Category: Weekly Torah Portion

We are in the last section of Genesis, at the end of the cycle of stories about Joseph. Last week, Joseph revealed to his brothers that he was their long-lost brother. Their reaction was shock and fear. Joseph tried to calm them down and explain: "And now, do not be sad, and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45:5) Joseph placed his entire story of being sold by his brothers within a clear framework: he had arrived in Egypt by God's providence, in order to save his family from famine and enable them to survive. The brothers, on the other hand, who until a moment ago saw Joseph as a threatening and abusive Egyptian ruler, suddenly discovered that he was their brother. The same man with absolute power, the one who played with them, imprisoned them, threatened and frightened them, was the brother they had hurt. And if so, what they had experienced until now was revenge (even if out of great and justified anger towards them). Had Joseph taken sufficient revenge? Had Joseph forgiven them? It was a moment of upheaval – unclear, frightening, but also potentially reassuring, because perhaps now their trials would come to an end.

Joseph's invitation to the entire family to come down to Egypt seems like a sign of reconciliation. The issues have been resolved, and the past is behind them. Joseph provides for his brothers, cares for them, and gives them a place to live and security. And the highlight: finally, the father and his beloved son, Jacob and Joseph, can be together. It seems that the story has come to a peaceful conclusion, that the family has been reunited and that it is possible to move on.

But then, in our parashah, Jacob is gathered to his fathers, and it seems that fear returns: And Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, and they said, "Joseph will surely hate us and repay us for all the evil we did to him."evil we did to him." The brothers fear that Joseph will continue to hold a grudge against them and do them harm. If so, what has actually happened all these years? Have the relations between the brothers not stabilized and solidified? Is the story not yet over? Why do they feel that Joseph has not yet forgiven them?

Nachmanides says that Jacob never knew that his sons had sold Joseph; they were afraid to tell him for fear that he would curse them, and they continued to maintain the lie all those years. Joseph himself did not tell Jacob, because he did not want to bring a curse upon the family and perhaps because he did not want to speak ill of them again, as he had done in his youth. So as long as Jacob was alive, there was a framework that held the family together and enabled forgiveness. With Jacob's death, what had been left unsaid and unresolved resurfaced. Therefore, the brothers turned to Joseph with a request and a plea: “Please forgive your brothers" transgression and their sin" (50:17). For the first time, we hear the brothers asking for forgiveness in words. This appeal reveals how deeply the wound still lives within them, and how the forgiveness they have been given so far has not been complete and genuine for them.

And indeed, did Joseph forgive his brothers?

Joseph's response to his brothers" request for forgiveness echoes what he had already told them: "And Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, in order to bring about today's result, to preserve many people alive.' (Genesis 45:19-20) In other words, "everything comes from God'—the good, the bad, and the not-so-bad. He does not deny their evil intentions: he knows full well what they did to him. Nevertheless, Joseph chooses to put the story behind him by giving meaning to the bigger picture. Not by returning to the hurt and seeking personal forgiveness, but through the belief that everything was ordained from above and that the injustice done to him was part of the path that God had paved for him. The concept of everything being for the best is deeply rooted and familiar in Judaism: 'This too is for the best.“ Not as a denial of the pain, but as a suggestion for a different way of framing it. And apparently, for Joseph, this is the path to forgiveness and healing.

The brothers, on the other hand, are in a completely different place. The good that came out of the injury and the story of the sale does not satisfy them; they are troubled, what they did was indeed bad, and they bear guilt and shame. For them, saying that it was all God's doing does not necessarily alleviate their need to be sure that Joseph has forgiven them for their actions. Such a statement sounds like a deflection of human responsibility and an unwillingness to deal deeply with the process of forgiveness between them. Now that they no longer need to hide from Jacob, they cannot continue their lives without truly forgiving each other. Until that happens, the brothers fear Joseph. They want to take responsibility for their actions in order to free themselves from guilt, but they also need Joseph's deep forgiveness, which he may or may not be able to give them.

As a supporting anecdote, it is interesting to note that Joseph's initial response to his brothers" request was to cry. "And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.' (Genesis 50:17) It is true that Joseph is known as a crier, but perhaps his crying reflects his unprocessed feelings about what his brothers did to him, which only highlights how much work he still has to do in terms of forgiveness.

