Va’era
By Erika Schwartz
 
This Torah portion from Exodus, recounting the story of most of the Plagues, brings into question the issue of “free will”.
 
G-d makes it clear to Moses and Aaron that He will “harden the heart of Pharaoh” so that He (God) can demonstrate His power.  As Pharaoh resists all efforts of Moses and Aaron to free the Israelites, G-d rains ever more devastating havoc on the Egyptians.  There are times when Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron that, should they beseech G-d to lift a particular plague, he (Pharaoh) will let the Israelites go.  Then he changes his mind at the last minute.
 
Is Pharaoh really changing his mind or is G-d fulfilling his promise to harden Pharaoh’s heart?
 
As I read this parashah, I realized that there are two possible lessons to be learned from it.  The first is the question of free will.  Do we really have complete ability to make our own decisions?  Or is there a “higher power” pulling the strings and causing us to take the paths we take?  I have a hard time accepting this possibility so couldn’t think of much to say about it.  I don’t believe that everything we do is controlled by G-d.
 
But I do believe that G-d often puts us through difficult trials in an effort to cement our relationship with Him.  I would suspect that, having suffered through the Ten Plagues, Pharaoh may well have been left with a profound belief in G-d. 
 
According to one Midrash, Pharaoh did not drown in the Red Sea.  He made his way to Nineveh, Assyria where he became king – the very same king who, when hearing the prophet Jonah’s message from G-d foretelling Nineveh’s destruction, encouraged all his subjects to repent in order to avert the divine decree.  This, then, would be the positive outcome of all that Pharaoh and the Egyptian people endured.
 
My own life has been filled with many instances when I thought I was in the midst of ten plagues.  There were years and years when it felt as if G-d had completely abandoned me.  But, in retrospect, I can see now how all of those difficult times led me to a life filled with awesome blessings and gratitude.  Had I not gone through the difficult years of the past, I don’t believe I would have appreciated the blessings of the present.
 
What comes easy, we take for granted.  Pharaoh’s heart may well have been hardened so that he could be the instrument of survival for an entire city in future years.

D'var Torah
by Art Greenfield

​We live in unusual times─that has been said of every decade of my life and undoubtedly every decade since the beginning of time.  I’m sure it was said 4000 or 5000 years ago.

Parashah Toledot, in part, tells the story of Abraham’s son Isaac and his wife, Rebekah. We are told she was barren, and she and Isaac prayed to God that she might conceive. She becomes pregnant with twins that fought within her womb. She asked God the meaning, and God told her “two separate nations were in her womb, one mightier than the other, and the older would serve the younger.

This is also a tale of two brothers who are different one from the other. One brother, Esau, is an outdoorsman, a hunter who spends his time in the fields and forests hunting animals to provide meat for the family. The other brother, Jacob, is more of a homeboy. Esau is hairy and of a swarthy complexion, Jacob the opposite:
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Isaac favored Esau for his game, but Rebekah favored Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking, Esau returned to the camp famished and demanded some of Jacob's red stew. Jacob demanded that Esau first sell him his birthright, and Esau did so with an oath, spurning his birthright.

This, of course, is not the first story of brothers falling out, Cain and Abel were the children of Adam & Eve:

Cain, the firstborn, tilled the soil, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God, each of his own produce, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain murdered Abel. God punished Cain to a life of wandering.

This can be understood as fact since it is in the Torah, or it can be read as folklore to explain dysfunctional family relationships and family feuds.

Today we are living in a time of upheaval, a period unprecedented in the speed change is occurring. The world is never static, but in the past changes occurred at a much slower rate. Our political parties are in disarray and are pulling away from each other at an alarming, and some would say dangerous rate.

I could be dismayed that the very people we hail as our ancestral heroes also fell short in the moral and ethical departments. Abraham pimps his wife so he will not be killed; Esau is scornful of his birthright and sells it to Jacob for the cost of a meal. Rachel aids and abets Jacob in deceiving Isaac into believing he is Esau. Isaac, like Abraham, also represents his wife as his sister. 
 
If I didn’t know better, I might think this was the plot for a soap opera, or a Larry David sitcom. Perhaps my cynical mind is leading me to put my own spin on what is considered sacred text. Maybe we need our Rabbi’s explanation, so we don’t go down the wrong path.

It does, however, make one think about the folly of assuming our ancestors were all paragons of high moral character.

So why do we still read the passages of the Bible every week? Could it be it is to remind us the bar is not so high we cannot aspire to surpass those that we otherwise hold in high esteem?

In today's world, as in the past, we are troubled by the suspicion our spouses or partners may be unfaithful, but now we have the added fear our partners are changing gender. We are told our children of any age, should be able to decide which gender they are and dress accordingly or in any way they choose. We are told there are not two genders but many. I’ll admit I am confused and feel too old to deal with this stuff.

