This week, between Vayeshev portion and Hanukkah which began on Thursday, we are all in this tension between the pit and the light. It can be said that the whole of Joseph's life - which spans four whole portions (Vayeshev, Miketz, Vayigash, Vayechi) - is characterized by going down and falling into the pit (in the Dotan Valley) and to the prison (in Egypt) and rising from it, towards his destiny that his dreams showed him. Those who have seen the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" may remember the opening song (Translated to Hebrew by Ehud Manor, here in the original lyrics by Tim Rice): "Some folks dream of the wonders they'll do / Before their time on this planet is through". And really the play actually comes to tell us the story of those who dare to dream big, dreams of greatness and achievements.
And it seems to all of us that not only the musical, but also the Bible itself tells us what Joseph's dream of life was - to reign, to reach greatness, to be worshiped by his brothers, and perhaps also his father and mother - "Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me" (Genesis 37:9). But I would like to suggest that these were Joseph's dreams only in his childhood, and a few verses later, when he went out to look for his brothers who had gone out to graze their sheep in Nablus, while he was wondering in the field, his dreams become much closer and simpler: "And he said: I seek my brethren" (ibid., ibid., 16), my brothers and their love. This is Joseph's truly great dream, if we judge the whole story by its climax, that comes in the union of Joseph and his brothers in Vayigash portion, and ends with the reconciliation between all of them at the end of Vayechi portion: "And Joseph said unto them: Fear not […] And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them" (Genesis 50:19, 21).
"I seek my brethren" - this was the slogan that accompanied the rescue operations of Jews during the Holocaust. This is what the Ministry of Education called the process that prepares the youth going to the death camps in Poland. In these days, when we are all praying for the safe return of the abductees from the hard and evil hand of Hamas, there will surely be many more who will join like me in the call - "I seek my brethren".
But this call also has a more everyday meaning, simple and connected to life-before-the-war, to life now and to life after the war - a request for brotherhood itself. on the responsibility of one to his / her fellow. It is not in vain that Rashi tells us in his commentary on the next verse - "And the man said: They are departed hence" (Genesis 37:17) -
They are departed hence -- they have departed from all feeling of brotherhood. (Rashi on Genesis 37:17). Kli Yakar midrash tells us that they chose to graze in Nablus, the hostile place for them, after in the previous portion "They took their flocks and their herds and their asses" (Genesis 34:28), while being willing to risk everything they have, provided that Joseph, who threatens the birthright, will not receive twice as much: "And the brothers were not careful even if enemies rose up against them and took all the pasture, saying if the youngest among us takes twice as much, neither will it be for us nor for him" (Kli Yakar on Genesis 37:26:1).
These days, the weakness of a country that has sanctified money and easy enrichment, that has completely privatized itself, is revealed even more strongly against the resilience of a society that praises the enlistment, volunteering and the taking of responsibilities that grow from grassroots. This is a responsibility (Achrayut), or brotherhood (Achiyut) and perhaps brotherhood-responsibility (Achraut), which comes from seeing the brother, seeing the other as a brother, and seeing the duty towards them. As it is said in Behar portion, the canonical portion which deals with the responsibility of the whole society and every individual to the other -- "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and his means fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: as a stranger and a settler shall he live with thee" (Leviticus 25:35).
"That thy brother may live with thee" (Ibid., 36) -- 'Rabbis for Human Rights' fights for the existence of this brotherhood, this responsibility of one towards the others and of the state towards all its citizens, residents and foreigners even on non-emergency days. We must make sure and insist that any social and political fabric that grows here after this terrible war, will praise the brotherhood and responsibility that we have, for all of us, towards all of us, and anchor it in laws, regulations, and budgets.
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Rabbi Amnon Ribak is the rabbi of 'Maalot Tivon' reform congregation in Kiryat Tivon, a member of 'Rabbis for Human Rights', a regular participant in our beit midrash, and a volunteer for the olive harvesters in their season. A regular volunteer also 'on the way to recovery', active in the Boston-Haifa partnership and maintains friendships and work relations with several other communities abroad. Lives in Haifa, married to Tirzah, father and grandfather.
And it seems to all of us that not only the musical, but also the Bible itself tells us what Joseph's dream of life was - to reign, to reach greatness, to be worshiped by his brothers, and perhaps also his father and mother - "Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me" (Genesis 37:9). But I would like to suggest that these were Joseph's dreams only in his childhood, and a few verses later, when he went out to look for his brothers who had gone out to graze their sheep in Nablus, while he was wondering in the field, his dreams become much closer and simpler: "And he said: I seek my brethren" (ibid., ibid., 16), my brothers and their love. This is Joseph's truly great dream, if we judge the whole story by its climax, that comes in the union of Joseph and his brothers in Vayigash portion, and ends with the reconciliation between all of them at the end of Vayechi portion: "And Joseph said unto them: Fear not […] And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them" (Genesis 50:19, 21).
"I seek my brethren" - this was the slogan that accompanied the rescue operations of Jews during the Holocaust. This is what the Ministry of Education called the process that prepares the youth going to the death camps in Poland. In these days, when we are all praying for the safe return of the abductees from the hard and evil hand of Hamas, there will surely be many more who will join like me in the call - "I seek my brethren".
But this call also has a more everyday meaning, simple and connected to life-before-the-war, to life now and to life after the war - a request for brotherhood itself. on the responsibility of one to his / her fellow. It is not in vain that Rashi tells us in his commentary on the next verse - "And the man said: They are departed hence" (Genesis 37:17) -
They are departed hence -- they have departed from all feeling of brotherhood. (Rashi on Genesis 37:17). Kli Yakar midrash tells us that they chose to graze in Nablus, the hostile place for them, after in the previous portion "They took their flocks and their herds and their asses" (Genesis 34:28), while being willing to risk everything they have, provided that Joseph, who threatens the birthright, will not receive twice as much: "And the brothers were not careful even if enemies rose up against them and took all the pasture, saying if the youngest among us takes twice as much, neither will it be for us nor for him" (Kli Yakar on Genesis 37:26:1).
These days, the weakness of a country that has sanctified money and easy enrichment, that has completely privatized itself, is revealed even more strongly against the resilience of a society that praises the enlistment, volunteering and the taking of responsibilities that grow from grassroots. This is a responsibility (Achrayut), or brotherhood (Achiyut) and perhaps brotherhood-responsibility (Achraut), which comes from seeing the brother, seeing the other as a brother, and seeing the duty towards them. As it is said in Behar portion, the canonical portion which deals with the responsibility of the whole society and every individual to the other -- "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and his means fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: as a stranger and a settler shall he live with thee" (Leviticus 25:35).
"That thy brother may live with thee" (Ibid., 36) -- 'Rabbis for Human Rights' fights for the existence of this brotherhood, this responsibility of one towards the others and of the state towards all its citizens, residents and foreigners even on non-emergency days. We must make sure and insist that any social and political fabric that grows here after this terrible war, will praise the brotherhood and responsibility that we have, for all of us, towards all of us, and anchor it in laws, regulations, and budgets.
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Rabbi Amnon Ribak is the rabbi of 'Maalot Tivon' reform congregation in Kiryat Tivon, a member of 'Rabbis for Human Rights', a regular participant in our beit midrash, and a volunteer for the olive harvesters in their season. A regular volunteer also 'on the way to recovery', active in the Boston-Haifa partnership and maintains friendships and work relations with several other communities abroad. Lives in Haifa, married to Tirzah, father and grandfather.