Parsha for Kids

In the last parsha of the Torah, V'Zot HaBracha, Moshe dies. But what matters is not that he died- rather, the way he died. Moshe approached God alone. There were no adoring crowds. No family surrounding him. It was just the man and his Maker. And this is something that will happen to us all. We will all, ultimately, approach God. The question to be answered is simply this: have we lived a life that we are proud to show to God? Before he dies, Moshe is called eved Hashem, servant of God. This is the highest compliment a mortal can receive. It means a person was successful in acting as a channel to bring God's presence to this world, and to perform God's will. As we end our series of podcasts here, my hope is that you too will aspire to be and ultimately become an eved Hashem. I hope you find God and cling to Him, and I hope He helps you when you struggle. It has been my pleasure to learn with you, and I hope you continue to learn as we begin the cycle of Torah reading again- with Bereishit.

This week's parsha, Haazinu, is actually a song! Moshe wanted to make sure that the core ideas of Judaism would be accessible to everyone, whether or not they were able to read. In this song, we focus on some important ideas. These include: The heaven and earth are witnesses to this song, to demonstrate that it is timeless. God has been involved with the Jews as His people throughout our history, and we owe Him our gratitude. We will ultimately sin and betray God, and God will punish us. There will come a time where God will redeem us, and we can always connect with Him again.

In this week's parsha, Vayelech, we learn: It was important to God that everyone attend Hakhel, the public Torah reading after every Shemitah cycle, including the little children. This memorable experience would bring them closer to Him. Even when it seems like God is distant and hiding His face, He is still there. He never truly leaves us. A good way to pass down important information and ideas is in song, which is why Moshe decided to write a song (which we will learn more about in next week's parsha.)

In Parshat Nitzavim, we learn that: God made a covenant with every single one of us, even those of us who were not physically present when Moshe gave his last speech. We are all in a relationship with God. The Torah is accessible. It is not far away- is is close to us. We can reclaim our portion. Since God is our designer, He knows the best way for us to live. That's why, if we follow His commands, our lives will be meaningful (and hopefully filled with blessings.)

In this week's parsha, Ki Tavo, we discover: God's wisdom in making every single Jew a historian. We all recite a surprising paragraph when we bring up our first fruits- and it reminds us of what we have endured, what we have overcome, and how we will continue to overcome. How important it is to look at the Torah as a gift from God. We are all in a relationship with God. The Torah is God's exact instructions regarding how to make Him happy and please Him. If we love God and appreciate the things He has done for us, then we will be elated to receive these instructions and to be able to live our lives in a way where we can show Him how much we value Him. God is the master of experiential education. The blessings and curses at Mt Gerizim and Mt Aival showcase this- reminding us to consider the covenant we made with God, and why it matters.

In this week's parsha, Ki Teitzei, we explore laws that address human dignity and responsibility. These include, but are not limited to: The law of a beautiful captive. A man must reflect before deciding to marry her, and once he does marry her, must treat her as a full-fledged wife. The law of inheritance. One must give the double portion to the firstborn son, not the son of the wife one prefers. The law of a hanged man. Since each human is created b'tzelem Elokim, we are obligated to bury this man before nightfall. The law of the wayward son. From here we learn the importance of rebuke- it is a parent's job to try to prevent their child's behavior from escalating and getting worse over time. The big ideas behind these laws still resonate today.

In this week's parsha, Shoftim, we learn about the importance of leadership, government, and systems of checks and balances. Some of the important topics covered in this parsha include: The three things a Jewish king is forbidden to do- he cannot have too many horses, too much gold and silver, or too many wives. The laws of a Milchemet Mitzvah as opposed to a Milchemet Reshus, and how to save people from embarrassment. The ceremony of the Eglah Arufah- where a calf is symbolically killed to demonstrate the waste of human life when someone is murdered, and to hopefully expose the murderer. We are all governed by the same God, and must all follow His law.

