NOTHING NEW IN SYRIA

Bashar al-Assad’s dramatic fall this week mirrors the fates of countless despots whose fleeting power left only ruins behind. From the erratic Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah to the complacent Al-Musta’sim, and even the tragic Boabdil of Granada, history is strewn with leaders who seemed mighty but were ultimately forgotten. Rabbi Dunner delves into the Torah’s portrayal of Esav’s descendants to uncover a profound lesson about the nature of power, the emptiness of tyranny, and what truly endures.