In this week’s Parsha, Parshat VaYichi, Jacob blesses his grandsons before he dies. Part of his blessing includes this passage: “The Angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they become teeming multitudes upon the earth.”
In this week’s Torah reading, stones are prominently featured.
This week’s Parsha begins with Yaakov leaving Canaan and heading for Charan. The night before he enters Charan, Yaakov has a dream where he sees a ladder stretching up to the sky with angels going up and down the ladder.
In this week’s parsha, Parshat Toldot, we meet Isaac and Rebecca’s sons, Esau and Jacob. Although they are twin brothers, they are very different both internally and externally. According to Genesis 25:27, “Esau was a man who understood hunting, a man of the field, whereas Jacob was an pure man, dwelling in tents.”
Our friends at G-dcast offer up this great video about Abraham’s Tent. This video can start a great conversation about heroes, leaders and God.
In this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, God promises to make Abraham into a great nation:
“And He brought him outside, and said, Look now toward the skies, and count the stars, if you are able to count them; and he said to him, So shall your seed be.” (Genesis 15:5) Kids love stars and they love glitter so any project involving the two would be great for this week’s parsha. I have always wanted to make a “snow globe” so I decided to use this as a chance to make a “star globe” instead!
Introduction:
This week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, is all about journeys. God commands Abram to “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you” and “Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you.” Abram obediently follows God’s command and begins to walk – step by step – through the sands of the desert to reach his ultimate goal and destination. Since it is still the beginning of the school year, this is a great opportunity to ask your kids where they would like to reach or what they would accomplish by the end of the year and what “steps” they will have to take to get there.
This Shabbat, you can bring your own “money” to your table.