Toledot, as written does not explicitly point out how one incident of deceit can turn into more and more deception. Yet reading the text, it is quite evident that is what has happened. This snowball effect can easily lead to family dysfunction and hatred between former friends and loved ones.

Today our concerns are with our modern world and the dysfunction that is everywhere. It is as though we are experiencing a modern Tower of Babel. We  are having difficulty communicating with each other in a common language.   

Eons have passed, yet we are still subject to the same deviousness the people experienced back then. Although events are moving fast, we still have not learned the lessons of long ago.

Perhaps we need to remember the words of the poet, Bob Dylan.
The times they are a changing.

SUMMARY:

• The new king of Egypt makes slaves of the Hebrews and orders their male children to be drowned in the Nile River. (1:1-22)
• A Levite woman places her son, Moses, in a basket on the Nile, where he is found by the daughter of Pharaoh and raised in Pharaoh's house. (2:1-10)
• Moses flees to Midian after killing an Egyptian. (2:11-15)
• Moses marries the priest of Midian's daughter, Zipporah. They have a son named Gershom. (2:16-22)
• God calls Moses from a burning bush and commissions him to free the Israelites from Egypt. (3:1-4:17)
• Moses and Aaron request permission from Pharaoh for the Israelites to celebrate a festival in the wilderness. Pharaoh refuses and makes life even harder for the Israelites. (5:1-23)

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D'var Torah
by Ronnie Nathan

​This week we begin the second book in Torah, Shemot, which is also the name of the parsha.  The book documents the Israelites’ redemption from slavery, our exodus from Egypt, receiving and accepting the Torah and finally erecting the Tabernacle, all under the leadership of Moses.  Our parsha begins by describing the Israelites’ descent, from the pinnacle of power during the time of Joseph, into slavery.  It then records the 1st 80 years of Moses’ life, from his birth until his first encounter with Pharaoh in his role as leader of his people.  In some ways, it is a microcosm for the last 40 years of his life as he led his people in the wilderness to the Promised Land.  There are many gaps in the story of these 80 years, huge gaps that suggest interesting questions, gaps that clearly demonstrate the Torah is not a history book.  It is a handbook for how human beings should live in this world, the story of the divine mission of the Jewish people and how and why Hashem chose us for this mission.  The parsha documents why Hashem chose Moses, an extraordinarily unlikely choice indeed.  It also tells us something about the qualities required of true leaders, righteous leaders, lessons especially timely for the present.
 
We know very little about Moses’ early years growing up in Egypt.  Was he an Egyptian prince?  Was he more Egyptian than Hebrew?  Why, after years passively observing the severe Egyptian oppression of the people he would one day lead, did he suddenly identify as one of them and kill the Egyptian taskmaster, putting himself at mortal risk?  How old was he when he took this life-changing act?  Rambam claims he was as young as 12, other commentators as old as 30 or 40.  The consensus is approximately 20.  Once the deed was known, why did he flee to Midian instead of the Holy Land, the land of his ancestors?  Why did he present himself there as an Egyptian instead of an Israelite, especially since Israelites were cousins to the Midianites?  We really don’t know the answers to any of these questions.
 
And why did Hashem choose Moses?  His older brother Aaron was the natural choice.  Aaron remained in Egypt all those years, sharing the experiences of his fellow Hebrews.  He was an elder and leader in his community and the heir to the leadership of his father Amram.  Moses never shared the Israelites’ experience of slavery and oppression.  Moses was a reluctant leader.  He was modest.  He doubted his abilities, rightly so because when called by G-d he was only a simple shepherd.  He had a speech defect.  He argued with G-d for 7 days before accepting the mission Hashem assigned to him.  He was a virtual stranger to the Israelites when he arrived to lead them.  He needed his brother as his intermediary with his own people and as his spokesperson before Pharaoh.  What qualities did Hashem see in Moses making him uniquely qualified to lead his people out of slavery, teach them Torah and shepherd them through the wilderness for 38 years;  suffer their rebellions, their lapses of faith;  plead for them before G-d through all their misdeeds; outlive his entire generation only to die at the brink of the Holy Land?
 
Moses’ overriding character trait was humility.  The Talmud describes him as the most humble human being that ever lived.  He was never arrogant, neither before the people nor G-d.  He was incredibly brave, whether he was exhorting G-d, confronting Pharaoh, facing his own people when they rebelled against him or inspiring his people in battle.  His love and selfless dedication as a leader to his people was unshakeable.  His integrity as a judge and teacher was beyond reproach.  His honesty was uncompromising.  He was selfless.  There were very wealthy men among the leaders of Israel.  Moses was not one of them.  Through all his trials and tribulations, his absolute faith in G-d was constant. 
 
