{"id":39718,"date":"2018-07-09T18:50:16","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T15:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-44\/"},"modified":"2022-04-17T17:11:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-17T14:11:53","slug":"wall-44","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-44\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Torah-Genesis-44"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"44","date":"20251029","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","books_group":"Torah","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"39569","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"Genesis 44 - Judy Hammond ","post_title":"Genesis 44 - Judy Hammond","slug":"genesis-44-judy-hammond","old_id":"39569","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Genesis 44","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"read by Judy Hammond","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/genesis-chapter-44-read-by-judy-hammond","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"103716","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Rash Words ","post_title":"Rash Words","slug":"rash-words","old_id":"103716","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Watch out what you wish upon yourself, and others\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In chapter 31, Laban chased after Jacob and accused him of stealing his idols. Jacob swiftly responded \u201c\u2018Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! In the presence of our kin, point out what I have of yours and take it.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Of course, Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. As a result of Jacob\u2019s \u2018curse,\u2019 Rachel dies early in childbirth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A similar tragic event occurs in chapter 44. Joseph has his guards pursue the brothers for stealing his silver goblet. Joseph\u2019s motivation is most likely to force the brother\u2019s hands and allow him to keep Benjamin around in jail for having stolen the cup. But, Joseph gets more than he bargains for. The brothers exclaim: \u201c\u2018whichever of your servants it is found with shall die; the rest of us, moreover, shall become slaves to my lord.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Although what you are proposing is right, only the one with whom it is found shall be my slave; but the rest of you shall go free.\u2019\u201d(11-12).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Joseph\u2019s plan has backfired. The brothers have made the very same dangerous vow that killed Joseph\u2019s mother. Quickly, Joseph tries to redirect the curse, but inadvertently may have caused something that will affect them all. Judah latches on to Joseph\u2019s retort: \u201cHere we are, then, slaves of my lord, the rest of us as much as he in whose possession the goblet was found\u201d (16). Judah has offered all of Jacob\u2019s children as slaves to the Egyptian crown. Jacob\u2019s lack of foresight in declaring his curse led to the death of his favorite wife. Perhaps Joseph\u2019s scheme and the brother\u2019s lack of foresight in their curse led to the enslavement of the entire Israelite nation to the Egyptian crown.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":60001,"alt":"","title":"2sam6-anger","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","width":1089,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-255x300.png","medium-width":255,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-768x903.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":903,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-871x1024.png","large-width":871,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","1536x1536-width":1089,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","2048x2048-width":1089,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-1021x1200.png","post_full_size-width":1021,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-357x420.png","home_baner-width":357,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Rash Words","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Watch out what you wish upon yourself, and others","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":60001,"alt":"","title":"2sam6-anger","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","width":1089,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-255x300.png","medium-width":255,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-768x903.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":903,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-871x1024.png","large-width":871,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","1536x1536-width":1089,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger.png","2048x2048-width":1089,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-1021x1200.png","post_full_size-width":1021,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam6-anger-357x420.png","home_baner-width":357,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"504","name":"Blessing","old_id":"904"},{"term_id":"583","name":"Curse","old_id":"983"}]},{"order":3,"id":"104098","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Judah's Hineni Moment","post_title":"Judah's Hineni Moment","slug":"judahs-hineni-moment","old_id":"104098","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":104022,"post_title":"Benji Zoller","slug":"benji-zoller","old_id":"104022","first_name":"Benji ","last_name":"Zoller ","description":"Benji Zoller is a current student of Jewish Thought and Hebrew Literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 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Ten sons of Jacob watch as their youngest brother, Benjamin, is cuffed and taken hostage by the Egyptians. Though they will come home to their father, he will never return to the land of Canaan. Rather, he will live out his life as a slave to the viceroy of Egypt. The brothers look around at each other and woefully shrug: What can they possibly do?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Yet, at this moment, the verse says, \u201cAnd Judah approached him\u201d (Genesis 44:18).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Bereshit Rabbah (VaYigash 93) interprets the word \u201cVayigash\u201d \u201che approached\u201d in three ways: in terms of war (Rabbi Yehuda), conciliation (Rabbi Nechemia) and prayer (the Rabbis). Judah, when claiming responsibility for his brother, is not sure how to best address the Egyptian ruler. Possibly, he will have to fight against someone who possesses far greater power than he. On the contrary, he may need to argue his case calmly, in a way which pacifies the ruler. Or, maybe he\u2019ll need to take the middle road: the route of prayer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Piasetzna Rebbe, Rav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889-1943), teaches that the Torah used the pronoun \u201c<\/span>ei-lav<\/span><\/i>\u201d \u201chim\u201d instead of simply saying \u201cJudah approached Joseph\u201d for this very purpose. Prayer, as the epitome of a face-to-face encounter, forces one to recognize their personal identity prior to speaking to God, notably in the second person (<\/span>Eish Kodesh<\/span><\/i>, VaYigash, 5702). In other words, before one can speak to a \u201cyou\u201d they must define their \u201cI\u201d (similar to Martin Buber\u2019s idea of \u201cI and Thou\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah, before confronting the Egyptian ruler, needs to face himself. <\/span>I am Judah. I am the brother who decided to sell my sibling, Joseph; I am the father who threatened to burn my daughter-in-law for sleeping with someone else, only to realize that I was the one who impregnated her when she was disguised as a prostitute. Yet, I admitted my wrongdoings, I confronted my dark sides and made amends. And now, hineni, here I am. I am Judah, and I am the guardian of my brother; I will not let any harm befall him<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cAnd Judah approached <\/span>him<\/span><\/i>\u201d \u2013 first himself, and then the ruler before him. Only when Judah understands who he is, is he able to face his adversary with confidence.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In the face of conflict it is easy to turn around and woefully shrug, to give in to doubt and fear. <\/span>Who am I, anyway?<\/span><\/i> Yet, when we face ourselves, we realize our potential. <\/span>I can dream, and I can accomplish anything I set my heart to.<\/span><\/i> We may struggle; we may face hardship and feel worthless. Yet, when we have the courage to face ourselves and whisper <\/span>hineni<\/span><\/i>, we will remember that we are capable of anything.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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reverses not only his own sin against his own brother, but his father\u2019s sin against his\u2026.","post_main_content_content":"

