Coming Out: Parshat Toldot 2015 November 13
Name/Title
Coming Out: Parshat Toldot 2015 November 13Entry/Object ID
rdi-2015.11.13Scope and Content
The sermon explores the tension between hiding who we are and the deep human desire to be truly known. Beginning with a childhood story about a boy embarrassed to reveal his teddy bear, it turns to Jacob’s deception of Isaac, focusing on the Hebrew word oolai (“perhaps”) as a possible expression not only of fear but of Jacob’s secret hope that his father will discover his true identity. The sermon contrasts destructive doubt with healthy questioning and emphasizes the teaching that truth is God’s defining quality. Jacob’s eventual journey toward honesty becomes a metaphor for the courage required to stop disguising ourselves, risk rejection, and “bloom” into our authentic selves. Written in honor of Abby Stein's transition.Category
Shabbat sermons