Vayeitzei Essays
R Klein
UPDATE: My wife Shira Yael bas Shoshanah Chemdah was released from Shaarei Zedek Hospital last Thursday after being there for a week. Baruch Hashem, it seems that the treatment she received helped and she is not in immediate danger, but is still at risk for further complications. Thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes.
Essays from my What’s in a Word? series related to Parshas Vayeitzei:
- Like a Rock (Part 1 | Part 2) - About אבן, צור, סלע, and חלמיש.
- Stoned and High Altars - About מזבח, מצבה, and במה.
- Name of the Plain - About פדן, מישור, איל, בעל, אלוני, אבל, and שרון.
- Gad Luck to You - About גד, מזל, and מזר.
- Castle in the Sky - About זבול, ארמון, אפדנא, טירה, פלטין.
- The Ovine and Caprine Families - About שה, צאן, עז, תיש, גדי, שעיר, צפיר, רחל, איל, יובל, כבש, כשב, טלה, and עתוד.
- All About Almonds - About לוז and שקד.
- Just Testify! - About עד and סהד.
"ויצא יעקב - יעקב איש תם" (ליל ששי פ' ויצא תשפ"ב, בהיכל כולל אהל רחמים ביתר עילית).
The True Meaning of God/Gad - This lecture explores various interpretations of Leah's exclamation בא גד upon the birth of Zilpah's eldest child, then segues into various discussions about words derived from the גד root in the Hebrew Language and the etymology of the English word God.
"Dina, Adina, and Vardina" - From my "Names & Numen" column in the Jewish Press.
Attached is the entry on "Terafim" from the encyclopedia section of my book G-d versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry. Remember, that book is available on Amazon.com (USA), Amazon.co.uk (in the UK), and BookPod (Israel).
Recordings from my Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer lectures related to this week's Parsha (available on many platforms including: YouTube, Google Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, TorahDownloads, OUTorah.org, Archive.org):
- Episode 71: Chapter 35b - The Life of Jacob = Seder Olam: Missing 14 Years from Yaakov's life were spent learning in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever / Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer: Yaakov was 77 years old when he left his parents' house / How far is Beersheba from Moriah? / Yaakov is the antithesis to laziness / Yaakov took 3 hours to pray Mincha / Jacob takes 12 stones from the altar to which Isaac was bound / Jacob dreams of a ladder with angels / 4 Images on HaShem's Throne of Glory (Lion, Eagle, Ox/Cherub, Jacob) / If angels have wings, then why did they need a ladder to go up? / Jacob foresees the future exile / How many rungs were on Jacob's ladder? / How can Yaakov use his pillow-stone to make an altar for Hashem? / From where did Yaakov have oil to pour on his matzeivah? / The Foundation Stone from which the Temple will be built / The Blessing of HaEl HaKadosh
- Episode 72: Chapter 36a - The Life of Jacob = Yaakov reaches the local well in Charan / Meeting young women at the well is a segulah for a successful journey (Eliezer, Jacob, Moses, Saul) / Young women are free from sin / Why was Rachel a shepherd (because most of Lavan's sheep died in a plague of pestilence or because Lavan had no sons)? / Jacob's "foot" blesses Laban's household / A nephew is called a brother / How would yibum apply to an avunculate relationship? / Grandchildren are tantamount to children / Jacob married Lavan's 4 daughters (Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah)
- Episode 73: Chapter 36b - The Life of Jacob = The Birth of Yaakov's sons / Whom did Jacob's sons marry? / Yosef & Dinah are related to Din / Yaakov flees to and from Lavan / Rabbi Eliezer Levi: Yaakov dreams about sheep / What are terafim & how do you make them? / Why did King David have teraphim in his house? / Are terafim considered Avodah Zarah? / The etymology of the word terafim / Why did Rachel steal her father's terafim (3 answers)? / Rachel dies of Jacob's curse / Terafim are ritually impure
- Episode 74: Chapter 36c - The Life of Jacob = Abraham's Treaty with the Jebusites in buying the Mearat HaMachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs) / Was Ephron a Hittite or Jebusite? / Yevus = Yerushalayim / Copper statues stop King David from conquering Jerusalem / King David hates idolatry / The blind man & the lame man / Dovid HaMelech conquers & buys Jerusalem / Yitzchak's new deal with the Philistines / The Jebusites of Jerusalem were really Plishitim / The Philistine treaty expired or was voided by the time of the Samson / Yaakov's treaty with Lavan / Sons are tantamount to brothers
Kol Tuv,
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
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