Judah, unlike his father, who pleads self-righteous innocence when his family is in fact guilty of the crime of which he is accused [ch. 31], admits guilt to a crime he has not committed\u2026<\/p>\r\n

The speech he delivers (Gen. 44:18\u201334)\u2014sixteen verses of text\u2014is longer than any number of quintessential narratives (the entire narrative of Babel, for example, is only nine verses) and the longest monolog in the Torah. The word that begins the sentence in which he starts to speak, and, indeed, the name of the Torah portion, is vayigash<\/em>, variously translated as \u201cand he approached\u201d and \u201cand he drew near\u201d (Gen. 44:18).<\/p>\r\n

This verb appears only five times in the book of Genesis, each on a momentous occasion, signaling either superhuman effort, or sealing spectacular deception. Its first appearance describes Abraham\u2019s action in Genesis 18, after God has revealed his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Vayigash Abraham vayomer<\/em> \/ \u201cAnd Abraham came forward and said . . .\u201d (Gen. 18:23) introduces Abraham at his most bold, \u201ccoming near\u201d to God\u2014with all the implications such a phrase entails\u2026. Judah, with this verb, will approach what is for him the embodiment not of heavenly, but of earthly power\u2014and not for a principle or for hypothetical people he does not know, but for a beloved, if clearly flawed, father.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s in recounting the narrative of that very father that we encounter the other three appearances in the Torah of the word vayigash<\/em>. In Gen. 27:21, Isaac demands of Jacob (masquerading as Esau) gish-a li<\/em> \/ \u201cPlease approach me.\u201d Verse 22 begins Vayigash Yaakov<\/em> \/ \u201cAnd Jacob drew close to his father Isaac, who felt him and wondered, \u201cThe voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau\" (Gen. 27:22). \u2026In verse 26, Isaac again bids Jacob approach: Gisha na ush\u2019ka li<\/em> \/ \u201cApproach and kiss me,\u201d and we\u2019re told Vayigash vayishakh lo<\/em> \/ \u201cAnd he approached and kissed him\u201d (Gen. 27:27)\u2026.<\/p>\r\n

The fourth appearance of the verb, when Jacob single-handedly moves the stone in front of the well for the beautiful Rachel\u2014vayigash Yaakov vayagel et haeven<\/em> (Gen. 29:10)\u2014signals a rare superhuman physical achievement in the Five Books of Moses\u2026<\/p>\r\n

The vayigash<\/em> that introduces Judah\u2019s transformational speech both aligns him with Abraham and Jacob at their most heroic\u2014one spiritually so, the other physically so\u2014and also serves to reverse the intergenerational trend of brother mistreating brother in which the verb doubly appears. It establishes Judah both as demonstrating the human equivalent of Abraham\u2019s spiritual daring, and the emotional equivalent of his father\u2019s superhuman physical effort on behalf of love\u2014as well as setting him out as the antithesis of his father Jacob at his worst moment. With the speech that follows this verb, Judah will reverse not only his own sin against his own brother, but his father\u2019s sin against his\u2026.<\/p>\r\n

The very reason Judah and his brothers treated Joseph so cruelly\u2014their father\u2019s favoritism\u2014has become the centerpiece of Judah\u2019s plea to Joseph on Benjamin\u2019s behalf. He offers to take Benjamin\u2019s place as slave\u2014\u201cTherefore please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy\u201d (Gen.44:33)\u2014for the very same reason that he sold Joseph into slavery. The reason for sin becomes the reason for repentance; the nature of the sin\u2014turning his father\u2019s favorite\/his own brother into a slave\u2014becomes the mechanism of repentance: offering to serve as slave in his father\u2019s favorite\u2019s\/his brother\u2019s stead. The speech, therefore, is an instance of perfect repentance; the action it offers, similarly, comes as close as Judah can to reversing his treatment of Joseph through his efforts on behalf of Joseph\u2019s only full sibling.<\/p>\r\n

(Excerpted and reprinted with permission from the essay \u201c'That We May Live and Not Die': Judah as Life Force of Genesis,\" by Jaqueline Osherow, in:\u00a0Reading Genesis Beginnings<\/span><\/em><\/a>, Beth Kissileff, editor, Bloomsbury, 2016, pp.
\r\n231-234).<\/p>\r\n

(Cover illustration:\u00a0Willem de Poorter (1608-1648?), Kaluga Regional Art Museum, from:\u00a0http:\/\/alhatorah.org\/Yehuda_Confronts_Yosef_in_Art#DePoorter)\u00a0<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":39766,"alt":"","title":"G44B1de Poorter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","width":962,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-300x187.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":187,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-768x479.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":479,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","large-width":962,"large-height":600,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","1536x1536-width":962,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","2048x2048-width":962,"2048x2048-height":600,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","post_full_size-width":962,"post_full_size-height":600,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-673x420.jpg","home_baner-width":673,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Judah's Perfect Repentance","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Judah reverses not only his own sin against his own brother, but his father\u2019s sin against his\u2026.","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39766,"alt":"","title":"G44B1de Poorter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","width":962,"height":600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-300x187.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":187,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-768x479.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":479,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","large-width":962,"large-height":600,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","1536x1536-width":962,"1536x1536-height":600,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","2048x2048-width":962,"2048x2048-height":600,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter.jpg","post_full_size-width":962,"post_full_size-height":600,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B1de-Poorter-673x420.jpg","home_baner-width":673,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"568","name":"Judah","old_id":"968"},{"term_id":"571","name":"Repentance","old_id":"971"}]},{"order":5,"id":"39752","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Joseph\u2019s Bread ","post_title":"Joseph\u2019s Bread","slug":"josephs-bread","old_id":"39752","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":35831,"post_title":"Ruth Fogelman","slug":"ruth-fogelman","old_id":"35831","first_name":"Ruth ","last_name":"Fogelman ","description":"Ruth Fogelman was born in England and has lived in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City for most of her life. She is the author of four books. Her poems, articles, short stories and photography have appeared in anthologies and various publications in Israel, USA and India, including Arc, Back to Joy: Little Reminders to Help Us Through Tough Times, The Deronda Review, Prosopisia, Poetica, and the International Literary Review. Ruth holds a Masters Degree from the Creative Writing Program of Bar Ilan University and leads the Pri Hadash Women\u2019s Writing Workshop in Jerusalem. \r\nShe is a member of the Israel Association of Writers in English\r\nVisit her website at http:\/\/jerusalemlives.weebly.com\r\n","short_description":"Ruth Fogelman is a poet, and lives in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":35832,"alt":"","title":"Ruth Fogelman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","width":969,"height":973,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--768x771.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":771,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","large-width":969,"large-height":973,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","1536x1536-width":969,"1536x1536-height":973,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","2048x2048-width":969,"2048x2048-height":973,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","post_full_size-width":969,"post_full_size-height":973,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--418x420.jpg","home_baner-width":418,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"We did not dream\u2026 how could we guess?","post_main_content_content":"

