Parashat HaShuvah - Yayechi- "Shema Yisrael, Listen To The Final Words Of Jacob." Genesis 47:28-50:26, Haftarah, 1 Kings 2:1-12

In the final sedra of Genesis, parashat Vayechi, we conclude the last years of Joseph's life that ends with his death before we turn to Moses and Israel next week in Shemot, or Exodus. But the editor of this part of the Torah has us circle back to reencounter Jacob at the end of his life first.  The Jacob we met a long time ago was a dreamer and had visions, and as a spiritual man, we see that on display in his final words with his sons.

Jacob lived (vayechi) another 17 years in Egypt before he would die.  Transcending identity, religion, race, gender or what have you, like most people at the end of life Jacob has words he is compelled to share with his family.  In so doing he approached Joseph one way and his brothers another.  Perhaps as we learn from the Talmud (Berachot 13a), while both names may be used (Jacob and Israel are used interchangeably), Joseph understood the difference unlike his brothers who did not.  In this case “Israel” had a greater significance beyond just the name of his father but as a people who would be the eventual caretakers of Torah and matters of God.  What we do know for sure, however, is that Jacob wanted to bless all his sons and said, “The Messenger (God) who has redeemed me from all harm— Bless the lads” (Gen. 46:18).  But according to a Midrash (Tanhuma Vayechi 10) Jacob did so while “calling out in anguish” as he was pained to share with them.  In his parting blessing to Joseph’s children, Jacob proclaims that Ephraim and Manasseh shall be his offspring as is Reuven and Shimon, two names that will unfortunately be blotted out in the future.  Here the Ishbitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner (A past leading Rabbinical figure in Poland), says that the source of Jacob’s anxiety lay in the fact that he wants to bless his children but is now uncertain whether he should, seeking Divine wisdom given a loss for words in that moment. 

But are Jacob’s words considered blessings?  Ibn Ezra answers that by saying: "Those who say that they (Jacob’s words) are blessings, are mistaken. Where is the blessing in what was said to Reuven, Shimon and Levi?" Likewise Abravanel teaches that Jacob's words are "not meant to be a blessing, nor meant to be a reproach, nor to foretell the future... but to say whether or not they were worthy of having sovereignty and dominion."  This is what we also see in the Haftarah, 1 Kings 2, where on his deathbed King David instructs his son Solomon regarding his duties to the Kingdom of Israel.  The lack of Jacob’s son’s unified mindfulness in the text is why the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 65) teaches: based on Reuven’s sin the birthright was transferred to Joseph, the priesthood to Levi and the royalty to Judah.  Likewise, Shimon is punished for his part in Joseph being sold into slavery so many years earlier and for what happened in Shechem (Bereshit Rabbah 80:12). The result?  God says, “I (God) will divide them in Jacob,” a foreshadowing of a broken unity (the family tribes of Reuven and Shimon would eventually disappear as part of the 12 where the tribe of Levi would no longer be counted amongst the 12 but only as caretakers of the Temple).  Jacob understood and knew the following: he had a broken family and questioned if their lack of unity would compromise Israel in the future.  He also knew he must speak up!  Jacob wanted his sons to know what Jewish mystics would teach one day, “leit atar panui minei,” there is no place devoid of the Divine presence.  What the sons did in their now mattered tomorrow. That is no different today with us. 

The Laws of the Shema in Mishneh Torah (Hillcot Kriat Shema) for Maimonides has to do with faithfulness based on the unity of one nation and/or people.  In his teaching Maimonides calls upon this parasha and in particular the words Jacob speaks to his son’s right before he dies (cf. Gen. 49:1ff).  Calling again on the “sea” of Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 98), Jacob’s final words are more of a lament to his children saying, “God forbid that I may have produced an unfit son— as happened to Abraham, my father's father, out of whom sprang Ishmael, or as happened to my father Isaac, out of him sprang Esau?”  In response, his children replay in faithful affirmation, “Hear, O Israel [our father], The Lord is our God, the Lord alone' [Deut 6:4]. Just as in your heart there's only the One, so in our hearts there is only the One.”  Maimonides tells us that this is why Jacob said in joyful response, “Blessed be the name whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever,” a conflation of two Biblical texts into our current Shema prayer.

