Shabbat Shalom Weekly (copy)
Torah Portion: Vayeshev
Life is a Struggle
by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt
The Sages ask: Why did Jacob deserve that Joseph, his favorite son, get sold as a slave to Egypt?
They discover the answer in the name of this parsha, Vayeshev — “and Jacob rested.” Jacob had had a very tough life — attacked by his brother in the womb; chased out of his father’s home without a penny; tricked into marrying a woman he did not love; a father-in-law who wished to kill him; his daughter was raped; his sons murdered a whole city and were wanted men in Canaan; his beloved wife died giving birth. Now that’s tough by any standard. And so, Vayeshev — Jacob wanted a break, to relax and take it easy for a little while. Immediately, the Sages say, Joseph was snatched from him.
What’s wrong with taking a break? Surely everyone needs a break now and then. Human beings can’t function without some relaxation to ease the stress of life. Who would blame Jacob, after all he’d been through, for wanting to relax a little?
The answer lies in the purpose of a break. Is the break a means to an end, or is it an end unto itself? As winter vacation time rolls around, the question is very appropriate. Is a vacation a means, or is it an end? Is it a break from life, or is it life itself? I meet so many people for whom it is the latter. Life is just the interval one has to “put up with” in-between the vacations. That doesn’t say much for life, does it? “I struggle hard during the year, so that once or twice a year I can escape from the struggle.” Do we really want to struggle — just to escape the struggle?!
The Sages say the opposite should be true. Life is about struggle. That’s how we grow into better, bigger, more full and complete human beings. It is the struggle that we enjoy so much. Escaping that struggle is sometimes necessary. But only so we can return, rejuvenated, to that struggle. We don’t live for our vacations. We take vacations so that when we return we can truly live!
Jacob wanted to escape not because he needed the rest, but because he was tired of facing life anymore. God forced him back into life. In Jewish thinking, if we have stopped grappling with life, we are zombies, walking vegetables. We are missing the boat entirely. I wish you an enjoyable vacation!
by Rabbi Ron Jawary
Why the Menorah is a fitting symbol.
Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Jewish nation against the Greeks (165 BCE). It’s interesting that we commemorate the victory by lighting the menorah, that represents Torah and wisdom but has nothing to do with military prowess.
However, if we understand that the true struggle during that time wasn’t for physical survival, but to ensure the continuity of the Torah ideology and values on which the destiny of civilization depended, we can understand why the menorah is the medium through which we commemorate it.
The Jews realized that if Greek values would prevail, humanity would be doomed. The culture of Athens and Sparta adopted the attitude of a master race, with all the evils associated with such an attitude. The Torah, on the other hand, promotes the concept of monotheism and the idea that all of mankind are created in God’s image. Each and every one of us has the ability to make our world a better place, and a responsibility to respect every human.
The oil — which represents the wisdom of Torah — seemed to be enough for only one day, yet it burnt for 8 days, symbolizing the eternal victory of Jewish values.
We all light for 8 days to teach us that just as the oil (our wisdom) transcended all limitations by burning for 8 days, so, too, can we be part of that destiny and illuminate the world with the Almighty’s values. (Based on the teachings of Rabbi Sassoon 20th cent).
Don’t Accuse So Fast
by Nesanel Yoel Safran
From this week’s Torah portion:
In our story, a girl has to choose whether or not to accuse.
The blast of cold air hit Janet’s face like a snowball as she walked out of the school building. The weather report had been right when they said the warmish morning was going to get much chillier by the afternoon.
Good thing I’ve got grandma’s toasty, woolen mitten-gloves in my coat pocket for the walk home, she thought as her fingers had already begun to feel like the icicles hanging down from the school roof. She reached into her pocket, but instead of finding the snugly-soft red, white and blue gloves her grandmother had just given her, she found … nothing.
Hey, what happened to my gloves? she asked herself. The answer was soon in coming. There, just a few yards away was standing that nerdy Claudia, looking as warm as Florida – and no wonder – she was wearing Janet’s gloves!
