This week’s portion points to an important Jewish institutional value, “Welcoming the Stranger.”  Abraham, in a new home, not even settled, invites three strangers in and provides a wonderful meal for them.  Hospitality is not only a physical reality, but a spiritual one as well.  Rabbi Freehof, may his memory be for a blessing, said we should be conscious of three types of hospitality: More

Lech l’cha literally means “Go for” or “to yourself” (perhaps, “within” yourself). As Rashi says, “Go for your own benefit, for your own good.” A spiritual quest is often one made alone, away from the comforts and influences found in one’s home.  Avram begins a journey of religious awakening away from the possible objections of his father, taking a road that is at once unfamiliar to him and foreign to his family.  Only when taken freely and independently, as a matter of choice (as opposed to coercion), will the act of devotion lead to fulfillment; in this case, the father of a great nation. More

Adam and Eve are cast out of tranquility. Civilization is set in motion. Very soon thereafter, things go awry. Humanity becomes corrupt and lawless. The Holy One decides to begin anew by wiping out life on earth with a great flood. Noah and his sons build an ark, and his wife, Na’amah, and her daughters-in-law make it habitable. They fill it with pairs of animals from every kingdom of life. More

God creates the universe from nothingness over six days, concluding with the creation of Shabbat on the seventh day (yes, God works on Shabbat, but only for a millisecond). Day One: Light; Day Two: Separation of the waters above and below the earth; Day Three: Seas, Dry Land, Vegetation; Day Four: Sun, Moon, Stars; Day Five: Sea Creatures and Flying Creatures; Day Six: Land Creatures and Humans; Day Seven: Shabbat and rest. More

Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake’s commentary from the Reform Judaism website:

In today’s reading, Sukkot is nothing more than Chag HaAsif, “the Feast of Ingathering,” one of three annual pilgrimage festivals (Pesach and Shavuot are the other two).

There exist embellishments of the Sukkot observance over the course of the Torah. From these we can infer an important Jewish teaching that applies not only to Sukkot, but also to our lives. That teaching is known as hidur mitzvah. More

You neglected the Rock that begot you, you forgot the God who brought you forth (Deuteronomy 32:18).

Jacob ben Wolf Kranz taught, You neglected the Rock that begot you – remember that God is the Creator of you and all things. You forgot – God gave you the ability to “forget” so that you would be able to put out of your mind all the sufferings that may come your way. But you have mis-used your God-given ability to forget, because you keep forgetting the One who created you and gave you this particular skill. More