Ancient Lessons for a Modern Life with Adam Teitelbaum

So there I was, shuttling between the NICU and the recovery room, doing what I do under pressure: deflecting fear through humor and showmanship. Performing calm and competence I did not feel. Sometime around 3am, when it was really just me awake, looking at this brand new tiny person hooked up to machines and tubes, P.T. Barnum ran out of material.And I started saying the Shema.

Maybe it comes with getting older, but I find myself thinking more frequently about how I'm not going to be around forever. One day, many decades from now G-d willing, my boys will go through what’s left of their lives without me. The only parts of me that will remain are the memories that are memorable (and let’s be honest, that’s kind of a crap shoot) and, with any luck and loads of intention, the lens through which we see the world and our place in it.

The capacity for language — to name, to promise, to bind oneself to another across time — is the defining gift of human consciousness. Which means the commitments we make to one another are not social niceties. They are acts of creation or destruction, every time.A kept promise builds a world. A broken one, even a small one, dismantles it.My boys are watching me build. They are running the ledger in real time, with the terrifying accuracy of those who have nothing else to do but pay attention to whether I mean what I say.

Somewhere deep inside me was the fear that if I opened the floor to discussion, I'd slowly erode my own credibility (less sour aftertaste) as a father.But then another, more disturbing thought crept in: What if he has a genuinely better idea…occasionally?That question has stayed with me. It's about what kind of relevance (least sour aftertaste) I hope to exercise in our home. Am I raising children whose highest virtue is compliance because my highest virtue for them is compliance, or children who learn to think carefully and independently enough that one day they become worthy stewards of the values they're inheriting?

In this week's parsha, Chukat-Balak, a Midianite king named Balak realizes he cannot defeat the Israelites by force, so he hires a prophet, Bilam, to do what swords couldn't: curse them into oblivion. Bilam opens his mouth to deliver the curse — and a blessing comes out instead. Not once, but three times. He tries again. The curse will not come. Something stronger than his intention, or even Balak's hatred, is rewriting the words in his mouth before they land.

Not too long ago, I came home from a long work trip to a lackluster reentry. Turning into the driveway, I envisioned my triumphant return in the form of a dogpile in the doorway, followed by a lovely dinner filled with adoration and appreciation. What I walked into for real was the usual managed chaos and general underwhelm for my reappearance. No ribbons, no balloons. Only, “Daddy what’d you get me?” and “Can you grab the chicken out of the oven?” Deflated, I felt…deflated. Incidental. Hardly the hero’s welcome. And instead of recalibrating, I retreated into a pout. Yes. A pout. Which turned into a three-day stew. The unfortunate irony is that I knew instantly I’d missed an opportunity to become the husband and father I aspire to be.

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and the most useful thing I can do isn't write about male vulnerability in the abstract. I can tell you what it feels like for me.

This week I’m reading the Torah portion, Behaalotecha. This is a very consequential and intense parsha in which Moses has a challenging moment with the Israelites leading to a complete crisis of confidence in his own leadership. It’s one year since the Exodus and the Israelites are complaining voraciously to G-d — particularly about the food. They have been receiving a daily miracle from heaven, manna, as sustenance, but are complaining they’re tired of manna and long for the meat and vegetables they enjoyed in Egypt. As THE advocate for his people, and frustrated he’s going it alone, Moses unloads on G-d.

Most days I'm so mired in the logistics of parenting, navigating the emotional and physical needs of our family alongside my wife, that my highest aspiration is brushing my teeth before bed. In the brief moments I lift my gaze and think about the men I hope my sons will become, I find that my default is to project onto them all the accomplishments I’ve never accomplished. If this is a way to remediate my own shortcomings, then it says something uncomfortable about how I’ve measured my own self-worth for as long as I can remember.So then how do I create a new aspiration paradigm for my boys – one rooted in elevating their sense of self-worth?

