This week’s Torah portion is Vayigash, which means, and he approached. Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, approaches Joseph, Viceroy of Egypt, who is really his brother, to plead for their youngest brother, Benjamin; and to ask to be enslaved in place of Benjamin. Benjamin has been wrongly accused of stealing Joseph’s silver cup. When Joseph learns that his brothers love and support Benjamin, Joseph reveals his identity to them and forgives them. He then arranges to bring his father and his brothers’ families to Egypt so that they will be sustained during the continuing famine.
The first three words of this portion are: “Vayigash eilav Yehudah, and Judah approached him.” Later in the portion there are the words: “For it was for life that Elohim, or God, sent me ahead of you.” It is a curious attribute of Hebrew that the word eilav, has an unpronounced yud before the last letter. It is also a curiosity that one of the words we use for God, Elohim, is plural. In Hebrew, the yud toward the end of a word tells us that it is plural. Very few people speak or write about this. And in fact, the plural of Elohim, which literally means Gods, is a bit of an embarrassment in Judaism.
We don’t know why the Torah uses a plural term for God. Perhaps the Torah is making a very important point with these plural words. If God includes everything, then reminding us of God’s plurality: of the many, many of us people existing within God, is very important. So, too, with the word eilav, him or, of him, or to him. This plural quality of the word means that no person is alone. No person is even a singular. God is always present: in every interaction, in every person; and one person represents us all, and is part of us all. And perhaps this is why the speech of Judah to Joseph is considered one of the most beautiful in the Torah: Judah is making a human connection to Joseph which expresses the great truth that we are part of each other. This is also why Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers feels so right: because it expresses that same truth, that we are one, and one within God.
The Berdichever Rebbe commented on another verse, “If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.” He said, “if you are not concerned with your brother, who is not on your level or status,” meaning those who are poor, “then you will not see my face again. This means that when we forget that we are connected to others and to God, by treating others as if they don’t matter, as if they are not as important as ourselves, we distance ourselves from the Divine Presence; but when we make human connections, it feels so right, because it is true, and we mint love and goodness in the world.
The S’fat Emet wrote about the meaning of this Oneness. He said, “The meaning of One is that there is nothing except God…God is the All…Even though we are incapable of understanding this properly, we still need to have faith in it. This faith will lead us to Truth.” Later, he says, commenting on Rabbi Isaac Luria’s teaching that God is within us, “You should have faith that you have within yourself the soul of the Living God…When you negate yourself before this Divine Life-point, wanting to know the Truth, it will be revealed to you.”
If the reasoning seems circular, perhaps it is. Knowledge leads to faith. Faith in our knowledge leads to Truth, which in turn, leads back to Faith and to knowledge; and it all leads to a deep natural knowing that the human connections we forge reveal our own God-nature and God’s goodness.
Joseph and Judah were remarkable people: Judah for his amazing growth as a person, his willingness to sacrifice himself to be enslaved instead of Benjamin, and his faith in himself to forge a vital human connection to this Vice Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph, too, for his growth as a person, his forgiveness, and his ability to be touched by Judah and form a human connection to him. They expressed the deep truth of our connection to each other. May we realize the God nature within us, and form those vital human connections which lead right back to Divinity.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
The Education of a Son
This week’s Torah portion is Vayetze, which means, and he went. Jacob, who had tricked his Father and stolen Esau’s blessing is travelling to Haran, sent away by his parents to avoid Esau’s rage and to find a wife with his Uncle Laban. He dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. God promises to be with him and return him to the land of Canaan, informing him that it will be given it to him and his descendants. He arrives at Haran, sees Rachel, and fall in love with her immediately. He is welcomed with open arms by her Father, Laban, who says to him, “Nevertheless, you are my bone and flesh.” (Gen. 29:14)
It seems like a puzzling statement, as if Laban is not happy to see him, until we consider the last visit of Jacob’s family to Haran. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, he sent camels, servants, gold jewelry, and presents for Laban’s family and the new bride. Jacob arrives with only his own two feet; and Laban puts him right to work. Jacob asks to marry Rachel and agrees to work for seven years as the bride price, which was customary in those days. This turn of events is very interesting if we consider Jacob’s Father Isaac’s words to him in the previous portion.
Isaac has just been tricked by Jacob and his own wife, Rebecca, into giving the blessing of the firstborn to Jacob, when it was intended for Isaac. Isaac seems to forgive Jacob, sending him off with a blessing, instructing him to go to Laban and find a wife there. Isaac says, “May El Shaddai bless you, make you fruitful, and make you numerous, and may you be a congregation of peoples. May God grant you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may possess the land of your sojourns which God gave to Abraham. (Gen. 28:3-4) Apparently, Isaac has forgiven Jacob, but the old man has yet some tricks up his sleeve.