Jacob’s words and the Shema are about unity, a word that has far reaching implications. It is no longer a wonder to me that the world does not, in agreement, stand behind Israel or speak out against acts of antisemitism.   I am however perplexed why Jews stand opposed to other Jews who support Israel; are we not all saying the words of the Shema as the diversity of our familial ties runs deep??   Okay so we disagree about this or that, but why be a detractor?   Can a Jew or our communities stand up against hate in America but oppose Israel as if the two are somehow disconnected?  This of course can apply to virtually anything, but this text (and others) encourages us to think about how both the good and the bad have the power to forever alter the future based on our unity or lack of. Jacob knew this.  He knew that his son's connection went way beyond their physical proximity as their oneness was tied into what went before and what goes after them, a connection to the people of Israel and their future plight, but also to the physical and spiritual worlds.  Jacob knew that future success for his descendants had everything to do with his parting words, so he said to his sons, Shema Yisrael - Listen Israel to the voice of your father Jacob - you need to be one as our tomorrows depend on it!   

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky

Parashat HaShuvah - Yayigash - "A Lesson from Joseph's Torah." Genesis 44:18-47:27, Haftarah, Ezekiel 37:15-28

I received more than one response about how Joseph reacted to the pain of his past at the arrival of his brothers in parashat Miketz from last week.  We looked at a Midrash (Bereshit Rabbati, Parashat Miketz 12) that taught how Joseph immersed himself into his studies of Torah day and night until he “finally forgot” what he had experienced.  I was asked, how can Joseph study Torah if Israel did not receive it till Sinai?  We read in Talmud (Yoma 28b) that our ancestors  “fulfilled Torah,” beginning with Abraham because he  “hearkened to My (God's) voice and kept My charge, My mitzvot, My statutes and My Torahs.”  Torah for our ancestors was not in the form of השני לוחות (ha’sh’nei luchot), “the two tablets,” or words that came from up there to down here like as Moses taught, “No, the thing (Torah) is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it“ ( cf. Deut. 30:11-14). Torah was not “out there” some place looking to be found, so to speak, it was embedded in humanity.     

Of this Torah Arthur Green writes that “Sinai is a vertical metaphor for an internal event,” thus like the words of Moses the Torah “is very close to you …“  When we look at Joseph we learn that his Torah is not didactic teachings about the mitzvot or mishpatim. Joseph’s Torah is tangible, manifested via the choices he made based on the most basic principle of his treatment of others, which is why he could not speak words of hate, or מילות שנאה, to his brothers.  But what is more remarkable is how he related to his previous 22 years and how that would impact his reactions in this week's sedra, parashat Vayigash. We therefore recall that at 17 years old his brothers threw him into a pit, selling Joseph into slavery where he would work as a slave in Potiphar’s house. While working as a slave he would also be accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s wife that landed him in prison for the next two years; by all accounts a hellish situation where he experienced the deaths and mistreatment of his fellow inmates. Like a Hollywood rags to riches story, Joseph after being called on to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, is elevated to the second most powerful person in the world that was complete with wealth and prestige.  Still, Joseph displayed an underlying unhappiness by wanting to cancel out his painful past (i.e. the meaning of Manasseh). It is with that background last week he encountered his brothers, whereas this week, he decides how to confront them. 

