Jacob Dallal, at The Blogs

Dec 21, 2018, 10:47 AM

As he is about to leave for Egypt, God speaks to Jacob reassuringly, promising to accompany him. For Jacob, for whom life is one long, lonely struggle, God can't help but offer to be there with him. ("The death of Rachel after the birth of Benjamin" by Gustav Metz, Germany, 1847).

This week's portion, with the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, marks the end of a family saga and of an era. This is also Jacob's swansong, the end of a long, mostly unhappy life of the Bible's main tragic...

Dec 14, 2018, 2:14 PM

Part of a Grand Plan

One of the cleverest and most successful men in Jewish history, Joseph isn’t just an interpreter of dreams, he is a quick proactive thinker and doer who sees it all in the context of God's grand design. (Joseph Rides in a Chariot through Egypt, Figures de la Bible, illustrated by Gerard Hoet, 1728, Netherlands.)

One of the cleverest and most successful men in Jewish history, Joseph sheds much insight on Jewish life in the Diaspora. Unlike his brother-counterpart Judah, a leader who acts courageously and nobly in the moment, Joseph has a knack...

Dec 7, 2018, 7:56 AM

Honesty in the Face of Adversity

When the goblet is found in Benjamin's sack, Judah realizes it’s game over. “God has found the sin of your servants.” Judah owns up to the past and takes responsibility - as a leader does.

This week’s portion is filled with high drama: Joseph is rushed out of jail to interpret Pharaoh’s dream; he is immediately appointed Number 2 over all of Egypt to oversee preparations for seven years of famine; when the famine...

Nov 29, 2018, 6:25 PM

Prototypes of the Diaspora Jew and the Jewish Leader

Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute to her father-in-law, Judah. When she is later found pregnant, Judah exonerates her from blame -- an act of great courage, principle and leadership. (Judah and Tamar, the Rembrandt School, 1660.)

After making peace with his brother Esau, this week's portion opens "Jacob dwelt in the land of his fathers, in the Land of Cannan." He can finally settle down. Or so we would like to think. The text continues:...

Nov 22, 2018, 9:01 PM

Striving with God

Jacob's struggle with himself is in fact Jacob's struggle with God. Our internal struggle is our encounter with God: when we strive with ourselves, we are striving with God. (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, Eugène Delacroix, France, 1860)

This week's portion is the climax of Jacob's struggle/life/life-struggle: after 20 years with treacherous Laban, he returns home. It was 20 years ago that Jacob fled for his life from Esau, who wanted to kill him for stealing his...

Nov 14, 2018, 7:47 PM

Pulling Through

God promises Jacob: "I am with you and I will watch over you wherever you will go." Divine oversight doesn't necessarily make for happiness; but it does pull you through. (Jacob's Ladder by Michael Willmann, Germany, 1630-1706)

The Bible portion opens as Jacob begins his journey from his parents' house to his uncle Laban – both to escape from his brother and to find a bride; it is as if he is starting afresh, beginning a...

Nov 6, 2018, 4:47 PM

From where you are to where you’re supposed to be

God says Jacob will be master but deliberately has him born second, leaving Jacob with God-endowed human struggle: getting from where you are to where you are "supposed" to be. (Isaac blessing Jacob by Gerrit Willemsz Horst, Holland, c.1612 - 1652)

If in last week's portion we saw God recede to the background, in this week's portion, with the story of Isaac and his family, things really begin to fall apart. God's great promise to Isaac of blessing and abundance...

Oct 31, 2018, 7:29 PM

When God Moves to the Background

The character of God, until now always at the fore, recedes to the background. A far cry from Creation or the flood, God is now felt in smaller, but critically important, ways from the perspective of the individual.
Rebecca and Eliezer by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 17th century.

This week's portion marks an important shift in the Biblical narrative: the character of God, until now always at the fore, recedes to the background. God's covenant with Abraham sealed, Abraham's love/faith in Him proven, the stage is set...

Oct 25, 2018, 9:16 PM

Does He Really Love Me? God Asks

In this week's portion, we are confronted with one of the most difficult philosophical / theological stories in the Bible: the near-sacrifice of Isaac. Non-comprehension is an important, even a critical element in understanding the "nature of God" or, to...

Oct 15, 2018, 11:40 AM

Believe in God or in Reality?

God tells Abraham his offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky – yet Abraham is childless. God puts Abraham in a tough spot: believe Me or believe reality. (Woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld from the 1860 Bible in Pictures)

This Bible portion begins with a bang. God says to Abram (he gets a name change only later on): Go "to the land I will show you and I will turn you into a great nation… and all the families...

About Me

Jacob Dallal, who lives not far from where Jonah set sail in Jaffa to escape God, is writing on the Bible portion, focusing on its characters, especially on the character of God.

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