east of the garden of Eden were stationed the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ (בראשית ג:כד)The Torah does not give any explanation as to what the כרובים are in Genesis except that they act as some sort of guard or gatekeeper. שמות רבה explains that the כרובים were angels of destruction. חזקוני adds that the very sight of the כרובים would frighten anyone who glanced at the creatures.
2025-12-1103 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 24: We Will Do and We Will Listen“All that God tells us to do we will do and we will listen” (Verse 7).וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע׃ (שמות כד:ז) This famous utterance has become symbolic of the selfless trust and blind faith that the people had in God. They agreed to act on the laws of God even before they heard them, goes the popular saying. However, the text itself does not seem to match this grand assumption.First, the people have twice already responded to declarations of Moshe with “we will do!” In chapter 19, Moshe assembles the Elders and instructs them on the commandments:“All those assembled answered as one, saying, ‘All that God has spoken we will do!’ And Moses brought back the peopl...
2025-12-1004 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 23: Finders Returners“When you encounter your enemy’s ox or ass wandering, you must take it back. (כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹיְבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ) (Verse 4). The Koren Tanach of the Land of Israel notes that the laws of returning lost animals appear in various other cultures in the ancient Near East. The laws of Eshnunna from the northern Mesopotamia region state that an official that seized a stray animal was required to return the animal or it was considered theft. In Hittite laws, a stray domestic animal must be returned as well. The unique part of the law in the Torah is that it specifically calls out the lost animal of “your enemy.” If one is required to return the lost...
2025-12-0903 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 22 Interest-ing Laws“If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.” (Verse 24)אִם־כֶּ֣סֶף תַּלְוֶ֗ה אֶת־עַמִּי֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָנִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה ל֖וֹ כְּנֹשֶׁ֑ה לֹ֥א תְשִׂ֖ימוּן עָלָ֥יו נֶֽשֶׁךְ׃ (שמות כב:כד) This verse provides a good example of the various laws that can be derived from a single verse. The Gemara in Bava Metzia gleans the following:1. The fact that the verse says “My people” means that if a Jew and non-Jew come to you to borrow, you should lend to the Jewish person first.2. The phrase “to the poor among you” teaches that if a poor person and a rich person came to you at the same time to borrow money, you should lend to the poor person first.3. “T...
2025-12-0802 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 21 Oh, and These Too!“And these are the rules that you shall set before them” (verse 1).וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם (שמות כא:א)The chapter (and Parsha of Mishpatim) begins with the word “and.” Why does the Chater begin with “and”? Rashi offers two explainations that the “and” is meant to link the Ten Commandments and this portion to explain that these were also given on Mt. Sinai. His second answer links these civil laws with the preceding laws about the altar to explain that in the future, the Sanhedrin court should be placed in the Temple complex. Ramban explains that this section is linked to the portion in the previous chapter starting in verse 20 about idolatr...
2025-12-0704 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 20 (redo to fix upload cut off): What were the Ten Commandments?See description in original upload
2025-12-0705 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 20: What were the Ten Commandments?The Torah refers to them as Ten Commandments in chapter 34, but where do the ten break up? The verses are as follows:The Torah breaks after verse 6, 7, 11, and 12. 13 is split into four, verse 14 in two. Certain commentators read it differently. Ibn Ezra reads honor thy parents as the fifth with the first five each using God’s name. This reading follows the Talmud (e.g., Makkot 24a), where verse one is Commandment 1, and verse two is commandment 2. Devarim chapter 5 places breaks for the verses of the Commandments the same way as Exodus. Perhaps the Talmud aimed to br...
2025-12-0403 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 19: Where was Moshe?The drama builds in chapter 19 to the giving of the Ten Commandments. In the attached picture from 17th-century Dutch artist Ferdinand Bol, Moshe descends the mountain with the Tablets. This scene depicts when Moshe received the Tablets themselves in a few chapters. Chapter 19 reveals the actual Ten Commandments. But where was Moshe when God gave him the Ten Commandments?Here’s the chart of Moshe’s movements up and down Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:Verse Action Moshe’s Position19:3 Moshe goes up to ה׳ Up19:7 Moshe goes to the elders Down19:8 M...
2025-12-0305 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 18: What Did Yitro Hear?“Yitro priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, God’s people, how God had brought Israel out from Egypt” וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי־הוֹצִיא ה׳ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם. (שמות יח:א)Yitro then brings Moshe’s wife and children to meet the Israelites in the wilderness. The two meet and then the text seems to repeat itself:“Moshe then recounted to his father-in-law everything that God had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and how God had delivered them.”וַיְסַפֵּר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְפַרְעֹה וּלְמִצְרַיִם עַל אֹדוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיַּ...
2025-12-0204 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 17: Who was Amalek?Chapter 17 has the first encounter with the sworn enemy of the Israelites—Amalek. Where did Amalek come from? Amalek first appears in the battle between the four kings and five kings in the time of Avraham. The text describes the battle:“On their way back they came to En mishpat, which is Kadesh, and subdued all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon tamar.” (Genesis 14:7) —וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־עֵין מִשְׁפָּט הִוא קָדֵשׁ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־כָּל־שְׂדֵה הָעֲמָלֵקִי וְגַם אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּחַצְצֹן תָּמָר. (בראשית יד:ז)But this reference seems like an anachronism, because the next time that Amalek appears is the listing of the descendants of Esav.“Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. Those were the descendants of Esau’s wife Adah.” (Genesis 36:12...
2025-12-0104 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 16 The First Snow Globe“Moses said, ‘This is what God has commanded: Let one omer of it be kept throughout the ages, in order that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.’ וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מִמֶּנּוּ לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לְמַעַן יִרְאוּ אֶת־הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר הִאֲכַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּהוֹצִיאִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a jar, put one omer of manna in it, and place it before God, to be kept throughout the ages.’” (32-33) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן קַח צִנְצֶנֶת אַחַת וְתֵן־שָׁם מְלֹא הָעֹמֶר מָן וְהַנַּח אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי ה׳ לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם׃Why does God command Moshe to save Mann? Malbim explains that this was a sign for future generations that God sustains those who study Torah. Rashi gives a more specific answer. He explains that the Mann was saved so that the prophet Jeremiah could show the jar when the people complained about following God and being able to earn a living.“Behold the word of the LORD! Have I been like a desert to Israel, Or like a land of deep gloom? Then why...
