ONE OF the most disturbing episodes in Avos history remains the violation of Dinah by Shechem. This is especially true in light of all the good that just happened for Ya’akov Avinu, surviving twenty years of an extremely corrupt father-in-law, defeating the angel and having his name changed to “Yisroel,” and leaving his “meeting” with Eisav in peace and not in pieces. It’s such a black stain on early Jewish history.
THOUGH the Torah doesn’t mention it, Ya’akov Avinu spent fourteen years learning in the yeshivah and Shem and Eiver between last week’s parsha and this one. They say that he learned so well that he never went to sleep, only that sleep went to him. He would learn until he couldn’t, and once he woke…
LAST year I wrote a book called “Twenty-Four Days,” based upon a statement from the Zohar. The Zohar says that the first twenty-four days correspond to the twenty-four letters of “Boruch Shem kevod malchuso l’olam va’ed—Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom forever,” the second verse of the Shema. The sefer uses each of the Hebrew letters to teach a daily lesson in preparation for Chanukah, which corresponds to the Shema itself.
SARAH Imeinu was the first of the Imahos (Foremothers). There is no need or way to question her spiritual greatness. Or is there? Can we?
THE PEOPLE of Sdom were bad. Nineveh at least got a second chance. The people of Sdom were just nuked.
