Va-Yechi: Bless *this* Moment

This week’s post will be my last of 2021. Thanks to all of you fabulous readers for sticking with me for yet another year of Take on Torah. It boggles my mind that I’ve posted well-over 600 times over these 12+ years. Thank you. 

I also want to add that I’m dedicating this post to the Daled (fourth) and Hey (fifth) grade classes in our Hebrew School. They put together a terrific D’var Torah for this Shabbat, and truly inspired this post. I feel really blessed to get to work with such awesome students! 🤩🤩

What does it mean to bless someone? Is it just something nice you say to them? “I think you’re great!” Or “you look lovely today.” Are those blessings… or just nice compliments? These were some of the questions I discussed with our Daled & Hey students over the last few weeks, as we prepared a D’var Torah together for this parashah. I think what really threw them for a loop (along with basically anyone reading Genesis, chapter 49…), was how our ancestor, Jacob seemingly intended to offer blessings to his children before he died… but then cursed and scorned several of them! Some of his “blessings” were pretty terrible... perhaps even mean. So that really challenged us to discuss what it even means at all to bless someone. I invite you to take a moment for yourself and think about how you would answer that question…

First of all, Jacob only blessed his sons, which upset everyone in the class. What about his daughter, Dina?!? Patriarchal society, sure, but total silence?? However, we then read the first couple of “blessings,” and decided that maybe Dina actually dodged a bullet. He started off telling his oldest son, Reuben, that he’s the firstborn and deserving of honor (v. 3). BUT then proceeded to chastise him for something that happened *years* earlier (4), and ended his words with rebuke and a curse, all because of this grudge he never could shed (or even express aloud!). As if that wasn’t bad enough, his second… um… “blessing” (?) was even worse. He admonished his two sons, Simeon and Levi, also for something that happened years prior (5-7), and finished his statement by declaring that he did NOT want to be associated with the two of them. Ever. Yikes. 

Some of his subsequent declarations were much more kind and praising… but in some ways that just made the bad ones sting even more! Many of the students in the class were incredulous, and when they each took on the persona of one of the children, and expressed how that person felt about their father's words, even the ones who got good blessings mostly just expressed how badly they felt for their “siblings.” So having read all of Jacob’s… er… opinions, we came back to this challenging question of what it means to bless someone. And we discussed how it could indeed be praise or filled with kindness, yet we also acknowledged that sometimes it can be about saying something hard to hear. Perhaps Jacob meant to challenge his more rebellious children; bluntly telling them that if they don’t shape up, bad things will befall them? Or even if he didn’t intend it that way, we talked about how the recipients of these reproaches could choose to reframe them for themselves, and vow to prove their father wrong! In a way, that too could serve as a blessing, regardless of intent. As a wakeup call, an eye-opener, or a jarring rebuke; it could *still* prove beneficial if the person took action or changed their behavior, to ensure that the future would be better than the prediction.

My favorite part of this endeavor - other than the wonderful responses the students created for each Biblical character - were the blessings their parents offered them. The class teacher, Allison, and I asked each child’s parents to offer a short blessing for their child, using the guidelines our class had discussed about what is, and is not, a blessing. What they wrote was truly beautiful. And it reminded me that blessings can be incredibly powerful. Our words can lift someone's spirits… or scar them for life. And when phrased as a blessing - one that actually intends to help and inspire the person - it can be an incredible force in their lives. So my final takeaway from this Torah portion, and this wonderful class (and the end of 2021...), is to not let any moment go to waste. We should bless one another now, later, and as often as we can push ourselves to think of it. It can be an immense gift to share with someone, and it costs us absolutely nothing. At this holiday season, and as we prepare to enter a new year, let’s think about the gifts we give one another. Let us perhaps move away from the material presents, and instead offer a blessing and some inspiration to one another, which can really help each and every one of us start this new year in the very best way possible. 

I'll offer you an intention to conclude this post: We often say that kind things "go without saying." They're obvious and known; why mention them? I challenge us all to have our sentiments of goodness, kindness, praise, and support instead go WITH saying. Even if/when you think they know it already, take a moment and say it. Out loud. Trust me. May you all have a blessed AND HEALTHY start to the new year!

CC images in this blog post, courtesy of:
1. elycefeliz on Flickr
2. martialtribes.com (from the movie, The Matrix)
3. Jerney Furman on Flickr
4. kalhh on Pixabay

5. Zenaidy Castro on Wikimedia Commons

Mikeitz: What Did Shimon Ever Do To You?!? Oh, wait...

The Joseph story in Genesis is *filled* with comeuppance. For Pharaoh’s courtiers, for Joseph, his brothers, their father (Jacob), and more. Various stories begin in one place, and then - some significant amount of time later - that earlier occurrence comes back to either haunt or honor the same people. Sometimes it’s overt, while other times it’s subtle and hidden. I think a fascinating example of the latter comes in the story of one of the lesser-known brothers, Shimon or Simeon. You don't actually hear much about Shimon, whether in this story or elsewhere. As a tribe, in later generations, Shimon melts away into oblivion. So much so, in fact, that by the time our ancestors put together the book we now call The Torah, and included Moses' final farewell blessings to each of the tribes; Shimon is left out entirely. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to the man himself in the Book of Genesis.

