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The Torah portion Toldot (Genesis 25:19 to 28:9) recounts the birth of Esau and Jacob, Jacob’s acquisition of the birthright, and the blessings bestowed upon him by his father Isaac. The portion consists of 106 verses, a number corresponding to the gematria of the word “עלו” which translates to “they have risen” ⁽¹⁾.

Genesis 26:4
וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ, כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנָתַתִּי לְזַרְעֲךָ, אֵת כָּל-הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל; וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ.
I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; I will give your descendants all these lands, and by your descendants, all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves.

Jeffrey Hoffman’s ⁽²⁾ last space mission took place aboard the space shuttle Columbia⁽³⁾. During this mission, he brought various Jewish items, including a spinning top and a small Sefer Torah. While in orbit, he read the book of Genesis. The documentary “Space Torah” ^(click), aired in 2023, recounts this significant event in his career. Concurrently with the documentary, a traveling exhibition, “The Space Torah Project,” dedicated to celebrating the Jewish legacy in space, toured Israel.

⁽¹⁾ According to Rabbi David Feinstein Zt”l, this alludes to the elevation of Isaac after his time in Gerar (Genesis 26:13), Jacob’s elevation through the purchase of the birthright (Genesis 25:33), and the blessings bestowed by his father (Genesis 27:27-29 and 28:1-4).
⁽²⁾ Jeffrey Hoffman is an American astronaut born in 1944. He participated in five space missions with NASA, including spacewalks to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
⁽³⁾ The STS-75 mission took place from February 22 to March 9, 1996. That year, Purim fell on February 25.

The parasha Haye Sarah, Genesis 23:1 – 25:18, begins with the recounting of Sarah’s years of life. Then, Abraham purchases a suitable burial place in Hebron (מערת המכפלה). Afterwards, Abraham sends his faithful servant Eliezer on a mission, guided by divine providence.

Genesis 24:27
וַיֹּאמֶר בָּרוּךְ ה’ אֱלֹקי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָזַב חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ מֵעִם אֲדֹנִי אֲנֹכִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ נָתַנִי ה’ בֵּית אֲחַי אֲדֹנִי.
And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the Gd of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His steadfast love and His faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”

The NGO Yad Sarah engages in numerous missions. It is a providential Israeli humanitarian institution for individuals who have experienced hospital stays or other life challenges. Currently, it focuses on assisting countless wounded and traumatized individuals affected by mourning, terror, indescribable violence, attacks, missile strikes, war, and hostage situations. It brings hope and aid to the wounded and troubled minds.

Eliezer Armon, the architect of the Yad Sarah building in Beer-Sheva, explained that the pyramid constructed at the front of the building is intentionally cracked. “Yad Sarah supports people who have had a crack in their lives,” he added. “But a crack also lets in the light.”

On Rosh Hashanah, we gather at the synagogue to pray, reflect on the past year, and repent. The sound of the shofar evokes the binding of Isaac and signals our spiritual awakening. During the Tachilkh ceremony, we symbolically cast our sins into the water, signifying our desire for purification.

The Beth-El Synagogue (בית אל = House of G-od) was inaugurated on Rosh Hashanah 5757 ⁽¹⁾. It is the heart of the Jewish community in Casablanca, bearing witness to faith, culture, and the long Jewish history in Morocco, dating back over 2000 years ⁽²⁾.

The synagogue is built in a neo-classical style. The interior decor incorporates elements of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship, including gebs ⁽³⁾. Its colorful stained glass windows and majestic chandeliers are also remarkable.

(1) In gematria, the year 5757 (התשנז) has a numerical value of 762, corresponding to Zechariah 14:9: “And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day, the Lord will be one and his name one.
והיה יי למלך על כל הארץ ביום ההוא יהיה יי אחד
(2) The Jewish presence in Morocco dates back to the 2nd century BCE, notably in Volubilis during the Roman era. It was reinforced in the 7th century by the arrival of Jewish migrants from the Iberian Peninsula fleeing the Visigothic persecutions of the 7th century. Later, the Jewish population came under Muslim rule and was subjected to the status of dhimmis, occasionally facing persecutions. Despite this, the community provided refuge to Jews fleeing the Inquisition. At the beginning of the 20th century, with several hundred thousand members, much of the Jewish community left Morocco between 1950 and 1960.
(3) In Morocco, master craftsmen elevate plaster by sculpting and chiseling it to create genuine masterpieces, covering the upper walls, arches, and ceilings.

ויקרא

Vayiqra (ויקרא – and He called) Leviticus from chapter 1, verse 1 to chapter 5, verse 26. G-d calls Moses and teaches him the prescriptions concerning the offerings.

The alphabet has 27 letters (22 letters and 5 finals). The alef¹ is the first letter, the one that allows the other 26 to occur. In a commentary², Grand Rabbi Joseph Haim Sitruk zl invites children from an early age to begin the study of Torah, with the book of Leviticus (vayikra). In all the Torah scrolls, the א (alef) of vayikra is small in order to show that to be the starting point of transmission, it is incumbent on cultivating humility.
The Chief Rabbi of France Joseph Haïm Sitruk zl created, in 1990, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Center Alef, an Orthodox community center.
On March 14, 2021, the first stone of the new premises was laid.

¹ The letter alef is composed of 2 Yods and a vav (ייו=10+10+6=26=א) and corresponds to the numerical value of the divine Name.
² March 6, 2014 at the Alef Center