Our special guest this week is Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, the British United Synagogue's rabbi in Israel and Senior Rabbinic Educator in Israel for T'ruah – The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. Prior to making aliyah, he was rabbi of Radlett United Synagogue, Britain's fastest growing Modern Orthodox synagogue. Rabbi Gideon has also worked as an adviser at the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel and directed the Beit Midrash for Human Rights at the Hillel House of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
This week's Torah Portion- Parashat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:3-36:43)- features Jacob's meeting with Esau, his wrestling with an angel, the defiling of Dinah, the death of Isaac and Rachel, and the renaming of Jacob. Our discussion focuses, among other things, on Rashi's description of Jacob's preparation for his meeting with Esau- his fear of being killed but also of killing- as a form of summary of Jewish ethics.
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