In this week's parsha, Re'eh, we learn some very important things. These include: Idolatry is evil. It is compared to an illness, or a cancer, that must be eradicated so it will not harm or infect other areas of the body (or in this case, the nation). It is important to have one place of centralized worship. This is what the Beit Hamikdash was, and it promoted unity. False prophets may arise, but we should not trust what they say. If anyone tells us to go against God's laws in the Torah, we know they are not speaking truth. Tzedaka is an extremely important mitzvah that focuses on tempering justice with compassion. It is a way of acknowledging any money we have comes from God, and learning to focus on others, not only ourselves.

In this week's parsha, Ekev, we learn not to discriminate between mitzvot that seem very important, like not killing, and those that seem less important, like keeping kosher. All mitzvot are important, whether we recognize it or not. Additionally, we learn about Moshe's amazing leadership qualities, which featured perspective-taking, and the importance of cultivating a robust relationship with God. We need to remember to turn to God in times of distress and times of joy, and not to act like a fair-weather friend. God loves us, and even when He gives us consequences, He does so in the hope that we can improve. We conclude the parsha with a focus on those who are marginalized, such as the widow, orphan and stranger. God wants us to help these people, and not to forget that we too were once strangers in Egypt.

In this week's parsha, V'eschanan, we learn many beautiful concepts. These include: Recognizing that sometimes God says no. God is not a vending machine. Our relationship with Him is not transactional. God said no to Moshe, and sometimes He says no to us. We need to learn how to carry on anyway. Understanding that the mitzvot are the word of God and they cannot be tampered with. We cannot add to them or take away from them. God loves us, and we can always come back to Him, even when we have thwarted His will or abandoned His law for a time. One of the ways we show God we love Him is to bind his words upon our brows, have them spill from our lips, and share them with our children. We are meant to be the people who show the way to others- especially the idolatrous nations, who practiced evil ways. For this, we need the courage of our beliefs.

In this week's parsha, Devarim, we learn about leadership. Moshe has been told he will not enter the Promised Land. He has appointed Yehoshua as his successor. He could have spent his time remembering all the ways in which he was amazing, or retiring and simply remaining in his tent. He chose neither of these options. Instead, because he was mission driven, he threw himself into a new role- acting as a teacher. And he taught Bnei Yisrael some very important lessons. These included: Believing God would fight for them, and trusting in God rather than focusing on fear. Learning to listen to God, even when that meant not doing something they might have preferred to do.

In this week's parsha, Masei, we learn about the significance of places. These include: Every place that Bnei Yisrael camped, because each of these places commemorated something significant that happened there. Arei Miklat, or cities of refuge. These were particular cities to which an accidental murderer could flee- and could live out the rest of their life until the Kohen Gadol died. The 48 cities that belonged to the Levites. The Levites were like the rabbis of our day, and therefore were needed to guide, inspire and teach the community. Due to this, they were scattered throughout the land of Israel rather than all living within one portion of land. The land of the tribe of Menashe. To preserve the integrity of their land, the daughters of Tzelafchad married men from the tribe of Menashe. Thus, those from Menashe would not lose property- which would have happened if the daughters had married outside of their tribe.

In this week's parsha, Matos, we learn about: The significance of our words- we should be very careful not to make promises. If we do make them, they are binding. The need for people to be treated equally - which is why those who fought in battle and those who remained behind were both given an equal share of the spoils. That people cannot evade punishment- since Bilam gets his comeuppance in this week's parsha. The laws of kashering- how to change an object to make it something one can use to eat or cook kosher food. The importance of not separating ourselves from the community, as the tribes of Gad, Reuven and part of Menashe ultimately did.

In this week's parsha, Pinchas, we learn lessons that we can apply to our own lives. These include: Having the strength to do what is right because it is right, and not for the sake of a reward. Having the courage to ask questions. Loving the land of Israel and feeling connected to it. Caring more about the welfare of others and the success of someone who will take over for us than about our own honor.

In this week's parsha, Balak, we learn: God will protect us from all kinds of threats- including those posed by spells and curses rather than physical weapons. God controls our five senses and determines whether we can speak, see, hear, touch or smell. Sometimes people get themselves into trouble by making problematic choices. There are different kinds of leadership. Sometimes leadership can be slow and thoughtful. Other times, it needs to be quick and decisive. In this week's parsha, Pinchas, Aharon's grandson, demonstrated quick and decisive leadership.

