This week's Torah reading is the last in the book of Genesis, and describes Jacob's final blessing to his sons. It also includes Joseph's parting words to his brothers and descendants. Notably, he insists on being buried in Israel -- if not immediately, then one day. During the Exodus, Moses made it his personal responsibility to carry Joseph's bones our for eventual repatriation.
I had an insight last week while listening to my rabbi's sermon on the story of Judah confronting Joseph over the fate of Benjamin. It struck me that rather than thinking of Joseph testing his brothers to see whether they had repented, Joseph may have actually been trying to free his one remaining full brother (from the same mother) from a family he believed to be oppressive.
After all, the brothers had sold him into slavery, and had never tried to rescue him. Nor had his father, to whom Joseph had been particularly close, tried to find Joseph. Of course, Joseph could not have known that Jacob thought his beloved son was dead. But lacking further information, Joseph concluded that his family might simply have been evil. He had to rescue Benjamin from it.
Moreover, Joseph had concluded that perhaps assimilation into Egyptian culture wasn't too bad. It had been rough going, at first, but it had worked out all right in the end. Joseph had brought his faith with him, and while he knew that God had interpreted Pharaoh's dreams in a helpful way, he may have thought that faith can persist in isolation, without family or community.
Judah's protest was not just proof that he and his brothers had repented, and were now willing to give their own lives to save their brother, but also an impassioned argument on behalf of the Jewish faith. Judah appealed to Joseph on the basis of compassion: how could he (Judah) face his father if he did not bring Benjamin back as promised? In other words, faith is based on empathy.
That was an argument against Joseph's rationalist approach. And suddenly Joseph realized the truth -- both about his situation, and his faith. Judah had aroused his compassion for his father, and Joseph also understood that Jacob still missed him, thinking him dead. Hence Joseph's first question after revealing himself: "Is my father yet alive?" It is true? Because, if so, all is clear.
That is all in last week's portion; this week's focuses on the events that follow. The Haftarah -- the additional reading -- is from the Book of Kings, recalling King David's final blessing to his son, Solomon. He settles his accounts -- for good and for bad -- before parting with words of advice to the young king: Be a man. Become what you are, the best God intended you to be -- then a king.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...