He seemingly goes with the flow, accepting what has been done to him with grace and no bitterness, not bearing a grudge and not taking revenge, which is a teaching for us. Allowing and accepting what is happening is great wisdom. And in addition, Isaac possesses even a deeper wisdom, sending Jacob off to learn the hard lessons of real life, similarly to what God did for Cain, after Cain killed Abel; sending him off to learn and grow. Isaac, who had his very difficult and life changing experience when Abraham nearly sacrificed him, in which he came face to face with God’s Presence, is preparing his son without anger, hatred, or resentment added. And this is where another teaching lies. We are all in Life University, God’s sacred University, undergoing trials and triumphs to teach us and to elevate us. We have some elective courses in this University, but also, some difficult courses are required. Our task is to allow and accept what happens, doing our best to find a way to learn and elevate ourselves as we study, as we live life.
Many people underestimate Isaac. Here, he knows just what Jacob needs in life. He sees Jacob for who he is: someone who is not above lying and scheming, yet he loves him and wants the very best for him. Acceptance plus love are two powerful allies. The first makes our lives so much less stressful. It is a product of faith and trust. The second, love, enriches us and all life immeasurably. May these allies: acceptance and love, guide us, that we, like Isaac, may attain what Moses called, a heart of wisdom.
It seems like a puzzling statement, as if Laban is not happy to see him, until we consider the last visit of Jacob’s family to Haran. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, he sent camels, servants, gold jewelry, and presents for Laban’s family and the new bride. Jacob arrives with only his own two feet; and Laban puts him right to work. Jacob asks to marry Rachel and agrees to work for seven years as the bride price, which was customary in those days. This turn of events is very interesting if we consider Jacob’s Father Isaac’s words to him in the previous portion.
Isaac has just been tricked by Jacob and his own wife, Rebecca, into giving the blessing of the firstborn to Jacob, when it was intended for Isaac. Isaac seems to forgive Jacob, sending him off with a blessing, instructing him to go to Laban and find a wife there. Isaac says, “May El Shaddai bless you, make you fruitful, and make you numerous, and may you be a congregation of peoples. May God grant you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may possess the land of your sojourns which God gave to Abraham. (Gen. 28:3-4) Apparently, Isaac has forgiven Jacob, but the old man has yet some tricks up his sleeve.
He seemingly goes with the flow, accepting what has been done to him with grace and no bitterness, not bearing a grudge and not taking revenge, which is a teaching for us. Allowing and accepting what is happening is great wisdom. And in addition, Isaac possesses even a deeper wisdom, sending Jacob off to learn the hard lessons of real life, similarly to what God did for Cain, after Cain killed Abel; sending him off to learn and grow. Isaac, who had his very difficult and life changing experience when Abraham nearly sacrificed him, in which he came face to face with God’s Presence, is preparing his son without anger, hatred, or resentment added. And this is where another teaching lies. We are all in Life University, God’s sacred University, undergoing trials and triumphs to teach us and to elevate us. We have some elective courses in this University, but also, some difficult courses are required. Our task is to allow and accept what happens, doing our best to find a way to learn and elevate ourselves as we study, as we live life.
Many people underestimate Isaac. Here, he knows just what Jacob needs in life. He sees Jacob for who he is: someone who is not above lying and scheming, yet he loves him and wants the very best for him. Acceptance plus love are two powerful allies. The first makes our lives so much less stressful. It is a product of faith and trust. The second, love, enriches us and all life immeasurably. May these allies: acceptance and love, guide us, that we, like Isaac, may attain what Moses called, a heart of wisdom.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Scarcity and Blessings
This week’s Torah portion is Toldot, which means generations. It tells of the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob to their parents, Rebecca and Isaac. Jacob persuades Esau to sell him his birthright, the right of inheritance of the firstborn. There is also a section about Isaac’s servants re-digging the wells of his father, Abraham, and of making peace with the local chieftain; and then there is the well-known story of how Rebecca and Jacob trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the firstborn, after which Jacob has to leave home to escape his brother’s anger.
