Rosh HaShanah 5784: ”The Periphery of Redemption: The Torah Readings of Rosh haShannah ” (1/2) with Rabba Wendy Amsellem

How can we know what God wants of us? In Genesis 16, Sarai, Avram, and Hagar all struggle to understand their roles in God's covenant. Their interactions and their mistakes lay the groundwork for Genesis 21, the powerful Torah reading of the first day of Rosh haShannah. We will do a close reading of both of these biblical texts and utilize rabbinic midrashim to explore each character's motivation and why this story was chosen to be read on the Day of Judgment.