And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. (Genesis 29:17) Laban had two daughters: Rachel and Leah. Leah was older, but the Torah says that she had weak eyes. Rachel, on the other hand, was beautiful. What does it mean that Leah had weak eyes? The Hebrew word translated here as "weak" can also mean delicate, tender or soft. Some...

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Bamidbar (Numbers) 13:1–15:41 | Y’hoshua (Joshua) 2:1–24 This haftarah is the account of the story of Rahab. She was a Canaanite who had a house that was situated on the wall of ancient Jericho. In preparation for the start of their conquest of the Promised Land, Joshua sent spies across the Jordan River to gather information about their enemies in Jericho, the first city that...

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As the rains that started during Cheshvan continue to nourish the land of Israel, the temperatures begin to drop. Daylight hours dwindle away and the long, dark nights of Kislev begin. One cannot help but naturally feel slightly melancholy and glum during the winter seasons. Thankfully, God has given us many reasons to rejoice during this season. On the 25th of Kislev, the anniversary of...

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