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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:GENESIS 37:01-40:23:PARASHA VAYEISHEV:"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
PARASHA VAYEISHEV
GENESIS 37:01-40:23
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
We read of Reuben's compromise with his brothers' plan to 'just' throw
Joseph into the empty pit, as he wished to return later to save his
younger brother (Gen. 37:22). We also read of Judah's further compromise
with his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery rather than kill him (Gen. 37:27).
GENESIS 37:01-40:23
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC
BLUFFTON, SC
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
In this week's fascinating portion, filled with so many events, we read
of Joseph's brothers' jealousy and their willingness to kill him (Gen.
37:20).
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
In this week's fascinating portion, filled with so many events, we read
of Joseph's brothers' jealousy and their willingness to kill him (Gen.
37:20).
We read of Reuben's compromise with his brothers' plan to 'just' throw
Joseph into the empty pit, as he wished to return later to save his
younger brother (Gen. 37:22). We also read of Judah's further compromise
with his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery rather than kill him (Gen. 37:27).
Judah wished to convince their father Jacob that Joseph was
torn apart by wild beasts by bringing Jacob his son's wonderful woolen
tunic covered in goat's blood ( Gen. 37:31).
Traditionally, Reuben and Judah are spoken of as heroes for orchestrating
this compromise. And traditionally the brothers are considered to be
acting as God's agents to get Joseph sold into slavery into Egypt to set
into motion the events that would eventually send Jacob and his family
into Egypt, causing the Hebrews to become slaves to Pharaoh. This would
lead to our exodus spearheaded by Moses and our receiving the Torah at
Mt. Sinai and our eventual conquering of the ''promised land''.
We as Jews need to ask, as we are in the beginning of the third millennium,
is compromise when life is at stake a good heroic attribute?
We are taught that the Torah was already known to our patriarchs, and
that Jacob and his sons were already in Eretz Israel. Why did we need
to leave our land, be made into slaves, be given the Torah which we
already had, to return to a land in which we already were living?
We have seen all too clearly in our recent history that compromise, when
peoples' lives are at stake, leads to eventual disaster. We do not need
to be reminded of Chamberlain's well- received compromise of this
century, or of the Missouri compromise of the last century. We do not
read of Reuben or Judah arguing for Joseph's freedom . Reuben was the
eldest of the brothers. He had the most to lose by Joseph being his
father's favorite. If he argued for Joseph's release, could he not have
lowered the tension and jealousy? If Judah jumped into the discussion,
with two out of the ten brothers (Benjamin was not there) pleading for
mercy for Joseph, would not have more bothers leaned toward acquittal?
If only three more brothers were convinced, there would be no majority to
convict.
We as modern Jews, who take pride in having the freedom of choice vis a`
vis ritual mitzvoth, have so much extra time than our traditional
co-religionists. What do we do with the time each day that we are not in
'shul' dovening (praying), or reading labels looking for U's and K's, or making
sure we don't mix up our drawers of cutlery in our kitchens? Are we
still resigned to walk like Jacob with a limp, as a bird with a broken
wing flies, in never- ending circles? Or will we stand upright,
uncompromised, like the recovered stronger Israel, who wrestled with the
angel when he was Jacob. Will we perform the social action mitzvoth and
live the ethics from which our modern Judaic creed did NOT release us?
Each month at Rosh Kodesh we look at the moon's phases and remember
David's reign as our people's zenith , symbolized by the full moon. We
traditionally pray for the scion of David to come and restore our
people's glory. Each of us needs to be uncompromising in performing the
mitzvoth of chesed ( doing deeds of loving kindness to help others and
make a difference in their lives) and continue to do zaddakah (justice, sometimes translated as charity). We need to
be uncompromising in making a stronger effort in our own country and
throughout the globe to do tikun olam (repair of the world) as junior-partners
with God. We would then find that each of us is a part of that
traditionally awaited savior from the Davidic line. And all of these
parts of ours, acting as a whole, could really help make a difference in
this world and would bring much joy and spirituality to our own lives.
Amos, in this weeks Haftorah, says that God will forgive the Jews of the
three cardinal sins of adultery, idolatry, and murder but He would not
forgive them for their greed and perversions of justice which resulted
in their ignoring the poor, the sick and the helpless.
