How Embarassing!

The sons of Jacob find themselves before Egypt’s second in command, unaware that it’s really their brother Joseph. Falsely accused of espionage and of stealing from the royal palace, about to lose their father’s beloved son Benjamin — whom they...

Trust in G-d, not Man

We read this week that two years after Pharoah’s wine steward and chief baker had their dreams, Pharoah had one of his own, and as a result, they rushed Joseph from jail. Obviously Pharoah needed Joseph, but the Torah tells us something deeper: that Joseph was...

A Spoonful of Sugar

Many of us certainly remember the bitter taste of medicine. Before artificial sweeteners and capsules, taking medicine was, well… a hard pill to swallow. Let’s put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes on his trip down to Egypt. After having lost his mother...

Balanced Trust

As our forefather Yaakov (Jacob) prepared to encounter his brother Esav again after 34 years, he did three things: sent presents, readied for war, and prayed. He balanced his prayers and trust in G-d with appropriate “worldly” efforts. He neither trusted...

100% Pure …Pure What?

In our time, we’ve become accustomed to deceptive promises. The savvy consumer is advised to read advertisements between the lines, not to make the impulse decisions salespeople would have us make. Laws protect the consumer from blatantly false claims, but...

Perseverance

In this week’s portion, Yitzchak (Isaac) reopens the wells dug by his father Avraham, which the Pelishtim had filled with earth. To avoid argument with the shepherds of Gerar, Yitzchak digs multiple new wells, until he finally digs a well and there is no further...