2025-11-3003 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 15: Brick by BrickChapter 15 begins with Az Yashir, the famous song of the sea commemorating the miracle of the splitting of the sea:“Then Moshe and the Israelites sang this song to Hashem. They said: I will sing to Hashem, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has hurled into the sea.”אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַי־הֹוָ־ה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַי־הֹוָ־ה כִּי־גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם (Shemot 15:1).There is so much that can be written about this chapter. A few highlights to look at while reading the song: This is the first time in the actual torah text that words are positioned in a different format than a simple paragraph. In the Torah, the text appears in boxes. The accepted position is that the boxes are meant to symbolize the bricks that the Isr...
2025-11-2703 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 14: The Malach of GodWhen the Israelites stood trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army, the Torah describes a striking shift: “The malach of Hashem, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them” (וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּסַּע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם, Shemot 14:19). This contrasts with an earlier verse: “Hashem went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night” (וַיֵּלֶךְ יְ־הֹוָ־ה לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן לַנְחֹתָם הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלַיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד אֵשׁ לְהָאִיר לָהֶם לָלֶכֶת יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה, Shemot 13:21). Why does chapter 13 refer directly to Hashem, while chapter 14 introduces a malach?Ramban suggests that chapter 13 speaks broadly of Hashem and His heavenly court—Hashem guiding by day, His court by night. Chizkuni argues that the malach is simply Hashem’s messe...
2025-11-2602 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 13: Back to the FutureWith the exodus imminent, Hashem now looks to the future. Most of the mitzvot in this chapter are meant to remind the Israelites about the exodus itself.1) Consecrating the first born – This halacha requires that all first born people and animals be set aside as holy for Hashem. The first born animals must be brought to the Beit Hamikdash to be sacrificed or redeemed with the priests. This is meant to remind the Israelites that Hashem killed the first born Egyptians and saved those of the Israelites:“Sanctify to Me every first-born, the first issue of e...
2025-11-2503 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 12: Like Diamonds in the Sky“This month shall be for you the first of the months”הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים (Exodus 12:2).Rashi famously asks why this verse was not the first verse of the Torah. This is the very first mitzvah given to the Israelite nation. Rashi’s answer is that Genesis until now was setting the stage to show that God was the true custodian of the world and therefore could give the Land of Canaan to the Israelites. What Rashi’s answer does not address is why this was the first mitzvah given to the nation.To answer this question, we must go back to Abraham and the covena...
2025-11-2403 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 11: Almost Famousוַיִּתֵּ֧ן הֹ אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם גַּ֣ם ׀ הָאִ֣ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֗ה גָּד֤וֹל מְאֹד֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעֵינֵ֥י עַבְדֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם“God disposed Egyptians favorably for the people. Moreover, Moshe himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt amongst Pharaoh’s servants and among the people.” (Verse 3). This verse is ambiguous. It can be read as “God disposed Egyptians favorably for the Israelite people. Moreover, Moshe himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt amongst Pharaoh’s servants and among the Israelite people.” Or “God disposed Egyptians favorably for the Israelite people. Moreover, Moshe himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt amongst Pharaoh’s servants and among the Egyptian people.” Ibn Ezra points out this verse is God fulfilling his promise from chapter 3: 21- “And I will dispose the Egyptians favorably toward this people, so that when you go, you will not go away empty-handed...
2025-11-2304 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 10 Knowing me Knowing YouChapter ten presents a shift in the messaging of the plagues. In the introduction to the plagues, ה׳ explains to Moshe:וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ בִּנְטֹתִי אֶת־יָדִי עַל־מִצְרַיִם וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹכָם (שמות ז:ה)“The Egyptians shall know that I am ה׳ when I stretch out My hand over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from their midst” (7:5).In the very first plague, Moshe tells Pharaoh:כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַכֶּה בַּמַּטֶּה אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדִי עַל־הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר וְנֶהֶפְכוּ לְדָם (שמות ז:יז)“Thus says ה׳: By this you shall know that I am ה׳: See, I shall strike the water in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood” (7:17).Next, in chapter 8, before the plague of wild animals, Moshe explains:וְהִפְלֵיתִי בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת־אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר עַמִּי עֹמֵד עָלֶיהָ לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת־שָׁם עָרֹב לְמַעַן תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ (שמות ח:יח)“On that day I w...
2025-11-2004 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 9: Plagues of Our LivesAs the plagues continue in chapter 9, here are three further ideas as to why God chose these plagues. 1. Middah k’neged middah for Egypt’s oppression of Israel. Blood: Pharaoh decreed that male infants be drowned in the Nile. The river that became an instrument of death now turns to blood, a source of death for Egypt. Frogs: Egyptians forced Israelites to capture amphibians for food or rituals. The plague overwhelms them with frogs, which later rot—symbolizing the corruption of their actions. Lice: Denial of basic hygiene to the Israelites results in a plague that makes cleanl...
2025-11-1906 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 8: Natural Born PlaguesThere are many interpretations as to why God picked these specific twelve plagues. One possible interpretation is that God wanted to show His mastery over nature. In this interpretation, the plagues are not supernatural phenomena, but simply natural events gone awry.The initial plague of blood is created by a small imbalance in the Nile: Most likely the introduction of an overgrowth of oxygen consuming algae that spreads creating a blood red coloration of the water (Blood). Next, the frogs that live in the water abandon their distressed natural habitat and spread across the land (Frogs). Unable...
2025-11-1804 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiEpisode 7: Defying GravityMoshe is finally ready to return to Pharaoh, but God throws another wrench in Moshe’s plans. God tells Moshe that despite all of Moshe’s best efforts, Pharaoh will not listen. Instead, God will harden Pharaoh’s heart.“Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said” (7:13).How could God take away someone’s free will? Free will is an essential tenet of Judaism. There are many different explanations given about this question. One is that God does not take away Pharoah’s free will. We once...
2025-11-1705 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 6: Let Me Reintroduce MyselfSix chapters in, God seems to start fresh:“And God spoke to Moshe and said to him, I am God. I appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov as El Shakkai, but by my name God (YKVK) they did not know me” (verse 2).וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֛ק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֤י יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א נוֹדַ֔עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (שמות ו:ב–ג) God reintroduces the mission—enumerating five synonyms of saving and explaining the goal to bring the Israelites to Canaan. God is not the only one who is reintroduced. The text also provides a complete lineage for Moshe and Aharon. In chapter 2, the text does not give a name to Moshe’s family—only “a man from Levi married a daughter from Levi.” Even Moshe’s sister Miriam is only named as “his sister.” Why the need for all these reintroductions so late in...
