MASHIACH ben YOSEF

the Leadership Duel between Yoseph and Yehuda- The Haftarah of VaYigash

Description: Our sages draw the confrontation between Yehuda and Yosef as the two types of leadership in Jewish history. Through this we can finally understand who exactly is that mysterious "Mashiach ben Yosef", and what Rav Kook (based on the Vilna Gaon) meant when he said that Dr. Herzl had a spark of that Mashiach.

BINYAMIN's NAME-CHANGE- And WHY Yehoshua BIN-Nun (not 'Ben'-Nun)

"TANACH= HEALTHY SOULS IN HEALTHY BODIES"- Parshat VaYetzeh

Rav Kook explains the interesting phenomenon that the Tanach Heroes must also be physically strong and military heroes. He connects it with the Ideal Jew who is a healthy soul in a healthy body, which we must revive and educate today, with our return to Israel.

"YA'AKOV DONS ESAV'S ARMS"

How can we understand that Yitzchak preferred & even considered giving the bracha of Eretz Yisrael to Esav? This short article explains a new pshat (literal understanding) as well as having important ramifications for today's current events between Israel & Hamas.

"BUYING LAND/HOMES IN ISRAEL"

Avraham's "elaborate" and prolonged give-and-take to acquire Chevron has important eternal and practical messages, especially for the many New-Yorkers recently considering buying homes in Israel!

"PROACTIVE OR PLAY DUMB: AVRAHAM ACTS- AVIMELECH 'ALIBIS'

Many don't notice that our parsha explicitly pits Avraham Avinu as the ANTI-THESIS of Avimelech. After the Akeidah, Avraham is described: "now I know that you have YIRAT ELOKIM" (22, 12) as opposed to when he answers Avimelech's question, "what did I do wrong by 'accidentally' taking your wife?": Avraham precisely answers: "it's just that there is NO Yirat Elokim in this place". What exactly is that "Awe of G-d" that should typify our actions and get us to even initiate "Hineni", and conversely avoid the common search for excuses & alibis so prevalent in the western world?

MAMDANI TO RAIN TO LECH-L'CHA

For someone who grew up in NYC with some 30 years of obviously Jewish mayors like Abe Beame, Ed Koch and Michael Bloomberg, the possibility of a proudly Islamic & anti-Israel Mamdani (who vows to arrest Israel's Prime Minister if he steps into NY), filling their shoes is a nightmarish reality. This is directly connected with last week's parshat Noach, this week's Lech L'cha, and the beginning of asking for rain in Eretz Yisrael.

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