Once upon a time, at America’s founding and throughout our history, our greatest leaders shared many of these Mosaic qualities.  They remain the ideal standard of righteous leadership.  As we approach the transition of power to a new administration, does this remind any of us of our leaders today?  Perhaps we need to reevaluate our responsibilities as citizens and demand of our leaders at least some of the qualities Hashem identified in Moshe Rabeinu, the first and greatest leader of the Jewish nation.

SUMMARY: 

• Jacob dreams of angels going up and down a ladder. God blesses him. Jacob names the place Bethel. (28:10-22)
• Jacob works seven years in order to marry Rachel, but Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah, Rachel's older sister. (29:16-25)
• Jacob marries Rachel but only after having to commit himself to seven more years of working for Laban. (29:26-30)
• Leah, Rachel, and their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, give birth to eleven sons and one daughter. (29:31-30:24)
• Jacob and his family leave Laban's household with great wealth. (31:1-32:3)

D'var Torah
by Erika Schwartz

In the Torah portion, Va-Yetse, G-d says to Jacob:

"I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

What did G-d promise to Jacob?

He promised that the land on which Jacob was lying in the land of Canaan would eventually belong to Jacob and his offspring.  G-d promised that Jacob's descendants would be numerous and would spread throughout the world.  Jacob was promised that all the peoples of the earth would bless themselves by Jacob and his descendants. 

In reality, none of these promises was fulfilled by the time Jacob died.

His descendants didn't possess the land of Canaan until the end of the Exodus, long after Jacob and his immediate descendants were gone.  Also, when Jacob died, his family was still living in Egypt, a far cry from inhabiting every corner of the world.  Certainly the people of Egypt were blessing themselves by Jacob's son, Joseph, for having saved them from the worldwide famine.  But that, too, is a far cry from "all the peoples of the earth".

For me, this begs the question of how literally should we take the stories of the Bible and, in particular, how literally should we take the word of G-d as related?  For decades I believed that all of G-d's promises to "be with" or "protect" His children were fairy tales.  That G-d had long ago abandoned us.

But let's go back to the story of Jacob.  At some point in the story, G-d changes Jacob's name to Israel.  Although the two names are used interchangeably in the Bible for the rest of Jacob's life, it's certainly important (and easy) to note that Jacob's other name, Israel, is what his descendants have been called to this day.  We are and always will be Israelites.

So, were G-d's promises just to Jacob? Or were God's promises to us as a People?

There is much in our history to lead us to believe that we were long ago abandoned by G-d . . . left to the vagaries of a human race endowed with "free will".  It's easy for us to see ourselves as the most persecuted people on earth, faced with near annihilation time after time throughout history.  That was certainly my world view for decades and even right up to the point at which I began to write this D'var Torah.  When I chose this passage to be the topic of my essay, my intent was to discuss how G-d had abandoned us and not fulfilled His promises.

But all of a sudden another thought began to seep in and I decided to give the seed the opportunity to germinate.  The thought led me to consider the fate of other people throughout the world, people who have lived in places where, for generation upon generation, their lives have been hell... people who now live in countries where countless millions have been slaughtered... tens of millions.  For many of these societies there is little chance of recovery.  For many of these people there is no wherewithal to regroup and rise again.  Their people are being decimated, their religions are disappearing from the face of the earth.  Eventually history will forget that they ever existed.

Compare this with the history of the Jewish people... the history of the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob.

Because G-d did endow humans with free will, we have indeed been the target of annihilation throughout our history.  Because the Holocaust is a recent, open wound, it's easy for many of us to believe that our people have been abandoned by G-d.  But consider the reality!

Not only have we survived every historical attempt to make us extinct, many of those who sought our extinction are gone from the face of the earth.  Not only have we always re-emerged as a force for good often very shortly after suffering such tremendous loss.  But, in addition to all that, consider that G-d continues to show us time after time that He has not abandoned us.  Consider the miracles by which Israel has fought off her enemies from the moment of her birth.  For me, that is one of the greatest miracles of modern times.  You have only to study the circumstances of Israel's repeated military victories and the lack of resources that Israel had at the beginning to fully appreciate the magnitude of the miracle.

And, for some of us fortunate ones, G-d has granted us the gift of being able to see our personal miracles every day.  So, although I set out to write this D'var Torah on why I believe that G-d no longer exists in the lives of the Jewish people, I've come to see that we have every reason to believe that he most certainly does protect us to this very day.

SUMMARY: 

• Rebekah has twins, Esau and Jacob. (25:19-26)
• Esau gives Jacob his birthright in exchange for some stew. (25:27-34)
• King Abimelech is led to think that Rebekah is Isaac's sister and later finds out that she is really his wife. (26:1-16)
• Isaac plans to bless Esau, his firstborn. Rebekah and Jacob deceive Isaac so that Jacob receives the blessing. (27:1-29)
• Esau threatens to kill Jacob, who then flees to Haran. (27:30-45)

D'var Torah
by Arthur Greenfield

Parashah Toledot described the events of Abram's son Isaac and his marriage to Rebekah when he was 40 years old. Twenty years passed, and Rebekah still had not given birth. Isaac pleaded with God on her behalf, and God allowed her to conceive. As she was nearing the delivery of twins, God told her "two separate nations are in your womb and are fighting for domination, and the older will serve the younger."

