Will our descendants 100 years from now be living proud, happy and meaningful Jewish lives? This will largely depend on choices we make today. The Jewish future will consist of those — like Matityahu of old — who heroically maintain Jewish faith, traditions, and values; for whom Judaism and Jewishness are primary sources of identity and personal fulfillment.
Vayhi:
Did Jacob Know He Was Entering Exile?
Human Awareness and Divine Plan
Rabbi Dr. David de Sola Pool (May 16, 1885-December 1, 1970) was the foremost Sephardic rabbi in the United States during the middle decades of the 20th century. While scholars can list his many accomplishments and publications, the distinctive religious worldview that animated Dr. Pool’s life has remained relatively unexplored.
Haham Gaon represented a balanced religiosity, deeply faithful to tradition while deeply sensitive to the needs and feelings of modern men and women. Haham Gaon was a model of dignity, compassion, and total commitment to the People of Israel and the State of Israel. As a proud Sephardic rabbi, he refused to compromise his own traditions in order to curry favor among others.
When the brothers overcame jealousy in relation to Benjamin, they also overcame it in relation to Joseph. It no longer mattered to them if Joseph was more powerful or more beloved. What mattered was doing their best to live up to their own potentials.
When people overcome jealousy, they can be rid of a life-sapping burden. They can be free.
The following articles, spanning over 30 years, offer reflections by Rabbi Marc D. Angel on aspects of
the theme, “Bridges, Not Walls.” They relate to issues of intellectual openness;
interpersonal relationships; and human dignity.
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The Torah narrates the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker in parallel, inviting readers to compare their imagery and outcomes. Both officials “dreamed a dream on the same night, each according to his own interpretation” (Genesis 40:5). Yet with all their similarities, subtle distinctions guide the reader toward opposite fates.
We need to develop a shared language with like-minded people of different backgrounds, since our belief in family as the cornerstone of a righteous community and society is relevant to everyone. The Book of Genesis lies at the heart of that language.
It is easier to have cataracts removed from our eyes than to eliminate “mental cataracts” from our minds. But proper vision—physical and intellectual—demands both operations.