From The Rabbi’s Study…Shabbat, January 3,4, 2025/3,4 Tevet 5785
New Year on the Secular calendar, praying everyone will have a Happy, Healthy, and peaceful one.
The Torah continues with the confrontation between Judah and Joseph, whose identity is still unknown to his brothers. Judah pleads with Joseph to take him as a slave in place of Benjamin. Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. Then Jacob arrives in Egypt for an emotional reunion with Joseph. Jacob and his family increase in numbers and wealth in the area of Goshen.
This Torah portion has a myriad of Judaic concepts, and values. If you have never read the story of Joseph, this Sabbath, take the Chumash, sit in a comfortable seat and enjoy. Firstly, Joseph was thrown into the hands of a passing caravan of traders, and his brothers lied to their father about Joseph being killed. In their wildest dreams the brothers never thought they would ever see Joseph alive again! Joseph had his challenges, he continued to interpret dreams, and he was an educated young man of 17 years old.
Now a short overview to enhance your knowledge while reading the Joseph story. Let us start with a question. Why didn’t his brothers recognize Joseph? It was Egypt, and the man standing before them was the Vizor 2nd in command under the Pharaoh. The time frame was 17 years after the brothers sold him! Why didn’t Joseph tell the brothers who he was? Would the brothers believe the man standing before them?
Let us think of JUSTICE. Judah pleads for justice in a foreign land, Egypt and from an Egyptian head of State (Joseph), who just announced his decision to enslave their youngest brother, Benjamin. Judah’s pleading was so emotional and compelling, and Joseph (spoiler alert) makes plans to meet all the brothers privately. Joseph realized that his brother’s demeanors had changed. Keep in mind Benjamin was his true brother from his father and Rachel his mother, and all the other brothers were half brothers due to the other wives of Jacob.
Judah pleads on behalf of Benjamin, he tells that Jacob’s soul is “bound up with the lad’s soul” (Genesis 44:30). All the brothers were seated in age order, while Joseph “reveals himself” to them. (he shows his circumcision, and that the guards are their nephews) Joseph kept the Jewish faith. How was that possible? You have to read the shortest chapter in the Torah “Dinah” and find clues. Joseph married one of Dinah’s daughters.
The story ends with reconciliation and Joseph asking if his father was still alive. Joseph. Joseph is reunited with his father. Jacob/Israel lives another 17 years! G-d granted Jacob the years that he missed from being with his favorite son, Joseph.
Reconciliation is an important value in Judaism. Rabbi Samuel Nachmani claims that Joseph acted with great sensitivity and wisdom. He did not fear his brothers. After overhearing them speaking to one another, he knew that they felt guilty for selling him into slavery. Seeing how much they regretted what they had done to him, and how they feared for Benjamin’s welfare, and their father’s health, he was right to trust them (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 93:9) Midrash is a story based on the Torah.
Prayer Over the City on January 1, 2025 at noon in the Tabernacle was nicely attended. Opening prayer was sung by the St. George Interfaith Choir “Psalm 23” (The Lord is my Shepherd), such a beautiful rendition!
If you wish to read the news article on line from Fox News 13 Chris Reed, he starts, “Where can you find a Jew, a Muslim, and a Priest? And no it is not a joke!” It was at the Tabernacle in St. George’s Prayer Over the City. Also, St. George News by Mori Kesler should be posted shortly.
While Anti-Semitism is the highest ever, the Muslim community also deals with hate especially when their radical people attack innocent people. The question from Chris Reed about having peaceful coexistence between Jews and Muslims…I quoted Golda Meir’s meeting with Sadat of Egypt!
The Fox News reporter, Chris Reed (Jewish) wanted to visit and see for himself how diverse faiths live and work side by side in a small southern community of Utah!
Yes, a woman clergy and a rabbi is unique. To have so many diverse faiths working together was a little hard for Chris Reed to fathom! Even a Jew and Muslim sharing and joking as friends!
Shabbat Shalom v’Am Ysrael Chai,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