In this week's parsha, we learn about chukim, laws that do not have reasons of which we are aware. Despite this, it is important to follow them. Additionally, we learn how important it is to follow God's exact instructions (and not to deviate from them). We also learn how to conduct ourselves in our own lives. We should strive to be like Aharon HaKohen, the High Priest, who was a rodef shalom. To be a rodef shalom means to pursue peace, and to try to help people reconcile with one another. It was due to this quality that Aharon was so beloved by Bnei Yisrael.

In this epic parsha, a man named Korach decides to rebel against Moshe. He draws two known troublemakers, Dasan and Aviram, into his scheme. Additionally, he recruits members of the tribe of Reuven. This complex story teaches us: Leadership is based on being chosen, not craving prestigious positions. Craving power can lead to one's downfall. We are impacted by the company we keep- as is exhibited by the differences between Korach's wife and On's wife. Common sense can only get us so far. We also need to respect and value expertise.

Parshat Shelach teaches us many important ideas we would do well to remember today. Even righteous people, in high-status positions and wielding great power, can become corrupt. The spies were the Nesiim of the nation, and yet they slandered the land of Israel. Moshe was extraordinarily patient with Bnei Yisrael. Even though they kept on making major mistakes, Moshe always defended them to God and advocated on their behalf. All of us would do well to try to incorporate the trait of patience into our own lives. The mitzvah of hafrashat challah teaches us to think of the needs of others even while we are tending to our own. Before we eat our bread, we separate out a portion for the kohen. Tzitzit are like a soldier's uniform- something that reminds boys and men of their status, and helps them to avoid committing a sin.

In this week's parsha, Behaaloscha, we learn: How important it is to crave to do a mitzvah- and to try to find workarounds and solutions to perform mitzvot. The importance of asking questions, and not assuming that if there was a workaround it would already have been stated. That even when it may seem like the journey God is taking us on has many stops and starts, is meandering, and could have been completed differently, God has a plan. Our lives are like tapestries- the bottom side looks snarled and tangled, but when you turn the piece over, you see a beautiful pattern. It's important to judge others favorably, or to speak to them directly rather than gossiping behind their back. Our good deeds can always come back to help us- which is what happened with Miriam, who was rewarded for having watched and waited to see what would happen with baby Moshe all those years ago.

In this week's parsha, Naso, we learn lessons from God. Some of these lessons include: God is sensitive enough to our needs to provide us an option that would enable us to achieve high status, just like a Kohen, even if we were not born to it. Similarly, God enables someone who is struggling with self control, such as someone who is drinking too much wine, to find a dignified way to improve their lives. In both of these situations, the solution lies in becoming a Nazir. God codifies the Birkat Kohanim, or Priestly Blessing, in this week's parsha. This blessing adjures God to watch over us, guard us, make sure we have possessions and income, but also that we always have God's attention and willingness to help us even when we don't deserve it. God shows us that even when people give the exact same gift, like the Nesiim did, it's important to be appreciative and excited. To demonstrate this, God tells the story of each Nasi's individual offering- 12 separate times- and models what it means to show gratitude and excitement.

In this week's parsha, Bamidbar, we focus on roles that are assigned to us as opposed to those we can choose. God determines: The tribe of Levi will serve him, not the firstborn sons. If you are born into a Kohen's family and you are a male, you will be a Kohen, too. There is a specific order and place where everyone must camp according to the way God designed it and explained it to Moshe. Learning to accept the will of God can be challenging. It is, however, an important skill. Being able to navigate the balance between roles that we are assigned and roles that we choose is helpful in general. We realize that not everything is always about what we want- there are times we need to focus on what is good for the community, and/or what God wants.

In this week's parsha, Bechukotai, we learn several important lessons: God determines consequences based on our actions. Whether we as a nation are blessed or cursed depends on whether we follow God's laws. It is important to be careful with the words we speak and the promises we make. Once we make a promise, we will need to follow through! God designs mitzvot for our benefit. For example, a farmer must dedicate 1/10 of his newborn kosher animals to God. This forces him to go up to Jerusalem, where he will encounter Torah scholars and be inspired by their example. You too can consider whether you can improve your personal conduct, how you speak, and whether there are certain mitzvot that you realize help make you a better person!

