By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayechi, Sefer Bereshit, the book of Genesis, draws to a close with Jacob’s final words to his children and Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers. Jacob...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayigash, the long silence between Joseph and his brothers finally breaks. Judah steps forward and pleads for Benjamin’s freedom, offering himself in his place....
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Miketz, we move from silence and fragmentation toward unexpected revelation. Joseph, once thrown into a pit and forgotten in prison, suddenly emerges as interpreter...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayeshev, Jacob seeks to dwell in peace, yet is immediately met with rupture: Joseph is sold, the family fractures, and silence settles over the story. The...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob returns home after years of exile, but his journey is marked by fear, uncertainty, and inner struggle. Before meeting Esau, he prepares through...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayetzei, Jacob leaves home alone, fleeing conflict and stepping into an uncertain future. At the beginning of his journey, he dreams of a ladder connecting...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Toldot, the Torah turns inward to the complexities of family, identity, and blessing. Rebecca experiences a difficult pregnancy and “goes to inquire of God,”...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Chayyei Sarah, we encounter transitions shaped by both loss and continuity. Sarah’s death opens the parashat with silence and grief, yet the narrative...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Vayera, we encounter moments of profound dialogue between heaven and earth—Avraham pleading for Sodom, Hagar crying out in the wilderness, and Sarah receiving...
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
In Parashat Lekh-Lekha, Avram is called to leave everything familiar—his land, his birthplace, and his father’s house—and journey toward an unknown future. It is a command...
