Vayishlach – Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

January 2, 2025

A Year of Jewish Ethics #8: War and Peace

The word Shalom is probably the most widely-known Hebrew word, among Jews and also people who aren’t Jewish. Shalom means peace, and because of that Shalom is also the word for greeting someone and saying goodbye. Shalom means not just peace but wellbeing and wholeness, so when we see someone we are expressing our hope… Continue reading

A Year of Jewish Ethics, Calendar, Current Affairs, Ethics, Israel, Jerusalem, Parashat Hashavua, Peace, Torah, Vayishlach, War

December 1, 2023

Jews and Power

This is my current draft of my D'var Torah for Shabbat, December 2, 2023, Parashat Vayishlach and the Shabbat before Chanukkah 5784. Yocheved Lifshitz is an 85-year-old Israeli who was one of the first hostages released by Hamas in late October. She and her husband Oded have been coexistence activists from Kibbutz Nir Oz just… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Gaza, Holidays, Israel, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Power, Vayishlach

December 16, 2019

What to Call Us

A follow-up to my last post, which had mostly raw source links on the question of whether and how the categories of "religion" and/or "nation" apply to Jews. This is my sermon from last Shabbat: What to Call Us Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, History, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Justice, Leadership, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Vayishlach

December 13, 2019

What Are Jews?

A bad week for anti-Semitism in the U.S., wrapped around a controversy about anti-Semitism itself. There was the murder of Jews at a kosher market in Jersey City, which seems to be an anti-Semitic hate crime. The president of the United States, addressing the Israeli-American Council, threw in some gratuitous remarks about the Jews in… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, History, Holocaust, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Justice, Leadership, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Vayishlach

December 9, 2011

Parashat Vayishlach — Penn State and the Rape of Dina

Now Dina, the daughter of Leah whom she had borne to Yaakov, went out to see among the daughters of the land. And he saw her: Shechem son of Chamor the Hivite, chief of the land, and he took her and he lay with her and he raped her. Then his soul was drawn to… Continue reading

Abuse, Current Affairs, Parashat Hashavua, Vayishlach, Young Jewish Adult, Youth

November 18, 2010

Parashat Vayishlach: A Midrash About Rachel

I wrote this midrash early in rabbinical school — it's somewhat rough and unpolished, but it has some interesting things in it and I've left it pretty much as it was. I was thinking about how we add the phrase "Elohay Rachel" (God of Rachel) to our prayers, yet we do not have as many… Continue reading

Feminism, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Spirituality, Vayishlach

December 3, 2009

Parashat Vayishlach: An Ambiguous Reunion

From Genesis 33: 1 And Yaakov lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esav came, and with him four hundred men… 4 And Esav ran toward him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept. 5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the… Continue reading

Parashat Hashavua, Vayishlach