In this week's parsha, Behar, we learn about reset buttons that God devised. God believes in giving people second chances. This is why He designed: -Shemitah, which is a time when people release others from the monetary debts they owe. -Yovel, which is a time when people release others from their service, and slaves go free. -Yovel, which is a time when ancestral properties return to their original owner. In this way, God devised a society which was fair and just. No Hebrew would ever be locked into their fate- always born landless, impoverished, or as a slave. People had the chance to start over, and begin again. There's much we can learn from this in our own society!

In this week's parsha, Emor, we learn about special rules that apply to kohanim, all of the Jewish holidays, and how important it is to make a kiddush Hashem (sanctifying God's name) rather than a Chilul Hashem (desecrating it.)

In this week's parsha, Kedoshim, we learn about how to be holy. But what does it mean to be holy, or kadosh? Not what you might think! Being holy has to do with how we live our everyday lives. God wants to make sure that we can come close to Him by being as similar to Him as possible. He teaches us what we need to do and what qualities we need to acquire in order to be holy. Some examples of ways we need to act in order to be kadosh include: Honoring our father and mother Making sure the poor are fed by leaving over some of our harvest for them to take Being careful to pay people on time for the work they do Not giving people bad advice they don't know is bad advice Judging others favorably Not cheating people in business Many of these laws connect to character traits we should strive to acquire, such as generosity, kindness, empathy and honesty.

In this week's parsha, Acharei Mot, we learn about boundaries and limits. For example: The Yom Kippur avodah was extremely elaborate, and the highlight of the Kohen Gadol's year. But even the Kohen Gadol had to be careful about when he was allowed to enter the Kodesh Kedashim, Holy of Holies, and how he went about performing the service. When we have a central place of worship, such as a Mishkan or Beit Hamikdash, we are forbidden to create our own personal altars and offer our own personal korbanot. Not only are we not allowed to eat an animal's blood, but we are also not allowed to eat a neveilah or a terefah, kosher animals that died on their own or had defects that would have meant it would have died within a year's time. There are many forbidden relationships. Even though we saw them modeled in Egypt and Canaan, we must be careful not to emulate them ourselves.

In this week's parsha, Metzora, we delve deep into symbolism and hidden meanings. Among other things, we learn: A Metzora is cleansed through bird offerings because God is comparing him to a bird, who chirps incessantly. So too the Metzora used his power of speech thoughtlessly. He needs to learn to do better and not speak lashon hara. A Metzora is purified through branches of cedar and hyssop. Rashi explains the cedar is tall, representing arrogance, but hyssop is from a low bush, representing humility. The Metzora must transition from being arrogant to being more humble. Sometimes, what seems like a punishment may be a blessing. God could bring Tzaraat upon a person's house so that the person would discover hidden treasure behind the spotted stones. So too, in life, you may have experiences that appear negative but actually are good for you.

This week's parsha, Tazria, continues to focus on the laws of tumah and tahara, spiritual impurity and purity. Among other lessons, we learn about: A new mother, who must bring korbanot to God in order to thank Him for having survived the dangers of childbirth. Brit Milah, the rule that every eight day old male must be circumcised as a way of showing they are joining on to the Brit (covenant or treaty) God made with Avraham. The laws of Tzaraat, a skin and clothing condition that God brought upon a person to serve as a wake-up call and help them realize they needed to do teshuva and repent for their wrong choices. Lashon hara, or evil speech, a main reason why someone would have received Tzaraat. Evil speech can cause a person to become excluded from their community, and someone who receives tzaraat upon their body must also physically remove themselves from their community. Hopefully, this experience will cause them to feel more empathy and to refrain from engaging in evil speech in the future.

In this week's parsha, Shemini, we focus on relationships. These include: The relationship between Moshe and Aharon- which we learn was one of close and supportive brotherhood. The relationship between God and Bnei Yisrael- which we see is positive, because God chooses to rest His Shechina upon the Mishkan, Tabernacle, and send fire down from heaven to consume the korbanot. The relationship between God and his Kohanim, priests- which sometimes requires them to set their personal emotions aside in order to lead. This is a parsha that focuses on joy and sadness, celebration and loss. Sometimes both of these emotions can take place on the same day- as they do here, with the loss of Nadav and Avihu. We spend time learning about why Nadav and Avihu died, and what we can learn from this episode. May God's presence rest on the work of your hands!

