Torah Study Date Saturday, June 19, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 24:17-32 Next Session Saturday, June 26, 2021 Starting at Genesis 24:33 Last week we discussed Rebecca as a strong figure, queering the text by taking an active role, a male role (for the gender expectations of the time), Rebecca not only giving Abraham’s servant […]
Rebecca, the Ensnarer
Torah Study Date Saturday, May 29, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 24:6-16 Next Session Saturday, June 19, 2021 Starting at Genesis 24:17 Last week, we discussed why Abraham did not want his servant to take Isaac back to where Abraham came from (Abraham was not sure Isaac would return? Abraham didn’t want Isaac to be […]
Abraham, Isaac and the Ram
Torah Study Date Saturday, May 1, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 22:9-18 Next Session Saturday, May 8, 2021 Starting at Genesis 22:19 Last week we continued discussing the Akedah with Abraham and Isaac reaching Mt. Moriah, the place of which God had told them, Abraham building an altar, laying out the wood, binding his son, […]
Wrestling with the Akedah
Torah Study Date Saturday, April 10, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 22:7-8 Next Session Saturday, May 1, 2021 Last session, we went back to the question why Abraham did not argue with God about the command to sacrifice Isaac as he had argued about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Specifically, we wondered whether it […]
Here I Am: God Tests Abraham
Torah Study Date Saturday, April 3, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 22:1-6 Next Session Saturday, April 10, 2021 Last week we discussed God testing Abraham. We noted that God calling Abraham by name indicates something important is about to happen and that in the Samaritan and Greek texts Abraham’s name is called twice (“And God […]
Hagar and Ishmael’s Departure, Abraham’s Pact with Abimelech
This Session Saturday, March 20, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 21:14-34 Next Session Saturday, April 3, 2021 Recently, we discussed the fact that the word for playing in the discussion of Ishmael playing at Genesis 21:9 is related to Isaac’s name–as if the text said not that Sarah saw the son of Hagar playing but […]
Ishmael Plays
Torah Study Date Saturday, March 13, 2021 Torah Study Date Saturday, April 3, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 21:7-13 Next Session Saturday, March 20, 2021 Last week we discussed Isaac growing and being weaned and Abraham making a big feast for him on the day of his weaning, that it might have been traditional in […]
Isaac’s Birth
Torah Study Date Saturday, March 6, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 20:14-21:6 Next Session Saturday, March 13, 2021 Last week we finished the story of the encounter between Abraham and Abimelech and began the account of the birth of Isaac. We discussed the gifts that Abimelech gave to Abraham and why he gave them, presumably […]
Abraham, Sarah and Abimelek
Torah Study Date Saturday, February 27, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 19:35 – 20:13 Next Session Saturday, March 6, 2021 Last week, we finished discussing the intercourse between Lot’s daughters and Lot and began discussing Abraham and Sarah’s encounter with Abimelek, king of Gerar. We discussed the daughters getting Lot drunk on wine for a […]
Fleeing Sodom: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Torah Study Date Saturday, February 20, 2021 Verses Covered Bereishit (Genesis) 19:18-33 Next Session Saturday, February 27, 2021 Recently we discussed the rare shalshelet trope mark found at Genesis 19:16 over the word translated as “and he delayed.” The trope indicates psychological or moral hesitancy to act. Last week we finished discussing the flight out […]