Where Is Humanity?
This week’s Torah portion, Sh’mot, begins the well-known narrative of Israelite enslavement and redemption from Egyptian bondage.
Why So Many Plagues?
In the past few months, we have experienced many extraordinary catastrophes.
Self-Awareness Sets Us Free
“I’ve never been good with words,” he said.
“I wouldn't know what to say.
I wouldn’t know how to say it.
I wouldn’t even know who to say it to -
I’ve just never been good with words.”
Everyone Owns the Words of Torah
Learning, commenting, and reacting to our Torah’s teachings are a personal experience, or at least they should be. Like all books of the Torah, our relationship with Genesis grows deeper each year when we encounter it anew.
Counting Our Blessings and Sharing the Light
The story of Joseph is familiar to many who have never opened the
Parashat Vayechi is a Reminder to Keep Hope Alive
I find it hard to believe that we have already arrived at the last portion in the book of Genesis! By now, the matriarchs and patriarchs are like old friends: We’ve seen them celebrate and mourn, laugh and cry, hug, kiss, and wrestle.
Using Our “God-Sparks” to Reconcile Our Relationships
The True Measure of Repentance
In Vayigash, Joseph now a powerful man in Egypt conceals his identity from the brothers who had sold him into slavery years ago. In so doing, he allows them to confront their past mistakes.
How the Living Serve the Dead
In Vayechi, we hear the final requests of Jacob, and then Joseph, to bring back their remains to be buried in the land God promised to their ancestors. In carrying Joseph’s bones, Moses moves draws closer to his progenitor, giving us the opportunity to reflect on our connections to our forebears.
The Limits of Control
In Parashat Sh’mot, we learn the Israelites have been enslaved in Egypt by a pharaoh who did not know Joseph. To gain some small degree of control, the Israelites examine their behavior for flaws that may have caused the situation.