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Vayeishev 5766 - December 23, 2005

Seasons: A Chanukah Thought

When it's dark
light a candle…
Parshah
Vayeshev in a Nutshell
Jacob makes a colored coat for his favorite son, Joseph. Joseph’s brothers are jealous; they sell him to travelling Ishmaelites, and tell Jacob he is dead. Joseph is taken to Egypt, works for Potiphar, and is thrown into jail, where he meets the baker and the butler and interprets their dreams.
Story
Life After Death: A Parable

Suddenly the world convulses. Upheaval. Writhing. A crushing, staccato pounding. One brother disappears into the turmoil. The second brother bewails the tragedy--the death of a perfectly fine fellow. Why didn't he take better care? Why did he fall into that terrible abyss?
Living
Cookies & Apples

It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true: you can never get enough of what you don't really want...
Parenting
In Defense of the Jelly Bean

Should a parent give a child a tangible reward, such as a prize or a food treat, when a child behaves properly, does his homework or helps around the house?
Jono's Psychedelic Elephant

What can we learn from dreams? Find out in this oscar-worthy, three-minute long, Jewish puppet show
The Passing of the Maggid

“Know that by the action you have taken,” said the Maggid, “you have forfeited your head . . . But this you have achieved: from now on, whenever there will be a conflict between the chassidim and their opponents, the chassidim will prevail . . .”
19 Kislev: The "New Year" of Chassidism
This day marks the “birth” of Chassidism, when the long-hidden secrets of Judaism emerged from the womb of mysticism to illuminate and transform the totality of Jewish life.
Said one to the other, “Behold, here comes the dreamer!”
— Joseph’s brothers, Genesis 37:19
Print Magazine

In the month of Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah, a signal goes out to every Jewish soul that it is time to return to the palace that is home.

It is a signal both subtle and loud.

Subtle, because it does not awaken even those who are closest—every soul must awaken itself. Loud, because it reaches those who have been...

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