Light from the Future: Parshas Toldos

1. Toldos – A Clean Slate The Messianic Age will represent a total departure from Roman culture and values. Moshiach will inaugurate a world wiped clean of the Roman’s…
2. Toldos – All for the Children In our mystical tradition, the shared experiences of our forefathers and us are more than just a fortuitous coincidence. It is even more than just an…
3. Toldos – Bringing the Future Into the Present The Tanya, citing the Zohar, states that even the Satan truly wants us to deny his blandishments and resist the temptation to sin. However, the Satan…
4. Toldos – Can’t Change Your Language A Jew can and in some cases may, figuratively speaking, put on the clothing of other cultures. A Jew can engage the outside world, interact with it…
5. Toldos – Digging Deep In the Messianic Age, when the light of G-d will pervade the world and the attribute of kindness will extend to all, we will then be able to focus all…
6. Toldos – Esau in 3d Esau is the symbol of the world around us that can be viewed in 3d. One can be impressed by its veneer of glitter, or cynically view it from within as…
7. Toldos – It’s Okay to Have a Split Personality Every one of us possesses two distinct personalities. We are in possession of an animal soul and a G-dly soul. Every act of goodness is another…
8. Toldos – Mother of Jacob and Esau: “I Don’t Know” Is the Lesson! If we understood the dynamic of exile we would make peace with it and would not demand of G-d and of ourselves to bring an end to the struggle. We…
9. Toldos – Mother of Jacob and Esau: What’s the Lesson? There are only two acceptable methods of dealing with recalcitrant children: Either shower and smother them with love and warmth, or in extreme…
10. Toldos – Multiple Births Jacob was so named because he held on to the heels of Esau as he was being born. But, the word heel associated with Jacob also symbolizes the trait of…
11. Toldos – Out of Sight Isaac was spiritually sensitive to any form of evil. His sensitivity derived from his being offered as a sacrifice and hi eyesight was affected by the…
12. Toldos – Receptive to Blessings Of all the sacrifices we can make to make us worthy of the Messianic blessing it is the sacrifice that involves changing our habits for the purpose of…
13. Toldos – Reflections 2 The two periods of exile and Redemption are expressive of the two modes of G-d’s relationship with us. In exile G-d appears distant and it instills a…
14. Toldos – Reflections Even when we are justified in our anger against another, we must never allow that anger to seethe in us. The anger should be directed into a course of…
15. Toldos – Reversing the Reversal Torah to us is more than just a powerful teaching; it is the most intimate aspect of our lives; we are married to it. This intimate relationship with…
16. Toldos – The Birthright in Three Stages Our mission now therefore is to “buy the birthright” from Esau in a figurative sense. This means that we should live our lives now as we imagine we…
17. Toldos – The Hands of Esau We are currently living in an age where most countries in the world are supportive to one degree or another of Jewish life and observance. Even the…
18. Toldos – The Twin Bar Mitzvah The myth is that a Messianic Age will bring about a reduction of responsibility and will serve essentially as a universal “senior citizen” retirement…
19. Toldos – The Voice of Jacob and the Hands of Esau A Jew cannot be passive. Judaism is not a spectator sport. One must be actively engaged in one’s Jewish life.
20. Toldos – Vive La Old Age The energy and verve with which youth is associated is more than just commendable, it is indispensable. It is the catalyst for the future Redemption.…
21. Toldos – We Are All Firstborn! Eisav disenfranchised himself from G-d’s community. Can a Jew can do the same today. If that were the case, G-d forbid, millions of assimilated Jews,…

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