Tag
Abraham
11 articles
The Covenant: The Bond Between God and Israel
The covenant — brit in Hebrew — is the foundational relationship between God and the Jewish people. From Abraham's circumcision to the revelation at Sinai, explore what it means to live in covenant with the divine.
Why Do Jews Circumcise? The Covenant, the Ceremony, and the Debate
Jewish circumcision — brit milah — is one of the oldest continuously observed rituals in the world, a physical sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people dating back to Abraham.
The Binding of Isaac (Akedah): Abraham's Ultimate Test
Genesis 22 tells of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac — then stopping him at the last moment. The Akedah is read on Rosh Hashanah and has been debated by Jewish thinkers for three thousand years.
Sarah: Mother of the Jewish People
Sarah — wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, and first matriarch of the Jewish people — laughed at a divine promise, endured decades of waiting, and became the foundation of a nation.
Parashat Lech Lecha: Abraham's Call and the Birth of a Nation
Parashat Lech Lecha follows Abraham's call to leave his homeland, his journey to Canaan, the covenant between the pieces, and the institution of circumcision — the birth of Jewish identity.
Parashat Vayera: Hospitality, Justice, and the Binding of Isaac
Parashat Vayera follows Abraham from welcoming three strangers to arguing with God over Sodom, from the miraculous birth of Isaac to the harrowing test of the Akedah — the Binding of Isaac.
Parashat Chayei Sarah: Death, Legacy, and the Next Generation
Parashat Chayei Sarah covers Sarah's death, Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah, the search for a wife for Isaac, and Abraham's death — a portion about endings, continuity, and quiet faith.
Be'er Sheva: Capital of the Negev
Be'er Sheva — the city where Abraham dug wells and made covenants — has grown from a desert outpost into a thriving modern city and the gateway to the Negev.
Jewish Hospitality: Abraham's Open Tent and the Art of Welcoming
In Jewish tradition, welcoming guests is not just good manners — it is a sacred obligation greater than meeting God. From Abraham's tent in the desert to the Shabbat table in your apartment, hachnasat orchim shapes how Jews build community and honor strangers.
The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — Fathers of a People
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — three men, three generations, three distinct personalities who became the spiritual DNA of the Jewish people and whose stories still shape Jewish identity today.
The Cave of Machpelah: Burial Place of the Patriarchs
The Cave of Machpelah in Hebron — where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah are buried — is the second-holiest site in Judaism and one of the most contested places on earth.