Let us dedicate ourselves this Hanukah, that this parasha falls near or on, to help keep the moon always
full and help rescue the Josephs of this world, who are ill, hungry,
grieving, and homeless from their empty pit of despair. Let us help give
hope to our matriarch Rachel who still ''weeps for her children''. Amen!!
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukah!! Let our menorahs this coming week
truly remind us to "be a light unto the nations"!
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
torn apart by wild beasts by bringing Jacob his son's wonderful woolen
tunic covered in goat's blood ( Gen. 37:31).
Traditionally, Reuben and Judah are spoken of as heroes for orchestrating
this compromise. And traditionally the brothers are considered to be
acting as God's agents to get Joseph sold into slavery into Egypt to set
into motion the events that would eventually send Jacob and his family
into Egypt, causing the Hebrews to become slaves to Pharaoh. This would
lead to our exodus spearheaded by Moses and our receiving the Torah at
Mt. Sinai and our eventual conquering of the ''promised land''.
We as Jews need to ask, as we are in the beginning of the third millennium,
is compromise when life is at stake a good heroic attribute?
We are taught that the Torah was already known to our patriarchs, and
that Jacob and his sons were already in Eretz Israel. Why did we need
to leave our land, be made into slaves, be given the Torah which we
already had, to return to a land in which we already were living?
We have seen all too clearly in our recent history that compromise, when
peoples' lives are at stake, leads to eventual disaster. We do not need
to be reminded of Chamberlain's well- received compromise of this
century, or of the Missouri compromise of the last century. We do not
read of Reuben or Judah arguing for Joseph's freedom . Reuben was the
eldest of the brothers. He had the most to lose by Joseph being his
father's favorite. If he argued for Joseph's release, could he not have
lowered the tension and jealousy? If Judah jumped into the discussion,
with two out of the ten brothers (Benjamin was not there) pleading for
mercy for Joseph, would not have more bothers leaned toward acquittal?
If only three more brothers were convinced, there would be no majority to
convict.
We as modern Jews, who take pride in having the freedom of choice vis a`
vis ritual mitzvoth, have so much extra time than our traditional
co-religionists. What do we do with the time each day that we are not in
'shul' dovening (praying), or reading labels looking for U's and K's, or making
sure we don't mix up our drawers of cutlery in our kitchens? Are we
still resigned to walk like Jacob with a limp, as a bird with a broken
wing flies, in never- ending circles? Or will we stand upright,
uncompromised, like the recovered stronger Israel, who wrestled with the
angel when he was Jacob. Will we perform the social action mitzvoth and
live the ethics from which our modern Judaic creed did NOT release us?
Each month at Rosh Kodesh we look at the moon's phases and remember
David's reign as our people's zenith , symbolized by the full moon. We
traditionally pray for the scion of David to come and restore our
people's glory. Each of us needs to be uncompromising in performing the
mitzvoth of chesed ( doing deeds of loving kindness to help others and
make a difference in their lives) and continue to do zaddakah (justice, sometimes translated as charity). We need to
be uncompromising in making a stronger effort in our own country and
throughout the globe to do tikun olam (repair of the world) as junior-partners
with God. We would then find that each of us is a part of that
traditionally awaited savior from the Davidic line. And all of these
parts of ours, acting as a whole, could really help make a difference in
this world and would bring much joy and spirituality to our own lives.
Amos, in this weeks Haftorah, says that God will forgive the Jews of the
three cardinal sins of adultery, idolatry, and murder but He would not
forgive them for their greed and perversions of justice which resulted
in their ignoring the poor, the sick and the helpless.
Let us dedicate ourselves this Hanukah, that this parasha falls near or on, to help keep the moon always
full and help rescue the Josephs of this world, who are ill, hungry,
grieving, and homeless from their empty pit of despair. Let us help give
hope to our matriarch Rachel who still ''weeps for her children''. Amen!!
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukah!! Let our menorahs this coming week
truly remind us to "be a light unto the nations"!
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC
BLUFFTON, SC
ORIGINAL VERSION WRITTEN WHEN SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE AT CONGREGATION TEMPLE MICKVE ISRAEL, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
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