His screams did not disturb us<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>as we sat, cracking jokes and almonds,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>while into olive oil and hyssop<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>we dipped our bread. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

We did not dream \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>that laden with gifts, we<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>would journey to our brother<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>to buy bread. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

How could we guess \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>that under our brother\u2019s scrutiny<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>we, eleven, sat eating savories<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>and bread.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> From: Ruth Fogelman, <\/span>Leaving the Garden<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":61762,"alt":"","title":"1kings5-bread","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","width":1920,"height":1312,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-300x205.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":205,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-768x525.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":525,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-1024x700.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":700,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1050,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1312,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-1200x820.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":820,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-615x420.png","home_baner-width":615,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Joseph\u2019s Bread","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"We did not dream\u2026 how could we guess?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":61762,"alt":"","title":"1kings5-bread","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","width":1920,"height":1312,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-300x205.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":205,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-768x525.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":525,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-1024x700.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":700,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1050,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1312,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-1200x820.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":820,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings5-bread-615x420.png","home_baner-width":615,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"}]},{"order":6,"id":"39765","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"Judah Confronts Joseph in Art ","post_title":"Judah Confronts Joseph in Art","slug":"judah-confronts-joseph-in-art","old_id":"39765","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37927,"post_title":"Adapted from ALHATORAH.ORG","slug":"alhatorah-org","old_id":"37927","first_name":"Adapted from","last_name":"ALHATORAH.ORG","description":"ALHATORAH.ORG is a one-stop Tanakh study resource, providing the texts, tools, techniques, and technology to help scholars, educators, and laypersons make Torah come alive in the home, classroom, and synagogue. Enter the site to explore 2,500 years of Biblical interpretation and enjoy a rich, multi-dimensional, learning experience.\r\n","short_description":"ALHATORAH.ORG Re-envisioning the way Torah can be studied and taught","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37929,"alt":"","title":"shutterstock_473208484","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","width":10000,"height":10000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-1200x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"What do we know Judah's emotions as he pleaded their case?","post_main_content_content":"

Art by Willem de Poorter,James Tissot, and Arent de Gelder, all illustrate the moving scene of Judah's impassioned speech on behalf of Benjamin. The artists differ both in their choice of which characters to include and in how they depict those characters, allowing for different readings of both Judah and Joseph and, thus, of the reconciliation as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

DePoorter<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

De Gelder<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Both De Poorter and De Gelder portray Judah in a posture of submission, kneeling before Joseph. Moreover, De Gelder's Judah is clearly distressed. His face is pained, and one can almost hear him imploring Joseph. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Tissot's Judah, in contrast, does not give off the same feeling of subservience or desperate beseeching. He sits on the floor, seemingly unruffled, counting on his fingers as he speaks and states his arguments:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

What do we know of the emotions of Judah as described in Tanakh? Does he stand meek and pleading before Judah, hoping to earn his compassion as he speaks of his elderly father? Or is he confident in the innocence of Benjamin, and thus able to speak to Joseph more as an equal? Perhaps one might go even further, and suggest that Judah is aware of Joseph's role in the framing, and, as such, stands before him defiant and accusatory. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Adapted from: ALHATORAH.ORG<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For fuller analysis, see: <\/span>http:\/\/alhatorah.org\/Yehuda_Confronts_Yosef_in_Art<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Three Different Versions","tile_main_caption":"Judah Confronts Joseph in Art","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"What do we know Judah's emotions as he pleaded their case?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39768,"alt":"","title":"G44B3-Tissot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","width":445,"height":346,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot-300x233.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":233,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","medium_large-width":445,"medium_large-height":346,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","large-width":445,"large-height":346,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","1536x1536-width":445,"1536x1536-height":346,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","2048x2048-width":445,"2048x2048-height":346,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","post_full_size-width":445,"post_full_size-height":346,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44B3-Tissot.jpg","home_baner-width":445,"home_baner-height":346}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"},{"term_id":"523","name":"Joseph","old_id":"923"},{"term_id":"568","name":"Judah","old_id":"968"}]},{"order":7,"id":"39760","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"The Framing of Benjamin in Art ","post_title":"The Framing of Benjamin in Art","slug":"the-framing-of-benjamin-in-art","old_id":"39760","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37927,"post_title":"Adapted from ALHATORAH.ORG","slug":"alhatorah-org","old_id":"37927","first_name":"Adapted from","last_name":"ALHATORAH.ORG","description":"ALHATORAH.ORG is a one-stop Tanakh study resource, providing the texts, tools, techniques, and technology to help scholars, educators, and laypersons make Torah come alive in the home, classroom, and synagogue. Enter the site to explore 2,500 years of Biblical interpretation and enjoy a rich, multi-dimensional, learning experience.\r\n","short_description":"ALHATORAH.ORG Re-envisioning the way Torah can be studied and taught","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37929,"alt":"","title":"shutterstock_473208484","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","width":10000,"height":10000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-1200x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_473208484-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Just how old was he?","post_main_content_content":"

The three pictures displayed here, the engraving from the LaHaye Bible, Alexander Ivanov's painting, and the illustration from the Mortier Bible, all portray one of the most critical junctures of the Joseph narratives, the moment when Joseph's cup is found in Benjamin's sack. The artists differ in their depiction of Benjamin, Joseph's servants, and the silver goblet, and their contrasting perspectives reflect some of the ambiguities in the story of Genesis 44.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The artists' choices reflect certain ambiguities in the Biblical text and different possible interpretive stances, including around Benjamin\u2019s age.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

