Vayigash: The Reunion
So Chanukah is winding to a close. If you are like me, you have had more than your fill of latkes, jelly doughnuts and chocolate coins. With a twinge of sadness, we will clean our menorahs and store them away until next year.
So what is left? After the last flame burns down, the last Tum is ingested and the last song is sung, is there something that remains for the rest of the year?
After the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian-Greeks, they collected Torah books from all over Judea and initiated study groups in order to jumpstart Torah learning, which the Greek oppressors had tried to squelch. This Shabbat is the 5th of Tevet, which is celebrated in Chabad communities as a day to expand our Torah-related libraries and broaden the horizons of Torah scholarship.
This year, follow the example of the Maccabees. Buy some Torah books and read them. You stand only to gain.
Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, who are overcome with remorse. They return to Canaan and bring their father, Jacob, to be reunited with his son after 22 years. Joseph becomes wealthy, and Pharaoh gives his family the fertile land of Goshen as their own.
Can we ascertain whether the ten lost tribes are in fact ever going to come back and be reunited with the remaining Jews?
This is the first recorded moment in history in which one human being forgives another.
Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers teaches us how to reconcile with G‑d.
From the animosity between Joseph and his brothers, to the dual nature of the messianic redemption—a rift and twinship that extends across history.
We can educate, inspire and assist another, but ultimately, the only one who can effect any real and lasting change is the person himself.
Awaiting us were the rabbis, the shochtim, the respectable householders of Rudnia, and its three schoolteachers together with their students, some 50 boys.
According to my understanding, it is the small incidents that reveal the greatness and the loftiness of his soul.
Ever consider inviting Moses, King David, and the sages and prophets of the Great Assembly to come live in your house?
My husband, Asher, is a bibliomaniac. When we were dating, he tried to warn me, but I had no idea what he meant . . .
The Jewish idea of tzniut (modesty) isn’t just about the way we dress. How does maintaining appropriate personal boundaries help to preserve intimacy?
The Jewish woman has a unique mission specific to her special qualities and sensitivities. The very future of the Jewish people depends on her success.
Would Jacob’s family be able to maintain its identity? Or would it simply disappear, swamped by the sophisticated culture of a major power?
Thirty years ago, my neighborhood didn’t even exist. Then someone with a vision came and built.
Judah and his brothers could not have prevailed militarily against the Egyptian army. Yet they were prepared to put their lives on the line in a valiant effort to save Benjamin.
I had a choice to make. Either drive the 90 miles to see my family, or go look for an extra bulb.
There must be a continuously progressive ascent, rising ever higher and higher, until darkness is dispelled altogether.
The promises of reward for one who gives tzedakah. Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse . . . and please test Me . . . if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you blessing . . .”
Rabbi Jonah said, “The prophet Jonah ben Amitai was just another pilgrim to the Temple. He walked into the Sukkot celebration, the divine spirit rested upon him, and he became a prophet.”
The Magid of Mezritch taught:
Joy is the path to the divine.
And Sukkot is a time for joy.
A joy that can lift everyone to ...
