* Kitchens * Bothroo
Torah Portion
set him free, we would have followed
you, also," they said.
Judah's tragic saga continues in the
interlude of chapter 38 with the deaths
of his sons and a critical encounter with
this daughter-in-law, Tamar. When she
confronts him with evidence of his
wrongdoing in their relationship, Judah
confesses, and adds, "She is more right-
lthough the opening verses of
eous than I." (38:26).
this week's sedra refer to the
Judah has learned a painful lesson of
patriarch Jacob, let us learn
life, and, the rabbis tell us, of leader-
significant lessons for Shabbat
ship, as well. He knows that it is difficult
and this Chanuka season from the sto-
yet vitally important to admit when we
ries and actions of three of his sons:
are wrong, to ask forgiveness
Joseph, Judah and Reuben.
and to correct our mistakes.
The Torah portion tells of
Because of his example, we as
Jacob's favorite, Joseph; how
a people carry on his name
his brothers reacted to his
— we are Judeans, or, in
dreams for the future; how
shortened form, Jews.
Judah lost stature in the eyes of
Finally, there is Reuben,
his family, yet regained an
who teaches us that it is not
honored reputation by his later
always easy to have your voice
admission of wrongdoing; and
heard, nor to be strong in the
how Reuben, the eldest son of
face of overwhelming odds;
Israel, demonstrates and leads
RABBI
but we must try.
by moral courage.
NORMAN T.
When Reuben heard his
First, there is Joseph. Sold
brothers' plan to kill Joseph,
ROMAN
into slavery in Egypt by his
his was the only dissenting
Special to the
brothers, the first Jew in our
opinion.
He tried to save his
Jewish News
tradition to be called tzadik,
father's favorite son, pleading,
"righteous." Reviled by his
"Let us not take his life!"
siblings and imprisoned by the
(37:21-22). The one man who can stand
Egyptians, he rises and succeeds in a for-
out from the masses, who can stand up
eign society. Knowing that he would
against evil, is the one who deserves our
always be different, apart from those
respect and honor.
among whom he lived, he decides to
Indeed, we are taught in Pirkei Avot,
become involved in leading the society
"In a place where there are no men,
around him through its difficulty, seven
strive to be one!"
years of famine.
Reuben's small example of moral
He maintains his moral integrity and
courage rings especially true as we begin
sense of family loyalty, at the same time
the Festival of Rededication, celebrating
helping those who initially opposed him
the victory of the Maccabees. "The
and his dreams. Joseph maintains his
many were given into the hands of the
religious identity and connects to his
few." Whether it is one man or a family
family after many years, even though he
or a community or a people, the small
has been separated from them, "a
numbers can and must be heard and
stranger in a strange land."
respected. T1
The tzadik, we learn from Joseph, is
the one who finds a true balance
between his personal, spiritual world
and the external, material world in
which we find ourselves.
Why aren't the other fathers and
Judah is also a central character in
mothers of Jewish history — or even
this week's Torah portion Although it
Moses, for that matter — referred to
appears that he spared Joseph's life, sug-
as tzadikim by the rabbis? Read vers-
gesting that the brothers sell him to the
es 18-28 of chapter 37. In your opin-
Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:26-27), Judah
ion, who actually saved Joseph from
later "left his brothers" (Genesis 38:1)
his brothers: Reuben or Judah? Was
because, according to the Midrash, they
it easy for Joseph to forgive his
blamed him alone for their father Jacob's
brothers (he says, "After all, God
grief over the loss of his favorite son,
intended it for life!")?
Joseph (whom he presumed to be dead).
In which other biblical stories
does one person's voice save lives by
"You suggested that we sell him, and
we followed you. Had you suggested to
speaking out against the many or
the powerful?
Norman T. Roman is rabbi at Temple
Kol Ami.
ers 6 ome Offices
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Of Brothers, Favorites
And Lessons Learned
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Shabbat Vayeshev:
Genesis 37:1-40:23;
Numbers 7:1-17;
Zachariah 2:14-4:7.
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