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The Season
Of Getting

Shabbat Vayeshev:
Genesis 37:1-40:23;
Amos 2:6-3:8.

does Potiphar see God's
t's tough to be a Jew
hand in Joseph's success?
during the holidays in
How does he see spirituality
America. The news
in Joseph's prosperity?
media bombard us with
The rabbis of the Midrash
Christmas songs. Santa
explain
that. whenever
Claus greets me as I enter
Joseph
would
serve his mas-
Kmart and America today
ter,
he
\vould
begin to mum-
no longer celebrates the
ble
a
prayer,
"Master
of the
"holiday" season. This
Rabbi Reuven
Universe:
You
are
my
faith;
year, the Christian
Spolter
You
are
my
master;
please
Coalition has ensured that
Special to the
help me find favor in the
Americans use "Merry
Jewish News
eyes of all who see me.
Christmas" as the greeting
Please
help
me find favor in the eyes
of choice.
of
Potiphar."
The Christmas season seems chal-
Potiphar, seeing Joseph mumbling,
lenging to a parent trying to raise a
confronted
his slave."What are you
Jewishly aware child: To my mind,
saying!?
Are
you trying to curse
while the Christmas trees and lights
me?!"
and even nativity scenes do pose a
"No," Joseph explained. "I am pray-
threat to our sense of Jewish identity
ing
to God that I find favor in your
and values, parents have a relatively
eyes."
easy defense. It's not our holiday. We
Joseph understands that he owes
have plenty of holidays to celebrate
his
material success not to his own
for ourselves — like Chanukah.
abilities
and efforts, but to the
The far greater challenge that the
unseen
hand
of God supporting him.
Christmas season brings is one that
He
realizes
that
life is not about how
we might not even realize has been
much
he
has
or
doesn't
have, but how
bombarding us since the day before
much
God
had
given
him,
even dur-
Thanksgiving. To most Americans,
ing
his
darkest
hours.
And
when
the holiday season — whatever you
Potiphar
sees
that
spirituality,
he
call it — means primarily one thing:
understands
that
Joseph
is
indeed
a
getting stuff. From the gifts to wish
unique
and
special
person.
lists to holiday gift-guides, corpora-
We'll all give Chanukah presents to
tions spend billions of dollars to con-
our
children and grandchildren this
vince us that we should want more
year.
But when we do, we must
stuff; no — that we need more stuff.
understand
and remember that the
And the materialism that ensnares us
greatest
gift
we can possibly give our
during this time of year is entirely
children
is
to
teach them that instead
antithetical to a Jewish way of life.
of
saying,
"What
did I get?" or "This
Vayeshev relates the sad story of
is
what
I
want:'
a
Jew should always
Joseph, sold by his brothers into slav-
be
able
to
say,
"Look
what God has
ery in Egypt. He winds up in the
given
me."
Li
.
house of Potiphar, and quickly rises
to prominence as the head of the
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel
household. The Torah explains that
of Oak Park.
Potiphar trusts Joseph because he
sees something special in him: he
Conversations
sees the hand of God.
Discuss our sense of identity root-
"And [Joseph's] master saw that
ed in the past and a sense of spir-
God vas with him and that in his
itual purpose for the future as
every endeavor, God brought his
two of the greatest gifts we, as a
hand success." (Genesis 39:3) The
people, have received.
Midrash wonders: how in the world

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