In Ivanov's painting above, Benjamin is depicted as a young boy, not yet a teenager.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Likewise, Benjamin is a child in the LaHaye Bible etching:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

In Mortier's Bible, in contrast, he is portrayed as an adult. How old was Benjamin at this point in the narrative? Was he significantly younger than his brothers?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

Throughout the story, the brothers continuously refer to Benjamin as their \"little\" brother and Yaakov, too, seems to treat him as a child, leading the reader to view him as such.<\/span> On the other hand, Benjamin was born when Jacob was on his way back to Hebron, at some point before Joseph was sold into slavery. This would make him at least in his mid-twenties when our story takes place.<\/span> The exact age difference between him and his brothers, though, is unknown, as the chronology of both their births and the events that take place after Jacob's return to Israel is murky.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Adapted from: ALHATORAH.ORG<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For fuller analysis, see: <\/span>http:\/\/alhatorah.org\/The_Framing_of_Binyamin_in_Art<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Three Different Versions","tile_main_caption":"The Framing of Benjamin in Art","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Just how old was he?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39761,"alt":"","title":"G44A1-Ivanov","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","width":664,"height":547,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov-300x247.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","medium_large-width":664,"medium_large-height":547,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","large-width":664,"large-height":547,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","1536x1536-width":664,"1536x1536-height":547,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","2048x2048-width":664,"2048x2048-height":547,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov.jpg","post_full_size-width":664,"post_full_size-height":547,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/G44A1-Ivanov-510x420.jpg","home_baner-width":510,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"},{"term_id":"523","name":"Joseph","old_id":"923"},{"term_id":"554","name":"Benjamin","old_id":"954"}]},{"order":8,"id":"39750","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"I am Addressing Your Heart ","post_title":"I am Addressing Your Heart","slug":"i-am-addressing-your-heart","old_id":"39750","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36839,"post_title":"Yotam Tulub","slug":"yotam-tulub","old_id":"36839","first_name":"Yotam ","last_name":"Tulub","description":"Yotam Tolub was born in France to a French father and a Brazilian mother and grew up in Israel with the exception of four years in the United States when he was a child. He studied law and film, holds a Master's degree in gerontology, works as a lawyer promoting the rights of people with disabilities, and is a noted author.\r\n","short_description":"Yotam Tulub is a noted author, and lawyer specializing in rights of people with disabilities.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36840,"alt":"","title":"yotam tulub","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","width":115,"height":133,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","thumbnail-width":115,"thumbnail-height":133,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","medium-width":115,"medium-height":133,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","medium_large-width":115,"medium_large-height":133,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","large-width":115,"large-height":133,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","1536x1536-width":115,"1536x1536-height":133,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","2048x2048-width":115,"2048x2048-height":133,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","post_full_size-width":115,"post_full_size-height":133,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/yotam-tulub-e1533450746621.jpg","home_baner-width":115,"home_baner-height":133}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Judah takes a step forward physically and emotionally","post_main_content_content":"

Once again we are making a move to a new apartment. Once again we are negotiating with the owner of the apartment. Once again, we recall the insight that rational arguments about lowering the price of the apartment (the walls are peeling, the kitchen is small) are not effective. What determines the cost of rent is emotion. One can save thousands of shekels in a year if you remind the husband and wife owners of the apartment of their life as a young couple. The Hebrew University Professor of Behavioral Economics Eyal Winter, a researcher on rationalism, coined the phrase \u201crational emotion.\u201d \u00a0Emotions, as Professor Winter demonstrates in his research, often serve us better than reason. Falling in love, identification, anger--these emotions help us survive in the jungle of life. Anyone who knows how to connect emotionally with others will get the apartment, promotion, or election.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah turns to Joseph twice. The first time, Judah speaks practically: You are right, we made a mistake, we will be your servants (and in this way, the expected death penalty for Benjamin is mitigated). However, Joseph remains indifferent. And then, \u201cJudah went up to him\u201d (Genesis 44:18). Judah takes a step forward physically and emotionally. He does not add new information to his review of what happened, but he shows a lot of emotion: Jacob\u2019s love for Benjamin; Jacob\u2019s longing for Joseph; Judah\u2019s compassion for Benjamin (\u201cour youngest brother,\u201d see Genesis 44:26) and Judah\u2019s fear of what to expect (\u201c How can I go back to my father,\u201d see Genesis 44:34). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

We usually say that Joseph waited to see if his brothers take responsibility for Benjamin before Joseph discloses his identity to his brothers. I think that no less than this, Joseph waited to see the emotion on the part of his brothers towards Benjamin, and in the face of Judah\u2019s emotion, he could not hold back.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":100778,"alt":"","title":"2chron25-torn heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","width":1920,"height":1609,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-300x251.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":251,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-768x644.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":644,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-1024x858.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":858,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1287,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1609,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-1200x1006.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1006,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-501x420.png","home_baner-width":501,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"I am Addressing Your Heart","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Judah takes a step forward physically and emotionally","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":100778,"alt":"","title":"2chron25-torn heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","width":1920,"height":1609,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-300x251.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":251,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-768x644.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":644,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-1024x858.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":858,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1287,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1609,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-1200x1006.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1006,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/2chron25-torn-heart-501x420.png","home_baner-width":501,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"394","name":"Emotions","old_id":"794"},{"term_id":"412","name":"Responsibility","old_id":"812"}]},{"order":9,"id":"39746","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Stepping Forward ","post_title":"Stepping Forward","slug":"stepping-forward","old_id":"39746","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36460,"post_title":"Dara Frimmer","slug":"dara-frimmer","old_id":"36460","first_name":"Dara ","last_name":"Frimmer ","description":"Rabbi Dara Frimmer is co-senior rabbi of Temple Isaiah. A graduate of Stanford University, with a Masters in Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School, Dara was ordained in 2006 at HUC. Rabbi Frimmer was recognized in 2014 as the Human Rights Rabbi of the Year by T\u2019ruah. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Rabbi Dara Frimmer is co-senior rabbi of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36461,"alt":"","title":"Dara-Frimmer","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","width":469,"height":508,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909-277x300.jpeg","medium-width":277,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","medium_large-width":469,"medium_large-height":508,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","large-width":469,"large-height":508,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","1536x1536-width":469,"1536x1536-height":508,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","2048x2048-width":469,"2048x2048-height":508,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909.jpeg","post_full_size-width":469,"post_full_size-height":508,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Dara-Frimmer-e1533017402909-388x420.jpeg","home_baner-width":388,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"We are not asked to step forward only once in our lives \u2013 we are asked to continually approach","post_main_content_content":"

