Jan 3
Following the burial of their father Jacob in Parshat Vayechi, Joseph’s brothers worry aloud: “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us!?” Despite the good grace Joseph had shown them upon their reunification, the debt they owe him for having sold him into slavery so many years prior still lingers. The eleven brothers feel so burdened by this debt that they are willing to do anything—even become slaves themselves—in order to be free from it.
Esau is a character derided by the Jewish tradition. Depicted as a brute, unintelligent and powerful man of the field, Esau is often seen as the opposite of the rabbinic ideal: his twin brother Jacob. Yet Parshat Toldotsuggests that we not be so quick to dismiss him. Esau’s experience, after all, may very well mirror our own.
Few things are prettier than a rainbow. The picturesque spectrum of color across an ashen, rain-filled sky elicits feelings of calm, gratitude and awe in even the most jaded of people. But a rainbow is more than just a sight of beauty. The Jewish tradition pushes us to see each rainbow as a prismatic vision of a more perfect world.
Some time ago, in what seems already like a long-past lifetime, I was hurt by someone I knew, someone I cared about, and who I thought cared about me. I felt betrayed and embarrassed, I was sad and angry – my being ran the gamut of expected emotions in response to this act.
And my gut told me to respond. To get back. To get even. I wanted her to feel the pain that I had felt. I wanted to bring her down to my level. Read more
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