A Brief Note on Groundhog Day – Parsha Vayigash

Posted on December 18, 2015 by markgoodman24

The elements of God’s design for one line of Abraham’s descendants begin to mesh in Parsha Vayigash. He had promised that they would be, at some future point, a great nation, both in reputation and number but, again at some point, they would also live among an alien people, and not in the lands God had promised. There, they would be enslaved and enfeebled. Joseph’s ascendancy to powering Egypt created an opportune environment for the Israelites to settle and begin to expand their ranks. The drought in Canaan gave them reason to go to Egypt. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Sticky Sagas – Parsha Miketz

Posted on December 11, 2015 by markgoodman24

In Parsha Lech Lecha the Torah records some of God’s promises to Abraham; that his descendants would be given a land of their own and that they would prosper, be great in numbers and in repute. There was a third promise. One as ominous as it is enigmatic, that Abraham’s descendants would be forced into exile to seek refuge in a land that was not theirs, and where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. Unfortunately, Abraham’s kin has not grown into a vast nation and settlement of the promised lands was not proving a successful venture. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Dramatic Tragedy – Parsha Vayeshev

Posted on December 4, 2015 by markgoodman24

The saga of Jacob and his sons has the air of brutal honesty; he and his mother deceive Isaac and then he in turn is deceived by his wives to be Leah and Rachel. Moreover, he is deceived by his sons: Reuben, the titled first born, commits the heinous sin of bedding his father’s concubine Bilhah. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Dishonouring Honour/Honouring Dishonour – Parsha Vayishlach

Posted on November 27, 2015 by markgoodman24

Honour is a very amorphous concept whose exercise is often guided by very subjective determinants. In Parsha VaYishluch, the idea of honour; what it is and to whom does it belong, is illustrated by two incidents that stand apart from the main narrative. Though somewhat dissimilar, they both reek of false honour and actual dishonour, and prima facie impart messages seemingly at odds with the order of the Torah. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Loss – Parsha Chaye Sarah

Posted on November 6, 2015 by markgoodman24

Abraham is one of the great hero’s of the Torah, a brave warrior, a generous host and uncle, and most importantly a loyal and noble man with complete and absolute faith in God. What He said, he heeded; what he was asked to do, he did. Since his call from God to leave his land, his birthplace and his father’s home, he has been cast as a dynamic hero whose numerous exploits and adventures filled the narratives with passion, pride and purpose. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Angels – Parsha VaYera

Posted on October 30, 2015 by markgoodman24

It should remain clear that the Torah was written purposefully and very successfully to; inter alia provoke discussion, which leads to more discussion and continual interpretations. In that regard, it has been very successful. These discussions can at times elucidate the distinct schools of thought relating to the interpretations of the words used in the text and the different frames of reference. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on the Good Book – Parsha Lech-Lecha

Posted on October 23, 2015 by markgoodman24

Traditional commentators shy from labeling the Torah as a book of history or science and reject attempts to describe it as literature, notwithstanding as a reporter of lives lived, challenges met and events unfolding, it most certainly is. Importantly, it advises on identity and purpose. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on Fallen Angels and the Human Condition – Parsha Noach

Posted on October 16, 2015 by markgoodman24

This week’s Torah reading is Parsha Noach, colloquially the Flood Tale.

Briefly, a mere ten generations following Creation, God appeared to despair of the human enterprise and resolved to dissolve them and the flora and fauna, and reshape the face of the earth with extreme flood waters. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on: When did it all Begin – Parasha Bereshit

Posted on October 9, 2015 by markgoodman24

The opening verse of Parsha Bereshit can be translated into English in a number of different ways. The 1917 edition of the Jewish Publications Society’s translation of the Torah read “In the beginning God created” which was revised in the 1985 edition to read: “When God began to create”. Art Scroll provides a number of different translations in its various publications. One is: “In the beginning of God’s creating”, another version reads: “In the beginning God created”.  The Plaut Commentary has a slight variation: “When God was about to create”. However phrased, the question remains; when was the beginning? The short answer is only when God began to create. Before that, there was nothing. Continue reading →

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A Brief Note on the Torah – Parsha Vayelech

Posted on September 18, 2015 by markgoodman24

Sforno adopts a heroic viewpoint in his interpretation of the events described in the opening scene of Parsha Vayelech. He envisions a triumphant Moses sallying forth into the encampment, with Joshua, his anointed successor at his side. To emphasize the transition in leadership Moses completed this final parade with a public declaration: “And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said: ‘be strong and of good courage; for thou shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore unto them; and I will be with thee”. Continue reading →

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