All over the world, every day, as they have for millennia, Jews recite the three chapters of the Shema. The first chapter is found in Parashat VaEtchanan, last week’s Torah reading. The second chapter is found in this week’s Parasha, Ekev. At first glance, there seems to be quite a bit of repetition between the

This post originally appeared on timesofisrael.com For the past three weeks, the People of Israel – both in the Land of Israel and in the diaspora – have swung violently from despair to hope and ultimately to mourning We despaired at the report that three of our sons, three teenage boys, were missing. Reports that

When the time arrives to find a bride for Yitzchak, Avraham sends his most trusted servant on a quest to find a suitable spouse.

As he marches forward, silently focused on his mission, Avraham proves that he is prepared to fear and obey God no matter what the cost, no matter what the task. As the knife in his hand descends toward his son’s neck, the episode comes to an abrupt conclusion, as a heavenly voice calls out, “Now I know that you fear God” – not love God, not emulate God – fear God.

A closer look at some of the other episodes of Avraham’s biography recorded in the Torah, paint a portrait that may seem incongruous with the trait of hesed.

The generation of the tower, unified in trampling upon the remains of the previous generation as well as the rights of dissenters amongst them, was fated to lose the unity which they abused.