Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland
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[…]
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.[…]
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[…]
[maxbutton id=”6″ url=”https://polishjewsreviving.org/zmaganie-sie-z-demonem-naduzycia-wladzy/” ] This week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach, is replete with conflicts and tensions which Jacob and his family need to urgently address. It opens with the news that Esau is coming forward to meet Jacob bringing with himself four hundred men. Worried that Esau will want to take revenge on his loved ones […]