No longer able to conceal his identity, in Genesis 41, we read (that is to me) one of the most beautiful interactions between families in the written Torah.  Surely a little more than perplexed (and scared), Joseph’s brothers are not sure what to make of matters when all of the servants in the room are dismissed, only to witness Joseph weep so loudly that figuratively all of Egypt and Pharaoh's household could hear him.  Setting his gaze upon his siblings with tears in his eyes, Joseph - who is this all powerful figure whom the brothers routinely call lord - says, אני יוסף העוד אבי חי, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?”  What a mensch, how compassionate and caring on his part!  He leveled the playing field right from the get go by making the subject about “their” dad as opposed to “his” brother's egregious sins, giving his brothers some time to process the moment without words of condemnation.  The brothers who are clearly shaken up approach Joseph at his urging to hear further explanation.  Joseph, who could have chosen to make his brother's lives a living hell, now having their attention says, “I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold into Egypt,” while at the same time further saying, “Now, do not be distressed or beat yourselves up because you sold me here; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.”  Amazing!  That was Joseph's conclusion as he processed his previous 22 years, not hate or anger, wow!  Even more amazing was that he chose to listen to his inner Torah in order to be true to himself.

This reminds me of the well known “Ayzehhu” verses from Pirkei Avot 4:1; who is wise, who is mighty, who is rich and who is honored.  I think one more should be added that says איזהו שמבין? כל האדם שעושה חיים אחרים טובים יותר; “Who is understanding? Every person who makes another life better.”   At the end of this parasha we read how Joseph has left the past behind him, he was keen to be a redemptive blessing to all his family, bringing them to the best part of the land of Egypt (Goshen) where they would be provided for and flourish.  He listened to that acute inner voice to put hate aside, calling on the inner Torah that said “Love your fellow [Israelite/family] as yourself,” but also to teach the Egyptians to “love each one (these strangers who came from Canaan, my midrash) as yourself” (Lev. 19:18 and 34).  Joseph lived Torah; that is a lesson from this parasha.

From the second paragraph of the Aleinu prayer it says;, “We therefore put our hope in You, Adonai our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world as the kingdom of Shadai” (לתקן עולם במלכות שדי).  In Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Deot) Maimonides teaches, “The early sages said: Anyone who gets angry, it’s as if he worshiped idolatry.”  The elimination of the anger of hate is a part of Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world.  It has been said that the elimination of Hamas is an act of Tikkun Olam, an evil whose hatred vows the destruction of Israel and all Jews, which is why Israel must complete what they began in Gaza. Yet closer to home it is the same hatred that saw some 200 synagogues around our country receive bomb threats this past week, not to mention the hate speech against our sons and daughters on university and other school campuses, reading almost daily about other anti-Jewish acts as we witness a rise in Antisemitism.  Our Torah teaches we must not lose our humanity along the way, not allowing our anger to create the same hate we want to see exterminated.  That was what Joseph learned in those 22 years, a hard lesson - no doubt - but one shared with us.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Adam Ruditsky       

Parashat HaShuvah - Miketz - "If you are not sure, ask Joseph. " Genesis 44:1-44:17, Haftarah, 1 Kings 3:15-4:1

As we conclude this season of lights I think it is an understatement to say that this has been a tough time for the Jewish community.  The war between Israel and Gaza as we know has caused a variety of reactions, some of those playing out on major university campuses and local protests, coinciding with the concerning rise of antisemitism.  While for some it’s more clear cut, Israel has to do what it must, for many Jews there is a moral conundrum that is the water under the ice: the war is taking a devastating toll and world condemnation is getting louder everyday, but this is my family and Israel needs to get rid of Hamas.  As a result many Jewish people have needed to question their connection to a past they may have walked away from for one reason or another, or simply bifurcated their Jewish self and a connection to Israel.  This is what I see in this week's sedra, parashat Miketz; Joseph is coming to terms with his present and his past, recognizing they are intertwined. 

