David’s Corner – December 28, 2020
Benjamin Genesis comes to an end in the portion, Va y’ hi, with Jacob blessing his children before he dies. It’s not exactly touchy-feely. While Jacob does generate positive feelings about Joseph and Judah, he has a long memory of escapades by Rueben, Simeon and Levi, and isn’t shy about busting them on it. […]
David’s Corner – December 21, 2020
Is the story of Joseph merely a legend? The story of Joseph has become a legend. A young boy is forced to leave his family and work in an alien land. He rises to great success and serves the ruler of this alien land. His family joins him, carving an economic niche by doing work […]
David’s Corner – December 14, 2020
MIketz. (Genesis 41:1-44:17) At the beginning of Miketz, Joseph rises from the dungeon. The Pharaoh has had his disturbing dreams which no one can interpret to his satisfaction, and the Chief Cub Bearer remembers a “Hebrew youth.” (Gen. 41:12). Before he can digest what is happening to him, Joseph is all dolled up, and whisked […]
David’s Corner – Decemer 7, 2020
Joseph Enters the Picture (VaYeshev) Joseph begins as a pain in the ass to his brothers. He is Jacob’s favorite son and isn’t shy about letting his brothers know, wearing the coat of many colors that his father has made for him. Even more provocative, he tells them about dreams that could easily be interpreted […]
David’s Corner – November 30, 2020
Jacob’s Test From a petulant refugee and a mama’s boy to a powerful chieftain in his own right, Jacob has finally gotten the better of his sly uncle Laban. It’s all up to Jacob now. What will he choose to do? Where will he choose to go? Is there really any doubt? Jacob knows […]
David’s Corner – November 16, 2020
Cunning and Karma The pain Isaac suffers when he realizes his least favorite son, Jacob, through cunning, has stolen Issac’s first born blessing from his favorite son, Esau, is palpable. At a key moment Isaac tells Esau that he cannot undo what has been done, but can only give Esau a lesser blessing. But can […]
David’s Corner – November 9, 2020
Hospitality, Modesty, and Consent (Genesis 18-24) HaShem has not enjoyed great success in his creation of man. When HaShem is fed up with how evil man behaves, he simply drowns all but Noach’s family. It helps initially, but surviving generations of man soon returned to evil. Then Abram comes along professing monotheism. There is some […]
David’s Corner – November 2, 2020
The Angel Connection Last week we looked at how an angel of HaShem, in the form of a man, caught up with Hagar and promised her scores of descendants, and a boy named Ishmael. Is such an angel HaShem’s way of interacting with man? When HaShem’s original covenant is made, however, HaShem seems to speak […]
David’s Corner – October 26, 2020
Sarai and Hagar (Genesis 16:1—16) Abram and Sarai are now old and Sarai has long not been able to bear Abram an heir. “Consort with my maid,” she says, hoping at least that if Hagar, the maid, has a male child, Abram will have an heir. Abram heeds her request (16:1-3). So Hagar conceives and […]
David’s Corner – October 19, 2020
Noach (Gen. 6:9-11:32) I love this strange story of the Tower of Babel. HaShem has gone to the trouble of drowning everyone but Noach and his family. Everyone who survived into the future thus must have been descendants from Noah’s family. As everyone at this point is one of Noah’s descendants, it stands to reason […]