The tradition continues.
Monday
December 25

Together we will celebrate the
strength of our community.

L

Select and participate in a volunteer
service project at one of many
locations in metropolitan Detroit.

A H AN D
D
!
EN

Registration:
November 16 - December 18
mitzvahdaydetroit2017.eventbrite.com

Questions?
Call the Mitzvah Day Hotline:
248-642-2656 or
email: nlevine@jfmd.org

Mitzvah Day Co-chairs:
Micki Grossman
Milt Neuman
Illana Stern

torah portion

Providing
For Families

Y

ou may learn from the story
of Jacob that it is our “worst
trial to have our children ask
us for food when we have nothing
to give.” — Midrash HaGadol
Jacob’s children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren were at
risk of starving. Ten of Jacob’s sons
made the long journey to Egypt
from their home in Canaan to buy
food so they and their families
would survive.
challenges and appointments and
In the intricacies of the narrative deadlines — it is easy to forget
of Mikketz — the rise and
that we are living in a time
assimilation of Joseph in
when one in six children in
Egypt, the drama of his rec-
our country is food inse-
ognizing his brothers with-
cure.
out revealing his own iden-
It is time to address this
tity, the trials and trans-
crisis. Members of our syn-
formations that allow for
agogues, our friends and
the brothers to ultimately
neighbors, and families in
reconcile — it is easy to for-
our schools are struggling
Rabbi Ariana
get that the backdrop of the
to provide for their fami-
Silverman
later part of the parsha is
lies and sometimes unable
pervasive hunger.
to put food on the table.
After seven years of
Hunger touches everyone
plenty, there is famine; and
and can have profound
this hunger drives the plot. Jacob
implications for our city, our state
instructs his sons to “go down [to
and our country. We can respond
Egypt] and buy us provisions from
by giving time and money to hun-
there, that we may live and not die.” ger organizations. We can advocate
Joseph changes his mind about the
for public policies that reduce hun-
ger. We can share our bounty so
brothers’ initial imprisonment so
that no one needs to face a hungry
that “[only] one of your brothers
be confined … while the rest of you child and have nothing to give.
A Pharaonic record states that,
go bring provisions to relieve the
“I was in distress on the Great
starvation of your families.” And
Throne, and those who are in the
finally Judah is able to convince
palace were in heart’s affliction
Jacob to allow Benjamin to join
from a very great evil, since the
his brothers in returning to Egypt
Nile had not come in my time for
so “we may live, and not die — we
a space of seven years. Grain was
ourselves, and you, and our little
scant, fruits were dried up ... The
ones as well.”
infant was wailing; the youth was
The midrash reminds us of this
wailing; the heart of old men was a
fundamental human suffering. For
sorrow …”
some of us, it is a daily reality, and
If Pharaoh could hear the suffer-
we don’t need a reminder.
ing from his throne, we can hear
Many of us are blessed with the
incredible privilege of never worry- the hunger pangs of our neighbors.
Let’s make sure that we respond. •
ing about whether, if our children
ask for food, we will have noth-
Ariana Silverman is the rabbi of the Isaac
ing to give. And in the intricacies
Agree Downtown Synagogue. She lives in
of our daily lives — the joys and

Parshat Mikketz:
Numbers 7:30-41;
Zechariah 2:14-4:7
(Shabbat Chanukah)

JOHN HARDWICK

MITZVAH
2017
DAY

spirit

Detroit with her family.

32

December 14 • 2017