2025-11-1603 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 5: A Three Day TourGod pressed Moshe to go to Egypt to demand that Pharaoh release the Israelites. Yet, instead of asking for complete freedom immediately, God instructed Moshe to begin with a modest request—a three-day journey into the wilderness to worship:“They will listen to you; then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has manifested Himself to us. Therefore, let us go a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God.’” (Exodus 3:18)Hebrew: וְשָׁמְעוּ לְקֹלֶךָ וּבָאתָ אַתָּה וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אֵלָיו ה׳ אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָה עָלֵינוּ וְעַתָּה נֵלְכָה נָא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְנִזְבְּחָה לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּWhen Moshe and Aharon first approach Pharaoh in chapter 5, they make an even vaguer request—permission to go celebrate God in the wilderness without specifying a timeframe. Pharaoh scoffs and questions, “...
2025-11-1303 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 4: First BloodAfter Moshe finally relents to God’s request to travel to Egypt and confront Pharaoh, the Torah introduces a mysterious and startling episode that seems almost disconnected from the narrative:“At a night encampment on the way, God encountered him and sought to kill him.” (Exodus 4:24): וַיְהִי בַדֶּרֶךְ בַּמָּלוֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ ה׳ וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתוֹ“So Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched his legs with it, saying, ‘You are truly a bridegroom of blood to me!’” (Exodus 4:25): וַתִּקַּח צִפֹּרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת־עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי חֲתַן־דָּמִים אַתָּה לִי“And when [God] let him alone, she added, ‘A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.’” (Exodus 4:26): וַיִּרֶף מִמֶּנּוּ אָז אָמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹתThis bizarre and abrupt episode interrupts the flow of the story and then disappears without further explanation. What is happening here? Why would God seek to kill Moshe—the very person He just appointed as leader and redeemer of Isra...
2025-11-1203 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 3: I Will Be What I Will BeChapter three begins the dialogue between Moshe and God about returning to Egypt to save the Israelites. One day while grazing sheep, Moshe notices a bush burning yet the bush is not consumed. The lowly bush symbolizes the Israelites’ lowly state. The Egyptian attempt to burn them out is unsuccessful because God protects them.Despite this miraculous metaphor, Moshe is skeptical. If he returns to Egypt to take the Israelites out, they will not believe him. He asks God what name of God he should tell them:“When I come to the Israelites and say to t...
2025-11-1102 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiExodus 1: A New King for a New Book?The book of Exodus begins with the transition from a story about a single family to a story about a nation. After Yosef saved the Egyptians from starvation at the end of Genesis and became a right-hand man of Pharaoh, the fortunes of the Israelites changed dramatically.“A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8)Hebrew: וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ־חָדָשׁ עַל־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע אֶת־יוֹסֵף.Rashi brings a debate in the Talmud between Rav and Shmuel. One held that this was a brand-new king and the other felt this king simply gave new edicts. Chizkuni explains that because the text did not men...
2025-11-0902 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 50: Wrapping Up“Then Joseph ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel. It required forty days, for such is the full period of embalming. The Egyptians bewailed him seventy days”Hebrew: וַיְצַו יוֹסֵף אֶת־עֲבָדָיו אֶת־הָרֹפְאִים לַחֲנֹט אֶת־אָבִיו וַיַּחַנְטוּ הָרֹפְאִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ וַיִּמְלְאוּ־לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כִּי־כֵן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחֲנֻטִים וַיִּבְכּוּ אֹתוֹ מִצְרַיִם שִׁבְעִים יוֹם׃(Genesis 50:2–3).Why did the Egyptians mourn Yaacov for seventy days while the mummification process only took forty? The commentators explain that seventy is meant to include the forty embalming days and then thirty days of mourning. The thirty days of mourning are taken from the mourning period later for Moses and Ahron. The math works out here, but why would the Egyptians be following the Israelite mourning period? The commentators may have it backwards, and mostly as a result of the more modern understanding of the embalming process.A...
2025-11-0603 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 49: Mixed MetaphorsUntil this point in the Torah, blessings have followed a relatively uniform pattern—typically invoking themes of fertility, prosperity, and triumph. The forefathers offered blessings that emphasized continuity, divine favor, and national destiny. However, in Genesis 49, Jacob’s blessings to his twelve sons break this mold dramatically. Each son receives a distinct and deeply personal message, often more like a poetic reflection or prophecy than a conventional blessing. These utterances vary in tone—some are laudatory, others critical, and a few cryptic or neutral. They also differ in temporal orientation: some look to past actions, while others look to future...
2025-11-0505 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 48: Hamalach HaGoele “הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל” encapsulates a profound theological and emotional moment in the life of Jacob, as he blesses his grandsons. This blessing, invoking the angel who redeemed him, becomes a foundational text for bedtime rituals and spiritual reflection.The Talmud in Berakhot 4b explores the relationship between the recitation of the Shema, both in the morning and at night, emphasizing the importance of juxtaposing redemption with prayer: מִי שֶׁסּוֹמֵךְ גְאֻלָּה לִתְפִלָּה בְּעַרְבִית – מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ בָּנָה חוֹמָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ נוֹפֶלֶת לְעוֹלָם” (One who juxtaposes redemption to prayer in the evening is considered as though he built an indestructible wall). Psalms 4:5 adds another layer, urging introspection and repentance upon one’s bed:“רִגְזוּ וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ אִמְרוּ בִלְבַבְכֶם עַל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם וְדֹמּוּ ” (Tremble, and do not sin; speak in your heart upon your bed, and be still...
2025-11-0405 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 47: Pick 5From the moment that Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, he had been carefully preparing for the moment they would meet with Pharaoh. Despite Yosef’s apparent close relationship with the monarch, he still realized that he must be delicate when making requests on behalf of his family. This is yet another connection with the Purim story: Esther also had to be cautious in how she approached her husband, the king, to plead for her people’s lives. In Genesis 47, Yosef employs a curious and unexplained strategy. The Torah states:“And from among his brothers he took five m...
