ב"ה

Vayechi

By the Numbers
Reuben in the Bible

The High Priest wore a breastplate with 12 precious stones, one for each of the tribes. The first stone, etched with Reuben’s name, was the red ruby.
10 Questions: Take the Jewish Warriors Quiz

Do you know who led the battle against Amalek? How about the war against Ammon?
Your Questions
What Is the Meaning of Israel?

The homeland of the Jews (also called Israelites) is Israel, which means literally, “One who struggles with G‑d.”
Why Is Challah Braided?

The long-standing Jewish custom is for Shabbat breads to be braided. Here's why.
Voices
To My Baby Sister in Heaven

Life Lessons From Three Broken Blue Bowls

Each of the shattered bowls reminds me that G‑d is the only constant in our lives, there when we need His loving care to remake us in a new and better way.
Story
Tied to Tradition

Years passed, and one day a well-heeled gentleman knocked on the door of the Avtzon home. Taking a wad of cash out of his pocket, he offered it to the rabbi, “This is for you, and I want to beg your forgiveness.”
The Drunk and the Driver

The father frequently staggered around in public, even collapsing in a drunken heap in the gutter. He became the object of mockery and ridicule.
Parshah
Close Your Eyes: Things Aren’t as They Seem

It is natural to become enveloped by the minutiae of our challenges. Awareness of the greater picture of which we are all a part, however, is essential.
What Does It Mean to Be a True Leader?

A virtuous person thinks in terms of duties and responsibilities. What is my role? What is my obligation? But a leader thinks in terms of needs. What are the needs of this person? This organization? This population?
Don’t Write the Obituary Just Yet!

The Jewish People never die. We almost die on a regular basis. But do we die? Will we? Can we? Never!
For Your Vayechi Study Group (PDF)
This weekly study packet is part of theJewishwoman.org “Be a Leader” initiative. Print it out and learn it with your study group.
On the Calendar
Tuesday Is Asarah B'Tevet Fast
On Asarah B'Tevet, the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet, in the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Asarah B'Tevet is observed as a day of fasting, mourning and repentance.
Lifestyle
How to Make Halva at Home

Torah Ice Cream Dessert

Mark the end of the book of Bereishit with delicious edible Torahs!
America is no different!
— Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, upon arriving in New York in 1940, insisting that the "New World" too, can be made a place that is hospitable to Torah and Judaism