13 Lessons

Toldot The National Significance of Intergenerational Connection
The whole world will recognize the special status that Avraham and Yitzchak established

Parashat Hashavua On Weddings, Social Connections, and Related Dangers
The Chitite people who lived in Chevron helped Avraham buy Me’arat Hamachpela from Ephron the Chitite. The p’sukim (Bereishit 23:3-20) stress in several places the involvement of this group in all elements of the interaction between the two. We find the Nation of Chet in this week’s parasha as well. Yitzchak’s son Eisav married two Chitite women: Yehudit the daughter of Be’eiri the Chitite, and Bosmat the daughter of Eilon the Chitite (ibid. 26:34).

Toldot The Price of a Corruption of the Truth
Parashat Toldot
Yaakov was extremely reluctant to carry out the plan of deception that his mother devised for him and may even have hoped to get caught rather than deceive his father; Yaakov’s methods only justifies children’s (and adults’) tendency to bend the truth (=lie); Were these painful episodes in Yaakov’s life punishments? No.