VAYIGASH 5772
THE LIMITS OF RESTRAINT
4 Tevet 5778
December 21, 2017
And Joseph could no longer l'hit'a'pek (control himself) before all his attendants and he cried out, "Have anyone withdraw from me" [Genesis 45:1].
Chapter 44 concludes with Judah's passionate plea to the powerful Egyptian Viceroy that he be allowed to exchange places with Benjamin. Joseph had a choice when confronted with Judah. As Viceroy he could have turned a deaf ear to his plea and kept Benjamin in Egypt even at the expense of his father's pain. He certainly had good reason to give vent to his anger and continue to toy with his brothers for their ill treatment of him.
Joseph thus seemed totally unmoved by Judah's narrative of the pain suffered by their father, Jacob that would be intensified many fold if Benjamin didn't return. The Hebrew word l'hit'a'pek connotes total control over one's emotions and responses, and it was only when Judah, the brother who negotiated his sale to the Ishmaelites, offered to trade places with Benjamin, did Joseph's control dissipate.
At that moment he not only revealed himself to his brothers but was also clear in his desire for reconciliation. He was determined to put an end to the charade in which he toyed with them and to start a new chapter in their relationship.
There are times when l'hit'a'pek (control) is called for. It's hardly judicious to respond with a fit of temper whenever the behavior of others frustrates or hurts us. It's hardly productive to nurse a hurt we long to avenge. It's far more beneficial to seek reconciliation by talking through with others about our feelings regarding their actions.
The depth of out 'humanity' is well measured by what motivates and compels us to respond to the pain of others. Are we overcome with Weltchmertz* as we view the broken world that is the lot of many.
*mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state (from German 'Welt' world + 'Schmerz' pain)
The Torah insists that we not avert our gaze from those who struggle for existence each in his/her own broken world. In I Cry for the World, the poet captures the deep Weltschmertz triggered by poverty, pain and injustice:
I cry for the children too weak to cry/With bloated bellies just waiting to die.
I cry for the innocents on a distant shore/Who bury their loved ones as a result of war.
I cry for the billions who pray in vain/Who seem only to suffer more pain.
(Rolf Kay, founding and longtime board member of the Gandhi Alliance for Peace)
Yet tears alone are insufficient. As individuals we cannot cure all the ills of the world, but we can take some action. We can contribute to worthy causes; we can support legislation that strengthens the social network. We can apprise ourselves of the facts and elect leaders who will advance social justice agenda. l'hit'a'pek and to control our sense of outrage is a clear abdication of the responsibility demanded of us by our Tradition.
Peter, Paul, and Mary articulated this challenge in their famous song "Light One Candle For the Maccabees." May the candle lit by each of us be joined by countless other candles bring true illumination into a world all too often shrouded in darkness.
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From the holy city of Jerusalem, my best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and blessing.
Rabbi Arnold M Goodman
MIKKETZ CHANUKAH 5778
JOSEPH IN EGYPT – WE IN AMERICA
December 14, 2007
26 Kislev 5778
Our traditional calendar is so structured that Mikketz is almost always the Torah portion read the Shabbat of Chanukah. This selection continues the story of Joseph in Egypt and his rise from a slave in the household of Potiphar to the exalted status of viceroy of Egypt. Joseph is the paradigm of the Jew who has made it in the Gentile world. He is ensconced in Beit Par'oh, Egypt's Royal Court. He is married to Osnat, the daughter of Egypt's most exalted priest. He is heralded and celebrated for successfully preparing the nation for the forthcoming famine.
Many centuries after Joseph's death, the Rabbis who lived in the Roman world had their own spin on Joseph's status in Egypt. Citing the opening verses in the Book of Exodus that listed the names of Jacob's eleven sons who emigrated with him to Egypt, they focused on the concluding clause, "and Joseph was in Egypt," and taught that even though Joseph achieved great status in Egypt, he always remained the son of Jacob, i.e. he never forgot his heritage.
Yet I wonder whether it was Joseph's decision to retain his identity or the Egyptian culture that found ways to remind him that he was an ivri, a Hebrew foreigner.
Russian born Sir Isaac Berlin, (1909-1997) Great Britain's outstanding philosopher of his day, was knighted for his scholarly achievements. It could be safely said that this Russian born Jew made it in t the Gentile world.
A committed Zionist, he firmly believed that assimilation did not work and never would. There isn't a Jew known to me," he once wrote," who somehow inside him does not have a tiny drop of uneasiness vis-à-vis the majority among whom we Jews live."
For many American Jews this uneasiness is keenly felt during this season of Christmas preparation. We are inundated with public displays of Christmas decorations and trees, the rush of pre-Christmas shopping and many celebrations. Living as we do in this milieu, we have transformed Chanukah into our season of gift giving, home decorations, and both public and private celebrations.
It's vital however, that Chanukah be an affirmation of American Judaism's will and determination to survive as a separate community with unique traditions and heritage. The festival's challenge for our increasingly prosperous and accepted American Jewry is, "Do not let the light go out" — it's lasted for many centuries to maintain our traditions and to assert our spiritual independence.
Throughout a long history Jews have lived and prospered in many nations only to be exiled, isolated, purged or even destroyed. We who are blessed to live in this wonderfully free land find it inconceivable that our community would suffer such a fate. Our commitment on Chanukah i to keep the light of our tradition and our great democracy burning brightly. May we continue to fight for an America thatprides itself to freedom and liberty. May we never waver in our commitment not to let either of these great lights ever go out.
From the holy city of Jerusalem, my best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and blessing, and a festive Hanukah celebration.
Rabbi Arnold M Goodman