“Ahem, Claudia,” Janet said, walking over to her. Claudia looked her way with a blank expression on her face.
“Um, don’t you think you made a little mistake?” Janet said as icily as the weather.
“Mistake? What do you mean?”
“I mean, maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal to steal someone’s gloves – but personally, I do!”
By now, a small group of kids had gathered around them to see what was going on, and the shy Claudia was looking really embarrassed.
“But, I didn’t take your gloves!” the girl protested. “These gloves are mine.”
“Oh sure they are. I suppose my grandmother knit you an extra pair when she knit me mine. Give ’em back, now!”
“Yeah, thief, give ’em over!” taunted one of Janet’s popular friends from among the ever-growing circle of spectators.
“Stealing is disgusting!” another kid yelled.
Claudia was now as red as the stripes on her gloves and without a word, she peeled them off her hand, shoved them at Janet and scurried away.
Serves the kid right!Janet thought.
The amused crowd, too cold to hang around, broke up and Janet also trudged home under the chilly gray sky with her hands now rightfully warm.
“Hi mom, I’m home!” Janet hollered, as she slammed her front door, leaving the cold wind behind her and tucking her gloves into her pocket.
“Oh, hi. I was so worried about you,” her mother said. “Your hands must be freezing.”
“What do you mean, Mom?” Janet asked confused.
“I tried to catch up with you when you forgot your gloves this morning, but I was too late.”
Forgot? … Gloves?
“But I didn’t…” Janet started to object but stopped in mid-sentence as her mom waved grandma’s gloves in front of her shocked face and plunked them down on the table.
“I know you didn’t need to wear gloves this morning, but how did you ever manage the walk home without them? Well anyway, sit down and I’ll bring you a hot cup of cinnamon tea.”
Janet quickly grabbed the gloves out from her pocket. Sure enough, they were the same — almost. Instead of red fingers and a blue thumb, these had blue fingers and a red thumb! Because she’d just got them, it seems she’d made a mistake — but not nearly as big of a mistake as the one she’d made by falsely accusing and humiliating Claudia and taking her gloves!
A burn of shame flushed over Janet’s face that made the hot drink unnecessary. She had some big-time apologizing to do and would think ten times from now on before ever accusing anybody again.
Discussion Questions
Ages 3-5
Q. How did Janet feel when she first saw Claudia wearing gloves?
A. She felt they were hers and she had the right to accuse her of taking them.
Q. How did she feel in the end?
A. She felt terrible she’d falsely accused her and would be much more careful about accusing people from now on.
Ages 6-9
Q. What life-lesson do you think Janet learned that day?
A. Sometimes we can feel sure that someone did something wrong and are ready to accuse them, but we should be extra careful not to falsely accuse.
Q. So what should Janet have done? Nothing?
A. She had reason to feel they were her gloves and it was okay to ask about them. But she should have made sure to have done it quietly and in private and when the girl denied it, since Janet couldn’t prove it, it would have been better to have dropped the matter until she could be certain she was in the right.
Ages 10 and Up
Q. According to Jewish law, there have to be two valid, independent witnesses (and not just one) to convict someone of a crime. Why do you think that might be so?
A. One reason is that it is very easy to make a mistake. We can think we saw something, but in fact, we missed an important detail. Two independent witnesses make it less likely for such a mistake to happen. Accusing people of doing wrong is a serious matter and we should take whatever precautions we can not to falsely accuse.
Q. What should be our first reaction when we see apparent wrongdoing?
A. If it is not something dangerous that requires immediate action, we should stop and consider – is there a way to judge this person favorably? If so, we should. Of course it’s a value to protect ourselves and others, but it’s also a value to protect people’s feelings and reputations by not accusing them of doing wrong unless we are sure.
“Every act of forgiveness mends something broken in this fractured world. It is a step, however small, in the long, hard journey to redemption.” – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Joke of the Week
to be done
Shabbat Shalom!
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