Vayigash<\/em>\u2026and he approached.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah steps forward, approaching. Bold move. Uncertain outcome. Turns out well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah is all about stepping forward, being courageous, and taking responsibility even to his own detriment. We take the name Jew from him\u2026this is part of our identity. Our heritage.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The rabbis understand Judah\u2019s actions as steadfast and directed. He had a goal. And he would not stop talking with Joseph until his brother was released. While the Torah reveals a soliloquy from Judah (in fact it\u2019s the longest speech in the book of Genesis) the rabbis read in a dialogue. Joseph\u2019s voice cannot be heard, but Judah talks and talks and talks as if trying to anticipate Joseph\u2019s responses\u2026with each new thought, he takes another risk in addressing Joseph. In challenging authority. \u00a0Attempting to change his mind. And sure enough, Joseph breaks down.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It was not Vayigash \u2013 and he approached once. Like tying cords to cords and threads to threads, Judah carefully and deliberately ties together words and sentences. Each word, each sentence, another step forward. Another approach towards Joseph\u2019s heart. Each moment a risk that he would go too far. That Joseph might snap back. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah <\/span>IS<\/span> all about stepping forward, being courageous, and taking responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is also about this quality of endurance.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Of strength and fortitude over an extended period of time.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>We are not asked to step forward only once in our lives \u2013 we are asked to continually approach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While Judah seems to approach all alone, we can choose NOT to go alone. The Torah tells us earlier that the brothers were in conversation about how to handle Joseph. It\u2019s possible that Judah was the elected representative for the group to START, but that others would have spoken next had he be unsuccessful. He may have been the first and only speaker, but he was not in this alone. When he stepped forward, and spoke, and spoke, and tied his words together\u2026pushing forward, confronting his fears, approaching Joseph\u2026his brothers were with him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As Jews, we take our name from Judah. Yehuda. We inherit his legacy. \u00a0Again and again, we will be asked to approach and encounter difficulty...but we are not required to approach alone. We are Judah\u2026AND we are the brothers who accompany him. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

We must step forward with courage and endurance and we are the ones who stand by their side.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Do not read Vayigash, he approached once, but rather Vayigshu\u2026and <\/span>they<\/span> approached.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

May we be blessed with the strength to continue approaching together!<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":103732,"alt":"","title":"-624c294542471--624c294542473gen44-step up 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Soul is Bound Up in His Soul ","post_title":"His Soul is Bound Up in His Soul","slug":"his-soul-is-bound-up-in-his-soul","old_id":"39744","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33992,"post_title":"Bradley Shavit Artson","slug":"rabbi-dr-bradley-shavit-artson","old_id":"33992","first_name":"Bradley Shavit ","last_name":"Artson","description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and is professor of philosophy there. Artson is married to Elana Shavit Artson, and they are the parents of twins, Shira and Jacob.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33993,"alt":"","title":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","width":204,"height":199,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-256x300.png","medium-width":256,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","medium_large-width":204,"medium_large-height":199,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","large-width":204,"large-height":199,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","1536x1536-width":204,"1536x1536-height":199,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","2048x2048-width":204,"2048x2048-height":199,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","post_full_size-width":204,"post_full_size-height":199,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","home_baner-width":204,"home_baner-height":199}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"We each embody the influences and memories of those who impact our lives for the good","post_main_content_content":"

Pity our poor father, Jacob. Having lost his precious elder son, Joseph years ago, circumstances now conspire to deprive him of this youngest son, Benjamin, the only remaining child of his beloved wife, Rachel. Knowing the position he is placing his brother\u2019s in, Joseph demands a heartless exchange: food in exchange for this young brother. Then, once the father and brothers relent to this desperate choice, he arranges a trap that leaves Benjamin as his prisoner, and forces his brother\u2019s to confront the enormity of what they inflicted on him all these many years ago.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And the years have made a difference. This time, Judah steps up (literally and morally), offering himself in Benjamin\u2019s stead. Why? Because he explains that his father has already lost one son of his dear Rachel, and he won\u2019t survive losing a second. \u201cHis soul is bound up in his soul,\u201d is Judah\u2019s description of the bond between Jacob and Benjamin.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Three Biblical words: <\/span>nafsho keshura be-nafsho<\/span><\/em>. Those words contain all the metaphysics we\u2019ll ever need, and all the morality too. Turns out that our sense of ourselves as distinct, separate entities that interact with other equally autonomous entities from the outside (we influence externally, we bump into each other, we rely on coercion and force) is false \u2014 a distortion of physics and a moral monstrosity. Nothing is truly distinct. At the smallest level, our atoms swirl endlessly from thing to thing, unaware that they have crossed any real boundary. And even our neurology prunes itself to embody the influences and memories of those who impact our lives for the good. They literally live in us, and always will. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Humans, like groves of trees, are really cooperative communes. Societies of societies, each of us integrates each other in a constantly reformulating and emerging event we call ourselves. Jacob is literally bound to Benjamin. and Benjamin to Jacob. And we to those with whom we share this journey called life.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":52194,"alt":"","title":"dt31-connections","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","width":1280,"height":807,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-300x189.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":189,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-768x484.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":484,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-1024x646.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":646,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":807,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":807,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-1200x757.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":757,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-666x420.png","home_baner-width":666,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"His Soul is Bound Up in His Soul","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"We each embody the influences and memories of those who impact our lives for the good","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":52194,"alt":"","title":"dt31-connections","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","width":1280,"height":807,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-300x189.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":189,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-768x484.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":484,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-1024x646.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":646,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":807,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":807,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-1200x757.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":757,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt31-connections-666x420.png","home_baner-width":666,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"426","name":"Community","old_id":"826"},{"term_id":"585","name":"Soul","old_id":"985"}]},{"order":11,"id":"39741","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"There's No Easy Way Out ","post_title":"There's No Easy Way Out","slug":"theres-no-easy-way-out","old_id":"39741","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33859,"post_title":"Avidan Freedman","slug":"avidan-freedman","old_id":"33859","first_name":"Avidan","last_name":"Freedman","description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. He is an activist advocating for moral limits on Israeli arms exports, and on behalf of African refugees, and a proud husband and father of 5. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York, and from the Israeli chief rabbinate.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. ","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33860,"alt":"Avidan Freedman","title":"Avidan Freedman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","width":856,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-768x919.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":919,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-856x1024.jpg","large-width":856,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","1536x1536-width":856,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","2048x2048-width":856,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-351x420.jpg","home_baner-width":351,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Judah draws on the wisdom gleaned from his experiences and the experiences of his forefathers","post_main_content_content":"

