Ramban teaches us that Sefer Bereshis is really a book of symbols and allegory; it tells us not only what transpired in the past, but more importantly, it reveals that which will occur in the future. The poet William Blake says it well in this passage:

"To see a world in a grain of sand
And a Heaven in a wildflower;
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour....
But does a human form display
To those who dwell in realms of day."

Auguries of Innocence

by Rebbetzin Malkah

There is an aggadah (legend) in the Midrash that the Roman Emperor Hadrian asked how man would be revived in the World to Come;  Rabbi Joshua Ben Hananiah replied that it would be "From Luz, in the back-bone." "Prove this to me," said Hadrian. Then the Rabbi took Luz, a small bone of the spine, and immersed it in water, but it was not softened; he put it into the fire, but it was not consumed; he put it into a mill, but it could not be pounded; he placed it upon an anvil and struck it with a hammer, but the anvil split and the hammer was broken. (Ecclesiastes Rabbah xii / Genesis Rabbah xviii).

"Yaacov arose early in the morning and took the stone that he place around his head and set it up as a  pillar; and he poured oil on its top.  And he named that place Beth-el; however Luz was the city's name originally."  Bereishis 28:18-19

It looks something like this:  Esav pulls up to Yaacov's tent exhausted. With reckless ambition, he orders a bowl of lentil stew super-sized, pays with his birthright, and drives off gastronomically satisfied.  And there you have it:  the first drive-through in history.  Sound familiar?  While we have Esav to thank for this modern-day invention, more importantly his example is an admonition in preserving our own birthrights : our generations and our destinies.  For in casting off his birthright so frivolously, he forfeited not only generational blessing and achievement, but also the chance to merit the world to come.  If we can recognize the gravity of preserving and emboldening our present and future toldot (generations) by the very manner in which we feed our lives, not only will our very lives and destinies be impacted, but we will move the Malchut Shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven) ever closer.

by Rebbitzen Malkah

As we journey through Parashat Lech Lecha, we are introduced to a covenant that will set Avraham and the Jewish people on a course destined for blessing, salvation, and eventually restoration. We witness the blessing of Avraham and the creation of a covenant which is to stand for all time; a covenant which, by its very nature, will allow Avraham to be a conduit of blessing for all who come into his presence. The manner in which this covenant is revealed to Avraham three times and also sealed presents us with a beautiful picture of how when Hashem communicated with Avraham on a deeply personal level, Avraham became so divinely inspired that every part of his being would be profoundly committed for his entire life This theme of mirroring the Divine Presence to others through covenantal blessing began with Avraham and continues today through us. As heirs of the covenantal blessing procured through our Messiah Yeshua, we have the opportunity to infuse holiness into those around us by tapping into the very essence of the Abrahamic Covenant and what it truly means to know our purpose.

They've done it again.  The meteorologists have diagnosed a La Nina going strong in the Pacific Ocean.  Colder than normal water in the Pacific Ocean spells only one outlook for those of us in the Pacific Northwest:  a wetter than normal winter. Frankly,  I can't imagine that this year could possibly hold more rain than last year.  But can anyone anywhere else in the country really understand the ramifications of such a prophecy?  Let me spell it out for you:  Noach.