The parashah Vayechi invites us to consider that there is no single way to forgive and no single way to heal. Some people heal by explicitly asking forgiveness from the offender and acknowledging the pain caused; others heal by finding broader meaning and faith; some heal through time and distance; and some wounds remain open and become part of the story of life. The Torah does not decide which way is better. It presents a complex human picture and allows us to recognize that different people deal with pain and hurt in different ways.

I think that the fact that the Book of Genesis ends with the theme of forgiveness is no coincidence and is very relevant to our times. It is a message that speaks of forgiveness as a stepping stone to healing and prosperity. In order to break the cycle of hurt and violence, we must find the strength to forgive and confront the pain and difficulty, rather than moving on without addressing the depth of the hurt we have suffered and inflicted on others. The parashah Vayechi leaves us with a question that is both personal and public: How will we choose to heal our pain? Joseph was so hurt, and when he reached a position of power, he acted out of pain that turned into revenge. What will we choose: power and pain after the fact, or the power of forgiveness out of pain and healing? How can we hold on to our power without turning our wounds into justification for hurting others, even if they have hurt us?.

Perhaps healing does not begin with justification or judgment, but with the ability to distinguish between pain and revenge, between protection and abuse. This is not a suggestion to erase what has been done to us, but neither is it an agreement to shape us as a society solely through our wounds, but rather through the forgiveness we grant each other.

A peaceful Sabbath

The parashah of Vayigash is a parashah of encounters, whose power is so great that even when faced with letters, black on white, the heart trembles again and again. It contains love, soul, and no small amount of tears; there are hugs, necks, ears, hearts, lives described as "meager and evil," and also abundance, fertility, and growth of the Jewish people.

In the opening scene of the story, Joseph (in Pharaoh's house) stands before his brothers, who have been brought to the palace as slaves. He insists that Benjamin remain as a slave while the other brothers are released to return to Canaan. Judah begs Joseph to allow him to remain as his slave in Egypt so that Benjamin can return to their father Jacob. Beneath the surface, the drama is intense – Joseph alone knows about the family connection, and yes, there is a connection between Joseph and Benjamin – Rachel's only two sons.

Judah's speech is captivating. He appeals to Joseph's mercy and describes Jacob's special bond with Benjamin. Judah's magnanimity—both toward his father Jacob and toward his younger brother—is a model of solidarity and mutual responsibility among family members, between children and their parents, and between siblings. Judah says: "My lord, we have an aged father and a young child, and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother and his father, and they love him" (Genesis 44:20). These few words convey so much pain and loss – a family that once had four members and now has only two; a bereaved father who has only one son left, his youngest, "alone with his mother,' who is no longer alive. This son is 'beloved by his father' – especially loved.

Judah describes to Joseph his fear for Jacob's life if Benjamin does not return to him. He quotes Jacob's words: "You know that my wife bore me two sons. one of them went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn to pieces," and I have not seen him to this day. And if you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him,you have brought my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow" (Genesis 44:27-29). Judah describes the connection between Jacob and Benjamin with the expression: "and his soul is bound up in his soul" (ibid., 30). It is difficult to think of a stronger expression to convey the connection between two people, especially when it comes to the relationship between a parent and a child. Perhaps we can find an echo of this expression in the words Nathan Alterman wrote to his daughter Tirza Atar: "Guard your soul, guard your strength, guard your soul' ("Shir Mishmar," 1965). Is there not also a soul bound to a soul here?

Upon hearing Judah's speech, "And Joseph could not restrain himself" (Genesis 45:1), he sends away those in the palace who are not members of his family and confesses that he is their brother whom they sold. The encounter between Joseph and his brothers is full of kindness. Joseph "wept aloud," while his brothers "could not answer him, for they were terrified because of him" (Genesis 45:3). With great nobility, Joseph asks his brothers: "Do not be sad and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me," and describes the events of the past: "For God sent me before you to preserve life"(Genesis 45:5). The divine plan, therefore, sent Joseph before his brothers to become a significant figure who, thanks to his skills and position, saves them from mass starvation and in fact enables the family to continue to exist, and hence the existence of the people.

Joseph and Benjamin fall upon their brother's neck weeping, Joseph kisses all his brothers, "and he wept upon them; and afterward his brothers talked with him" (ibid., 15). Upon hearing of the family drama unfolding in the palace, Pharaoh invites Joseph to bring his entire extended family to Egypt and even provides everything necessary for their journey.

When Jacob's brothers tell him in Canaan that Joseph is alive and ruling over all of Egypt, his heart stops – "And his heart died, for he did not believe them" (Genesis 45:26). His spirit returns after his brothers reassure him with explanations – "And the spirit of Jacob their father revived" (Genesis 45:27).

