“Chayei Sarah isn’t about death — it’s about what remains alive.”

This week’s class explores why the Torah places life and death in the same breath, the mystery behind the seven burials in the Cave of Machpelah, and how Sarah’s passing became the first eternal foothold of Am Yisrael in the land.

We also revisit the unforgettable story of a premature eulogy — and what it teaches us about who is truly alive.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to leave a legacy that endures, this is a class to hear and discuss at the Shabbat table.

“Hidden Greatness — The Hesped of Sarah Imeinu”

Why does the Torah record a eulogy only twice — once for Sarah, once for Ya‘akov?

What made Sarah’s hidden life more powerful than public greatness?

A class on tzniut, hidden chessed, and the kind of greatness HaShem reveals — not the world.

This week’s Tuesday morning class goes into a part of Chayei Sarah nobody talks about.

Avraham gives “gifts” to the sons of Keturah and sends them east — but gives everything to Yitzḥak. Rashi calls those gifts shēm tum’ah — spiritual power without holiness.

The Vilna Gaon shows the word “הַפִּלַגְשִׁים” hides a warning: פָּלַג־שֵׁם — a split Name. The relationship held only half of HaShem’s Name.

In this class we uncover: why Avraham refused the Ketubah, how a missing letter reveals a cosmic struggle, and why only Yitzḥak carries the full Shem HaVaYaH.

Sometimes the deepest secrets of Torah aren’t in the words — they’re in the missing letter.

Listen to the full class: “When Holiness Must Separate — Chayei Sarah.”

This week’s class in Chayei Sarah isn’t about Avraham or Rivkah.

It’s about the man nobody looks at.

Eliezer — called “cursed” by Noach, rejected by Avraham, overshadowed at every turn — is sent on the most sacred mission of the generation: find Yitzhak’s wife. And on that journey, something unbelievable happens.

He doesn’t just succeed.

He transforms.

From cursed to blessed.

From servant to saint.

From outsider… to one who enters Gan Eden alive.

What changed?

One test. One insult. One moment of humility that opened heaven.

Join me as we uncover the secret of how a person can rise — not because life was easy, but because he refused to give up.

This is not just Eliezer’s story.

It’s the blueprint for ours.

What does it mean to pay full price for something that matters?

Avraham didn’t just bury Sarah.

He planted the first permanent stake of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.

This episode reveals:

• The strategy behind the negotiation,
• The Midrashic secrets behind Ephron,
• And why walking away can sometimes be the holiest decision.

By special request, I’m reposting this class on the Akeidah — recorded back in 2020. This version presents a different approach to the Akeyda: a deeper and more midrashic look at what really happened on Har HaMoriah. Many people have asked for it again, and here it is — unchanged.

This class explores a bold Midrashic theme: that at the Akeidah, Yitzchak experiences a form of death and resurrection. Drawing from four Midrashic sources, the shiur shows how Chazal describe Yitzchak’s soul leaving him as the knife reaches his neck and returning when the angel calls out. From this moment, Yitzchak himself declares the blessing “Baruch… Mechayeh HaMeitim.”

For another presentation, you can scroll back in your podcasts toNovember 2024, where I delivered another version of the same class at the Safra synagogue. This class works for Vayera and Chaye Sara and if you would like the notes, please let me know.

Three dusty travelers. One laugh. One missed “Amen.”

Discover how Sarah’s reaction in Parashat VaYera teaches us never to underestimate who Hashem chooses to deliver your blessing.

He challenged Heaven.

He passed the Akeidah.

And he walked home as if nothing happened.

This week’s episode reveals the power of staying grounded
— in success and in struggle.

Avraham Avinu teaches us the secret: Greatness doesn’t
need applause.