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 item?” When Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, has been accused of adultery and is about to be executed, instead of publicly revealing Judah as the man who made her pregnant, she takes out the pledges that Judah had sent her and sends them to Judah with the...

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, ahead of their meeting. Jacob told his men: Esau will ask you three questions: “To whom do you belong? Where are you going? For whom are these before you?” (Bereishit 24:18) Rabbi Joseph B Soloveitchik (d.1993) explains that these questions are addressed to all of...

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 people and bless them with the trademark smile that lit up his whole face. Dayan Ehrentreu was born in Munich almost 90 years ago. His family came to England just before war broke out. His father was the beloved Principal of Prestwich Jewish Day School...

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 his Hittite neighbours. They called him “a prince of G-d in our midst” (Genesis 23:6), and they were prepared to offer him a choice burial plot for Sarah for no charge. By contrast, in this week’s parasha, Isaac discovered that the Philistines were trying to...