Vayigash - Day #1

Vayigash וַיִּגַּשׁ - And He Drew Near  

Torah Portion: Genesis 44:18-47:27

Genesis 44:18–30

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’ 21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 When we came up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ 26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’  30 Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy’s life…”

Today’s Meditation: 

The last verse of this reading, verse 30, reads:  “Since his life is bound up in the boy’s life.” What exactly does it mean that Jacob’s life is bound up in Benjamin’s life? My thought is that Jacob totally lives his life through his son. That's all he does, and all his plans in life revolve around Benjamin. Is that good or bad? It shows that he is, to some extent, a good parent, looking out for his son. But, as we all know, a “helicopter parent”, one who hovers over his/her child, is not a good thing. It can stunt growth and encourage dependency. Also, as we see in future readings, this type of favoritism never fares well with the other siblings. The lesson here may be to ensure we treat all our children fairly and equally.

Today’s Challenge: 

Today, take a look at all your relationships. Your family, partner, and friends. Do you show any favoritism toward any of them? What does that look like? Is it a good time to equalize that relationship with others around you? Take a hard look and ensure you are treating those you love equally. If you aren't, try to change this gradually. Those who love you will appreciate this.

Miketz - Day #7

Miketz מִקֵּץ - At the End Of  

Torah Portion: Genesis 41:1-44:17

Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7

Shabbat: Genesis 43:30–44:17

43:30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother, and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. 31 He washed his face and came out. He controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled with one another. 34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank and were merry with him.

44 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” 6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be blameless.”

11 Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? Elohim has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

17 He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Today’s Meditation:

Some curious Scripture in today’s reading. Joseph has his cup of divination planted in Benjamin's sack. He plots all this to bring him back. But what is so interesting is why Joseph has possession of an object of divination? A clear sin against the Father? It's possible that he owned the cup because it was a tradition among royalty. It is not entirely clear whether he ever used it. I am guessing that he did not. He seemed to be very blessed by Hashem and a righteous man.

Nevertheless, could it be that Joseph was being a little assimilated into Egyptian pagan culture? Isn’t that what happens to us when we begin to hang out with people and go places that are not acceptable to Hashem? What is the cup of divination that you carry around? Search your heart.

Today’s Challenge: 

Instead of revealing himself to his brothers right away, he carries out plans of deception. Did he need to? What would have happened if he had just exposed the truth in the beginning? Do you ever do this? Instead of being “real” with someone, you play games first? Search your conscience and see if you have been manipulating a situation that should not be. And try to confront it with the truth instead. Right away. You will be blessed.

Today’s Haftarah: Zechariah 3-4:7

3 He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before Hashem’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2 Hashem said to Satan, “Hashem rebuke you, Satan! Yes, Hashem who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” To him, he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.”

5 I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.”

So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and Hashem’s angel was standing by. 6 Hashem’s angel protested to Joshua, saying, 7 “Hashem of Armies says: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by. 8 Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch. 9 For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave its engraving,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’”

4 The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?”

I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it; 3 and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”

4 I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Hashem’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Hashem of Armies. 7 Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you are a plain; and He will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

Prophecy claiming G-d as “Hashem of armies”. What armies? I believe Hashem is the Commander of the angels in heaven. Is that reassuring to you? That the one we serve is the ultimate Chief. With His supreme control over the armies of heaven, there will never be defeat. This is a very comforting thought. In reality, we have nothing to worry about. Even if the world is spinning around us and sin abounds, we know the end of the story. G-d wins. He has all the victory.

Today’s  Haftarah Challenge: 

In chapter 4:6, we hear Hashem saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” That is how Hashem moves in the Kingdom of Heaven. By His Spirit. Have you thought about the Spirit of Hashem lately? Have you ever prayed that His Spirit fills you, surrounds you in your life? So that He could use you in mighty and wonderful ways? I encourage you to pray this prayer today and experience a life change.

Miketz - Day #6

Miketz מִקֵּץ - At the End Of  

Torah Portion: Genesis 41:1-44:17

Genesis 43:16–29

43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare, for the men will dine with me at noon.”

17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.” 19 They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your G-d, and the G-d of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them. 24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25 They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him. 27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”

28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly. 29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “G-d be gracious to you, my son.”

Today’s Meditation:

Isn’t it amazing that a supposedly Egyptian ruler (Joseph) says to Benjamin in v.29, “G-d be gracious to you.” Is he referring to the G-d of Abraham, or is he speaking to their god?  In other words, do his brothers just think he is recognizing their G-d, and of course not really believing in Him? Probably. But, in reality, Joseph really did believe in the one true Elohim. I have friends who recognize the Hashem I serve, but they do not believe in Him. Not yet. It is my prayer that I will be His light to them, and that they will be attracted to His light. And ultimately, they will choose to believe in the one true Elohim. 

Today’s Challenge: 

I challenge you today to be such a light to those around you who do not yet believe in Hashem. To reflect His love, His truth, and that He is Life. That you would so strongly reflect Him, that they would say to you, “G-d be gracious to you.” Even though they do not yet believe in Him, pray about how you can be that light.

Miketz - Day #5

Miketz מִקֵּץ - At the End Of  

Torah Portion: Genesis 41:1-44:17

Genesis 42:19–43:15

42:19 If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.”

They did so. 21 They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore, this distress has come upon us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore, also, behold, his blood is required.” 23 They didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.

26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that Elohim has done to us?” 29 They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”

38 He said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

43 The famine was severe in the land. 2 When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”

3 Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food; 5 but if you don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”

7 They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’”

8 Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9 I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever; 10 for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 14 May Elohim Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

Today’s Meditation:

This reading is abundant in fear. The brothers are fearful for their lives, their brother’s lives, and their father's reaction. And probably fearful of starvation and accusation of stealing money. Jacob is afraid that he might lose Benjamin. It seems that not only in Scripture, but also in our own lives, fear often dominates us. I know it has happened to me. It is so easy to trust Hashem when things are going well, but when they are not, we exhibit great fear. We may need to practice trusting ourselves when small, disturbing things happen in our lives, so that when larger challenges arise, we are better prepared. Additionally, it is beneficial to have others pray for us during times of challenge. They can help us achieve peace during difficult situations.

Today’s Challenge: 

It’s about regret. Clearly, the brothers are displaying regret for what they did to Joseph years ago. They feel that the sin of abandoning him is now catching up with them. Do you have any regrets in your life? Is there something you can do to repair what you have done? Spend some time in prayer and ask Hashem to show you. Ask Him if there is a way to rectify the situation, to restore it to something good. I know it’s hard to do things like that, but rather than regret it forever.