This week in Parshat Vayigash, the Joseph story reaches its dramatic conclusion.  Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and brings his family down to Egypt, saving them from famine.  The divine plan that was foreshadowed by Joseph’s boyhood dreams, and set in motion by his sale into slavery, has now come to its culmination.  What started as a crime became the agency by which a large family (and indeed a whole nation) was saved, and eventually a nation was born.  We never know what can come of any action-even evil can turn into good.

We will be having our Friday night services tonight December 16 at 7pm and our shabbat morning services, December 17 at 9am, with the Torah reading at 9:45.  We hope to see you at both.

From the Cantor:

This week we read parshat Vayeshev, the beginning of the story of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat”. We see in this story the propensity of the Torah to present its heroes, our ancestors, as fully human, warts and all. Jacob has not learned the bitter lesson of what happens when parents play favorites with their children, even though he was harmed by that sort of favoritism. Joseph’s older brothers allow themselves to be consumed by jealousy. Joseph himself comes off as an insufferable braggart. We are left with no illusions about our forebears-but this is what makes their stories such an inspiration to us. The Rabbis said in the Talmud that “the deeds of the ancestors are a sign for their descendants”. We are to learn from the example of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs-they are archetypes for our own lives. But because they are presented as flawed human beings, they can set the very best example for us-the example of repentance and redemption. As they overcame their flaws, so too can we overcome ours. We can follow their example, because it is within our reach. May we always live up to the best in our tradition, and may we certainly always strive to do so. Shabbat Shalom.

Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe

We will be having our annual  Channukah Latkes pot-luck dinner on Thursday December 22nd at 6pm.  Please bring a dairy or parev dish to share – for example, casseroles, fruit, salads, salmon, tuna dishes, deserts, drinks, etc.   Also, bring your menorah and candles to light together. Free and open to all.