WUPJ Library

Last week’s Torah portion concluded when Joseph accused his brothers of stealing his goblet and promised to enslave Benjamin. At the outset of Parashat Vayigash, Judah approaches Joseph, begging him to reconsider. (…) The Judah who approaches Joseph is markedly different from the Judah who seemed comfortable with the idea of selling Joseph into slavery and faking his death (Gen. 37:27).

At this holiday season, we are all eager, maybe more than ever before, to be able to gather with our loved ones. After an extended and ongoing world heath crisis, during which many of us have had to forgo family and other gatherings, we are desperate to reconnect and celebrate our times of light and joy together.

The time has come to teach the communities in which we have congregations what Reform Judaism provides them for their Jewish survival. This week’s Torah portion still teaches us about our defining principles: that our struggle with the past and then taking the risks of transformative change is how we became Israel, a community with a destiny of freedom and hope.

The time has come to teach the communities in which we have congregations what Reform Judaism provides them for their Jewish survival. This week’s Torah portion still teaches us about our defining principles: that our struggle with the past and then taking the risks of transformative change is how we became Israel, a community with a destiny of freedom and hope.

The word Vayetze, the first word of our Parasha, means to leave. But Rashi notices that the Torah does not use the word Vayelech, a word with a similar meaning, which it used to describe Abraham’s journey. As Rashi notes, Vayelech means to leave with one’s possessions and with great honor; Vayetze means to flee, taking nothing with you. Jacob fled for his life.

Water and wells enter into the imagination of the rabbis as metaphors for spiritual sustenance, love, peace, and as a way to tap into the wellspring of God.

Sarah’s social status – and its impact on the future of her family and the people – was so great and significant, that not only did it not end at the time of her death, but in fact, it increased and strengthened subsequent to her passing.

Resh Lakish once stated: “Any person who becomes angry, if he is a scholar, his wisdom departs from him; if he is a prophet, his prophecy departs from him.” After him, Rabbi Mani bar Patish said: “Whoever becomes angry, even if greatness has been apportioned to him from Heaven, he is lowered (from his greatness).” (Bavli, Pesachim 66b)

There is so much in this sedra, Lech L’cha, it is breathtaking. We are so familiar with it –especially the very first part — that it is hard for us to even take it all in. Perhaps we should disaggregate it. We can read it through four lenses.

In the story of Noah, we learn about the capacity of human beings to commit evil and its consequences. Given freedom, human beings often use it unwisely. This story is an enlightening introduction as to why the Torah affirms that laws are necessary to create a coherent, civil society.

Here we go again…reading the same old Torah from the start with Parashat B’reshit. Haven’t we been here before? Don’t we know how it ends?  Who can see the point in it? Honestly, if you’ve looked closely at a Torah, you know there is no point. No one can see any point in it, because the Torah scrolls we read have no “points” (know in Hebrew as nikudot).

For many years, I had a plaque with a quote attributed to British writer, Vivian Greene. It read:  Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. Over the years, I, myself, and some who came to me for counsel, found support and inspiration in those […]