The Library

Remember where you came from! "Yichus" - For those of us with sons and daughters ready to be married off, don't we as parents want their so-called B'sheret to have the best Yichus possible?! We get calls from Shadchanim - we look at the prospective Chasan or Kallah - we ...

*Twelve Princes* It would not be a bad idea for contemporary descendants of Ishmael -- and for all of us -- to reflect on the individual names of Ishmael's 12 sons, who all became princes and fathers of Ishmaelite nations."These are the names of Ishmael's sons in order...

The Torah tells us in great detail about Avraham Avinu. Avraham excelled in Midas HaChessed. His life is covered in the parshiyos of Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sarah. The Torah goes on and on about Avraham Avinu's Chesed with the malochim who came to visit him, with h...

Even after Rivkah told Eliezer that there is room for him to spend the nights in their home, he still stayed standing at the spring until Lavan came running out to great him. Vatakam Rivkah.... vateilachnu acharei ha'ish (24:61) Rivkah went behind Eliezer. The gemoro sa...

I once heard this powerful idea from R’ Mattisyahu Salamon Shlita. Most Rishonim say that the last Nisayon of Avraham Avinu was the Akeida. However, Rabeinu Yona says that the last Nisayon was the burial of Sara. The question is obvious. After having been through the Akei...

Yitzchak is a lashon of simcha/laughter. Lasuach can be understood as a lashon of hachna'a, like ma tishtochachi nafshi. Generally, when a person humbles himself and bends to the authority of another that brings sadness because it limits and controls you. But if a perso...

We are all Abraham-in Training. Click above for an inspiring 1-minute video clip.

The patriarch Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. Standing at the well, Eliezer says, "I will ask a young woman for a drink. If she also offers water to my camels, I know that she is a proper match for Isaac." Rebecca gave Eliezer ...

This week's Parsha begins by telling us the age Sarah Imeinu was when she died. The Pasuk breaks up each digit in the number of years she lived, with the word "years", and Rashi quotes Chazal who say that this is to tell us that Sarah was as pure from sin at the age of a ...

The Pasuk in this week's Parsha says, "and Rivka had a brother, and his name was Lavan". The Medrash says that for Tzadikim, the Torah says "and his name was" before the name, like "and his name was Boaz". But with Reshayim it is the other way round like, "Goliath was his...

(24:67) 'vayikach es rivkoh, vatehi loi le'isho vaye'ehoveho - and he took Rivka and she became his wife and he loved her'. One can be learn from the order of the words. In Western society, and certainly us as addicts, we go for the notion of falling in love head over hea...