Seriously Funny
One of my children’s favorite songs for Passover is Pharoah in Pajamas in the Middle of the Night, a simple repetitive tune highlighting Pharoah’s frantic search for Moses on the night of Egypt’s plague of the firstborn. I’ve heard renditions of the song in...
It’s Normal to Question
When the Chofetz Chaim himself, the saintly Rabbi Yisrael Meyer Kagan, was bemoaning how people were losing their faith and attachment to Judaism, it was the Rosh Mesivta (high school principal) who helped him feel better. The principal pointed out that even back in...
Who Needs Him?
The Jewish slaves, entrenched and tortured in Egypt for hundreds of years, finally reached a point where they were moved to prayer. "The Children of Israel moaned from the labor, and they cried, and their desperate plea ascended to G-d from the labor." (Ex. 2:23). The...
Finding Happiness
When Yaakov blesses Yehudah, he says that Yehudah will be "red-eyed from wine, and white-toothed from milk." [49:12] In the Talmud, Rabbi Yochanan offers a homiletic interpretation of this verse. [Kesubos 111b]. He says that one who smiles graciously at his friend is...
Living in Fear
Due to the widespread famine in Canaan, Jacob and his family descended to Egypt to live under Joseph's care. Before the journey, G-d appeared to Jacob and said "Don't fear going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you and I...
Where We Must Work
In this week's reading, the time for Yosef's redemption finally arrives. Pharoah has dreams, his sommelier (wine butler) suddenly remembers Yosef, and Yosef is hastily pulled from jail, given a haircut, and sent to interpret the dreams of Pharoah. Two weeks ago, I...