2025-11-0302 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 46: Neck and NeckWhen Yosef finally reunites with his father, the Torah describes a deeply emotional moment:“Joseph ordered his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel; he presented himself to him and, embracing him around the neck, he wept on his neck a good while.”וַיֶּאְסֹר יוֹסֵף מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וַיַּעַל לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִיו גֹּשְׁנָה וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוָּארָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל־צַוָּארָיו עוֹד (בראשית מ״ו:כ״ט)This phrase—“fell on his neck and cried”—appears only three times in all of Tanach, and Yosef is involved in two of them. The other instance is just one chapter earlier, when Yosef sees Binyamin for the first time in years:“With that he embraced his brother Benjamin around the neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.”וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוָּארֵי בִנ...
2025-11-0202 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 45: How Now Yosef's CowsAfter the brothers return to tell Yaakov that Yosef is alive, Yaakov is skeptical. His doubt is only lifted when he sees the agalot—the wagons—that Yosef had sent. The Torah says:“But when they recounted all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the agalot that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.”וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם (בראשית מ״ה:כ״ז)The word עֲגָלוֹת (agalot) is usually translated as “wagons,” but it can also mean “cows.” Rashi draws on this second meaning and explains that Yosef was sending a secret message to Yaakov. According to the Midrash, Yaakov and Yosef had been studying the laws of the עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה (eglah arufah)—the calf that is rit...
2025-10-3002 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 44 Curses!In Bereishit chapter 31, Lavan chases after Yaakov and accuses him of stealing his idols. Yaakov responds with a bold declaration:“With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live.”עִם־אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֤א אֶת־אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶ֔ה (בראשית ל״א:ל״ב)Unbeknownst to Yaakov, Rachel had taken the idols. Tragically, this curse seems to have consequences: Rachel dies young, during childbirth. The Torah subtly links Yaakov’s words to her fate.A similar moment unfolds in Bereishit chapter 44, when Yosef orchestrates a test by having his silver goblet planted in Binyamin’s sack. His guards pursue the brothers, accusing them of theft. The brothers, unaware of the setup, respond with a dangerous vow:
2025-10-2902 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiEl Shakkai ReturnsThe famine is growing stronger, and food is running out. Yaakov—now referred to as Yisrael—asks his sons to return to Egypt for provisions. They remind him that they cannot go back without bringing Binyamin. Yaakov, recognizing the urgency, finally agrees and sends Binyamin with them. In doing so, he invokes a rare and powerful name of Hashem:Genesis 43:14**וְאֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י יִתֵּ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם רַחֲמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְשִׁלַּ֥ח לָכֶ֛ם אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וַאֲנִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי שָׁכָֽלְתִּי׃*“And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, so that he may release your other brother and Binyamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”*This is only the fourth time the name אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai) appears in the Torah. The first time is in Genesis 17:1, when Hashem appears...
2025-10-2802 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 42: Lock Him Up!The brothers make their way to Egypt and do not recognize Yosef. Yosef, however, recognizes them and decides to toy with them. When the brothers reveal that Binyamin is back with Yaakov, Yosef uses this as a hook. He tells them that in order to prove they are not spies, they must bring Binyamin back. Yosef then takes Shimon captive as collateral.Why does he take Shimon?Rashbam recalls the story of Dina and Shechem. Yosef took Shimon to separate him from his brother Levi. The last time Shimon and Levi were paired up and angry, they massacred an entire...
2025-10-2702 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 41: Deja PharoahPharaoh dreams of seven fat sheaves of wheat and seven thin ones, and seven fat cows and seven thin ones. After awakening with agitation over the dreams, and finding that none of his servants can interpret them, Yosef is summoned. In verse 25, Yosef tells Pharaoh:וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה׃"And Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same: God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do.'"What we initially thought were two dreams, Yosef reveals to be actually one. But how many dreams did Pharaoh have? Looking back at the dream sequence, there’s a hint that supports Yosef’s interpretation. In verses 4–5, Pharaoh dreams of the c...
2025-10-2603 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 40: Yosef's Dreams Go Marching Two by TwoThroughout the Yosef story, dreams play a central role—not just as plot devices, but as spiritual milestones. There are three major dream episodes: first, Yosef’s own dreams shared with his family; second, the dreams of the chamberlain and the baker in prison; and third, Pharaoh’s dreams in the next chapter. At first glance, these episodes seem similar—each features two dreams—but what’s striking is how they reveal Yosef’s growth in interpreting divine messages.In the first episode, Yosef dreams of greatness, but doesn’t interpret the dreams himself. He simply shares them:בראשית ל״ז:ז
2025-10-2303 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 39: Joseph the Good Luck CharmIn Bereishit 30:30, Yaakov reminds Lavan of the transformation his household underwent during Yaakov’s stay: “For the little you had before I came has increased abundantly, and Hashem has blessed you since my foot entered your house.”Yaakov’s words introduce a theological motif: the presence of a tzaddik brings divine blessing to the household that hosts him. This motif reappears in the story of Yosef.In Bereishit 39:5, the Torah describes how Yosef’s presence transforms Potiphar’s household:וַיְהִי מֵאָ֡ז הִפְקִ֣יד אֹתוֹ֩ בְבֵית֨וֹ וְעַל֙ כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ וַיְבָרֶ֨ךְ ה׳ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית הַמִּצְרִ֗י בִּגְלַל֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֛י בִּרְכַּ֥ת ה׳ בְּכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֵשׁ־ל֖וֹ בַּבַּ֣יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃“And from the time that Potiphar appointed him over his house and all that he owned, Hashem blessed the Egyptian’s house for Yosef’s sake; the blessing of Hashem was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.”Yosef becomes a conduit for divi...
2025-10-2204 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 38: Judas InterruptusChapter 38 pumps the brakes on the Yosef story and instead gives Yehudah his turn in the spotlight. Yehudah’s only significant reference until this point was his suggestion in the last chapter to sell Yosef instead of kill him. Reuven, Levi, and Shimon have all appeared more often. Why does he get his own chapter now? Rashi quotes the midrash to explain that after the brothers saw how distraught Yaacov was, they blamed Yehudah for suggesting the sale and not telling them to return him. Yehudah left the family in shame. This is a nice answer, but logically it se...
2025-10-2102 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 37: Who Sold Joseph?Yaakov favors Yosef. Yosef has his two dreams that even rankle Yaakov. Yaakov sends Yosef to spy on his brothers and then… what happens?The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat depicts the most common explanation: the brothers plot to throw Yosef into a pit and leave him there to die (the musical even captures the Rashi about snakes in the pit). Instead, a group of Ishmaelites pass by and the brothers decide to sell Yosef to them for silver.The problem is the text does not seem to follow this ve...
