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22 chapters · by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

Light from the Future: Parshas Vayigash

Published by the Jewish Discovery Center. Every chapter is free to read below.

  1. Vayigash – Bar Mitzvah Beyond Forty! Chassidic Masters taught us that Joseph and Judah, in addition to being real historical figures, allegorically represent the two worlds of action and…
  2. Vayigash – Child’s Play? Our task as Jews is to be a “light unto the nations,” to preserve and regenerate the purity and holiness that existed before people began to soil and…
  3. Vayigash – Distress but No Fear There is no reason to fear exile, because G-d gives us all the resources we need to cope with it and to prevail over all the obstacles life in exile…
  4. Vayigash – Double Power When Shabbos ends we recite Havdalah to acknowledge the separation between Shabbos and weekdays. The goal of Havdalah is to provide us with a way…
  5. Vayigash – Five Garments of the Future Because of Judah’s unique quality, Jacob sends him ahead of all the others to Goshen. Judah was to serve as a bulwark for the Jewish people enabling…
  6. Vayigash – “I Am Joseph; Is My Father Still Alive,” Synthesis Joseph had managed to successfully synthesize the modern world (Joseph) with the tradition (“my father”). He also realized that he was capable of…
  7. Vayigash – It’s Time to Make Havdalah Havdalah is an affirmation of the importance of the Shabbos. It is also the recognition that we must appreciate the need for separation and division…
  8. Vayigash – Learning on the Way When we travel into Galus, it is imperative that we do not cease Torah study. Torah empowers us to overcome the darkness of exile. Indeed, our Sages…
  9. Vayigash – No More Mediation The entire contentious relationship between Joseph and his brothers foretold deep divisions within the Jewish people. From the split of Israel into…
  10. Vayigash – Old Wine for Old Men The Messianic Age will not be a throwback to ancient times. On the contrary, we will experience the greatest advances and strides in science and…
  11. Vayigash – One Father Ten Children Notwithstanding all the positive changes in the world, G-d’s presence is still eclipsed. G-d’s Temple has still not been rebuilt, which implies that…
  12. Vayigash – Sitting in the Driver’s Seat The path to Redemption includes our mastery over all aspects of Egypt (read: exile, environment, dominant culture, fads). Rather than allowing it to…
  13. Vayigash – Surviving Is Not Enough A Jew is a survivor. For a Jew it does not suffice to be just as survivor; a Jew must become an “opportunist” in the most positive sense of the word.…
  14. Vayigash – The Joseph and Judah Mindset Jacob knew the challenge that lie ahead for the Jewish people in the land of Egypt. To insure that the Jewish people would withstand the pressures of…
  15. Vayigash – The Joys of Monotheism When we realize that we have one G-d who is our Creator and Provider, we feel a kinship that makes us feel that we are part of one family. And even…
  16. Vayigash – The Royal Yeshivah Torah is the “blueprint of creation” and has the power to affect the natural order of the world Any contradiction we find between Torah and our lives…
  17. Vayigash – The Shema Reunion We are presently living in an era that the prophets referred to as the "end of days." The process that began with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve…
  18. Vayigash – Traveling Tips When we are home or when we reach our destination we are not as vulnerable as we can be when we travel. Many of the problems the Jewish people…
  19. Vayigash – True Leadership 1 The Torah’s approach is that a human is essentially an intellectual being who has the capacity to control his/her emotions. When we exercise this…
  20. Vayigash – True Leadership Ii Throughout Jewish history, true Jewish leaders, followed in Judah’s footsteps and were prepared to give everything they possessed, both physical and…
  21. Vayigash – What Makes Us Human? The mode of speech that distinguishes us from other creatures’ communication is the form of speech that has the capacity to reveal our inner being;…
  22. Vayigash – When to Weep Moshiach is not just about restoring the world to its original state; it goes beyond that. Moshiach will introduce a dimension of G-dliness that…

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