9 Tevet 5773 / 21-22 December 2012
Parashat Vayiggash
Torah: Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please
cite the source.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saintly Insight
"(Joseph said,) 'Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me here; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.'" Gen. 45:5
"As he sent his brothers off on their way, he told them, 'Do not be quarrelsome on the way.'" Gen. 45:24
Immediately upon disclosing himself to his flabbergasted brothers, Joseph tells them not to worry - their selling him into Egyptian slavery was all part of God's plan to save the family of Jacob, and thus the Jewish people. Since God has been seemingly absent, or at least silent, from the Joseph cycle of stories, one must ask how Joseph knows that this is God's plan. Clearly, Joseph is a man of profound faith and saintliness. For all of those years in prison, there is nothing in the Torah to indicate that he plotted revenge against his brothers, complained about his situation or questioned God. The first opportunity he has to build himself up, in interpreting dreams, he says that interpretations come from God, not from himself. Now that he is regent over allEgypt
Such a high level of acceptance and forgiveness is something we should all strive for. But another, equally lofty goal is set for us in how he continues the conversation. "Do not reproach yourselves." "Do not be quarrelsome on the way." Joseph knows the ways of man, as well as the ways of God. He has the insight to realize that his brothers might now argue over who was responsible for selling Joseph into slavery, and causing years of grief for Jacob and guilt for themselves. Joseph tells them that they need not concern themselves with this sort of behavior. It is irrelevant in the face of the matter at hand - their survival as a family and our survival as a people.
Joseph teaches us two profound lessons in these two verses. One is that we have to trust in God that our lives will work out - there are reasons, even though we do not understand them at the time of events, even though we may never understand them – even though there may be no reasons at all. The other is that finger pointing and recriminations serve no useful purpose - they prevent us from getting on with the business of living our lives to the best of our abilities.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saintly Insight
"(Joseph said,) 'Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me here; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.'" Gen. 45:5
"As he sent his brothers off on their way, he told them, 'Do not be quarrelsome on the way.'" Gen. 45:24
Immediately upon disclosing himself to his flabbergasted brothers, Joseph tells them not to worry - their selling him into Egyptian slavery was all part of God's plan to save the family of Jacob, and thus the Jewish people. Since God has been seemingly absent, or at least silent, from the Joseph cycle of stories, one must ask how Joseph knows that this is God's plan. Clearly, Joseph is a man of profound faith and saintliness. For all of those years in prison, there is nothing in the Torah to indicate that he plotted revenge against his brothers, complained about his situation or questioned God. The first opportunity he has to build himself up, in interpreting dreams, he says that interpretations come from God, not from himself. Now that he is regent over all
Such a high level of acceptance and forgiveness is something we should all strive for. But another, equally lofty goal is set for us in how he continues the conversation. "Do not reproach yourselves." "Do not be quarrelsome on the way." Joseph knows the ways of man, as well as the ways of God. He has the insight to realize that his brothers might now argue over who was responsible for selling Joseph into slavery, and causing years of grief for Jacob and guilt for themselves. Joseph tells them that they need not concern themselves with this sort of behavior. It is irrelevant in the face of the matter at hand - their survival as a family and our survival as a people.
Joseph teaches us two profound lessons in these two verses. One is that we have to trust in God that our lives will work out - there are reasons, even though we do not understand them at the time of events, even though we may never understand them – even though there may be no reasons at all. The other is that finger pointing and recriminations serve no useful purpose - they prevent us from getting on with the business of living our lives to the best of our abilities.
Each of us has a Joseph within. But we have to believe it in order to make it real in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Visit me on Facebook
"For the sake ofZion I will not be silent;
for the sake of Jerusalem
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Visit me on Facebook
"For the sake of
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch and Learn is an ongoing
program of Bet Midrash Shalom that meets most Tuesdays to discuss Jewish texts
and other topics of Jewish interest. It is open to all regardless of
affiliation. Next meeting is Tuesday,
January 8, 12:00 noon, at Congregation Beth Meier, 11725 Moorpark St. , Studio City ,
CA 91604
Refuah Shleimah: Bobbie Chasen,
Selby Horowitz, Pamela Huddleston, Sara Lanxner, Emily Levin, Frank Markowitz,
Yitzchak Simcha ben Bayla, Herman Rassp, Helen Reiter, Len Reiter, Adin Ring,
Gil Robbins, Rachel Robbins, Judith Sakurai, Helen Tomsky, Betty Varon and
Seymour Waterman.
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in
honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with
the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
