Rabbi Klayman is on vacation this week. Please feel free to reference to Sefaria.org for the parsha, translation, and commentary.

Outside of the fortunate few, who enjoy life in a silver spoon, most of us encounter hardship and pain as an inevitable feature of living.

Can we withstand our respective hardships and emerge with any sense of optimism?

Over the past two months we in the Jewish community have mourned the loss of so many to the terrorists of Hamas.

Aside from the obvious loses and challenges, we feel betrayed and abandoned by those with whom we have stood in solidarity in the ongoing struggle for equal rights and dignity for all.

Hanukkah begins Thursday night. We celebrate the victory of the FEW against the MANY.

As Israel, like the ancient Maccabees, fights to preserve its nation and spirit, the theme of FEW against MANY takes on added significance.

Please excuse my obsession this month with the Biblical Dinah. She is barely mentioned in the Torah, yet I am now devoting a second video to her.

Dinah's centrality to the Genesis stories is illustrated more by her absence than by her presence-and no rationalization for such absence will satisfy me.

As I have suggested, the Torah narratives often omit intent. We are left to scrutinize the text, often verse by verse, to best appreciate the Torah's message.

In this week's portion Vayetze, ONE verse challenges us moderns to accept the Torah's culture.