…than co-authors of our lives, allowed Joseph to survive without resentment about the past or despair in the face of the future. Trust in God gave him immense strength, which is what a leader needs if he is to dare greatly. Vayechi: Moving Forwards Yocheved, Miriam, Shifra, Puah, Tzippora, and Bitya were leaders not because of any official position they…
…savages? 14 December 2022 – Vayeshev Dr Lindsay Simmonds: A holy people – Deception, violence and salvation 21 December 22 – Mikketz Rabbi Shaul Robinson: Jews, power and influence 28 December 22 – Vayigash Rabbi Dr Dov Lerner: Pharaoh’s query and Jacob’s pain 4 January 2023 – Vayechi Rabbi Pini Dunner: Brotherhood and sibling rivalry in the Book of Bereishit…
…Bar Ilan Conference 2023: On Rabbi Sacks’ Jewish Philosophy Introductory Course on Sefer Bereishit Covenant & Conversation Family Edition for Vayechi featuring Dr. Tanya White Mourning Rabbi Sacks, one of God’s greatest defenders (Jerusalem Post) Only tears (Times of Israel) A year without Rabbi Sacks (Jerusalem Post) Contextualising the Canon: An essay to mark the reprint of Crisis and Covenant…
…to appreciate the importance of religion in an ever-increasing secular age, and the relevance of tradition in an untraditional world. Today, we are consecrating an even, a stone, and Targum Onkeles on Parshat Vayechi explains to us the significance of the stone in Jewish tradition. He tells us that even is a composite term; it is made up of two…
…this enough of a justification? Years later, on his deathbed (in parshat Vayechi), Yaakov curses Shimon and Levi for their violence and recklessness, foretelling their dispersion in Israel. This act by Yaakov presents a stark contrast to the earlier justification of their actions. This narrative sparked a debate between two prominent Jewish scholars: Rambam and Ramban. The Rambam, in his…
The drama of younger and older brothers, which haunts the book of Bereishit from Cain and Abel onwards, reaches a strange climax in the story of Joseph’s children. Jacob/Israel is nearing the end of his life. Joseph visits him, bringing with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. It is the only scene of grandfather and grandchildren in the book….
We can only change the world if we can change ourselves. That is why the book of Genesis ends with the story of Joseph and his brothers. It tells on an individual level the story that the book of Exodus tells on a national level. Israel is charged with the task of transforming the moral vision of humankind, but it…
People who look to the state, politics, and power, to deliver the good, the beautiful, and the true – the Hellenistic tradition – tend to regard the family and all it presupposes in terms of fidelity and responsibility as a distraction. But for people who understand not just the importance of politics but also its limitations and dangers, relationships between…