The continuation of the Joseph saga begins with Pharaoh calling on Joseph to interpret his dreams.  The dreams of seven gaunt cows eating seven healthy cows, and seven unhealthy ears of grain swallowing up seven healthy ears of grain, are interpreted by Joseph to mean that seven years of hardy produce from the land of Egypt will be followed by seven years of famine.  A shrewd businessman, Joseph tells Pharaoh to store up the abundance of food so that when the famine comes not only will the people still be able to eat, but there will be plenty so the nations of the world will come to Egypt to purchase food as well.  Pharaoh is pleased with this interpretation and tells Joseph to take the lead on this project, making him the second most powerful human in the world, second only to the Pharaoh.  Seven years after his appointment Joseph is confronted by his brothers who came to buy food; yes, the same ones who sold him into slavery 22 years earlier. While there is much to tell regarding that reunion here I want to write about Joseph's struggle to separate himself from his past.  Is such a thing even possible, can we really truly run from our past?  Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel teaches that when we reconcile the past in the future it is “To us, recollection is a holy act; we sanctify the present by remembering the past.”” 

Yet in an attempt to do such a thing, that is to disavow a connection to the past, we see this happening in Genesis 41.  Here when Joseph and Asenath had two sons they (the sons) were given names that reflected Joseph's desire to keep his past in the past. Looking at his one son, Manasseh, the meaning of his name is telling; “God has made me completely forget my hardship and my parental home.”  We learn in a Midrash (Bereshit Rabbati, Parashat Miketz 12) that in Rabbinic tradition what Joseph forgot was the pain of the past as he immersed himself in the study of Torah day and night, meaning he did forget the best parts of his upbringing.  That tradition informed the Sfrono who taught, “what happened to him (Joseph) foreshadowed what would happen in the future, as described in Isaiah 65:16; ‘for the former troubles shall be forgotten.’”  While that is a comfortable way to understand Joseph's denial of his past pain, it is pretty black and white to me; Joseph was mad at his family and wanted to forget them with no cognizant intent to reconcile his emotions.  This is no different from what many Jews are dealing with today, even if not the same story line. 

A recent interview with Senator Bernie Sanders, the Jewish Independent from Vermont, regarding the Israel-Hamas war is worth noting.  Sanders considers Israel to be illegal occupiers of the Palestinian territories, further calling Netanyahu a “racist” who has created a government that “provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.”  Sanders also calls on the United States to stop funding Israel right now given the amount of deaths Israel's relentless military campaign is causing against the Palestinian people.  Yet in this same interview he says, “they (Israel) have a right to go to war against Hamas (although not the Palestinian people),” facing blowback from other progressives for not explicitly supporting a cease-fire. This type of blowback is also shared by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC). Here, Jewish Democratic lawmakers are feeling “abandoned” by the progressive community in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel.  In this case they feel a sense of abandonment by those whom Jewish Democrats have “stood so strongly as allies with other minority communities over generations,'' which has resulted in a “painful time.”  You see, for Sanders and Manning the Jewish community is their family, and despite what they may feel about Israel politically they are unable to separate from their family.  As I said, I think that is a Jewish problem right now that many are facing to varying degrees. This situation is making many Jews question their own loyalties and what that means in their relationship to Israel.   

In this parasha we experience a Joseph who wants to forget everything about his past, but when he encounters his brothers (here and beyond), we meet a different Joseph, who puts his family first. I truly feel that Joseph's plight is being played out right now in the Jewish community and Torah is teaching a very important lesson that is making many ask the question; can I really run from my family?  If Joseph was asked that same question I suspect he would say no.

Shabbat Shalom and Rosh Chodesh Tevet, Rabbi Adam Ruditsky 

Parashat HaShuvah - Yayeshev - "Choices and Consequences" Genesis 37:1-40:23, Haftarah, Zachariah 2:14-4:7

People make mistakes, some more costly than others. In this week's sedra, parashat Vayeshev, we see perception and choices have consequences. Even more so, we see how those consequences are not always favorable. Therefore if Jacob did not make Joseph the c’tonet pasim, a coat of many colors, would his brothers have been as angry as they were or would things have turned out differently in the end?  Answer: maybe, but who knows.