In this week's parsha, Tzav, we focus on a variety of laws pertaining to the Kohanim and the Mishkan. Some were only practiced when we had a Mishkan or Beit Hamikdash, but others persist until today! These laws include: A focus on keeping kohanim humble by having them perform the Terumat HaDeshen, removing a shovelful of ashes from the Mizbeach The Minchas Chinuch korban that must be offered before a kohen can begin his service in the Mishkan The Korban Todah, where we thank God for having rescued us from a dangerous situation. Even today people still make a Seudat Hodaah in order to thank God for something like this! The law not to eat the blood of an animal or bird, which is still an important rule in keeping kosher today. We end this parsha with a sense of excitement, waiting for the 8th day of the Miluim to arrive- inauguration day/ dedication day for the Mishkan to be used for real!

Did you know God wants to have a relationship with you? He does! And that is why God taught us how to connect to Him through korbanot. Although this word is often translated as 'sacrifices' or 'offerings,' the main idea has to do with the Hebrew word karov, close. God wants us to come close to Him, and He taught us how to do that through korbanot. If we had sinned and felt guilty and ashamed, there was a korban for that. If we were extremely happy and wanted to celebrate our child's birthday, there was a korban for that. If we wanted to connect with God again after feeling distanced from Him, there was a korban for that. No matter what, we were never stuck simply wallowing in our emotions, but had a process through which we could connect with God and forward. Korbanot are about connection, relationships, and repairing relationships. It is because we can no longer bring them that we now use words, via prayer, to connect to and repair our relationship with God. But the original visceral, experiential method of korbanot - placing our hands on the animal's head, confessing our sins, watching the animal die, smelling the scent of blood, all experiences that would significantly impact us- remains unmatched.

In Pekudei, we learn about several values: Transparency Justice over power Celebration Moshe modeled transparency. by telling Bnei Yisrael exactly how all of their donations had been used. Placing God at the center of our camp through putting the Mishkan there meant that we focused on God's laws and way of being in the world- which means an emphasis on justice, not simple power. And finally, after Bnei Yisrael finished building the Mishkan, Moshe blessed them. He celebrated their accomplishment. All of us can learn to be transparent in our financial dealings, make God our focus, and celebrate one another's accomplishments from the ideas in this week's parsha!

In this week's Parsha, Vayakhel, we learn about qualities that we can strive to emulate as well. Specifically, we learn about meeting people where they are, generosity, imagination, and teaching. God understood that Bnei Yisrael needed a physical way to connect to Him, so He gave them the Mishkan as a way to do that. Bnei Yisrael were so generous that Moshe had to tell them to stop bringing contributions for the Mishkan. We can learn from this to be generous with our possessions, talents or time as well. Bezalel had a wonderful imagination- the ability to envision and also to execute. It's important to consider which of these we are able to do (or both) so we can partner with the person who can best help us in our work! Teaching is a gift, and Bezalel and Oholiav were given the gift of being able to teach well. Hopefully we will be able to acquire these qualities and use them in our own lives!

Parshat Ki Tisa contains many ideas we still keep today. Among these: God values all Jewish people equally, which is why every person, whether rich or poor, contributed a Machatzit HaShekel when it came time for them to be counted. Even nowadays, we keep the laws of washing our hands Netilat Yadayim when we wake up or eat bread as a way of preparing ourselves to perform our Avodah for God, just like the Kohanim did when they used the Kiyor. By keeping Shabbat, we are testifying that we believe God created the world and rested on the seventh day. Even negative traits like stubbornness can be channeled and used for good. There is a special way to pray before God to remind Him to have mercy on us using the Yud-Gimmel Middos, His 13 special attributes. We use this today when we prepare for the holiest days of the year, saying special prayers called Selichot and hoping that God forgives any mistakes we might have made over the course of the year.

