Sometimes the weekly Torah portion seems to
parallel history, this past week was one of those weeks. The week's section is
called VaYigash and you will find it in the Book of Genesis. The portion deals
with a terrible draught in the Land of Israel, similar to this year's draught,
and how the lack of food forced the reunification of Joseph with his brothers
and father.
parallel history, this past week was one of those weeks. The week's section is
called VaYigash and you will find it in the Book of Genesis. The portion deals
with a terrible draught in the Land of Israel, similar to this year's draught,
and how the lack of food forced the reunification of Joseph with his brothers
and father.
If we read the text on a superficial basis (the p'shat
level) we see the story of a family's reunification, but if we read it on a
deeper level this week's portion forces us to ask the question: "How do we
respond when people are in distress? How do we learn from national disasters
while avoiding anger and recrimination?
This week's parashah offers us insights to
develop spiritual responses to suffering and ideas to bring about healing and
reconciliation when things go wrong. Certainly after the terrible Mt Carmel
forest fires we will have to find a way to replant the forests, to learn from
past mistakes, and to assure that these mistakes are not repeated.
develop spiritual responses to suffering and ideas to bring about healing and
reconciliation when things go wrong. Certainly after the terrible Mt Carmel
forest fires we will have to find a way to replant the forests, to learn from
past mistakes, and to assure that these mistakes are not repeated.
In this week's section we note that Joseph and his
brothers' reunification came about through a series of painful but perhaps
necessary steps. The first step was the need to recognize the other's pain; the
second step was to understand that once recognition occurred then it would
become necessary to find the psychological and spiritual strength to deal with
the pain. Reading the text on this level we find these principles to be true on
both the personal and group level.
Certainly the Mt Carmel forest fires in Israel
are going to demand sacrifice to recover. We will need to replant the forests,
mend lives, and join families that suffered the loss of a loved ones in
collective mourning. How ironic that as we lit the Chanukah candles this past
week, that Mt. Carmel's forests were also aflame, not as symbols of truth and
justice but as a reminder of negligence and poor management. In this week's parashah we learn that the reconciliation
between Joseph, his brothers, and ultimately his father could not have happened
without Joseph's faith and inner strength. In a like manner, the reforestation
of Mt. Carmel will only happen through our dedication, faith and inner strength.
Just like Joseph, we will have to be willing to acknowledge the pain caused by
the lack of planning, and the lack of essential equipment. This week's parashah
then serves as a model of rebuilding for all of us. Like Joseph, we must
acknowledge the pain, draw upon our faith, and create a positive plan for the
future.
are going to demand sacrifice to recover. We will need to replant the forests,
mend lives, and join families that suffered the loss of a loved ones in
collective mourning. How ironic that as we lit the Chanukah candles this past
week, that Mt. Carmel's forests were also aflame, not as symbols of truth and
justice but as a reminder of negligence and poor management. In this week's parashah we learn that the reconciliation
between Joseph, his brothers, and ultimately his father could not have happened
without Joseph's faith and inner strength. In a like manner, the reforestation
of Mt. Carmel will only happen through our dedication, faith and inner strength.
Just like Joseph, we will have to be willing to acknowledge the pain caused by
the lack of planning, and the lack of essential equipment. This week's parashah
then serves as a model of rebuilding for all of us. Like Joseph, we must
acknowledge the pain, draw upon our faith, and create a positive plan for the
future.
May the Lo-d bless you and keep you!