From the change that takes place in Jacob's life, he is once again called Israel – "And Israel said, "My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die"" (Genesis 45:28); It is enough for me that Joseph is alive; it is enough for me to see him, and then I can die.

The meeting between Joseph and Jacob is full of emotion and physical closeness. Jacob says to Joseph: "Now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive, I am ready to die in peace" (Genesis 46:30).– Now that I have seen you alive, I want nothing more, and I can die in peace.

The Torah, which is usually sparing with emotions and descriptions, repeatedly notes the range of feelings experienced by Jacob, his brothers, and Joseph. Excitement, doubt, joy, and fear rise like a rainbow of emotions that reaches its peak in the powerful moments of encounter. Reading the portion of Vayigash this year, after more than two years of longing for a reunion with those who were kidnapped and held captive by the enemy, echoes the feelings that we too experienced, as individuals and as a nation: Two years in which we witnessed the suffering of parents whose children were between life and death and far from them, of family members and friends who lived in anguish and fear. How great was the pain for those who returned without life, how good it was to see again the faces of those who returned alive and to witness the reunions.

In prayer for the return of Ran Guili and the end of the wars. 

Shabbat Shalom!

The stories of Joseph are like an alpine mountain range. A developing collection, unparalleled in the Bible in terms of length, depth, and plot twists. The complex relationship between Joseph and his brothers and father, between him and his surroundings, and between him and himself provides exciting and breathtaking moments that are moving every time you read them.

In the parashah Miketz, the brothers return to Egypt for the second time to break bread in order to save their family from famine in the land of Canaan. This time they go down to Egypt with Benjamin. Jacob is persuaded by Judah to send Benjamin to Egypt with the rest of the brothers at Joseph's request, even though he is afraid of what might happen to him and even says so explicitly:

"And he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if disaster should befall him on the journey you are taking, thenyou will bring down my gray head with sorrow" (Genesis 42:38).

Enough! says Jacob. I have experienced enough grief and cannot bear the possibility of another disaster befalling Benjamin. And then Judah stands up and makes a promise to Jacob: "I will guarantee it myself. You may ask for it, and if I do not bring it to you and present it before you, I will be guilty before you all the days.." ; (Genesis 43:9). He continues to press Jacob, arguing that time is short and the discussion is long, and that if they had refrained from doing so, they would already have returned home with food in their hands: "For if we had not delayed, we would have returned twice by now."  (Genesis 33:10)

Jacob reluctantly agrees, and Benjamin goes down with his brothers. They meet Joseph, who is now the governor of Egypt, and they return home well-provided for and satisfied. But then, at the end of the story, to the brothers' horror, a cup that Joseph's men had planted in Benjamin's sack is discovered.

"And he searched the great and the small, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. They tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city." (Genesis 44:10, 11)

Joseph rebukes his brothers and wonders aloud how they could have failed to realize that a seer like him would immediately know about the stolen cup. He brings his brothers to a difficult point, to a shock in which they will be forced to recognize his power as a dreamer. But then, with all due respect to dreams, something unforeseeable happens, a moment that all of Joseph's actions have been leading up to: a moment of freedom in which the brothers' judgment is tested. What will they do when it is revealed that their little brother Benjamin has sinned and stolen? (Of course, according to their understanding of the situation, without knowing that it is Joseph's plot). Then Judah speaks on behalf of everyone: "And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we say to my lord?"
Let us speak, and what shall we justify? God has found the iniquity of your servants; we are servants of the Lord, both we and those whofound the cup in his hand.".(Genesis 34:16)

Without knowing that he is speaking to Joseph, several things happen in this sentence:

A. It seems that Judah is confessing here, even before God, the sin of his brothers, the great sin of selling Joseph. This confession simmers in Judah's subconscious.

B. What happens openly on the surface is something else, which may also be what later arouses Joseph's compassion. Judah declares: We are all servants of my lord, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found. At this dramatic moment, the brothers' solidarity with their brother breaks out, even though, according to what is known to them, he has sinned and committed a crime. It is hard to believe, but at no point do the brothers accuse Benjamin of having the cup in his hand; rather, they declare that their fate will be the same as his!

Once the cup is found in Benjamin's possession, they will all become slaves to the Egyptian ruler who exposed their shame. This is the moment when a sense of brotherhood, which had been absent in the past, emerges in the relationship between the brothers. There were good reasons for the estrangement between them, but it led them to disintegration, loss, and brokenness.