Sometimes forgiveness can be cruel in its haste, preventing the sinner from processing and thus moving on from his sin. Letting someone take the easy way out robs them the chance to fully experience the consequence of, and assume responsibility for their actions. This is the offer Joseph extends to the brothers when he suggests they return \"in peace\" to their father.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Joseph's invitation is so absurd that the Torah needs to create a physical space in the text in order to digest it. When Judah admits that God has discovered their sins, he isn't only referring to the theft of Joseph's cup, he's taking responsibility for their treatment of Joseph and everything that that caused. And for anyone with a sense of responsibility, there can clearly be no return, nor any peace so long as Benjamin is a captive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In his rejection of the easy way out, Judah reaches his finest hour, drawing on much of the wisdom gleaned from his experiences and the experiences of his forefathers. His approaching Joseph (\"<\/span>vayigash<\/span><\/em>\") <\/span><\/i>echoes Isaac's attempts at intimate communication with his son in chapter 27 (\"<\/span>gsha na<\/span><\/em>\")<\/span><\/i>. His replaying of the dialogue with Joseph reminds us of the dialogues of Abraham and Abimelech in chapter 21. His assumption of a humble stance in relation to Joseph recalls Jacob's reconciliation with Esau in chapter 32.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Most of all, Judah is inspired by the lesson of <\/span>areyvut<\/span><\/em> he learned from Tamar in chapter 38. He has completely abandoned the utilitarian calculations which typified his thinking earlier. There is no economic model that can justify insisting on all the brothers being slaves rather than just one. Judah has learned to truly be an <\/span>arev<\/span><\/em>, <\/i><\/b>a person whose connection to the other is based on an intertwining of fates, and thus he finally offers the resolution to Joseph's quest- \"I am in search of my brothers.\"<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":93167,"alt":"","title":"pro25-head wisdom 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Example As A Proud Hebrew ","post_title":"Joseph's Example As A Proud Hebrew","slug":"josephs-example-as-a-proud-hebrew","old_id":"45321","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36663,"post_title":"Beth Kissileff","slug":"beth-kissileff","old_id":"36663","first_name":"Beth ","last_name":"Kissileff ","description":"Beth Kissileff is the editor of the anthology Reading Genesis (2016 - https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/reading-genesis-9780567381521), and the forthcoming Reading Exodus, and the author of the novel Questioning Return - https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Questioning-Return-Novel-Beth-Kissileff\/dp\/1942134231. \r\nHer journalism appears in many publications; she has taught most recently at the University of Pittsburgh. Visit her online at www.bethkissileff.com. ","short_description":"Beth Kissileff is the editor of the anthology Reading Genesis (Bloomsbury\/ T and T Clark, 2016) , a journalist and teacher.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36664,"alt":"","title":"BethKissileff","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","width":3478,"height":3200,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-300x276.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":276,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-768x707.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":707,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-1024x942.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":942,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1413,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1884,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-1200x1104.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1104,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/BethKissileff-e1533157952224-456x420.jpg","home_baner-width":456,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"1021","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Bringing our collective light to the world","post_main_content_content":"

The portion that is always read on the Sabbath of Hanukkah is this one, Miketz, about Joseph the Jew in Egypt.\u00a0Joseph is the first Jew to live as a minority of one within a majority Egyptian culture; he never tries to hide who he is.\u00a0Joseph always reveals his origins as a Hebrew, so that Potiphar\u2019s wife is able to use his identity against him in her false accusation that he attempted to rape her (Genesis 39: 14, 17).\u00a0In jail, Joseph tells others, \u201cI was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews and also here I have done nothing that they put me into the pit\u201d (Genesis 40: 15). When the baker Joseph aided by correctly interpreting his dream finally remembers to tell Pharaoh of the young man\u2019s skill, he describes Joseph as \u201ca Hebrew lad\u201d (41: 12) It was always clear to Joseph and to those around him that he was behaving as a Hebrew.<\/p>\r\n

The only individuals in the Hebrew Bible who are called \u201cHebrews\u201d are Abraham (once in Genesis 14:13) and Jonah (Jonah 1:9) though anonymous individuals are called Hebrew (a Hebrew nursemaid in Exodus 2: 7; the Hebrew slave Exodus 2: 11, 13).\u00a0All three are in places (Sodom, Egypt and on a ship with sailors) where their lives could be endangered because of their identity.\u00a0They proclaim their Jewishness.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The other time the word \u201cHebrew\u201d appears in Genesis is when the brothers of Joseph return to seek food for their families a second time after having left Simeon behind in jail (42:24) while they journeyed to Canaan.\u00a0 The brothers bring Benjamin, Joseph\u2019s only full sibling, also a son of Rachel, back to Egypt; Joseph who had earlier restrained himself goes to a private place to weep (Genesis 43:30).\u00a0 Joseph returns and proceeds to eat separated from his brothers since \u201cthe Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an abomination to the Egyptians\u201d (43:32). But everyone in the palace knew Joseph was\u00a0a Hebrew; even the names of his sons connect to his past (41: 51, 52).<\/p>\r\n

It is the brothers who don\u2019t behave as Hebrews and don\u2019t deserve to eat with Joseph though he presents as Egyptian.\u00a0The brothers cruelly left him in the pit (37:24) and repeated their behavior by allowing Simeon to languish in jail. The brothers have no empathy for Joseph or Simeon or the sufferings of their father Jacob, bereft and grieving.\u00a0It is only when Judah acts as a brother and announces his empathy for the sufferings of their father (Genesis 44:34) that the sons of Jacob can begin to be brothers to Joseph again.<\/p>\r\n