The first born was Esau. His skin was red and covered with hair. His brother Jacob followed, holding Esau's heel. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

One day, when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau, who had been out hunting, came back famished and requested some of the stew. Jacob demanded Esau sell him his birthright as the price for the food. Esau spurned his birthright and sold it to Jacob for a mess of potage (A bowl of stew.)

When Isaac was old and blind, he summoned Esau and asked him to hunt some game and prepare a dish for him. Isaac told Esau that when he returned he would receive his blessing. Rebekah, who favored Jacob, had overheard this exchange and instructed Jacob to bring her two of her choice kids so that she can prepare a dish which Jacob can then take to his father. Rebekah told Jacob to put on Esau's best clothes; she then covered his hands with the kid's skin. Jacob presented himself before Isaac as Esau. Jacob then asked for his father's blessing and Isaac asked who was there. Jacob declared he was Esau. Isaac thought his clothing smelled of the fields and the voice he heard was that of Jacob. Nevertheless, Isaac gave Jacob his blessing.

The chapters that follow describe Esau's desire to kill Jacob because of the deception and Esau's loss of Isaacs blessings. They further describe Rebekah telling Jacob to flee to Haran to her brother Laban.

What a combination of moral and ethical dilemmas. There is the question of Rebekah's behavior urging Jacob to pretend he is Esau and Jacob's actions in carrying out the deception.

Most of us at some time have been wronged; it is natural to be disappointed when it involves close friends or family—and it can sometimes escalate into tragic events. Are we just supposed to forget the damage done to us? Or do we take revenge? Turning the other cheek is difficult but often necessary where violence could ensue. Although there is much genuine cause for anger, keeping a clear head and understanding the Jewish moral code is a great help in making the right decision.
 
Judaism demonstrates clear examples of both good and bad moral and ethical behavior, the knowledge we all need if we are to teach our children these attributes. So, what do we learn from this parashah? For one thing, it illustrates the frailties of man, confirming we all have good and bad traits. It also shows that restraint is needed when we are about to make a major blunder.  
 
As I was going over the various verses, I had to smile as I thought what great material for an opera.

The first operas appeared in the early 1600's and slowly grew in popularity. Different opera styles evolved over the years. The basic idea of opera is to tell a story and interweave music to accentuate the mood. Mozart, born in the 1750's and a brilliant composer wrote both serious and a lighter style that today we call comic opera. If we jump to the 1870's we find two established artists, one a composer Arthur Sullivan, and the other a librettist (writer.) W.S. Gilbert. They were introduced by a third party and became partners in producing comic operas. They wrote 14 operas together, which paved the way for the great musical movies of the 20th century. 

Gilbert's stories were noted for their absurdly improbable "topsy-turvy" situations and setting the action in locations far away from Britain, permitted Gilbert to criticize British politics and institutions. This method of disguising dangerous criticism of a country was not new, it was used by Sir Thomas More in his book Utopia.  

Operas like the Mikado, while telling a very amusing story, would most certainly be written differently today. The farcical portrayal of the Japanese government, society, and individuals is so over the top and is deliberately presented that way to mock the British. Just the assignment of the characters names is insulting. Names like Nanki-Poo, Pish-Tush, Pooh-Bah, Pitti-Sing, and Yum-Yum. An interesting aside of how time changes what is and is not acceptable.

The story of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob contains all the strange twists and turns one can imagine, along with the full range of emotions: love, hate, envy, lying, jealousy, theft, blackmail, disguise, and deception. In fact, it has all the ingredients of an excellent comic opera, not because the Parashah is funny, but because it resembles a melodrama and the only thing missing is the twirling of a mustache. I believe Toledot could have inspired Gilbert.

I have this fantasy where I am producing this opera, and I assign the roles for the players along with their vocal range. Isaac is the baritone, Esau, and Jacob, tenors, Abraham although not seen, is heard off stage as a booming bass. Rebekah the mezzo-soprano, Judith, and Basemath screechy sopranos; perhaps inspired by Cinderella's Ugly Sisters or Katisha, an elderly spinster in the Mikado. Toledot is one opera I would pay to see.

Oh well, so much for my twisted imagination.

D'var Torah
by Don Cogan

In this parashah, the Israelites approaching the Promised Land are faced with the prospect of entering Canaan while lacking tangible information about the challenges they would be facing.  Through Moses, G-d allows them to use spies to bring back observations they felt would be useful in planning their entry and conquest. The spy mission was to glean information such as the strength of the enemy forces, their agriculture, the geography of the land and the civic structure of the inhabitants.
 