2025-10-2006 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 36: Aloof OpinionsFollowing the death of Avraham in Bereishit Chapter 25, the Torah lists the descendants of Yishmael and the tribal leaders that came from him:בראשית כ״ה:יבוְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּֽלְד֥וֹת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלְדָ֣ה הָגָ֔ר הַמִּצְרִ֖ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָֽה לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.Similarly, following the death of Yitzchak in Bereishit Chapter 35, the Torah now lists the descendants of Esav and the leaders that come from him.בראשית ל״ו:אוְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּֽלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם׃Now these are the generations of Esau, that is, Edom.Esav’s list is far more extensive and repetitive than Yishmael’s. It includes not only his children but also tribal chiefs and kings. In the middle of this genealogical list is a striking verse:בראשית ל״...
2025-10-1902 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 35: A Different, Difficult LegacyAvraham blazed the trail, and Yitzchak, for the most part, followed suit. Yaakov, however, began his journey differently—marked by exile, struggle, and deception. But now, in Bereishit 35, Hashem calls him back to the sacred geography of his forefathers.בראשית ל״ה:א׳וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־יַעֲקֹב קוּם עֲלֵה בֵּית־אֵל וְשֵׁב שָׁם וַעֲשֵׂה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לָאֵל הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ בְּבָרְחֲךָ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ׃And G-d said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and remain there; and build an altar there to the G-d who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”This is not merely a physical relocation—it is a spiritual homecoming. Hashem invites Yaakov to retrace his steps, to return to the place where his journey began, and to reaffirm his covenantal identity.Before a...
2025-10-1705 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiEpisode 34: Victim Blaming“Now Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.”וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַת־לֵאָה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב לִרְאוֹת בִּבְנוֹת הָאָרֶץ׃(Bereishit 34:1)Why does the Torah emphasize Dinah as Leah’s daughter before mentioning Yaacov? Why note that she “went out”? And why specify that it was “to see the daughters of the land”?Rashi explains that Dinah is called Leah’s daughter because she inherited Leah’s tendency to “go out”—just as Leah went out to meet Yaacov in the field (Bereishit 30:16), so too Dinah went out, implying a lack of modesty.Ibn Ezra adds that Dinah w...
2025-10-1604 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 33: Vampire Diaries“Esav ran togreet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and theywept”:וַיָּרָץ עֵשָׂו לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוָּארָו וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ׃(Bereishit 33:4)In the text,the word וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ (vayishakeihu – “he kissed him”) has dots overeach letter. The Midrash explains that the Torah is conveying a hiddenmeaning. When Esav fell on Yaacov’s neck to kiss him, he really wanted to biteYaacov’s neck, but the neck became hard as marble (or Esav’s teeth became softlike wax). The implication here is that Esav meant to harm Yaacov, but Godintervened.Esav had anarmy of 400 people with him and weapons. He could have tried to stab Yaacov orstrangle him. Biting his neck seems odd. Why did Esav want to...
2025-10-1604 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 32: Lavan Everything BehindAfter his treaty with Yaacov, Lavan receives a postscript at the beginning of chapter 32:וַיַּשְׁכֵּם לָבָן בַּבֹּקֶר וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְבָנָיו וְלִבְנוֹתָיו וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב לָבָן לִמְקֹמוֹ׃“Early in the morning, Laban kissed his sons and daughters and bade them good-by; then Laban left on his journey homeward.” (Bereishit 32:1)Why does the Torah give Lavan this final passage? The story could have ended with the truce, and Yaacov going on his way. Perhaps the Torah is giving Lavan his due, and in doing so Lavan’s true motivation is revealed.Remember, that Lavan was a young man when he first appears in chapter 24. In one quick day, Lavan loses his sister to a strange servant of a cousin he never met. Lavan never sees Rivka again. Then...
2025-10-1304 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 31: Daughters of MineNow he heard the things that Lavan’s sons were saying:וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת־דִּבְרֵי בְנֵי־לָבָן לֵאמֹר לָקַח יַעֲקֹב אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִינוּ וּמֵאֲשֶׁר לְאָבִינוּ עָשָׂה אֵת כָּל־הַכָּבוֹד הַזֶּה׃“Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from that which was our father’s he has built up all this wealth.” (Genesis 31:1)Yaacov also saw that Lavan’s manner toward him was not as it had been in the past:וַיַּרְא יַעֲקֹב אֶת פְּנֵי לָבָן וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ עִמּוֹ כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם׃“And Jacob saw Laban’s face, and behold, it was not toward him as before.” (Genesis 31:2)These two verses call into question presumptions about Lavan. Why are Lavan’s sons the ones grumbling? If Lavan was so horrible, he should be complaining. Second, if Lavan was cheating Yaacov out of everything, why are his sons complaining that Lavan is losing all of his wealth? Finally, and most importantly, if Lavan w...
2025-10-1204 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 30: Lavan on the EdgeAfter 11 children are born, Yaacov approaches Lavan and asks to leave:וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת־יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל־לָבָן שַׁלְּחֵנִי וְאֵלְכָה אֶל־מְקוֹמִי וּלְאַרְצִי׃“Jacob said to Laban, ‘Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.’” (30:25)Lavan responds that he knows that God has blessed his house because Yaacov dwells there: אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵנִי ה בִּגְלָלֶךָ׃“‘If I have found favor in your eyes, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.’” (Genesis 30:27)Lavan attributes his success to Yaacov and God. Lavan then asks Yaacov to name a wage to stay: וַיֹּאמַר נָקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ עָלַי וְאֶתֵּנָה׃“ ‘Name your wages, and I will give it.’” ( 30:28)This is the second time that Lavan has asked Yaacov to name his price. We have yet to see Lavan set any wages for Yaacov. Yaacov confirms that God is responsible for everyt...
2025-10-1004 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 29: Back to Lavan LandYaacov returns to the town where his grandfather’s servant made a match for his parents. As discussed in chapter 24, the commentators zero in on how evil they see Lavan, but the text does not match this vitriol. Rivka, who lived with her brother, would have known about his evil ways. Yet, she tells her son to seek safety in her brother’s home. Yitzchak also wants Yaacov to seek out one of Lavan’s daughters as a wife.Verse 10 emphasizes the fact that Lavan and Rivka are related. The phrase “his mother's brother” appears three times in just on...