The first time I lived on my own, my toilet broke. I called a plumber. He drove across town, walked into the bathroom, reached into the tank, reattached a small rubber stopper, and handed me a bill for $250. The part costs $5 at the hardware store. The fix takes ninety seconds once you know what you're looking at. I now know what I’m looking at.My Grandpa Harry would have been aghast. Almost every clear memory I have of him begins with the phrase, “let me get my glasses …” followed by an enduring solution. He hemmed all his own pants, built the dining room table now living with us, and resuscitated the toys I broke playing too enthusiastically. I cherished watching him in those moments, not a little awestruck. Every action was filled with love and devotion. Unfortunately, I can’t recall a time he said, “Adam, today I will show you how to sew on a button,” but that’s another essay.

Until becoming a father, the only constant in my life was motion. Not change, motion. There is a difference. Change requires you to arrive somewhere new and reckon with what you find there. Motion is about movement for movement’s sake. Complete an Ironman: check. Next? New title, new salary: check. Next? Buy the house, gut the kitchen: check. Next? In college I ate lunch on my skateboard between classes because I couldn't embrace the stillness of a sitdown meal.I called it ambition. What I understand now, with the clarity that fatherhood can force on you, is that I was afraid of what I might find if I sat still long enough.

This week's parsha, Behar-Bechukotai, is filled with blessings and curses from G-d to the Israelites. If you follow my commandments, you will have abundant blessings; if you stray, I will rain curses upon you. To many readers this is a case-in-point that G-d is vindictive, punitive, judgmental, and that everything in Jewish practice is generated via ultimatum. Stay with me here, I’m not the only one who disagrees with this assessment.

In Parshat Emor, Moses instructs the Israelites about the sanctification of time, the sacred calendar that structures Jewish life across the year. Shabbat. Passover. Shavuot. Sukkot. Each holiday carries its own purpose and memory, its own particular way of stopping the clock to commemorate what actually matters — the fact of creation itself, the Exodus, the journey through the wilderness to receive Torah, the harvest. What strikes me, reading this portion as a father, is that the Jewish calendar is not merely suggesting that its people cultivate presence: it is structurally engineering it. It is building the sacred stop into the architecture of the week, the month, the year, because there’s something about human nature we are still failing to fully reckon with: that without the intentional stop, time evaporates.

Parshat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim opens in the aftermath of catastrophe. Aaron has just buried his sons, who had been consumed by fire before the altar, struck down in the very sanctuary they were consecrated to serve. The Torah offers no eulogy, no cathartic outpouring of paternal grief. Aaron, we are told simply, was silent. And then the Torah pivots to Yom Kippur — the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — for which Aaron is the sole officiant. The man who just lost everything is being handed the weight of an entire nation's spiritual reckoning.

This week's parsha, Tazria/Metzora, includes the commandment to circumcise male children on the eighth day of life. The commentaries about this practice across the millennia are rich: it unifies Jews as a tribal symbol; it serves as an outward mark of identity. Like tzitzit, circumcision is a reminder — only more so, because it cannot be reversed or forgotten. The Ramban, one of the great medieval commentators, gets to the heart of it: circumcision exists specifically to create holiness around the act of procreation.

In Parshat Shemini, we receive the laws of kashrut, the dietary laws and regulations that are perhaps among the most widely recognized Jewish practices and certainly among the least understood. When asked why we keep kosher, the answers range widely: it was an ancient public health measure for safer eating; what we consume physically has spiritual consequence; it creates a daily, embodied practice of mindfulness and intention. All of these are true. All of them are also incomplete.

This week is Passover. The holiday in which we commemorate perhaps the most important family story ever told: the Exodus, the moment that transformed the Jewish people from a tribe into a nation. The Seder doesn't leave the what, the why, or the how up to chance. And embedded in its liturgy is one of the most remarkable parenting insights I've ever encountered: the four children — the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who doesn't know how to ask. Four children. Four different ways of receiving the story. Four different responsibilities for the parent telling it.

In Parshat Tzav, the priests receive a commandment that is deceptively tedious: keep the fire on the altar burning. Continuously. It must not go out. Every morning, the Kohen tends it — removing the ash, adding fresh wood, maintaining what was lit the day before. While we no longer have the mishkan or the Temple where this altar stood, most synagogues still have some version of a light that is never turned off.