According to the parashah, 12 spies are sent, one from each tribe. Upon their return after 40 days, only one of the spies, Caleb, brings back a positive report, and he urges the Israelites to enter and take the land. A second chosen spy, Joshua, largely supports Caleb in this regard. However the remaining 10 spies are exceedingly negative, essentially outweighing and distorting Caleb’s and Joshua’s encouragement by emphasizing that the land is well-fortified and inhabited by giants that could easily destroy the Israelites. At this point, the Israelites become totally distraught, admonishing Moses and Aaron and plotting to stone Caleb and Joshua to death.
 
Not surprisingly, G-d is not at all pleased with this rebellion against his expectation that the Israelites enter the land and conquer it as commanded. It takes a considerable degree of assuaging on Moses’ part to appease G-d’s anger. Even then, G-d decrees that only Caleb and Joshua will live to enter the Promised Land and that the Israelites will be destined to wander for 40 years before entering.
 
In my reviewing interpretations of the parashah, it’s apparent it was not G-d’s initial recommendation that the spies be employed to investigate the land before the Israelites entered it. He expected the people of Israel to have faith and to proceed based on this faith. It was only after the people expressed their fear of moving forward “in the dark”, and Moses conveying their concerns to G-d, that G-d consented to have this reconnaissance mission take place, with the proviso that 12 spies are sent, one from each tribe to participate.
 
In deriving an interpretation on this parashah,  I feel it’s vital that first one steps completely outside of our present-day context. If the Israelites were faced with a similar circumstance in today’s world, no doubt they would insist on availing themselves of every possible technique and technology to maximize their chances of success. Spy satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, drones – they would pull out all the stops to assure that they had the most comprehensive, objective information to work with in assessing the enemy and plotting their takeover strategy.
 
Unfortunately, back in these ancient times the Israelites simply didn’t have the benefit of relying on this modern high-tech stuff. They had to rely on their eyes, ears and wits. And the problem associated with these alone is that they are highly basely on subjective interpretation and resultant distortion. Many  of us have learned this early on through the instructive game of “telephone”, where a story becomes more and more distorted the further down the line it goes. Far less innocuous, are the all-too-many cases of witness accounts of possible crime scenes in which each witness is subject to imperfect perceptions, mental filters and the influence and opinions of others.
 
It’s understandable that imperfect, vulnerable human beings are reluctant to proceed with lack of information, or on what we might refer to as “blind faith.   G-d fully recognized man’s limitations and thus his reluctance understandable ,  to allow the Israelites the use of spies who, while they may have been quite skilled, were subject to the imperfections of subjectivity,  distorted perceptions and peer pressure. The painful lesson learned by the Israelites in this parashah was a sobering yet necessary one.  In order for the Israelites to thrive they needed to rely more on faith and thus not be falsely swayed falsely by those imperfect, tempting human influences they would continue to face.

SUMMARY: 

• God speaks to Moses, describing the menorah for the Tent of Meeting. The Levites are appointed to serve as assistants under Aaron and his sons. (8:1-26)
• Those who are unable to celebrate Passover during Nisan are given a time in the month of Sivan to observe a "second Passover." (9:1-14)
• A cloud by day and fire by night show God's Presence over the Tabernacle. When the cloud lifts from the Tabernacle, the people leave Sinai, setting out on their journey, tribe by tribe. (9:15-10:36)
• The Israelites complain about the lack of meat, and Moses becomes frustrated. God tells him to appoint a council of elders. God provides the people with meat and then strikes them with a very severe plague. (11:1-34)
• Miriam and Aaron talk about the "Cushite woman" whom Moses has married. In addition, they complain that God speaks not only through Moses but also through them. Miriam is struck with leprosy, and Moses begs God to heal her. After her recovery, the people resume their journey. (12:1-16)

D'var Torah
by Arthur C. Greenfield
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This D'var Torah is not intended to follow the exact order of events as laid out in the Tanakh, but rather, to give my impression of some of the chapters contained in the parashah.

Be-ha'alotecha is a very busy Parashah describing many aspects of the life of the Israelites two years after their exodus from Egypt.

The Lord instructs Moses on a wide list of subjects and defines what he must do and which tasks he must tell Aaron to carry out, which included placing the seven lamps in the Tent of Meeting so their light will be thrown on the front of the Menorah and establishing the position the Levites will hold. It describes what will be required of them and their place within the society. He instructs Moses to produce two silver trumpets of hammered work. The trumpets will be used to summon the community and set the divisions into motion. They will also be used to communicate what actions are to be taken depending on the number of blasts and whether the blasts are short or long. Could this have been an early version of Morse code?

The Lord instructs that Passover will be held at its set time, and then describes what should occur if someone is defiled by touching a corpse or is on a long journey. They are instructed to make their offering in the second month on the 14th day at twilight.