In this week's parsha, we learn about what God values. Specifically, God values creativity. This week's parsha focuses on people who knew how to work with their hands to create beautiful garments, which is a different skill from reading or doing math. No matter what skill set you have, there is a way for you to connect with God. God values beauty. The Mishkan and the garments the Kohanim wore were all extremely beautiful to enable people to feel impressed and amazed. God values practice. The Kohanim were not allowed to do their jobs until they first prepared for seven days and learned what to do. God values engagement. He wanted to make sure everyone in Bnei Yisrael could be engaged with all of their five senses, so He designed a Mishkan experience that would do just that! This enables us to consider how we can best connect to God through being creative, using beauty, practicing something, or engaging all our five senses.

In Parshat Terumah, God helps us bond with one another by having us work on a national building project. Every aspect of this building project, the creation of the Mishkan, was thought through. God wanted all donations to be voluntary, so that no one would feel forced or coerced into building God's home. The building was grand, impressive and beautiful to inspire awe and devotion when Bnei Yisrael saw it or entered it. The building was modeled after and symbolized the human body, because each of us is equivalent to a Mishkan ourselves- the sanctuary is us, and God dwells in us. Nowadays, we no longer have a Mishkan or a Beit HaMikdash, but we do have a synagogue! We can learn from this parsha to act in a unified, helping manner. We can also make sure to remember that our body is as sacred and holy as a Mishkan, and therefore we should serve God with it, just like the Kohanim served God within the Mishkan.

This parsha is chock full of important laws. The laws often include significant information about how we should treat others. For example, we learn: We are responsible to help rehabilitate the Hebrew servant, even though he stole. We need to treat him with dignity and respect. We are responsible to help heal someone we hurt, and to pay money to accomplish this. We are responsible to be kind to the convert, the orphan and the widow, all people who might feel especially lonely in our community. We are responsible to give back a poor person's shirt if we loaned them money and this was their collateral. This is so that they have clothes to wear each day. We are responsible to help return a wandering or lost animal to our enemy. Learning about these responsibilities can help us develop into better people. In each situation, God is helping us to be more sensitive to others around us and making sure we treat them with kindness.

In this week's parsha, Yitro, we learn many valuable lessons. These include: Not thinking you are too good to serve others. Moshe himself served Yitro his meal! Being willing to step up and offer a solution if you see a problem. Yitro came up with a much better system and helped Moshe implement a court system. Because we are grateful to Yitro, we name the parsha after him. Being willing to listen when someone offers us feedback. Moshe didn't bristle when Yitro offered his advice- instead, he took it and was grateful for it. The importance of setting the tone. God made sure to give us the ten commandments in an unforgettable way - with fire, lightning, smoke, cloud and Shofar blasts. This is why Har Sinai as an event remains unforgettable even today. The importance of balance. When God tells us ways He doesn't want us to serve Him- such as not making any images of anything in the heaven or the earth- He also provides an example of how we CAN serve him, through building an altar or mizbeach. Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's parsha, Beshalach, Bnei Yisrael face many crises. These include enemies coming against them, a lack of water and a lack of food. We can learn much from the way that Bnei Yisrael responds to these crises- and the way that Moshe as leader and God Himself respond. Among the lessons that become clear, we see: It's important to put people in situations that are appropriate for them. That's why God led Bnei Yisrael on an indirect way to the land of Israel rather than taking them on a direct route that might terrify them. It's not correct to pray for a long time when an immediate crisis is occurring. Instead, that is the right time to act. It is appropriate to express gratitude and come together as a community in the wake of a national crisis. God specifically wanted to build trust with the Israelites, which is why He designed a system of delivering them food (Manna) that required them to only take what they needed for one day at a time (with the exception of the sixth day). How do you respond a crisis? And what can you learn from the series of crises in this week's parsha? Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some vey important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we recognize God's power and wisdom. God demonstrates these qualities in a number of ways. These include, but are not limited to: God shows His power through the Makkot He brings - locusts, darkness and death of the firstborn. God demonstrates that He controls the insects, the atmosphere and life and death itself through these precisely timed plagues. God demonstrates that He is faithful when it comes to keeping promises. Long ago, He promised Avraham we would leave Egypt with great wealth, and He ensures this happens by having the Egyptians give us items of silver and gold. God's wisdom comes up when we see the first mitzvah He gives to us as a nation. This is the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh, the new moon. This enables us to create our own calendars, something which only free people can appreciate. It also introduces us to the concept of Kedushat HaZeman, the sanctity of time. God tells us how important it is for us to embed the exodus from Egypt upon our memories- it's something we think about when performing other mitzvot such as Pidyon HaBen or Tefillin. It is also of course something we think about when we keep the holiday of Pesach. These experiential mitzvot enable us to consistently remember God's power and be grateful He took us out of the bad situation we experienced in Egypt. Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some vey important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn about God's desire to take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt in a way that would demonstrate He was the true Ruler of the world. God demonstrates this in several ways: It would have been simpler to simply strike the Egyptians with blindness and then have Bnei Yisrael walk out of Egypt. God does NOT want to do this. He wants Pharaoh and the Egyptians to see God's power over the natural world and to willingly SEND Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt. It would also have been simpler for Moshe to tell Pharaoh he would not pray for specific plagues to end until Pharoah had sent the Hebrews out. But once again, forcing Pharaoh wasn't the goal. God wanted Pharaoh to come to the realization that he should send out Bnei Yisrael on his own. Each of God's plagues show God's dominance over an element or attribute of the natural world. We also see a focus on gratitude in this week's parsha. Moshe is not permitted to perform the first three plagues because he owes a debt of gratitude to the sand and the water (each of which helped save him). Pharaoh owes Moshe gratitude as well- but doesn't act on it, preferring to go back on his word time and time again. We learn that we should be like Moshe and should not be like Pharaoh when it comes to being grateful and keeping our word. Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn about the importance of gratitude, courage and rising to the occasion. If Pharaoh had chosen to be grateful, he would not have begun to oppress the Hebrews. Bnei Yisrael's entire story could have gone differently. The midwives, whether Hebrew or Egyptian, were told by Pharaoh himself to kill the male baby boys. They defied Pharaoh's orders, showing great courage in the process. Bat Pharaoh, the daughter of the king, also defied her father when it came to saving a Hebrew baby boy- Moshe. Moshe made a courageous decision to continue to stand up for what was right even when people did not show gratitude to him. It is more important to do the right thing than the easy thing. Even though Moshe did not want to lead, eventually he rose to the occasion, accepting God's will for him. Can you think of times that you have been grateful? Have you expressed it? How about times when you have been courageous- or taken on a role that scared you? Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we focus on blessings. Sometimes these blessings are very unexpected! According to Midrash, the fact that Yaakov became ill before his death was actually a blessing. It gave him time to set his affairs in order and make sure to convey important information to his sons and grandsons. Yaakov blessed his grandsons Ephraim and Menashe with the words "Hamalach HaGoel," which we sing till this day. Even nowadays WE bless our male children to grow up to be like Ephraim and Menashe, using the same sentence that appears in this week's parsha. Yaakov gave important information- and blessings- to all of the tribes. In many cases he let them know what would happen to their descendants in the future. Can you think of blessings in your own life? What blessings have you received- and who has given them to you? It may be good to thank and acknowledge anyone who has blessed you. Based on the questions and discussions in this week's episode, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn about intensity. This manifests in several ways. Yaakov and Binyomin had such a strong - intense- relationship that it was considered as though Yaaakov's soul was bound up with Binyomin's. Yehuda has changed. He now has a true understanding of the grief he caused his father and he is adamant that he won't do that again. Yehuda has learned empathy. Yosef has been through some extreme experiences, yet he recognizes God's hand in his life. His connection to God is intense, as is his willingness to show his brothers love even when they treated him cruelly in the past. Yaakov's life had been filled with difficulty- and intensity- but there was a happy ending in that he got to see his son Yosef once more! Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn that things are not what they seem. This happens in several different instances. It appeared like Yosef was all alone. But God was actually with him all along. And God orchestrated events such that Pharoah dreamed dreams only Yosef could interpret, enabling Yosef to achieve a high position. Yosef seemed to be a cruel and harsh viceroy. This was because the brothers did not recognize him- even though he recognized them. In truth, Yosef was testing his brothers to make sure they would no longer act to other people, especially Binyamin, as they had acted towards him. It seemed as though Binyamin had stolen the special silver goblet from Yosef. In truth, however, Yosef had his servant plant it in Binyamin's sack. Would the brothers think Binyamin was guilty of this theft? Or would they realize he was innocent? Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn how to behave towards others- even in situations that are challenging. Yosef's mother died when he was young. When someone grows up without a parent, they are considered a yasom, or orphan. The Torah tells us to be extra careful when it comes to treating a yasom kindly. Unfortunately, Yosef's brothers did not think about this enough. Taking the perspective of others, and trying to figure out why they behave the way they do, can only help us. If Yosef's brothers had been willing to consider his perspective, perhaps they could have made peace. Instead, they ended up selling him into slavery and causing their father intense pain. Even when we make terrible mistakes, we can learn from them. We see this through Yehuda's growth in this parsha. Yehuda is the one who advises his brothers to sell the slaves- but later becomes the one who learns to relate to Yaaakov's pain. God is always with us, even when human beings are being cruel to us. God was with Yosef when no one else was. It's important to do the right thing even when no one is watching. Potiphar's wife wanted Yosef to marry her, and Yosef could have done it secretly. But he knew God would not like this, and so he did not. Gratitude is so important. If the cupbearer had remembered to act on his gratitude towards Yosef, Yosef would not have needed to remain in prison! Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn what to do when faced with a crisis. There are several crises in this parsha: When it seems like Esav is about to attack, Yaakov must determine what to do. In the end, he combines practical steps to preserve his family with a spiritual focus, praying to God for salvation. Similarly, when Yaakov is attacked by an unknown figure, it turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Yaakov remains level-headed throughout the encounter, not allowing his fear to rule him. When Dinah is harmed and kidnapped, Yaakov and his sons disagree about the best approach. After learning more, you can consider what *you* would have done in that situation. When Rachel dies in childbirth, Yaaakov makes sure to rename his son, recognizing the name she had originally bestowed upon the child was given out of pain. Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn how to navigate tricky and complicated situations. When Yaakov ran away from Esav, he escaped to his uncle Lavan's house. Unfortunately, Lavan was not a trustworthy person. Over the course of this parsha, we learn about some important concepts including: Middah Kneged Middah- Measure for measure. Sometimes, even when people have the best intentions, their actions may come back to haunt them. This is exactly what happened to Yaakov in this week's parsha. How should we act when we feel angry? Yaakov received some shocking and upsetting news and he modeled how to behave appropriately in the face of it. When people act in a tricky or inappropriate way, should we act similarly? Yaakov demonstrates that we should not, and that honesty is the best policy, even when other people are not making the right choice. Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we learn about the impact of keeping secrets. Both Rivka and Yaaakov chose not to break Yitzchak's heart by revealing Esav's flaws- but their choices led to a lot of pain. We also address: Why did Yitzchok and Rivka pray for a child from opposite sides of the room? What information did Rivka have that Yitzchok did not possess? When Yaakov tested Esav, did Esav fail or pass the test? Can people who commit evil acts still have good qualities? How can we communicate well in our own families? Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we focus on women. We consider the death of Sarah, Avraham's wife, the marriage of Yitzchak to Rivka, a woman who was similar to Avraham in many ways, and Avraham's later marriage to a woman called Keturah, whom Rashi says was Hagar. We also address: Why does the Torah spend so much time describing how Avraham purchased a burial place for Sarah? Where do we get the custom of swearing on something holy, like the Bible? What qualities made Rivka the right wife for Yitzchak? Was Rivka's brother, Lavan, like his righteous sister- or not? How is it possible that both Yishmael and Yitzchak buried their father Avraham? Hadn't Yishmael been sent away? Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!

In this week's episode, we focus on how- and how not- to behave. We learn this from focusing on intriguing details in this week's parsha. Why did God visit Avraham while he was recovering from his Brit Milah? Why did Avraham claim he would only provide his guests with a drink of water and a bit of bread and then prepare a feast for them? What can we learn from Avraham defending the people of Sodom (who were wicked)? Why did Sarah urge Avraham to send Hagar and Yishmael away? Why was Avraham willing to sacrifice his beloved son Yitzchak to God? Based on our questions and discussions, we come up with some very important lessons and takeaways for our own lives!