Parshat Vayikra opens the book of Leviticus with the laws of sacrifice; tucked inside those laws is a small but striking mitzvah: every sacrificial offering brought to the altar must be salted. Not optional. Not symbolic. Required.Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the 19th century German rabbi and thinker, draws out the deeper logic here. Salt, he explains, is unique among substances because it accomplishes two seemingly divergent tasks simultaneously. It preserves — holding things intact against decay — and it enhances, drawing out the flavor already present in whatever it touches. But the metaphor has a sharp edge: too much salt ruins everything. The mitzvah isn't just about adding salt. It's about the right amount, in the right measure, at the right time.

Parshat Vayakhel opens with a remarkable invitation. Moses gathers the entire community and says: let all among you who are skilled come and make all that the Lord has commanded. All who are skilled. The doors are open. Everyone with something to contribute is welcome.And then, just a few lines later, something shifts. Moshe announces that God has specifically called out one person by name: Betzalel, son of Uri, and has filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom, insight, and craft, in every kind of skilled work needed to build the Mishkan.One person. Out of hundreds of thousands.I've been sitting with what that must have felt like for everyone else.

In Ki Tisa, the Torah delivers a line that has always resonated deeply for me: The Israelite people shall guard the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time.Not celebrate it. Not enjoy it. Guard it.That verb is load-bearing. A covenant isn't a party. It isn't a pleasant ritual you slot into the calendar when convenient. A covenant is a bond — mutual, binding, and fragile enough that it requires proactive protection.

The conventional wisdom is that clothing shapes how others perceive you. That's true, but it's the less interesting half of the story. The more important truth is what clothing does to you. It isn't self-expression after the fact. It is formation in the present. You don't dress to show the world who you already are. You dress to affirm who you are trying to become.This is precisely what Parshat Tetzaveh is about.

Transformative experiences, no matter how intense, are insufficient on their own. Memory, while powerful, is unreliable. The human condition is such that even the most overwhelming encounter can recede. The Israelites themselves will demonstrate this repeatedly in the desert, oscillating between trust and anxiety despite having witnessed unprecedented miracles. Terumah anticipates that fragility. It introduces structure as a countermeasure.

Mishpatim teaches that freedom without structure doesn’t stay free for long. It devolves into chaos, power imbalances, and eventual domination by the loudest voice in the room. Laws are not a return to oppression; they are the scaffolding that makes freedom sustainable. They define expectations, protect the vulnerable, and create a shared moral language so that responsibility doesn’t depend on mood or force.

Years of pattern recognition allow Moses's father-in-law, Yitro, to identify a core issue almost immediately—and just as importantly, to know which solutions aren’t worth trying. This is the kind of wisdom that only comes from time, repetition, and having already made the mistakes someone else is currently living through. It’s also the kind of wisdom we too often overlook, especially when it comes from people outside our immediate system.

Parsha Beshalach suggests that memory alone is a negligible force to rely on when we are called upon to serve in the future.

What parenting insight can possibly come from Pharoah losing his free will?

The work of becoming—of children, of families, of a people—only unfolds in the right order. Vision matters. Purpose matters. But first comes the quiet, unglamorous obligation to secure the means by which others feel safe enough to dream.

