Articles in Vayigash
Vayigash: Our Parents
Do our parents have access to our lives? Do we share our secrets with them? Do they have unfettered access to our grandchildren, for example, do we let them take our children away on vacation?
Sadly, there are many people who grow up and shut their parents out. Some do it …
Vayigash: The True Meaning of Tolerance
Can We Tolerate Tolerance?
Have you ever been in the ironic position where someone accused of lacking tolerance and in the process turned intolerant toward you? Sadly, such occasions are commonplace nowadays. Just think of the riots that swept America post election, when people rampaged and pillaged in the name of …
Vayigash: A Special Moment
The Reunion
Do you know the feeling of meeting up with your spouse after being apart for several days or even weeks? How about seeing your child come home from school for the first time in months or seeing family members that live halfway across the world? It is a giddy …
Vayigash: We Are Family
A Pleasant Flight
It was Friday morning and I was preparing to board a flight from New York to Detroit. It was a flight like many others, but for me it was special because though I was alone that morning, I was surrounded by family. The flight was filled with Jews.
Vayigash: Longing for G-d
The Bank Manager
Suppose you were a bank manager responsible for the bank’s cash. Would you lock the money in the vault at the end of each day or store the money in your desk till the end of the month and bring it all to the vault at once? Most …
Vayigash: Master of Self
The Offender
Suppose you were cut off at the supermarket checkout counter, would you make a scene and or take it in stride? If you would take it in stride, let me ask you this. Suppose someone cut to the front of your line and you remained silent, but the person …
Vayigash: Relax – He’s Your Brother
Disclaimer: It is commonly held that two subjects to be avoided in polite company are politics and religion…lest we offend.
This essay shamelessly addresses both.
Family Feuds
Brothers often bicker, we know that, but that doesn’t mean they should become enemies. When brothers turn against each other the entire fabric of society is …
Vayigash: Prayer – A Heart Stopping Reunion
The Spiritualist and the Pragmatist
We often talk of G-d. To describe our relationship we employ metaphors, such as husband or father that are inspiring to some and off-putting to others. For every person, who responds to the spiritual abstraction of this relationship, there are others that are left unmoved. They …
