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.
Although the medieval recasting of Hanukkah as a celebration of the victories of the Maccabees is important, the core of the talmudic observance celebrates the Sages' stand against assimilation and religious zealotry.
Rabbi Hayyim Angel shares some thoughts on this week's Torah portion.
We remind ourselves: we are Yisrael. We face struggles…but we prevail. We muster the physical strength to ward off enemy attacks; we draw on our spiritual strength to overcome ideological opponents.
Janet Kirchheimer offers poignant thoughts on the passing of her beloved mother, on the nature of grief, on the resilience needed to move forward with life.