At the very beginning we read regarding the brothers that “Joseph brought bad reports of them to their father” (Gen. 37:2).  In a Midrash (Gen. R. 84:7) we are told that has to do with their poor treatment of the animals, or as the Talmud teaches (Bava Batra 123a) maybe the teenage Joseph knew he had his fathers favor and took advantage of dad’s blind spot?  Perhaps as Sfrono suggests it was about his brother's “professional competence,” which caused Jacob financial losses. The fact is we really do not know, although we do know the brothers were unhappy with Joseph, but also their father who they felt did not love them equally. Whatever the reason, the result: the brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery and misled their father.

On this Shabbat, the first Shabbat of Hanukkah, for the Haftarah we read Zechariah 2:14-4:7 as opposed to Amos 2:6-3:8.  We read from Zachariah because at the very end it talks about the Lampstand, or Menorah in Jerusalem, which burns brightly to remind us that our Chanukiyot (Hanukkah Menorahs) should always burn bright as well.  Amos is about the sins of Israel that speak to the judges who took bribes to sell the innocent (Rashi) reflecting on the sins of the brothers who would sell the innocent Joseph into slavery and lied to their father.  In this Haftarah the prophet writes, “You alone have I singled out of all the families of the earth. That is why I will call you to account for all your iniquities.” Amos is saying that there are consequences for our wrongs. But revenge can be wrong as well. 

Much later on when Joseph has the opportunity he chose not to be mad or get even for what his brothers did, a lesson with deep implications.  In this parasha not once, but twice, we read that Joseph's brothers dislike him (Gen. 37:4 and Gen. 37:10). Here, the disconnect is plain: “they did not speak one thing with their mouth having another thing quite different in their hearts” (Rashi).  So bad was their disdain for their brother that, וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ דַּבְּר֥וֹ לְשָׁלֹֽם, they could not even speak with (him) in peace. Once again we turn to Amos who wrote, “Can two walk together Without having met,” or how can they resolve their dispute if they cannot sit together?  The brothers were hurt by the actions of their father that made them dislike Joseph.  I wonder if Joseph knew that?  I wonder how important the concept of forgiveness and family love was?  I wonder if when he shared his dreams with his family that Joseph was able to assess the temperature of his brothers, unlike his father Jacob who failed to really know Esau’s when they met after 20 years? 

Of course we are dominated and emotionally entangled with the Israel-Gaza war right now.  Regarding this ongoing dispute I have questions that I also wonder about.  I wonder how things might have been different today if the early Zionists included the Arabs from Palestine in conversations about their intent for the land instead of just the British?  I wonder how things might have looked if all the Arab nations accepted the UN partition of Palestine as a two-state solution in 1947?  I wonder how things might have turned out if the Arabs of Palestine did not reject a Jewish presence from the beginning and opened their arms to a Jewish state; wow can you imagine, two people living side by side in peace?  Likewise, I wonder how things may be different if both sides can lay down their nationalist intentions and work together for a better world? Israel is doing what they must, they need to win this war and remove Hamas from the picture so both Jews and the Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza can live in security that will allow the two to live side by side in peace. Maybe if Israel was allowed to win their wars in the past instead of having ceasefires pushed on them we might not have this problem today?  Like Amos said “Can two walk together Without having met;” something that I just can't see happening until the desire to rid the world of Israel stops, which is the primary ambition of Hamas, so the Palestinians can have a place to call their own. 

The consequences of the brothers destroyed their family, and you know it never quite worked itself out in the end, but that's another story for another parasha.  If Israel cannot defeat Hamas, who will clearly not change, while at the same time the need for nationalism is stronger than a desire to live together, then I am afraid the consequences will be; same song, different verse.  May the lights of this season be a reminder to never give up our child-like sense of wonder that believes miracles can still happen, therefore peace is attainable.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Chanukah Sameach,
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky