Parsha Talk Vayetzeh 2020

Rabbi Barry Chesler writes: This week’s parashah, Vayetze [Genesis 28:10-32:3], holds a special place in my heart. A mere 52 years ago I was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah at South Suburban Beth Israel Synagogue, as it was then known, Park Forest, Illinois. Six years later, unbeknownst to me at the time, Carol became a Bat Mitzvah this same parashah, in University City, Missouri.
The parashah begins and ends with a journey; in-between Jacob gets married twice, fathers 12 children with 4 women, and acquires large herds. There is much to discuss; as with all the parashiyot in Genesis, the central task is deciding what not to talk about. While there is much we could have talked about, we filled our time well. Send us a message at [email protected] to let us know if you agree!

Parsha Talk is brought to us by Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Jeremy Kalmonofsky and Barry Chesler!