25/12/2025
SOME INSPIRATION FOR SHABBAT - FROM THE WEEKLY PARSHA (Torah Reading) VA’YIGASH:
Jewish patriarch Jacob instilled devotion to one God and unwavering truth in his twelve fiercely individualistic sons. But the ultimate challenge was to forge these powerful individuals into a single force and nation.
When Jacob’s older sons despised their brother Yosef, they sold him into slavery—and he landed up chained in a dungeon. - Strike 1.
Seeing their father’s heartbreak, the brothers journey to Egypt seeking their brother, and proclaiming, “We are all sons of one father.” Yet they return empty-handed, minus yet another brother - resigned to losing two brothers. - Strike 2.
In this week’s Parasha, they finally get it. Yehudah confronts an impossible dilemma: abandon little Binyamin to Egyptian slavery or defy the mighty empire itself. He chooses defiance—fiercely and courageously! - Home run!
Joseph reveals his identity. The family reunites under his protection, poised to face Pharaoh while clinging to their core identity—thus ultimately allowing them to exit Egypt and build their own nation.
How does Jacob weld “two Jews with three opinions” into one enduring people? Through trials, failures, and finally—brother fiercely standing for brother. That is the timeless message.