This Parashah made me envision the circumstances that may have been present during these times. The general view of the Exodus is that there was an orderly stream of people trudging from Egypt through the Sea of Reeds and into the wilderness. The truth may have been very different. The number of Israelites involved has been estimated to be 600,000 men—I don't know if that was supposed to include women and children. It is hard to believe that so many people were very placid or organized. When we consider what was occurring it must have been an insane horde—pushing, pulling, screaming and trampling over one another to get to the front of the pack. 

My impression is that the Lord is bringing order out of chaos. The people are tired and complain bitterly. They wail "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melon, the leaks, the onions and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all. Nothing but this manna to look to!" The Lord was incensed.

Moses heard the people weeping. the Lord was very angry and Moses was distressed. He asked the Lord "Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?" Did I conceive all these people, did I bear them, that you should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,' to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, when they whine before me and say, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me. If you would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!"

First let me say, I understand the frustration of the Israelites. They were uprooted from their homes in Egypt; yes they were enslaved and were required to do very hard work, but there is a certain comfort in the familiar, even under those conditions. At first they must have been elated at being free but when the ether wore off and the reality of their conditions became evident, I imagine they must have been thinking—"what have we done?"

The Lord provided manna to eat but after a couple of years of the husband saying "What's for dinner dear?" and she replying "oh, I thought we'd have manna tonight"! it must have been difficult, so it's not hard to imagine that the community would have been a little cranky, and not surprising that even Moses is pleading for help.

Bringing the focus back to the present, we don't have to look very far to see people whining and sometimes rioting for things they think should be theirs. Too often it escalates to include people looting and damaging both public and private property.

Perhaps just another example of some things never change? 
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Definitely not a calm period but an illustration of how people can learn to live together under stressful situations, something we can all learn from.    

D'var Torah
by Arthur C. Greenfield

This parashah begins with God identifying Gods Self as the God of the Patriarchs. God acknowledges having heard the moaning of the Israelites and instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that God would free them and make them Gods People and bring them to the promised land of Canaan. The Israelites would not listen because of their suffering.

God tells Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Moses says Pharaoh will not listen to him as he has a speech impediment.

God then instructs Aaron and Moses to go to Pharaoh together with Aaron taking the lead becoming the spokesman for what God dictates. God intends to harden Pharaoh's heart so that God might show signs and marvels, the Egyptians would then know that the Lord was God.

The Parashah continues with Gods instructing Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let the Israelites go to worship in the wilderness. Pharaoh at first agrees but later refuses. God, through Moses, instructs Aaron to strike the Nile with his staff which will turn the waters into blood.
Each demand for freedom by Moses and/or Aaron following Gods instruction was met with Pharaoh's denial. Each denial was met with a new plague. This parashah covers only the first seven plagues. At each demand God hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he can further demonstrate the full breadth of Gods power. You no doubt know how the story continues.        

It was interesting for me to discover that in five of the ten plagues the Israelites were not themselves protected from the plague and I suppose were included in the misery.

The story of the Exodus can be understood on several levels. One level would be the straight forward telling, as we read it in the Haggadah during the Passover Seder. First the demands of freedom for the Israelites, then the subsequent plagues delivered by God through Moses and Aaron. Finally, as explained in the next parashah there camehe eventual dash to the Sea of Reeds, to escape Pharaoh's wrath.

There are other aspects to how we may interpret what took place. If we look at the story of Pharaoh repeatedly refusing to give in, we can perhaps see ourselves, or others we know who seem to be very similar. Are we very far from Pharaoh in our steadfast refusal to cede any ground, at any time, on any number of topics? Although obstinacy or stubbornness is usually thought of as a negative, it can also be an asset if it is applied appropriately.     

As a child I was very sick, I missed so much school time due to my condition that I was always behind. I was thin and undersized—in the animal world I would have been considered the runt of the litter. I had attended a school for the physically handicapped. Their goal was to keep you healthy—education was a distant secondary concern. I slipped further and further behind, so by the time I was about 11 I failed the 12plus exam that would have sent me to Grammar School, where I would have been able to choose a career. Instead I went on to a school for those who were not going to be choosing any profession—my prospects were not good. I was behind in every way you could imagine.

I had two things which saved me from being a complete boob. I had a good work ethic and I had that one secret sauce—I was stubborn. I was determined not to remain the uneducated teen I knew I was. It was too late for me to pursue a profession. I would settle for sales, but I was still determined to learn. In my spare time I would lay on the carpet with the encyclopedia turning to random entries; I read the classics and loved Dickens and reading about ethics and morals. I gradually gained some self confidence about the person I was, and came to believe I had worth. I also learned that happiness has little to do with wealth.

There are times when an otherwise bad behavior can actually be beneficial and not detrimental. In my adult life, whether employed or volunteering, I have always sought to introduce new and better ways of doing things. Often that called for stubbornness, but always with a large dose of diplomacy.