The ascent begins at the point where, even though Benjamin could be blamed for the situation that has arisen, his brothers stand behind him and with him, taking upon themselves a shared fate – as guarantors for one another. This is where the turning point in the story begins, and it is no coincidence that the Torah pauses at this moment, at the height of the drama, and leaves us waiting a whole week until the parashah of Vayigash.

It may not be coincidental that this is the passage that is always read on Shabbat Chanukah, reflecting the same awareness that was later expressed in the well-known Zionist song: "Each of us is a small light, and together we are a powerful light."

There is still no redemption here, and this is not simple unity. It is based on much evil that existed between the brothers, and there is still no release. Many stages of distress will still pass before Joseph confesses to his brothers and the story comes to a peaceful conclusion.

But this is the small light, the first from which a greater light of correction will later emerge.

It seems that this week there is no need to elaborate on the power of a small light and the hope inherent in a moment of solidarity to bring about a connection that may ultimately lead to a better reality.

Happy Hanukkah

Shabbat Shalom!

 After all the ups and downs in Jacob's life had been sorted out, the parashah Vayeshev starts with the words: "And Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived, in the land of Canaan. These are the events that happened to Jacob" (37:1-2). Jacob had found peace and his inheritance.

But then, as in a Greek tragedy, cracks and fissures appear, which develop into crises and disasters. And again, surprisingly, as in a Hollywood movie, they end with a happy ending.

Immediately after the opening words, "These are the generations of Jacob," there is a sharp transition to the stories of Joseph. Joseph, the son of Rachel, the beloved wife, was named Joseph by his mother. "And she said, 'God has taken away my reproach," and she called his name Joseph (future tense), saying, 'May the Lord add to me another son'" (30:23). The name Joseph is a kind of hint at his qualities that will be revealed later on., add Insights, interpretations, and abundance, even in times of scarcity and drought.

In interpreting the dreams of the cupbearers and in the following passage interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph emphasizes that "God alone can give the interpretation" (41:8). "Without me, God will answer Pharaoh's question" (41:16). Joseph sees himself as a conduit connecting and transmitting God's word to humans, a line connecting heaven and earth, a line that is a source of hope, hope from the word "line.".

At the beginning of the next episode, Pharaoh adds a title of honor to Joseph: "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah" (Genesis 45). This is the name Pharaoh gave Joseph after he interpreted his dreams, and it means "revealer of secrets, interpreter of mysteries.".

Deciphering the hidden, whether in dreams or in reality, is the central theme of the parashah, running like a thread through its various parts. The name Tzfonat Pa'neach is also The Code To understand the entire affair and the insights derived from it.

British anthropologist Clifford Geertz[i], coined the term deep structure ("depth structure"), teaching us that visible reality is an outer layer, and that the deeper meaning, hidden from our eyes, awaits discovery.  

Even the seemingly puzzling story, which breaks the sequence of Joseph's stories, the story of Judah and Tamar, is deciphered as a revelation of hidden insight. Deciphering the names of the twins that Tamar gives birth to for Judah, her father-in-law. "And it came to pass, when she gave birth, that there were twins in her womb. And as she was giving birth, one put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a red thread around his hand, saying, "This one came out first. ' But as he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, 'What a breach! You have broken through. ' And he was named Perez. Then his brother, who had the red thread on his hand, came out, and he was named Zerah." (Genesis 38:27-30).

The names of the twins are the key to the story., core The text, the story, is only the outer layer., The shell.

Even in a reality of breaches, crises, and fractures, we must reveal the hidden meaning, which is like the second thread of hope (see the story of Rahab and the spies), a hope that is a thread that will pull us out of the depths. From theburst Yizrach The light.

The affair is marked by ups and downs, a deceptive reality of inherent uncertainty, reminiscent of the drastic transitions and reality of light and shadow, crisis and euphoria in our region. Our hope and mission over the past two years,

find From the depths you The forces of elevation The northerners, who will pull us out of the pit by our hair,  And there was light.

[i] "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight," Clifford Geertz, Interpretation of cultures, Keter Publishing House, 1990.

The parashah Vayishlach continues the story of Jacob and his family after their escape from Haran and ends with the death of Isaac. Jacob also receives a new name there., Israel, after wrestling with an angel on the way.  

