So he blessed them on that day, saying, “With you, Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh,’ ” and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. (Gen 48:20) Ye’simcha Elohim ke-Ephraim ve’chi-Menashe May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh With these words we bless our sons on Shabbat and […]

In my reflection on the previous parashah, I presented Joseph as a sensitive person, traumatized and torn by emotions. In this week’s reflection, I will focus a different aspect of his character. Joseph is of course torn by strong emotions, but at the same time, as we learn from these parashot, he is also often […]

Imagine yourself at 25. Just out of college, perhaps: learning how to cook something that isn’t spaghetti, maybe with an unfortunate tattoo or some bell bottoms… now imagine yourself again, at 25, but instead of bell bottoms you are wearing a lusciously soft and brightly colored robe. You are walking through warm sand with your […]

Every immigrant would agree that first years abroad are extremely difficult, as one needs to get settled into a new reality. The challenge of these initial years prevents many people from moving to more affluent countries. However, the challenge is even bigger when one never wanted to leave his homeland; when one was forced to […]

You may say that I am a dreamer and I am the only good one – if Yosef wrote the lyrics of John Lennon’s famous song ‘Imagine’, this is how they would have sounded. In this week’s parasha, we get to know Yosef as a dream interpreter par excellence. He is blessed with two talents: […]

And Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is coming up to Timnah for the sheepshearing.” So she took off her widow’s garb, covered her face with a veil, and, wrapping herself up, sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she […]