2025-10-0903 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 28: Stairway to HeavenThe highlight of this chapter is Yaacov’s ladder. One interesting take on the story is attached. Jacob's Dream (El sueño de Jacob) is a 1639 oil-on-canvas painting by the Spanish painter José de Ribera.What’s fascinating about this painting, as opposed to the many other depictions of the story, is that the ladder is barely visible. The viewer has the perspective of a third-party walking by Yaacov sleeping on a rock. Only the light shining on Yaacov gives us an idea that something is happening. One must look very closely at the...
2025-10-0901 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 27: We Are Family?Family Dynamics in Genesis 27 with Hebrew VersesChapter 27 presents more questions than it answers. Why does Yitzchak prefer Esav but Rivka Yaakov? Why does Rivka trick Yitzchak instead of talking to him? Why can’t Yaakov take back the blessing? Etc. One thing that comes across clearly in this chapter is that family dynamic plays an outsized role. Characters are referred to by their familial position very often. The word father appears 19 times (in verses 10, 12, 14, 18, 19, 22, 27, 30, 31(x3), 34(x2), 38(x3), 39, and 41(x2)). The word son appears 19 times as well (in verses 13, 15(x2), 17, 18, 19(x2), 21(x2), 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 37, 42(x2), and 43). The word brother appears 11 times (in ve...
2025-10-0602 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 26: Encountering AbimelechAbimelech and Abraham (Genesis 20–21)Abimelech’s first encounter with Abraham is marked by tension and confrontation. Abraham, fearing for his life, tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Abimelech takes Sarah into his household, unaware of her marriage to Abraham. God intervenes in a dream, warning Abimelech that he is in danger for taking another man’s wife. Abimelech responds with alarm and indignation, confronting Abraham for misleading him.Despite the rocky start, Abimelech shows integrity. He returns Sarah, compensates Abraham with gifts, and offers him land to dwell in. Later, in Genesis 21, Abimelech approaches Abraham again—not in conflict...
2025-10-0503 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 25: Poor Choices“And Esav disdained the birthright.”וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָה׃(Bereishit 25:34)The word "וַיִּבֶז" (vayivez)—“he disdained”—is rare in Tanach. It appears only one other time, in Megillat Esther:“But he disdained to lay hands on Mordechai alone…”וַיִּבֶז בְּעֵינָיו לִשְׁלֹחַ יָד בְּמָרְדֳּכַי לְבַדּוֹ…(Esther 3:6)In Esther, Haman’s disdain for Mordechai leads to genocidal hatred. The parallel raises a powerful question:Why did Esav detest the birthright as much as Haman detested Mordechai?________________________________________Esav’s Contradiction: Disdaining the Birthright, Desiring the BlessingIn Bereishit 27, Esav still desperately wants his father’s blessing, showing he distinguished between the birthright (בְּכוֹרָה) and the blessing (בְּרָ...
2025-10-0304 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 24: Intro to Lavan: Not So Black and WhiteEmbedded in this long and repetitive chapter is our first introduction to Lavan, Rivka’s brother. While Lavan plays a much more central role in the Yaakov narrative (Bereishit 29–31), he is almost universally vilified by commentators and would likely make a “top five worst people in Torah” list for anyone who learned these stories in school.But the text itself is ambiguous.“Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Lavan. Lavan ran out to the man at the spring, when he saw the nose-ring and the bands on his sister’s arms, and when he heard his...
2025-10-0104 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 23: They Might be Giants: Chevron (Not Kiryat-arba)“Sarah died in Kiriath-arba—Chevron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah.”וַתָּ֤מָת שָׂרָה֙ בְּקִרְיַ֣ת אַרְבַּ֔ע הִ֖וא חֶבְר֑וֹן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן וַיָּבֹ֥א אַבְרָהָ֛ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃(Bereishit 23:1)Why does Chevron have two names?Rashi gives two explanations:Kiryat-arba refers to the four (arba) giants who lived there.It refers to the four couples who would eventually be buried there:Adam and ChavaAvraham and SarahYitzchak and RivkaYaakov and LeahInterestingly, Rashi does not explain why it was called Chevron. Based on his explanation, Kiryat-arba is the later name of the city. His second explanation would place that name after the death of Yaakov and Leah.Chevron in...
2025-09-3003 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 22: Here I Am Once AgainChapter 22 opens with Hashem’s emotional command:וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹקִים: קַח נָא אֶת־בִּנְךָ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת־יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ־לְךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ׃"Take your son, your favored one, whom you love, Isaac, and go to (lech lecha) the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you." (Bereishit 22:2)The phrase "Lech Lecha" immediately recalls the beginning of Abraham’s journey in Chapter 12:וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם: לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ׃"Go forth: 1) leave your land, 2) leave your birthplace, 3) leave your father’s house, 4) go to the land that I will show you." (Bereishit 12:1)Just as that command was split into four goals, so too here the command to take Isaac is split into four parts:1. Take your son2. Your favored one3. Whom you love4. IsaacOver the past ten chapters, Abraham has struggled to fulfill the four-part mis...
2025-09-2904 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 21: No Laughing MatterIn chapter 17, ה׳ tells Abraham he will have a son:וַיִּפֹּ֥ל אַבְרָהָ֖ם עַל־פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּצְחָ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בְּלִבּ֔וֹ הַלְּבֶ֥ן מֵאָ֖ה שָׁנָ֣ה יִוָּלֵ֑ד וְאִם־שָׂרָ֥ה הֲבַת־תִּשְׁעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֥ה תֵּלֵֽד׃“Abraham threw himself on his face and laughed (וַיִּצְחָק – vayitzchak), as he said to himself, ‘Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?’” (Genesis 17:17)ה׳ dismisses Abraham’s laughter and instructs him to name the child Isaac/Yitzchak:וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲבָל֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֔ יֹלֶ֥דֶת לְךָ֖ בֵּ֑ן וְקָרָ֥אתָ שְׁמ֖וֹ יִצְחָ֑ק“God said, ‘Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac (יִצְחָק – Yitzchak)’” (Genesis 17:19)In the next chapter, Sarah seems to have an identical reaction to the news, but not an identical response:וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֣י בְלֹתִ֔י הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֥י עֶדְנָ֖ה וַאדֹנִ֥י זָקֵֽן׃“And Sarah laughed (וַתִּצְחַק – vatitzchak) to herself, saying, ‘Now that I’ve lost the ability, am I to have...
