The Stanton Street Weekly Newsletter: Parshat Toldot
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Parshat Toldot Week of November 21, 2025 1 Kislev 5786 Wishing you and your family Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov (a good month)!
The month of Kislev represented in the Mazalot in our Sanctuary.
Friday, November 21, 2025 • 2 Kislev 5786
Candle lighting at 4:16pm
Shabbat, November 22, 2025 • 2 Kislev 5786
Shacharit services in shul will begin promptly at 9:30am
StantonKIDS Shabbat programming 10:30-12 withfree play, davening, parsha, songs, movement, a hands on activity, and delicious kiddush!
Services will be followed by Kiddush at 12:00pm. Everyone is welcome! Kiddush is sponsored by the house. If you want to sponsor Kiddush, please email info@stantonstshul.com
Havdalah at 5:17pm
We have security for all services from 9:30am to 1:00pm.
Dear friends,
This week we read Parshas Toldos. Though the bulk of the parshah revolves around the clash between Yaakov and Esav, I want to focus for a minute on Yitzchak Avinu, our most mysterious patriarch. We have multiple parshiyos that deal with Avraham and many that deal with Yaakov and his family, but the Torah really is sparse when it comes to this essential link between the two.
In basic Kabbalisitc thought, Yitzchak is associated with the trait of gevurah. Literally translated as strength, gevurah is defined by judgement, limitation, and discipline. Where Avraham was forging a brand new path in the world, Yitzchak was the one who shored it up such that it would last through the generations. In the parshah we see him engaged in much of the same behavior as Avraham with only slight variations. He does not speak much and, on the surface, seems aloof to certain spiritual truths that only Rivka is picking up on. All of this can lend a certain air of mystery or even severity to Yitzchak and it might be fitting with his essence that the Torah says so little about him.
Because of all this, I’ve always been fascinated by a gemara on Shabbos 89b. Isaiah 63:16 reads “Surely You are our Father: though Abraham regards us not, and Israel recognizes us not, You, O Lord, are our Father. From old, Your name is Our Redeemer.” R’ Yonasan explains that in the future, God will come to Abraham and tell him “your children have sinned against me”. Abraham will respond “if so, they should be destroyed.” God will then go to Jacob who will respond in the same way. Finally, God will go to Yitzchak who will say “are they my children and not Your children?” He will remind God that, at Sinai, God called them “My firstborn”. Then Yitzchak will argue that the amount of time people actually spend sinning is a small fraction of life and that he would happily take the heat for half of those years. Finally he will remind God of the merit of the akeidah to convince God, once and for all, that their sins should be forgiven.
Where even such greats as Avraham and Yaakov fail to come to our aid, it is quiet, mysterious, severe Yitzchak who keeps tally, goes through the receipts, and thoroughly convinces God to go easy on us.
Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Birkeland
StantonKIDS Shabbat Programming 5786
Join us 10:30am-12:00pm for free play, davening, parsha, songs, movement, a hands on activity, and delicious kiddush! Here is our schedule for the rest of the 5786 school year:
November 22 December 6, December 20 January 17, January 24 February 7, February 28 March 14, March 28 April 18, April 25 May 9, May 16 June 6, June 13
Women's Tefillah Group Programming Schedule
Come Daven With Us in 5786!
Parshat Shemot & Slater Schwartzberg’s Bat Mitzvah - January 10 Parshat B'shalach - January 31 Megillat Esther Reading - March 2 Parshat Emor - May 2 Parshat Nasso - May 30 Parshat Korach - June 20
If you would like to layn, lead services, or give a d'var Torah with us, or if you have questions, please be in touch!
Happy Birthday! Tracy Fogel (November 27)
We remember Melvyn A. Gassman, father of Ellen Silverstein (1 Kislev)
Philip Stein, relative of Mona Klaber (1 Kislev) Max Klaber, relative of Mona Klaber (4 Kislev)
Misheberachs (we wish a full recovery to):
Arella Hana bat Haya Liba Ashlynn Elizabeth Helen Coffman Barry Feldman Cecile Cohen זיאסל מלכה בת אסתר Chaim Tzvi ben Leah Chaim Yonah ben Dubrah Chana Mera bat Fruma Henna Chaya Malka bat Esther Leia David Menashe HaLevi ben Rochel Efraim Ben Sore Eliyahu Natan ben Shayndel Ella bat Leah Gitche bat Honcha Hiam Zelig Ben Sarah Rifka Israel Yakov ben Esther Jim Lee Leah Zahava Bat Elka Liba Miriam bat Channah Devorah ליבה מרים בת חנה דבורה Manny Kaplan מאיר ראובן בן לאה Moshe Asher Ben Esther Sarah Nolan Rhodes נתן צבי בן פרידה Rachel Devorah bat Elke Reuven ben Rochel Rivka bat Miriam Sara Rochel Ben Chaya Gitza Shayna bat Chana Kayla Shimon Sumer HaLevi Ben Malka Shoshana bat Esther שושנה בת אסתר Yaacov Ben Chaya Gitza Yisroel ben Edlah Yitzhak Calev ben Leetza Tzvia
We pray that all who are sick may have a full recovery. We are especially sending prayers to those who are wounded and in need of healing.
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If you missed services this past Shabbos, or arrived too late to hear the drasha, you can go to our archives and read a copy! Click here for an archive of shiurim Clickherefor an archive of drashot Clickhere to go to our YouTube Channel for an archive of all of our ZOOM classes