Jacob stayed in Haran for 22 years (and we will return to this number, 22 years, later on). The sale of Joseph In a few weeks, he will return to his homeland with his wives, children, and livestock, which he acquired in Haran, and will meet his nemesis, his twin brother Esau.

Even after 22 years, Jacob is still afraid of Esau and angry at him because of Receiving Isaac's blessings by deception By Jacob, an act that led to Jacob's flight to Haran. Jacob decides to initiate a meeting between himself and Esau, and sends messengers to inform him that he is returning from Haran. The messengers inform him that Esau is on his way to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob is anxious about the meeting and prepares for it.

Rashi He describes the preparations as follows: "He prepared himself for three things: toDoron, toPrayer, andwar"The gift and the prayer are explicitly stated in the text, and the preparation for war is learned from the words "and the remaining camp shall be saved." Jacob prepares a gift for Esau and sends it ahead with his servants, and crosses the Jabbok with his camp.

After making preparations, Jacob meets with Esau. During their meeting, Esau shows signs of brotherly love toward Jacob, embracing and kissing him, and both of them weep. After Jacob's entreaties, Esau accepts his gift and invites him to visit him at his home – the land of Mount Seir. Jacob refuses, and Esau goes on his way.

The reconciliation appears to be genuine, since at the end of the parashah, upon Isaac's death, it is stated, "And Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him." They buried him together, and Esau (the firstborn) was again given precedence over Jacob.

Later in the story, Dinah, Jacob's daughter, goes out to see the women of the land., kidnapped andraped By Shechem, son of Hamor הHivi Described in the Bible as 'the president of the land":

And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and violated her. And his soul was drawn to Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this girl as a wife.".

Jacob hears about the deed and remains silent, but when his sons hear about it, they react with great sadness and anger. After the deed, Hamor and Shechem come and ask for their consent to Shechem's marriage to Dinah. Jacob's sons make their consent conditional onword of all the city's residents, who rush to fulfill the request at the encouragement of Hamor and Shechem. On the third day, they go out Shimon andLevi Jacob's sons go to the city, kill all its inhabitants, rescue Dinah, andlooters the city. Jacob criticizes the act of Shimon and Levi, claiming that the people of the country may now gather and kill him and his family.

His sons answer him: "The whore will do our sister.".

The brothers' apparent concern for their sister's honor stands in stark contrast to The disappearance of Dina The continuation of the story of Jacob's family.  

The biblical number moves in circles, and in the story of Shechem, the question of theCollective punishment which appeared just two weeks ago in the story of Sodom, in an event that takes place near the fear of an act revenge I have information about an event that took place 22 years ago.

How is collective punishment justified in the story of Dinah? As Ramban asks: "And how did the righteous sons of Jacob do this thing, shedding innocent blood?"?

הRambam Justifies the actions of Shimon and Levi by saying: "And because of this, all the men of Shechem were liable to death, for Shechem had stolen, And they saw, and they knew, and they did not judge him."Those who remain silent about a despicable act – partner.

The Ramban disagrees with the Rambam, and believes that "it is not up to Jacob and his sons to judge them." In his opinion, Jacob's sons believed that they were permitted to kill the people of Shechem because they were wicked. Jacob told them that they "had committed violence against the people of the city" because they had violated the agreement made in his presence, and perhaps the people of Shechem would have returned to God, "and they killed them for no reason, because they had done them no harm.".

הMaharal – Believes that Jacob's sons were "permitted to take revenge on them" because they had committed "a despicable act.".

In my opinion, all commentators express discomfort with the actions of Shimon and Levi. Even those who find reasons to justify it need arguments to explain an act that is, on the face of it, inappropriate. This also corresponds to the fate of the two extreme fathers. Shimon and Levi Subsequently, their descendants were excluded from the Jewish people – the tribe of Simeon disappeared early in history, and the tribe of Levi became a tribe of sacred vessels who are not full partners in the audience. Even if their behavior was technically "legal," the opinion of the history of the Jewish people is not comfortable with it.

The parashah Vayishlach continues the process of Jacob's rectification of his actions in his father's house, a rectification that began with his long exile in Haran. If, in his flight, his actions, Esau says And Jacob did this twice. and connects the root of his brother's name heel To deceive him, the angel calls him Israel from the root straight Describing his great correction. The continuation of his actions toward Esau while cooling the enmity between them, and his anger at Shimon and Levi The fact that the people of Shechem were deceived represents this correction. His experiences in this episode and the rest of his life show how easy it is to destroy and how difficult it is to repair.

Shabbat Shalom!