At a time when it can feel that lighting a candle in the darkness can make us targets by letting others know we are Jews, we must remember why we bring forth light.\u00a0We light our candles as publicly as possible in order to create bonds of kindness and empathy between other Jews and to bring our collective light into the world, as Abraham, Joseph and (reluctantly) Jonah did in declaring themselves\u00a0Hebrews.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

We too can\u00a0proudly proclaim our faith as we\u00a0increase the light on our menorahs each day of Hanukkah.<\/p>\r\n

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His poems have won twenty-two prizes in international poetry competitions, and he has twice been awarded fellowships from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.","short_description":"Yakov Azriel is an English language poet who lives in Israel","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36670,"alt":"","title":"Yakov.Azriel.Photo","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","width":1099,"height":1519,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-217x300.jpg","medium-width":217,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-741x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":741,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-741x1024.jpg","large-width":741,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","1536x1536-width":1099,"1536x1536-height":1519,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","2048x2048-width":1099,"2048x2048-height":1519,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-868x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":868,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-304x420.jpg","home_baner-width":304,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abba, did you also put Joseph to sleep like me?","post_main_content_content":"

\u201cAnd now, should I [Judah] come before your servant, my father [Jacob], and the boy [Benjamin] is not with us \u2014 and \u00a0seeing how his soul is bound to the soul of the boy \u2014 should he see that the boy is not here anymore, he will die \u2026.\u201d (Genesis 44:30-31)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abba<\/span><\/em> walks with me hand in hand
\r\n<\/span>And doesn\u2019t let me run
\r\n<\/span>Or jump from boulders
\r\n<\/span>Or climb trees.
\r\n<\/span>\u201cBe careful, Benjamin\u201d \u2014 <\/span>Abba<\/em> <\/span>always tells me \u2014
\r\n<\/span>\u201cBe careful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abba<\/span><\/em> doesn\u2019t let me ride horses
\r\n<\/span>Or take our flocks out to pasture with my brothers.
\r\n<\/span>Once I ran away to the forest beyond the hills
\r\n<\/span>And played hide-and-seek with boys from the village.
\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abba<\/em> <\/span>searched for me everywhere;
\r\n<\/span>\u201cNever do this again, never,\u201d
\r\n<\/span>He yelled at me when he found me
\r\n<\/span>And then hugged me, tight.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On Friday evenings, at the <\/span>Shabbat<\/span><\/i> table,
\r\n<\/span>Abba<\/em> <\/span>asks me to sing <\/span>zemirot<\/span><\/em>
\r\n<\/span><\/i>Solo.
\r\n<\/span>\u201cYou have your mother\u2019s voice,\u201d he says.
\r\n<\/span>Aunt Leah lowers her soft brown eyes.
\r\n<\/span>Everyone else though looks at me when I sing.
\r\n<\/span>I hate it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But Passover night I hate the most.
\r\n<\/span>I have to stand up and chant the Four Questions;
\r\n<\/span>Abba<\/span><\/em> claps his hands and asks me to chant them again.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Then <\/span>Abba<\/em> <\/span>reads from the <\/span>Haggadah<\/span><\/em>.
\r\n<\/span>When he reaches the Wise Son,
\r\n<\/span>He whispers the name, \u201cJoseph,\u201d and cries.
\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n

My brother Judah has to finish reading,
\r\n<\/span>Reading like a mourner.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Every night <\/span>Abba<\/span><\/em> comes to put me to sleep,
\r\n<\/span>To hear how I say my bedtime prayers
\r\n<\/span>And recite the <\/span>Shma<\/span><\/em>.
\r\n<\/span><\/i>Once I asked him,
\r\n<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Abba<\/span><\/em>, did you also put Joseph to sleep like me?\u201d
\r\n<\/span>He didn\u2019t answer,
\r\n<\/span>Just sighed and turned his face away,
\r\n<\/span>Wiping his eye with a handkerchief.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Every morning when I wake up,
\r\n<\/span>Abba<\/em> <\/span>asks me,
\r\n<\/span>\u201cWhat did you dream about, Benjamin?
\r\n<\/span>Tell me your dreams.\u201d
\r\n<\/span>I don\u2019t lie to <\/span>Abba<\/span><\/em>, and I tell him.
\r\n<\/span>But I do dream the strangest dreams.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Sometimes I dream of Egypt.
\r\n<\/span>Of pyramids and Pharaoh\u2019s palace,
\r\n<\/span>Of a caravan of perfumed camels crossing the desert,
\r\n<\/span>Of a goblet of polished silver.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Sometimes I dream of stars
\r\n<\/span>That fall down and crash,
\r\n<\/span>Shattering into a thousand splinters;
\r\n<\/span>Or of sheaves of grain
\r\n<\/span>That scatter in the wind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Sometimes I see a grave on the road to Efrat;
\r\n<\/span>In front of the grave: weeds and a jackal,
\r\n<\/span>A dried-out well and a torn pendant;
\r\n<\/span>While behind the grave: the cradle of acacia-wood <\/span>Abba<\/span><\/i> built for me.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abba<\/em> <\/span>always asks me,
\r\n<\/span>\u201cIn your dreams do you see your mother?
\r\n<\/span>Do you see Joseph?
\r\n<\/span>Can you take me to them,
\r\n<\/span>Benjamin?\u201d
\r\n<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I wish I could run outside like the others.
\r\n<\/span>I wish I wouldn\u2019t have to sing.
\r\n<\/span>I wish I didn\u2019t dream.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":59557,"alt":"","title":"2sam1-father-and-son","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Benjamin, The Son Of Rachel, The Brother Of Joseph","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abba, did you also put Joseph to sleep like me?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":59557,"alt":"","title":"2sam1-father-and-son","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/2sam1-father-and-son-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"}]},{"order":17,"id":"39772","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 44 ","post_title":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 44","slug":"milimilim-the-hebrew-corner-gen-44","old_id":"39772","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":false,"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"\u05d2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e2 - Gavi'a - Cup (Goblet)\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Joseph to his steward: <\/span>
\r\n<\/span>44:2 \u2013 \"Put my silver goblet <\/span>gavi'a hakessef<\/span><\/em> in the mouth of the bag of the youngest one, together with his money for the rations.\u201d<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>(cf. also: 12, 16, 17).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The word <\/span>gavi\u2019a<\/em> <\/span>refers to the central object of the climax of the plot of the Joseph story: the royal silver goblet. Except for one other reference in the book of Jeremiah, the meaning of <\/span>gavi\u2019a<\/span><\/em> as a special sort of wine cup is found only here. In the Book of Exodus, as part of the description of the design of the <\/span>menorah<\/em> <\/span>(chapter 25), there the <\/span>gvi\u2019im<\/span><\/em> are elements of the candelabrum, reminiscent of a flower\u2019s calyx, a cup-shaped part where the petals join together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While English has a rather rich vocabulary for drinking vessels - goblet, chalice, flagon, tankard, grail, to name a few - Hebrew has mainly this <\/span>gavi\u2019a<\/span><\/em>. So the Holy Grail is <\/span>hagavi\u2019a hakadosh<\/em> <\/span>(in Monty Python as well)<\/span>, <\/span><\/i>and not sure how they subtitled the famous sequence in Danny Kaye\u2019s \u201cThe Court Jester\u201d where they had to distinguish between \u201cthe chalice\u201d (from the palace), \u201cthe flagon\u201d (with the dragon), and \u201cthe vessel\u201d (with the pestle). Well, Kaye couldn\u2019t keep them straight either. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Likewise, today, the World Cup (in soccer\/football) is <\/span>gavi\u2019a ha\u2019olam<\/span><\/em>, as the illustration by artist Zeev Engelmeyer shows. The comment there, in rhyming Hebrew, loosely translated goes: \u201cRight before the time was up, you had to go and take the Cup!?\u201d <\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":103718,"alt":"","title":"-624bec3133175--624bec3133176gen44-milim gavia.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg.jpg","width":1024,"height":710,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg-300x208.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":208,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg-768x533.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":533,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg-1024x710.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":710,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":710,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":710,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":710,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/09\/624bec3133175-624bec3133176gen44-milim-gavia.jpg-606x420.jpg","home_baner-width":606,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"