The first time we really were introduced to Shimon, the second-oldest of all of Jacob's sons, was when he and brother #3, Levi, avenged their family's good name. Their sister, Dinah, was taken for a wife - by force - by a non-Israelite named Shechem. Surreptitiously, they plotted against Shechem, and indeed his entire clan, and killed all the men for what they had done to Shimon and Levi's sister. The reasoning behind their action is understandable, and certainly I have no interest in defending Shechem, but their methods and the end result are obviously shocking and reprehensible. I personally believe that violence only begets more violence, and even though their father, Jacob, doesn't really chastise them at the time, he recalls this gruesome event at the end of his life, and curses his sons for their bloody behavior. So before we even arrive at the Joseph story, we might have preconceived notions about Shimon's... temperament.

That all happened two Torah portions ago. Last week, when Joseph's lengthy narrative began, all the brothers together conspired to throw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery. They had grown furious (more hot-tempered behavior...) at him for being such a brat and flaunting their father's favoritism of him. And this story never singles out Shimon OR Levi... yet subtly it indicts him nonetheless. You see, the oldest son is Reuben, and the text, back in chapter 37, informed us that Reuben opposed the brothers' aggressive, violent plants. So if he wasn't the instigator, and we similarly heard that brother #4, Judah, also tried to mitigate the severity of their plans, then who were the ring leaders? It certainly seems plausible that the two remaining oldest family members - who also already had a history of rash, callous behavior - Shimon and Levi, were indeed the biggest culprits.

And now, time for the comeuppance. Years later, Joseph has survived his enslavement as well as time in an Egyptian prison, and has risen to become the second-most powerful man in Egypt. When a famine devastates the entire region, and everyone comes to Egypt for provisions, Jacob's family arrives at Joseph's doorstep like everyone else. And when he plots his own revenge, he tells the brothers that one of them must remain in bondage in Egypt, while the others may return home to fetch their youngest brother, Benjamin. Who does Joseph seize? Our text states: "... he [Joseph] returned to them and spoke to them; and he took Shimon from among them and had him bound before their eyes." (42:24) Coincidence? I think not. I believe Joseph knew the personalities of his brothers, and he knew who was the biggest threat. And he also clearly remembered - and still bore the scars from... - when his brothers sold him as a slave. Which face was most prominent in his mind? His hot-headed brother, Shimon. I'd like to think that Shimon recalled all these events as well. Sitting alone in prison, feeling abandoned, forgotten, and at the mercy of an ill-tempered bully, perhaps he finally felt true remorse for all the things he had done. And perhaps in that moment, he too had to acknowledge the comeuppance and poetic justice of what had befallen him.

CC images in this blog post, courtesy of:
1. Anthony Jauneaud on Flickr
2. pxhere.com
3. Michael Hiemstra on Wikimedia Commons
4. Prettysleepy on Pixabay

L’Chaim (newsletter) article, December 2021 - A New Jewish Connection in Mbale, Uganda

I like projects. You may have figured that out about me already, considering some of the endeavors we’ve embarked upon here at Ohev Shalom over the course of the last twelve-and-a-half years! I want to also state (for the record…) that I *do* love ritual and routine, and I think each of these concepts has its time and place. Annual traditions, holiday celebrations, and community customs and events are vital for creating togetherness, and for fostering a sense of belonging and familiarity. However, if we don’t also challenge ourselves to take on new ventures and invite unfamiliar perspectives, our beloved routines and rituals can easily become stale and hollow.
 
One way that I think we create newness and push ourselves to constantly evolve and change is through original (and hopefully somewhat innovative…) projects. As we round the corner into the last month of 2021, and begin to look ahead into 2022, I thought this would be an excellent time to explore something novel. Here is an idea that I am already mulling myself, and which I’d like to put forth to the congregation, to see if there is interest in taking on something new and different:
 
I recently began an unusual correspondence through Facebook. A man named Jonathan Mwosuko reached out to me about purchasing Jewish ritual objects from his group, called the Uganda Jewish Arts Special. Mr. Mwosuko comes from a small Jewish community, called the Nasenyi, located in the very small town of Mbale, located five hours by bus from the capital city of Kampala, Uganda. Over the course of the last few months, I have been learning more about the Nasenyi, and have been hearing about the extreme hardships and poverty they experience on a daily basis. I purchased several items from the Uganda Jewish Arts Special, in part to see what they produce and in part to confirm their story. They make beautiful hand-stitched and brightly colored kippot, as well as challah covers, tallit bags, baskets, and more! 
 
The items I ordered have arrived, but this does not (I hope) conclude my dealings with them. I want us to explore how we can partner with, and support, the Jews of Mbale. This is a Jewish community, one that has been there for a very long time, and we have an obligation to assist them in any way that we can. Mr. Mwosuko has already shared that they need clothing for their children, toiletries, mattresses and sheets, tallitot for their synagogue (the ones they currently have are tattered and often don’t have tzitzit attached!), and more. We may feel discouraged in our limited ability to change their circumstances, but we nevertheless must try.
In Pirkei Avot, a 2,000-year-old book of rabbinic wisdom, the ancient sage, Rabbi Tarfon, states: “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it” (2:16). I have no idea how much we’ll be able to impact Jonathan Mwosuko and the Nasenyi Jewish community of Mbale. I hope to engage other congregations to purchase Judaica objects from them, and to bring some items to our own gift shop for people to purchase. Rabbi Miller and I have talked about connecting our Mispallelim students with the Nasenyi children. Perhaps future Mitzvah Projects for B’nai Mitzvah could incorporate our new friends in Uganda? There are so many possibilities! But will any of it make a lasting and significant difference? I do not know. But I am 100% certain that doing nothing won’t help them at all; and I firmly believe that we are obligated to try; to not desist from this holy work.
 
If anyone would like to learn more, and/or get involved in this project, please let me know. Thanks so much! 
 
Sincerely,
 
Rabbi Gerber