It brings to mind a couple of famous historical characters we are all probably familiar with. These men were nothing, if not stubborn, but certainly in very positive ways, quite unlike Pharaoh who was just obstinate and a tyrant.

 Abraham Lincoln grew up in poverty and had only about 18 months of formal education. He failed in his first business, practiced law without a degree, was unsuccessful in his personal life, and suffered through years of depression. He ran for the Senate twice and lost. There were more loses but he was stubborn in a very positive way and never gave up.

By contrast Winston Churchill grew up in a very opulent setting. His father was Lord Randolph Churchill whom young Winston rarely saw. Like Moses, Winston had a speech impediment. He had a life-long love affair with the military. Winston had great highs like being First Lord of the Admiralty, but had crushing defeats like Gallipoli where many lives were lost fighting against Turkey. He is remembered for being Prime Minister of England during WWII and was celebrated for bolstering the morale of the British public. Oddly he lost the subsequent election to Socialist Clement Atlee whom Churchill once described as a sheep in sheep's clothing.

So what do we gain from reading Exodus? I think we gain an appreciation of the fact that few things are absolutely bad or good—situations make all the difference.    

There is really so much going on in Exodus it is easy to find wisdom within the passages and I hope we can all benefit from the readings.

D'var Torah
Arthur C. Greenfield

Vayechi, the last Parashah of Genesis, spans chapters 47:28 to 50:26. It tells of Jacob's predictions for his children and his death.
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Jacob knows his strength is diminishing and that his end is near. He summons Joseph to him and asks Joseph to place his hand under Jacob's thigh and swear he will not bury him in Egypt. He charges Joseph to bury him with his father and grandfather in the cave of Machpelah which Abraham bought and where he and Sarah were buried. This same cave is the resting place of Isaac, Rebekah and where he, Jacob, buried his wife Leah. Joseph swears he will obey his father's wishes.

A short time later Jacob grows weaker and Joseph is told of his frail condition. He brings his sons Ephraim and Manasseh to his bedside. Jacob tells Joseph he will adopt these two boys as his own and they will share in the inheritance. He blesses them placing his right hand on Ephraim's head and his left on the head of Manasseh. Joseph tells Jacob his right hand should be on Manasseh's head as he is the first born. Joseph goes to move his hands. Jacob refuses to switch hands and tells Joseph both will be a great people but the younger brother will be greater—then Jacob blesses them.

Jacob gathers his sons to his deathbed to tell them what is going to befall them. To each he ascribes different traits of character. Reuben his first born he calls unstable as water. He declares Reuben will not be successful because he defiled his father's bed by engaging in sexual activity with his stepmother's maid Bilhah.

In Genesis chapters 49:1-18 Jacob tells each of his sons what they can expect to experience in their lives. He describes each son in graphic terms. Judah he names a lion's whelp and tells him he will dominate his enemies. Dan is described as a serpent in the road that bites the horse's heels, and he would judge his people. Jacob called Simeon and Levi brothers in violence. He prayed that his soul not come into their council—for in their anger they slew men and beast.  Jacob cursed their descendants to be scattered throughout Israel. When he has finished describing the future of his twelve sons he reclines in his bed and takes his last breath.

Joseph, accompanied by Egyptian dignitaries, traveled to the cave of Machpelah where he buried Jacob. Upon his return to Egypt his brothers feared Joseph would seek revenge upon them for their act of selling him into slavery. Joseph told them not to fear, for he was not G-d, and even though they had intended him evil, God meant it for good in order to save many people. Joseph reassures them and commits to sustain them and their children. He tells his brothers G-d will lead them out of Egypt to the land promised to Abraham. Joseph died when he was 110.

In reading the portion where Jacob describes his children in such graphic terms I was reminded how journalist and writer Damon Runyon (Guys and Dolls and Pocket Full of Miracles), gave descriptive names to all his characters: Benny South Street, Nathan Detroit, Harry the Horse, Apple Annie and Nicely, Nicely Johnson.

I also reflected on the obvious theme that all of his children were different. Anyone with children knows that is usually the case. As parents we are sometimes surprised by how different our children are. My brother and I were born ten years apart; we were essentially two only children. I looked up to him as my very smart big brother. To him, I was just an annoyance who should be ignored.

As an adult, when my father was stricken with cancer, even though we lived in Bakersfield it was I who drove in every week to take him to City Of Hope for chemotherapy. When my mother was sick and elderly, it was I who did what needed to be done for her. My brother was just too busy or lived too far away in Leisure World. He is going to be eighty-eight in a couple of months and is not in good health. Not surprisingly he is feeling depressed and I have been calling him every few days to see how he is doing. I realized I had a choice to make. See my brother and sister-in-law once a year with phone calls every couple of months or remember we are a very small family and recall lessons I had learned through the years and forget the past. I could say tough luck, or like Joseph, believe it was G-D's plan and all had been for the best.

