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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Vayechi – Right and Left No matter how great, glorious and spiritual it was when we had the Holy Temple in Jerusalem; we have now reached even greater heights in exile. We have thrived and been fruitful in spite of all the obstacles and tribulations that we encountered throughout the last 2,000 years of exile. Particularly, Parsha Vayechi – Spread the Inspiration Jacob went beyond the platitudinous well-wishing of many a loving parent. He blessed his sons Shimon and Levi with the ability to transform their energy into a positive force. Moreover, he gave them the ultimate blessing that they share this heightened energy with all the other tribes. This indeed i Parsha Vayechi – Swords and Arrows Three times a day, even the most spiritually unskilled person, with minimal preparation and emotion, can accomplish much in procuring from G-d the needs for which we pray. We should never underestimate the power of our daily prayers, even if they appear routine and perfunctory. Parsha Vayechi – Swords and Bows Of all the requests that a Jew makes in his daily prayers — specifically, in the Amidah, or the Shemoneh Esrei as it is also known — the most significant one is the request for Moshiach and Redemption. This is true not only because Redemption is the most important request, but also because all our o Parsha Vayechi – The Moral Family Morality defines the way we behave vis-à-vis G-d. When a person engages in forbidden relationships it may not be a direct crime against humanity but it is considered to be a moral abomination and an affront to G-d. The second form of morality involves one’s relationship with others. Adultery and abu Parsha Vayechi – The Ultimate Blessing Our Sages tell us that when truly righteous people pursue a certain goal, it will inevitably be reached. Jacob’s efforts to instill true brotherly love in the DNA of the souls of his children finally paid off in the next generation with Ephraim and Menasheh. These two symbolize the ideal of King Dav Parsha Vayechi – True Life-Dual Goodness There are those who feel a very close relationship with G-d; while others feel a sense of affinity and responsibility for others. Any good one does in either of these two directions stands on its own, but falls short of its goal if it is not combined with the other. It is not simply that two is bett Parsha Vayechi – You Have Reached Your Destination Chassidic sources, based on the teachings of the Zohar, there is some indication that Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben Dovid may actually be one and the same person. The different titles he is given represent different phases in the process of the Redemption. The Moshiach ben Yoseph phase is the Parsha Vayechi – Where’s the Blessing? “Water,” in general, and the “sea” in particular are metaphors for Torah. More specifically, the Messianic Age is characterized as an age in which Divine knowledge will deluge the world. In the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the seabed is covered Parsha 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 despoil the world. There is no time where this mission can be realized as much as it can during Chanukah, where light is not just a metaphor, but a ta Parsha 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 poses The exile experience was even instrumental in our development as the great and holy nation we are. On the other hand, we should never make peace Parsha 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 station, a moment of repose during the transition from Shabbos into the weekdays. Those precious moments connect Shabbos to the weekdays. It can be daunti Parsha 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 study. Joseph is study and Judah is action. When the Torah says that “Judah approached Joseph,” it teaches us the need for us to fuse action with know Parsha 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 losing that connection. In order not to risk that synthesis unraveling, Joseph immediately asks for his father's coming to Egypt. Parsha 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 them to withstand the pressures of assimilation. Judah was not only guaranteeing their survival and prosperity in Egypt, but was also sowing the seeds Parsha 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 in our lives. During Shabbos, we are uplifted and do not need to be reminded of the boundaries between the holy and the profane that must be respected. Parsha 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 state: “There is no free person other than one who is engaged in Torah study.” One of Moshiach’s qualifications is: “he will meditate on Torah.” Notwit Parsha 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 G-d has not yet found a “home” in our world. G-d, our Father, is still suffering in exile, even as we are prospering materially and even spiritually. O Parsha 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. A Jew must harness the exile conditions to serve as a catalyst for greater growth. Parsha 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 influence the way we think and act, we harness the “wagons,” the vehicles that move us from one place to another in our lives, to follow in our directi