Klipstein, Chaplain Leslie (AJRCA 2023)
Chaplain Leslie Klipstein is a staff chaplain at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, CA.
Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld and Rabbi Richard Address
In this week’s parashah, Joseph can no longer conceal his identity and escape his past. He does this by asking first, “Is my father still well?” Instead of starting with condemnations of his brothers. This indicates Joseph’s new capacity to be true to himself.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky: Parashat Vayigash A Lesson from Joseph’s Torah
In this week’s parashah, Joseph can no longer conceal his identity and escape his past. He does this by asking first, “Is my father still well?” Instead of starting with condemnations of his brothers. This indicates Joseph’s new capacity to be true to himself.
The Maccabeats – We’re Still Here
The Maccabeats – We’re Still Here (Am Yisrael Chai) – Hanukkah 2023 – עם ישראל חי
US Service Members – Ocho Kandelikas
US Service Members – Ocho Kandelikas
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z/l: Mikketz Sibling Rivalry
Rabbi Sacks writes that the root of human conflict is actually sibling rivalry: Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and now Joseph and his brothers. He compares the sibling rivalry of the Torah to the 3 Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He reminds us of the early medieval period in Spain, when the religions lived together peacefully. That changed with the blood libels and expulsions later in Europe. Rabbi Sacks continues the analogy into the present, writing of the conflicts in the Middle East right now.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky: Parashat Miketz If you are not sure, ask Joseph!
Rabbi Ruditsky ties the parashah to current events in Israel. While many Jewish people have questioned their past, like Joseph, they are now coming to terms with both the present and the past, recognizing that they are intertwined. Joseph named his one of his sons Manasseh, which means “God has made me completely forget my hardship and my parental home.” Like Joseph, many Jews today question their position on the State of Israel.