Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18 – 47:27) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Joseph fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his [Joseph’s] neck” (Genesis 45:14). This poignant moment when these two brothers are reunited after a separation of twenty-two years is one of the most tender …
Parshat Vayigash: What Makes a Leader? Rabbi Netanel Aryeh Leib and Rabbanit Avital Kaszowitz are Straus-Amiel shlichim serving as the Chief Rabbinical couple of Kenya and the Jewish communities of East Africa In the previous portions we came across leader figures: Reuven, Yehuda and Yosef. All three display leadership qualities and have characteristics of firstborns. However, …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –“I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them unto him together with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be …
Reconciliation and the Scars That Remain Rabbanit Dr. Hannah Hashkes is the Director of OTS’s International Halakha Scholars Program The encounter between Yehuda and Yosef described in the beginning of our portion is perceived as the celebrated moment of reconciliation between Yosef and his brothers. If this is so, why do the brothers express concern of …
Shabbat Shalom: Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Joseph could not hold himself back in front of all who were standing around him… And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph; Is my father still alive?’”(Genesis 45:1-3) Why does Joseph suddenly wake up to his familial ties and reveal …
Parshat Vayigash: The Union of Joseph and Judah By Yinon Ahiman, Director General of Ohr Torah Stone Judah and Joseph, once bitter enemies, now enter into a union, each a tree in their own right. These two trees mesh to produce own great nation. Full redemption is contingent on the union between the brothers. The …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18 — 47:27) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel — “And Joseph went up to greet Israel his father; he fell on his neck and he wept on his neck exceedingly” (Gen. 46:29) In these few words, our Torah describes a dramatic meeting between an aged …