Thoughts on Parashat Vay’chi

The brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did with their malice and hatred.
-Thomas More

There are at least several answers to the problem of human suffering in Judaism. They can be broadly divided into two groups: the first includes basically one concept (although it has some variations), namely the deuteronomic doctrine of retribution (or ‘of a just punishment’), according to which there is no suffering that is undeserved. In other words, all suffering is the result of some sin, which means that if you suffer, you must have[…]

Thoughts on Parashat Vayigash

This week’s Torah portion covers a rich variety of aspects. A psychological one – Joseph puts his brothers to a final trial, after which he lets them recognize him, which has important “emotional consequences”. Theologically – a wicked, human plan (selling Joseph) turns out to be an element of a superior, Divine plan, which brings salvation to the entire people of Israel; and politically – the Torah describes among others the process through[…]

Thoughts on Parashat Miketz

We live in the age of the individual. We are all supposed to be slim, pretty, successful, prosperous, happy, extroverted and popular. The perfect self – that’s the goal our culture constantly encourages us to achieve and we see this everywhere: in advertising, in the press, all over social media. We are told that to be this person you just have to follow your dreams, that our potential is limitless, that we are the only source of our own success.[…]

Thoughts on Parashat Vayeshev

There is a big idea that is embedded in the Hebrew Bible that truthful speech (used by God) has a creative power and lies at the foundations of the world. Firstly, God uses truthful speech (God said, “Let there be…” or “Let us make…”) to transform tohu-va-vohu (chaos) into a habitable and ordered world. It is laid out starting at the beginning of the[…]