2025-09-2804 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 20: Sister Act IIOnce again, as in chapter 12, Avraham hides the fact that Sarah is his wife. This time, he tells Avimelech, king of the southern city-state of Gerer, that Sarah is his sister. There are several differences between the two stories. The major difference is that ה׳ has a much more active role in this chapter. ה׳ even appears to Avimelech in a dream:“וַיָּבֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶל־אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ בַּחֲלֹ֣ם הַלָּ֔יְלָה”“God came to Abimelech in a dream by night” (Genesis 20:3)Pharaoh has no direct contact. ה׳ plays a more active role in this story because it takes place in the land of Canaan—“the land that I will show you”:“אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶ֖ךָּ”
2025-09-2602 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 19: A Lot of DoorsChapter 19 is the rare chapter of the Torah where a main character is not the star. This is Lot’s chapter. Until this point, Lot has been mostly passive. He travels with his uncle out of Ur Casdim for unknown reasons. He follows him around and becomes wealthy. He requests to live in Sodom, but only because Avraham gives the option. After that, he is captured in a war and saved by his uncle. Now we learn about Lot up close. Chapter 19 comes directly after 18 to give the opportunity to compare Lot’s actions with Avraham. In the first few...
2025-09-2503 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 18: A Lot to LoseWe begin chapter 18 with the famous story of the three messengers. One of them tells Avraham that he will return in one year and Sarah will have a child.Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה, וְהִנֵּה־בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ (בראשית יח:י)English: “He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’” (Genesis 18:10)Sarah laughs, and then the Eternal One questions her and Avraham if they believe that the Divine cannot do what He pleases.Hebrew: הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵה׳ דָּבָר? לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה, וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן (בראשית יח:יד)English: “Is anything too wondrous for ה׳? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)Then the dialogu...
2025-09-2203 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 17: A New Name for God“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Eternal One appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am El Shaddai. Walk before Me and be blameless.’”Hebrew: _וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים וָתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה, וַיֵּרָא ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי־אֵל שַׁדַּי, הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים׃ (בראשית יז:א)In this pivotal moment, the Divine Presence reveals Itself to Abram once again, but this time introduces a new name: El Shaddai. What does this name signify?Rashi interprets it to mean that the Almighty is sufficient unto Himself—complete, lacking nothing, and not dependent on any other being.Ibn Ezra sees the name as emphasizing divine power, suggesting that its use here is meant to instill awe in Abram and prepare him to accept the commandment of circumcision.Ramban, whi...
2025-09-2202 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 16: Call Him IshmaelWhy does Sarai initially urge Abram to cohabit with Hagar, only to regret it later? Why is Hagar’s Egyptian identity emphasized? Why does Sarai blame Abram for following her own instructions? Why does God send Hagar back to Sarai?And why does the divine messenger tell Hagar to name the child Ishmael, yet Abram is the one who ultimately names him? To begin unraveling this complex narrative, we must look back to Genesis 11. Abram travels to Egypt and, fearing for his life, asks Sarai to pose as his sister. Sarai does not protest and goes along with the pl...
2025-09-2104 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 15: Where There's Smoke...In the previous chapter, Abram saved Lot, but he does not reunite with Lot. After securing his nephew’s freedom, Abram returns without Lot, removing himself from his father's family, achieving that elusive fourth goal discussed earlier. Withthe goals intact, God returns to Abram to make another grand promise in chapter 15. Abram’s offspring will be numerous like the stars in the sky and they willinherit the land of Canaan.English: “Look toward heaven and count thestars, if you are able to count them… So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis15:5)Hebrew: הַבֶּט־נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים אִם־תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם… כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָAbram, though, challenges God. These grand promises are meaningless without offspring. In response, God instructs Abram to...
2025-09-1803 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 14: Who was Malkitzedek?In בראשית פרק י״ד, after אברם’s victory over the coalition ofkings, we read:וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִןוְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest ofGod Most High.וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator ofheaven and earth.”וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר־מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל׃And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.”(בראשית י״ד:י״ח–כ׳)מלכי־צדק blesses אברם in the name of אל עליון, and אברם responds by giving him a tenth ofeverything — a gesture that echoes the later institution of מעשר. Who was Malki-Tzedek?Many commentators, like Rashi, explain that he was a priest of Hashem, andquite possibly Shem the son of Noah. However, he was punished because of thisconversation with Avram and the priesthood was taken away and given to Avram’schildren. This reading is supported by the מדרש and תלמוד. In נדרים ל״ב ב׳, the sages ask:“וכי מקדימ...
2025-09-1704 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 13: Lots of TroubleAfter Abram’s departure from Egypt, the Torah tells us:וַיַּעַל־אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְלוֹט עִמּוֹ הַנֶּגְבָה׃"And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot withhim, to the Negev."(Genesis 13:1) It’s understandable that the Torah would emphasize that Sarai and Abram’s possessions accompanied him out of Egypt—there may have been concern thatPharaoh had confiscated his wealth or held Sarai hostage. But the inclusion of Lot in this verse raises a deeper question: why does the Torah need to tell us that Lot is still with Abram?This detail highlights an unresolved tension from chapter 12 between Abram’s devotion to f...
2025-09-1603 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 12: Lech Lecha to the Land that I Will Show YouGenesis chapter 12 begins with one of the most iconic and transformative verses in the Torah: “לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ” — “Go forth from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). In this single command, God outlines four distinct goals for Abram: to leave his land, his birthplace, his father’s house, and to journey toward an unknown destination that God will reveal. These directives represent a profound spiritual and emotional journey, requiring Abram to detach from his past and embrace a future defined by divine guidance. As the narrative unfolds, we observe that Abram’s relationship with God intensifies when he aligns with these goals, and...
2025-09-1504 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 11: The Curious Case of the Tower of BabelThe last of the pre-Abraham stories in Genesis concerns the famous tower of Babel. Reading the text, however, we are faced with many questions:________________________________________1) When did this story happen? In the last verse of chapter 10 we are told: “These are the groupings of Noah’s descendants . . . [they] branched out over the earth after the Flood.” Hebrew (Genesis 10:32):אֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחוֹת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ לְתוֹלְדֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם וּמֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם בָּאָרֶץ אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל׃But then, in the first two verses of chapter 11 we are told: “Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.” Hebrew (Genesis 11:1–2):וַיְהִי כָל־הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים׃וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם...