Founder, innovator, leader, builder Faith Leener shares Torah wisdom and this week’s Parsha relevance to the power of empowerment. What are the impacts on us as leaders when we give power to others … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Author, leader, educator Dr. Erica Brown shares Torah wisdom and this week’s Parsha relevance to modern leadership and navigating difficulty. How do we repair a relationship that seems like it has been irrevocably broken? Is it even possible … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Founder, movement builder, advocate, and friend Amanda Berman shares Torah wisdom and Purim’s relevance to modern issues and challenges. In many ways, it’s unfortunate to still be fighting the same battles. On the other hand, we have remarkable heroines that gave us a playbook … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Artist, musician, brother, and friend Yaniv "Jeryko" Hoffman shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to the unique and important role YOU play in this world. Sometimes the most important way to affect change is to aim high and leave ego to the side … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Educator, organizer, brother, and friend Moshe "Moosh" Lencer shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to creating excellence. It can be counterintuitive, but hyper specificity can yield excellence, creativity, and freedom … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Community organizer, political strategist, good trouble maker, and friend Sheila Katz shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to some of the most pressing current issues in American politics and the Jewish community. At a time with such polarization, perhaps religious frameworks can help dispel the taboo … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Founder and CEO, systems designer, and facilitation expert Aliza Kline shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to her own journey transitioning out of the role of Founder/CEO into the next big adventure … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Climate activist, community organizer, spiritual leader, and friend Jakir Manela, President and CEO of Adamah, shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to navigating the cycles of life. What profound wisdom there is that sometimes counterintuitive actions are exactly what is needed to promote new growth … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Community organizer, spiritual leader, musical soul, and friend Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to current events in the Middle East, American politics, and the Jewish community. With so much going on at home and abroad, what good can come from destruction and justice against evil … ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Foreign policy expert and friend Shanie Reichman from Israel Policy Forum shares Torah wisdom and this parsha’s relevance to current events in the Middle East and American foreign policy. With so much going on at home and abroad, what can Moshe and Aaron’s advocacy to Pharaoh teach us about navigating this moment … Check out Shanie’s chapter in new book: Young Zionist Voices: https://www.amazon.com/Young-Zionist-Voices-Generation-Speaks/dp/B0DMSZ4WSQ  Listen to Shanie’s analysis of the Hostage-Ceasefire Deal on Israel Policy Pod: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Y0HzpJgVxx9jOolNPbwN0?si=efIZXai6QhSX4km_VraFAg ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud!  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:  Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah.  וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל.  Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel.  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה:  Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Thank you to the listener feedback, trying something new: chevruta learning. I will begin incorporating partner discussion for the weekly parsha. I cannot imagine a more perfect first chevruta than @rabbidanielsher from @kehillatisrael in CA Palisades. A lifelong friend, Rabbi Daniel and the whole KI community have been impacted by the fires and they are stepping up to support everyone around them. If you’re so inclined, I will share a link to donate to the broader Palisades community through KI. To donate: https://www.ourki.org/firefund **********************************************Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! ‎בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. ‎וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י”א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. ‎בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

What does it mean to really take responsibility? Does it matter what you did before ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Would Joseph have been an excellent CEO? Here are his top 10 lessons ... ********************************************** 1. It's not who you know, it's who knows you 2. Dress for the job you want 3. Give credit where credit is due 4. Don't just bring problems, offer solutions 5. Be the best at YOUR job 6. Have patience to persevere and succeed 7. You can't lead from behind a desk 8. Decentralize decision making and responsibility 9. Hire the best, smartest, and most trustworthy people; then get out of the way 10. "Just Do It." ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah! **********************************************

The critical importance of speaking with each other. It's a matter of life and death ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Yaakov has such a divine connection, he sends angles on errands. Talk about living at the nexus of heavenly and human ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

When you find a stairway to heaven, you take it ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Building a family business and legacy doesn't often make it past G3, will this one ...? ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

What does it mean to build a legacy? What will yours be ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah! *********************************************** Learn about my mustache if you're interested, check out my Movember page: https://movember.com/m/adambaum?mc=1 *********************************************** Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Speech to Chabad Shluchim 2011:    • Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks Addresses the ...   Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on the legacy of being part of the Jewish people:    • Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Being Jewish  

I'm going bold in this week's discussion - I think we've misunderstood the Binding of Isaac. Here's my retelling ... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah! *********************************************** Learn about my mustache if you're interested, check out my Movember page: https://movember.com/m/adambaum?mc=1

How much responsibility are you willing to take on to save the world? For Avram, it was the whole world. Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

Did Noach have an opportunity to save the world and he missed it?! Turns out, there is always an opportunity for negotiation... ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!

We get to learn the meaning and purpose of life ... in the first story?! ********************************************** Incorporate the practice of sanctifying and elevating Torah study by saying the following prayer - out loud! בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah. וְהַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א תוֹרָתְךָ) לִשְׁמָהּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Adonoy our God, please make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people Israel. And may we and our descendants [and the descendants of our descendants] and the descendants of Your people the House of Israel, all know Your Name and be students of Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Adonoy Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָֽתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־תּוֹרָתוֹ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה: Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe Who chose us from among all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Giver of the Torah!