One would think that the basic problems of today would have little or no relevance to events that occurred around 3000 years ago. We might well think that our characters have evolved, that we have become so much wiser with the passage of time, and yet it does not appear to be the case. I suppose the basics have always been there: love, hate, envy, anger, greed, guilt and forgiveness.
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It seems to confirm—the stories we read in Genesis really do have a place in molding our thinking about today's concerns.

D'var Torah
by Erika Schwartz

This Torah portion deals with how Joseph treats his brothers after he reveals himself to them.  To fully understand the ramifications of how he chooses to behave towards them, we must first revisit a little of the family history.
 
In Genesis 37:28 we learned that Joseph’s brother sold Joseph to passing Midianite traders for twenty pieces of silver.  Why?  Because Joseph was favored by his father and so the brothers were jealous.
 
By any standards, this was a cruel and treacherous act.  Not only had they sold their brother into slavery but they covered it up by dipping his tunic in blood and presenting it to their father who, of course, came to the conclusion that his beloved son had been torn to shreds by a wild beast.
 
As years passed, the brothers could only imagine that Joseph was either dead or living a brutal life.  They had no way of knowing that, in fact, Joseph eventually fared very well in Egypt.  Because of his ability to interpret dreams, he had become a favorite of the Pharoah and eventually was second in Egypt only to the Pharoah.  Joseph’s power and influence were unequalled.
 
When, during the famine, Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt in an attempt to purchase grain, he (Joseph) recognized them.
 
So, let’s pause here for a moment.
 
Putting yourself in Joseph’s shoes, how would you react to the sudden realization that the very brothers who sold you into slavery were now begging you to sell them grain so that they and their families wouldn’t starve? What a super opportunity for revenge!  There aren’t too many people that I’ve known who wouldn’t hold a lifetime grudge if their siblings had sold them into slavery.  I suspect that, if they suddenly found themselves in a position of unlimited power, the first thing they’d do is take out a contract on said siblings.
 
But Joseph has other plans.  Without revealing who he is, he sells them the grain but returns their money in the sacks of grain.  He accuses them of being spies, thereby giving him the perfect opportunity to extract information from them about their father and his brother, Benjamin.
 
Which then brings us to the current Torah portion, Va-Yiggash, in which Joseph reveals to his siblings that he is the brother they sold into slavery.  Not only does he reveal himself to his brothers but, almost in the same breath, he tells them:
 
“. . .do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me hither; it was to save life that G-d sent me ahead of you.  It is now two years that there has been famine in the land, and there are still five years to come in which there shall be no yield from tilling.  G-d has sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival on earth, and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance.  So, it was not you who sent me here, but G-d.”
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So, what has Joseph done?  He’s taken a moment in which he could have exacted brutal revenge on the siblings who sold him into slavery, and turned it into an awareness that G-d does have a plan . . . an awareness that, from some of the most awful situations can perhaps come a realization that good has come from it.
 
Notice that I said “can perhaps come a realization”.  That’s because not all terrible situations turn into blessings in disguise.  That’s an absolute given!  But many do and most of us don’t even stop to think about that.
 
When something terrible happens to us, whether it’s by someone else’s design or by fate, we cling to the anger or the resentment or the depression for life.  How many of us are still talking endlessly about our awful childhood or the terrible thing a friend or sibling did to us decades ago?
 
Or, even worse, how many of us get angry over the most trivial things?  I know two brothers who didn’t talk to each other for two years because one brother got angry at the other over an annoyingly noisy contraption that one of the brothers was playing with.  Really???
 
But, let’s get back to deliberate (or seemingly deliberate) acts of cruelty or meanness.  Or even acts of   G-d that shred our souls.  Have we ever bothered to look back at these awful situations and consider that, had we not gone through the pain of those situations, we wouldn’t have particular blessings in our life today.
 
I just had a realization . . . . I’ve come full circle to the theme that was at the core of the last D’var Torah that I wrote and, when I began writing this, I had no intention of going in this direction.  But here I am again, reminding myself that sometimes our darkest pain can be the cause of our greatest joy later in life.  I promise I’ll try to go in a different direction next time.
 
Joseph attributed his enslavement in Egypt to the plan that G-d had to save Egypt and Joseph’s own family from the terrible famine to come.  He had no anger or resentment toward his brothers because he saw their act of selling him to the Midianites as having been orchestrated by the hand of G-d.  By the same token, it took me 40 years to realize that the very difficult life I had led from the day of my very birth eventually forged a sense of love and gratitude for the life I have today.  Would I live in such love and gratitude if my early years had been a bed of roses?  I seriously doubt it.  So all the pain was definitely worth the outcome.
 
All we have to do is allow ourselves to see the silver lining.  But we have to be willing to look for it.