2025-09-1404 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 10: Where have you gone Sabteca?After the flood, the children of Noah begin to spread out and inhabit the known world. Chapter 10 lists the names of the descendants of each son. These lists read like a who’s who from the ancient world. Based on the children’s names, we can deduce that Yafet’s descendants inhabited Europe, Cham’s descendants inhabited Africa and the Levant and Shem’s children inhabited the Middle East. What’s fascinating about this chapter is not the names that we recognize, but those we do not. The Torah includes well-known names like Egypt, Kush, and Ashkenaz, even Phut appears late...
2025-09-1101 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 9: Somewhere Over the RainbowAfter the flood, God promises that he will not destroy the world by showing Noah a rainbow. Why a rainbow? A rainbow appears when the light of the sun refracts through droplets of rain at different angles. The ever present white light is broken up and we get to see all the colors of the spectrum. God uses the tool of destruction- the rain- to send a message that he knows the world is more complex than just black and white (light). A singular light strand is made up of an infinite number of different colors. Just like the...
2025-09-1001 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 8: Finding Rest on ShabbatA staple of the Shabbat zemirot liturgy is a poem written by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi: “Yonah Matzah Bo Manoach,” “The Dove found in it [Shabbat] rest.” This Shabbat lunchtime song has a recurring chorus about the dove finding a resting spot on Shabbat. The rest of the song, though, deals with the giving of the Torah. How does the author know the dove found the resting spot on Shabbat and what is the connection between the dove and giving of the Torah and Shabbat? To answer the first question, we can look at today’s chapter- “He waited another seven days...
2025-09-0903 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 7: Noah the Righteous Man"This is the line of Noah.—Noah was righteous and blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God" (6:9). There is a debate among the commentators whether Noah was independently righteous or just in his generation. The verse itself is ambiguous. Some hold “in his generation” must be there to limit the description of Noah as righteous and blameless. The text explains that Noah was righteous ONLY in his generation, but would be a regular guy in other generations. Others say that “in his generation” is added to heap praise on Noah. Even though his entire generation was wicked, Noah still mana...
2025-09-0802 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 6: Fallen GiantsGenesis 6 is the prelude to the flood story. Humankindhas spread across the land and immediately turns to evil.“The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth,and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time”וַיַּרְא יְהוָה כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, וְכָל-יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל-הַיּוֹם (Genesis 6:5)God regrets having created man, and instead decides towipe them out. The opening verses of this chapter are difficult to understand:“The sons of the Elohim saw how beautiful the daughtersof men were and took wives from among those that pleased them”וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי-הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם, כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה; וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ (Genesis 6:2)“It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appearedon earth—when the sons of Elohim cohabited with the daughters of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old...
2025-09-0702 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiFriday Bonus Intro to the floodThis week we will be reading about Noach and the flood. When reading the text, pay attention to the confusion in the story. When did Noach start building the ark? When did he enter the ark? Where did the waters come from? When did the rain start? When did it finish? The text itself seems like an amalgamation of various versions of the story. Some commentators, like Rashi, try to synthesize the mixed up versions of the story into one timeline. We can also look at the story in a "form follows content" analysis. The story of the...
2025-09-0501 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 5: Creation Story Version 4?“This is the book of Adam’s lineage.—When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God”זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ (Genesis 5:1)We are five chapters into the Torah, and it sounds like we are starting over yet again. Jumping ahead 23 books, the I Chronicles starts in a similar fashion listing the lineage of Adam. Some commentators explain that this chapter is really meant to be the start of the Torah. The previous four chapters were just prologue. Where does this idea come from? First, the opening verse begins with “this is the book (sefer) of Adam’s lineage.” The listing of lineages happens elsewhere in Tanach—e.g., Genesis 25:19:“This is the lineage o...
2025-09-0403 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 4: UnAble to Break from the PastCain is the first farmer. He spends his days tilling thesoil—fulfilling the curse that God pronounced on Adam in chapter 3:“Cursed be the ground because of you; By toil shall you eat of it”כִּי אָרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ, בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכֲלֶנָּה (Genesis3:17)Eve names him Cain because God has given her a male child.Cain, as Eve’s first child, was her first experience of the curse of God inchapter 3:“In pain shall you bear children”בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים (Genesis 3:16)His younger brother, Abel, is a shepherd. Abel fulfills theblessing bestowed on man in chapter one:“God blessed them and God said to them, ‘… rule the fish of the sea, thebirds of the sky, and all the living thin...
2025-09-0303 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis 3: Shrewd Word PlayChapter three tells the famous story of the Garden of Eden. We also areintroduced to the first clever wordplay of Tanach. The chapter uses the Hebrewword “עָרוּם (arum)” to mean two different things in context.“Now theserpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. Hesaid to the woman, ‘Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of thegarden?’” (verse 1)וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה אֱלֹים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּןThe textuses the word “עָרוּם” in this verse to mean shrewd. Theword comes up again in the chapter, but in context the word is used tomean “naked.”“Then theeyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; andthey sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.” (verse 7)ו...
2025-09-0203 minYINR 929: Tanach YomiGenesis Chapter 2: From Programming to PlantingContinuing the question posed in chapter 1, chapter 2 looks like a rehashing of the creationstory. Many of the things created in chapter one, seem to be created here as well, but indifferent order and with different details. If chapter one, as explained there, is the creationof the programming, chapter two is the physical manifestation of that programming. Asopposed to chapter 1, chapter 2 is filled with actual physical verbs. In chapter one, Godcreates man “And God created man in His image, in the image of God He cr...
2025-08-3103 minYINR 929: Tanach Yomi929 Tanach Yomi: Genesis Chapter 1: Genesis-GPTA short thought on Bereishit chapter one for the 929 Tanach Yomi cycle.Genesis 1: Block Chain CreationBereishit barah elokim et hashamyim v’et haaertz. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So begins the Tanach, the Torah, and the book of Bereishit. Every kindergartener has their seven days of creation art project, but what exactly is going on in this first chapter? big bang theory, a world millions of years old. How do these modern scientific theories fit in with a biblical narrative that recounts creation over seven days? Libraries full of book...
2025-08-2801 min