vayigash

This week we read Vayigash… and he approached.  Yehudah is approaching Yosef, his long-lost brother, who is now unrecognizable, as he stands in the garments of governor of Egypt. The clothes can indeed make, and disguise, both the “man” and his intentions.

Over the course of Vayigash we read about the negotiations of the brothers and Yosef to ensure their family members will be fed.  We read frequent references to the land the Israelites will inhabit – a gift from Pharaoh, the land of Goshen. Goshen will become a place of plenty after these years of famine. It will also be a place that is home, but not home. A displacement for years to come.More

Dear friends,

The holiday of Hannukah is over, but its profound message never leaves us. We must stand up for our beliefs. We have had many colonizers over us in Israel – from Babylonians to Assyrians to Greeks to Romans to Ottomans and Brits! And we have always had a remnant population survive. Israel lives within each of us. And we have the blessing of being obligated to the mitzvoth – to putting our Judaism into action. Some of you will read the Elie Wiesel story posted here – a reminder of how seriously we take our tradition. And, as Joel Fagan reminded us on Shabbat morning, how seriously we take our freedom to be Jews both in Israel and across the world.

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