Weekly Shabbat Parsha Thoughts - Va-Yigash - 12.25.2009

This week’s parsha tells the story of the final reunion between Joseph and his brothers. In the story of saving their brother Benyamin the brother show their growth in protecting their family and Joseph shows that he has grown in not acting out a vengeance when he had all of the power and opportunity.

The theme that gets fully reinforced is the concept of working towards completeness. If you look at the evolution of the sibling relationships in the first book of the torah they show an evolution towards completeness. Cain and Abel begin with jealousy, Isaac and Ishmael learn to uncomfortably co-exist, Jacob and Esau learn to love each other and exist in peace but not working together and in this weeks parsha we see the 12 brothers learning to love, forgive and work together completely.

In addition you see the evolution of the Jewish leaders from defining the Jewish people and the covenant to establishing the internal beginnings of the legacy for Israel and finally in Joseph you have a Jewish leader who is also a leader and full member of the outside world while still working in HaShem's direct service for the fulfillment of the people of Israel. The theme of being in the world that was started with Joseph's Great Grandfather (Abraham) has continued to be evolved over the generations.

I think that there are two points that are key that this week is teaching us:

1) That you must not lose one’s connection to HaShem while engaging with the world. It is important to note because the Torah also shows us that Judaism must be experienced with the outside world.

2) That everything is a process or an evolution. And one of the key points to learn from these stories is that mistakes are made by everyone. Our forefathers made mistakes as a part of the evolution towards completeness. Joseph and his brothers made mistakes as well. This week reinforces the fact that these mistakes are a part of the process required by HaShem and are also a key part of the experience of becoming Jewish.

So as we finish up 2009 and think of the year to come we hope for one that allows us to learn and grow, have our mistakes make us better and gives us the opportunity to further our evolution towards our completeness as people in the world, in our family, in our Judaism and ourselves.

Shabbat Shalom