DO YOU RECOGNISE YOURSELF? A key phrase in this week’s parasha, is used in two startlingly contrasting contexts. When Joseph’s brothers want to communicate to Jacob that Joseph is lost, they kill a goat, dip Joseph’s coat in the blood, send it to their father with the words, Haker na – “do you recognize this...
THE QUESTIONS ESAU ASKS US Occasionally, a biblical verse will leap off the page indicating that it has a relevance not merely to the time and place in which it was originally uttered, but for all generations. Such a passage occurs in this week’s parasha when Jacob sent his agents to bring gifts to Esau,...
DAYAN CHANOCH EHRENTREU זצ”ל – IN MEMORIAM Last week we received the sad news that Dayan Ehrentreu, Emeritus Head of the London Beth Din and the Beth Din of Europe, had passed away. Although he never recovered the power of speech, after his stroke more than two years ago, he was still able to greet...
DO JEWS COUNT? The Channel 4 film this week, Jews Don’t Count, made by David Baddiel, explored the double-standards that exist in society regarding antisemitism. The roots for differing attitudes to Jews on the part of their neighbours are describedin the Torah portions we are reading. Last week saw Abraham who was so admired by...
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON Scientists in Edinburgh announced this week that the bacteria that cause leprosy can reprogram liver cells to grow new tissue, an ability that may help to develop treatments to rejuvenate ageing and diseased livers. This holds out the possibility of discovering a mechanism that will reverse the aging process in general...
