5
Tevet 5775 / 26-27 December 2014
Parashat
Vayiggash
Torah:
Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Haftarah:
Ezekiel 37:15-28
Calendar
and dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info
about Congregation Beth Meier, check out: www.bethmeier.org
Please
feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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DISHONOR
BEFORE DEATH?
"And Joseph could not restrain himself before all who stood by him, and he called out, 'Remove everyone from before me!' So no one remained with him when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers." Genesis 45:1
Rashi - He was unable to bear that Egyptians should stand by him and hear the humiliation of his brothers when he revealed himself.
A modern commentator, Z. Ron wonders how Rashi could possibly know what Joseph was thinking. Since he was the viceroy, maybe he did not want to embarrass himself before the Egyptians when he began crying. I might add that perhaps he would not want the Egyptians to know that this disheveled band of starving shepherds was his kin. The answer, according to Z. Ron, is in the next verse - "And he wept loudly, and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard." Thus, he says, Rashi is right - Joseph chose to embarrass himself rather than his brothers.
Jewish tradition teaches that publicly embarrassing another person is a form of murder. That's why we have the phrase "character assassination". Words, like arrows, cannot be recalled once they go forth. Joseph chose to suffer whatever dishonor there might have been in displaying weakness, rather than have his brothers suffer the "death" of public humiliation.
"And Joseph could not restrain himself before all who stood by him, and he called out, 'Remove everyone from before me!' So no one remained with him when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers." Genesis 45:1
Rashi - He was unable to bear that Egyptians should stand by him and hear the humiliation of his brothers when he revealed himself.
A modern commentator, Z. Ron wonders how Rashi could possibly know what Joseph was thinking. Since he was the viceroy, maybe he did not want to embarrass himself before the Egyptians when he began crying. I might add that perhaps he would not want the Egyptians to know that this disheveled band of starving shepherds was his kin. The answer, according to Z. Ron, is in the next verse - "And he wept loudly, and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard." Thus, he says, Rashi is right - Joseph chose to embarrass himself rather than his brothers.
Jewish tradition teaches that publicly embarrassing another person is a form of murder. That's why we have the phrase "character assassination". Words, like arrows, cannot be recalled once they go forth. Joseph chose to suffer whatever dishonor there might have been in displaying weakness, rather than have his brothers suffer the "death" of public humiliation.
As
it turns out, there was no embarrassment for Joseph at all. That Joseph's
brothers had come "... was pleasing in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes
of his servants." (45:16) Sparing others from humiliation, and
risking it for oneself, reaps respect, not dishonor. We gain respect by
respecting the dignity of others.
Shabbat
Shalom! Happy and Healthy 2015!
Rabbi
Richard A. Flom – ZSRS ‘00
Congregation
Beth Meier
Studio
City, CA
Visit
me on Facebook
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Candlelighting: 4:32 pm
Friday: Shabbat
Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday:
Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday:
NO Religious School –
resume January 11.
Tuesday: Lunch
and Learn – 12:00 Noon. Readings: One Year Review of the Pew Survey
Thursday,
1 January: Fast of Tevet. Office closed. Happy New Year!
Friday,
3 January: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday,
4 January: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Looking ahead:
Sunday,
25 January 2015: Congregation Beth Meier Annual Members’ Meeting – 2:00 pm.
This d’var torah is offered in honor of my wonderful wife, Lynn
Kronzek, who as of this coming Sunday, will have been putting up with me for 34
years. Happy Anniversary, my dear!
This d’var torah is offered in memory of Rabbi Leonard Beerman, who
passed away on Wednesday. Zekher tzaddik liv'rakhah.
This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel
Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Boaz ben Dina, Michah ben Dina, Miriam Minya bat Alisa
Batya, Sarah Mindel bat Toby, Bonnie Baird, Jeff Bluen, Elsbet Brosky,
John Todd Brosky, Howard Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel
Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Jerry Forman, Leo Hoenig (Leib ben Bella),
Neal Hoffman (Nachum ben Dina), Pamela Huddleston, Rose Jordan, Jayne Kaplan,
Lina Kniter (Lina bat Batya), Jeannie Kottler, Shirley Kronzek, and Annie
Rivera.
My
weekly divrei torah are also available by free subscription to the Cyber Torah list.
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management (no
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