Hal Miller

Shabbat Parashat Toldot - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And dwell with him for a few days until your brother's wrath subsides. [Bereishit 27:44] What did Rivka mean, telling Yaakov to go to Lavan "for a few days"? The trip alone would take far more than that, in each direction. Most likely, Eisav would not have forgotten what Yaakov did to obtain the blessing for quite some time. When was Yaakov supposed to return, and how would he know when that was? In parashat Chaye Sarah [Berei

Shabbat Chaye Sarah - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller Her brother and her mother said, let the maiden remain with us days or a set of ten, then she will go. [Bereishit 24:55] And they said, let us call the maiden and ask her decision. [Bereishit 24:57] Rivka's family asked for a delay in Eliezer taking her away to marry Yitzchak. What was behind this, and how long did they actually ask for? Then after asking for a delay, they suggested leaving it to Rivka. Why did they change the

Shabbat Vayeira - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And he said, I will surely return to you at this time next year, there will be life, and behold a son to Sarah your wife. Now Sarah heard at the entrance of the tent and it was behind him. [Bereishit 18:10] This verse, and its companion 18:14, use the phrase ca'eit chayah. There are many explanations as to what that may mean. The second word, chayah, is pretty clear on its own, meaning life. The first word is a little more flexibl

Shabbat Parashat Lech Lecha - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And Avraham fell upon his face and laughed and he thought, to a man of a hundred years shall there be born? And shall Sarah, a woman of ninety years, give birth? [Bereishit 17:17] Here we see Avraham laughing when informed that Sarah would have a son. In verse 18:12, Sarah laughs, apparently over the same thing, using the feminine form of the same word as with Avraham. Why is Sarah chastised but not Avraham for this la

Shabbat Noach - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And the earth had become corrupt before God, and the earth had become filled with robbery. [Bereishit 6:11] Our verse gives the reasons God brought about the Flood, shachat and chamas. What are these, and why are they so important that the world had to be destroyed for them? Shachat could mean wastage, destruction or corruption. All three of those are serious flaws in the world. Certainly today there is massive waste of resource, much

Shabbat Parashat Bereishit - 578​6 Rabbi Hal Miller ​Now any tree of the field ​was not yet on the earth and any herb of the field had...

Simchat Torah - 5786 V'Zot Ha'Beracha Rabbi Hal Miller At the end of his life, Yaakov gave blessings to each of his sons. At the end of...

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller He said, behold I seal a covenant, before your entire people I shall make 'niflaot'...

​​Sukkot - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period, every native in Israel shall dwell in booths so...

Shabbat Parashat Haazinu - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And He will say, "I shall hide My face from them and see what is their end, for they...