Artwork by: Ben Schachter<\/p>","tile_top_caption":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner","tile_main_caption":"\u05d2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e2 - Gavi'a - Cup (Goblet)","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"... a word from the daily chapter...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":3237,"alt":"","title":"","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464.jpg","width":2292,"height":1590,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464-300x208.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":208,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464-768x533.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":533,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464-1024x710.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":710,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1066,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1421,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464-1200x832.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":832,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/preview-3464.jpg","home_baner-width":605,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Robert Kneschke (shutterstock 161025986)","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"361","name":"Hebrew language","old_id":"761"}]},{"order":18,"id":"39577","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Lessons on the Daily Chapter- Gen 44 ","post_title":"Lessons on the Daily Chapter- Gen 44","slug":"lessons-on-the-daily-chapter-gen-44","old_id":"39577","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Lessons on the Daily Chapter - Gen 44","tile_main_caption":"Short talks by Adam Mintz and by David Silber","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"Rabbi Silber's teachings are dedicated in memory of Joan Silverstein Meyers and Ellen Goodstein Koplow. ","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/sets\/genesis-chapter-44","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"2","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":19,"id":"39739","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Chapter Summary - Genesis 44 ","post_title":"Chapter Summary - Genesis 44","slug":"chapter-summary-genesis-44","old_id":"39739","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":false,"related_cahpter":"44","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Chapter 44 Summary: The Speech of a Lifetime","post_main_content_content":"

It is reasonable to assume that the previous chapter ended from the standpoint of the brothers with great relief. \u00a0Not only did the capricious Egyptian vizier not accuse them (neither of spying nor of theft) but he also hosted them generously, drank with them to the point of drunkenness, and even gave them gifts. Benjamin, whose safe return is thrust on their shoulders, is with them. \u00a0Simeon is released. It is now possible to breathe and to return home peacefully.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, Joseph has other plans. He orders that the money is put back into the brothers\u2019 bags and to plant his personal silver goblet in Benjamin\u2019s bag. \u201cThey had just left the city and had not gone far\u201d (Verse 4) and Joseph sends his steward to chase after them for having stolen his goblet. The brothers are convinced of their innocence and offer \u201cWhichever of your servants it is found with shall die; the rest of us, moreover, shall become slaves to my lord.\u201d (verse 9). Joseph\u2019s representative offers an alternative--whoever is found in possession of the goblet will be Joseph\u2019s slave. Everyone else will be released.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The search begins and\u2026 the goblet is found in Benjamin\u2019s bag. \u201cAt this they rent their clothes. Each reloaded his pack animal, and they returned to the city.\u201d (verse 13). <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah handles the negotiations with Joseph. \u00a0His suggestion \u201cHere we are, then, slaves of my lord, the rest of us as much as he in whose possession the goblet was found\u201d (verse 16) is rejected. Then, Judah offers the speech of a lifetime (the most dramatic speech of the entire Book of Genesis), a speech whose purpose is to convince the tyrannical vizier not to take Benjamin as a slave and to return Benjamin to his father at home as Judah had promised to do.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judah mentions the events through the lens of the pain of his elderly father who has already lost one beloved son and will not be able to endure another tragedy \u201cFor how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me? Let me not be witness to the woe that would overtake my father!\u201d (verse 34).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Points to Ponder:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  1. The goblet is used not just for wine. \u00a0It is also used for fortune telling (like reading the tea leaves) \u201cIt is the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination.\u201d (verse 5).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Feelings of guilt pop again for the brothers (for those who want to know the first time, see Genesis 42:21). \u00a0They did not sin now, but what is happening to them now is understood to be a punishment for the sin that has been accompanying them since Chapter 37. \u00a0\u201cWhat can we say to my lord? How can we plead, how can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered the crime of your servants\u201d (Genesis 44:16).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. This is the first time Joseph hears the cover-up story that was told to his father: \u00a0\u201cBut one is gone from me, and I said: Alas, he was torn by a beast! And I have not seen him since\u201d (Genesis 44:28).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Judah in his speech (Genesis 44:18-34) tugs on their emotional heart strings. \u00a0Look for the most moving sentence in your opinion.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Daily Summary","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder: Genesis 44","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"44","chapter_main_number":"44","date":"20251029","wall_id":"44"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":false,"home_image":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"home_posts":false,"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/39718"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}