top of page

RABBI STEPHEN EPSTEIN
רבי שמואל בן-יהושע
A MODERN CONSERVATIVE RABBI
Rabbi at Temple Sholom of Ontario
Serving San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA and all of Southern California
Search


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב / Parashat Vayeshev 5786 13 December 2025 / 23 Kislev 5786
Parashat Vayeshev 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב 13 December 2025 / 23 Kislev 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vayeshev is the 9th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 37:1-40:23 Vayeshev (“He Settled”) begins the story of Joseph, describing his rivalry with his brothers, slavery in Egypt, and imprisonment after his master’s wife frames him in response to Joseph’s refusal of her advances. It also contains the story of T

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
6 hours ago4 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח / Parashat Vayishlach 5786 6 December 2025 / 16 Kislev 5786
Parashat Vayishlach 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח 6 December 2025 / 16 Kislev 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vayishlach is the 8th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 32:4-36:43 Vayishlach (“He Sent”) follows Jacob and his family as Jacob wrestles with a man (commonly understood as an angel), is renamed Israel, and reconciles with his brother, Esau. Jacob’s daughter, Dina, is raped by a Hivite prince, and her brot

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Nov 193 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּצֵא / Parashat Vayetzei 5786 29 November 2025 / 9 Kislev 5786
Parashat Vayetzei 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּצֵא 29 November 2025 / 9 Kislev 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vayetzei is the 7th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 28:10-32:3 Vayetzei (“He Went Out”) opens as Jacob dreams about angels going up and down a ladder, and then continues on his journey toward the home of his uncle Laban. During years of indentured servitude, Jacob marries Laban’s daughters Leah and Rachel, b

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Nov 173 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת תּוֹלְדוֹת / Parashat Toldot 5786 22 November 2025 / 2 Kislev 5786
Parashat Toldot 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת תּוֹלְדוֹת 22 November 2025 / 2 Kislev 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Toldot is the 6th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 25:19-28:9 Toldot (“Generations”) opens with the births of Isaac and Rebecca’s twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob in exchange for soup. Isaac and Rebecca travel to Gerar, where Isaac makes a peace treaty with King Abimelech. Isaac gives

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Nov 113 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָֹרָה Parashat Chayei Sara 5786 15 November 2025 / 24 Cheshvan 5786
Parashat Chayei Sara 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָֹרָה 15 November 2025 / 24 Cheshvan 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Chayei Sara is the 5th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 23:1-25:18 Chayei Sarah (“The Life of Sarah”) opens as Sarah dies and Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah to bury her. Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant meets Rebecca at a well, and Rebecca returns with the servant

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Nov 54 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא Parashat Vayera 5786 8 November 2025 / 17 Cheshvan 5786
Parashat Vayera 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא 8 November 2025 / 17 Cheshvan 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vayera is the 4th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 18:1-22:24 Vayera (“He Appeared”) opens as guests inform Abraham that Sarah will give birth. Despite Abraham’s attempts to convince God otherwise, God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sarah gives birth to Isaac, and Abraham sends away Hagar and Ishm

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Oct 244 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת לֶךְ־לְךָ Parashat Lech-Lecha 5786 1 November 2025 / 10 Cheshvan 5786
Parashat Lech-Lecha 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת לֶךְ־לְךָ 1 November 2025 / 10 Cheshvan 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Lech-Lecha is the 3rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 12:1-17:27 Lech Lecha (“Go Forth”) recounts Abraham’s (here known as Abram) first encounter with God, his journey to Canaan, the birth of his son Ishmael, the covenant between him, his descendants, and God, and God’s commandment to circumcise the mal

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Oct 214 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת נֹחַ / Parashat Noach 5786 / 25 October 2025 / 3 Cheshvan 5786
Parashat Noach 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת נֹחַ 25 October 2025 / 3 Cheshvan 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Noach is the 2nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 6:9-11:32 Noach (“Noah”) begins as God decides to destroy mankind with a flood. At God’s command, the righteous Noah builds an ark, where Noah, his family, and select animals survive the flood. Noah’s children bear children, and several generations develop. God conf

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Oct 173 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית / Parashat Bereshit 5786 18 October 2025 / 26 Tishrei 5786
Parashat Bereshit 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית 18 October 2025 / 26 Tishrei 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube 1 10-Minute Torah on YouTube 2 Parashat Bereshit is the 1st weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion: Genesis 1:1-6:8 Bereishit (“In the Beginning”), the first parashah in the annual Torah reading cycle, begins with God’s creation of the world. The first people, Adam and Eve, eat from the Tree of Knowledge and are banished from th

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Oct 144 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה / Parashat Vezot Haberakhah 15 Oct 2025 / 23 Tishrei 5786 (Simchat Torah)
Parashat Vezot Haberakhah / פָּרָשַׁת וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vezot Haberakhah is the 54th weekly Torah...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Oct 94 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ / Parashat Ha’azinu 5786 4 October 2025 / 12 Tishrei 5786
Parashat Ha’azinu 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ 4 October 2025 / 12 Tishrei 5786 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Ha’azinu is the 53rd...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Sep 243 min read


Parashat וַיֵּלֶךְ / Vayeilech 5786 27 September 2025 / 5 Tishrei 5786 (Diaspora)
10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vayeilech is the 52nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. This page...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Sep 154 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים / Parashat Nitzavim 5785 20 September 2025 / 27 Elul 5785
Parashat Nitzavim 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת נִצָּבִים 20 September 2025 / 27 Elul 5785 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Nitzavim is the 51st...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Sep 93 min read


D'var Torah for כִּי־תָבוֹא / Ki Tavo 5785 13 September 2025 / 20 Elul 5785
10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Ki Tavo is the 50th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Deuteronomy...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Sep 43 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תֵצֵא / Parashat Ki Teitzei 5785 6 September 2025 / 13 Elul 5785
Parashat Ki Teitzei 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תֵצֵא 6 September 2025 / 13 Elul 5785 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Ki Teitzei is the...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Aug 273 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת שׁוֹפְטִים / Parashat Shoftim 5785 30 August 2025 / 6 Elul 5785
Parashat Shoftim 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת שׁוֹפְטִים 30 August 2025 / 6 Elul 5785 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Shoftim is the 48th weekly...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Aug 193 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת רְאֵה / Parashat Re’eh 5785 23 August 2025 / 29 Av 5785
10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Re’eh is the 47th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion:...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Aug 143 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת עֵקֶב / Parashat Eikev 5785 16 August 2025 / 22 Av 5785
10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Eikev is the 46th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah Portion:...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Aug 63 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת וָאֶתְחַנַּן / Parashat Vaetchanan 5785 9 August 2025 / 15 Av 5785
10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Vaetchanan is the 45th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Torah...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Jul 314 min read


D'var Torah for פָּרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים / Parashat Devarim 5785 2 August 2025 / 8 Av 5785
Parashat Devarim 5785 / פָּרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים 2 August 2025 / 8 Av 5785 10-Minute Torah on YouTube Parashat Devarim is the 44th weekly...

Rabbi Stephen Epstein
Jul 234 min read
bottom of page

