It is interesting that there is so much conflict in this portion, and that it seems to revolve around food; and interesting coincidence that we read this portion before Thanksgiving. To obtain food when he is hungry and exhausted, Esau sells his birthright of the firstborn. Later, Isaac asks Esau to make him a meal of the game he will catch, after which Isaac will give Esau a blessing. Love and food seem to get all mixed up in this portion. In some families, like Jacob and Esau’s family, there is seemingly not enough love to go around. Esau’s heart rending cry, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?...Is there only one blessing? Bless me too, Father!” (Gen. 27:36, 38) touches us deeply.
The orientation of scarcity in life is something that, spiritually speaking, is really not true. The more we love, the more we mint the spiritual currency of the world, and the more love there is. This is true for most physical things as well. Even money flows according to our deeds and to Divine law. A scarcity of love, of blessing in Isaac & Rebecca’s family, comes because of favoritism, judging and controlling, which we also engage in concerning family members. The family is where we are known at our best and at our worst, and where we think we know each other. But are we really good judges of each other; and are we here to judge?
Our task on earth is really not to judge or control, but to accept and help each other. This is the essence of what a family is all about. When we can accept each other with all our faults and strengths, and actually love each other, scarcity disappears. Lovers happily share even a small bed. And the Torah teaches us in the book of Numbers, at the end of Chukat, that when we cooperate, there is more for everyone.
In the Middle East, the center of religion, sadly, none of the leaders seems to have read this in the Holy Books. At the end of this portion, both Jacob and Esau receive a blessing. The Chassidic master, the Vorker Rebbe taught, “No matter what one’s station, one can obtain a blessing.” (Soul of the Torah, P. 43) At this holiday time, may we accept, help, and not judge each other. May we express our love and thereby, receive many, many blessings.
It is interesting that there is so much conflict in this portion, and that it seems to revolve around food; and interesting coincidence that we read this portion before Thanksgiving. To obtain food when he is hungry and exhausted, Esau sells his birthright of the firstborn. Later, Isaac asks Esau to make him a meal of the game he will catch, after which Isaac will give Esau a blessing. Love and food seem to get all mixed up in this portion. In some families, like Jacob and Esau’s family, there is seemingly not enough love to go around. Esau’s heart rending cry, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?...Is there only one blessing? Bless me too, Father!” (Gen. 27:36, 38) touches us deeply.
The orientation of scarcity in life is something that, spiritually speaking, is really not true. The more we love, the more we mint the spiritual currency of the world, and the more love there is. This is true for most physical things as well. Even money flows according to our deeds and to Divine law. A scarcity of love, of blessing in Isaac & Rebecca’s family, comes because of favoritism, judging and controlling, which we also engage in concerning family members. The family is where we are known at our best and at our worst, and where we think we know each other. But are we really good judges of each other; and are we here to judge?
Our task on earth is really not to judge or control, but to accept and help each other. This is the essence of what a family is all about. When we can accept each other with all our faults and strengths, and actually love each other, scarcity disappears. Lovers happily share even a small bed. And the Torah teaches us in the book of Numbers, at the end of Chukat, that when we cooperate, there is more for everyone.
In the Middle East, the center of religion, sadly, none of the leaders seems to have read this in the Holy Books. At the end of this portion, both Jacob and Esau receive a blessing. The Chassidic master, the Vorker Rebbe taught, “No matter what one’s station, one can obtain a blessing.” (Soul of the Torah, P. 43) At this holiday time, may we accept, help, and not judge each other. May we express our love and thereby, receive many, many blessings.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Are Neanderthals in the Torah?
Re: NY Times Article:
Skull Fossil Offers New Clues On Human Journey From Africa 1/29/15
As a former biologist and current rabbi, I had been teaching my bar and bat mitzvah students the possibility of interbreeding among humans and Neanderthals for a number of years, based on Genesis: 6: 1-4, when the research confirming the percentage of Neanderthal DNA in human populations became public a few years ago. This latest find, in addition to prior articles, shows that the early sections of Genesis contain fascinating clues about scientific truths, if we are curious and know how to interpret them. My students were amazed that what I had been teaching them as a possibility was actually true.
Skull Fossil Offers New Clues On Human Journey From Africa 1/29/15
As a former biologist and current rabbi, I had been teaching my bar and bat mitzvah students the possibility of interbreeding among humans and Neanderthals for a number of years, based on Genesis: 6: 1-4, when the research confirming the percentage of Neanderthal DNA in human populations became public a few years ago. This latest find, in addition to prior articles, shows that the early sections of Genesis contain fascinating clues about scientific truths, if we are curious and know how to interpret them. My students were amazed that what I had been teaching them as a possibility was actually true.
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