Reconciliations are messy and often incomplete. This Shabbat we end the Book of Genesis, which is filled with troubled relationships, sibling rivalries, inter-family squabbles, jealousies and murders. Right from the start Cain murders his brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage. Abraham mistreats his sons, Jacob cheats his brother Esau and deceives his father Isaac. Jacob picks a favorite, Joseph, from among his children and Joseph’s brothers first plan to kill him but sell him into slavery instead. Throughout all of these stories women are rarely present and given little or no agency. Yet, there are also moments of reconciliation. Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father Abraham. Esau and Jacob embrace in tears after 20 years of conflict. In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob blesses his sons, while Joseph’s brothers ask for forgiveness and Joseph grants it. Still, each of these reconciliations is incomplete. Much is left unsaid and it is never clear whether these relationships are ever fully healed. The Torah is laconic. It leaves much unsaid, inviting us to fill in the gaps in the narrative and seek our own lessons. As we end the book of Genesis this week, we can see that this narrative, like our own lives, is messy. We are often in conflict with others, often those we love the most. We, like our ancestors in the Torah are proud, jealous, and self-righteous, justifying our own behavior while easily seeing the fault in others. We are slow to apologize and, at times, unable to forgive others or ourselves. In that sense we are much like our ancestors in Genesis. Before the Mourner’s Kaddish we always say, zichronam l’vracha, may the memory of our beloved dead be a blessing. Perhaps we can learn from their struggles and their suffering to find a way to be kinder, more understanding, more forgiving and more humble in our interactions with others. Then their lives and ours would truly be a blessing. Shabbat shalom. ~Rabbi Dean Kertesz
Vayechi, Genesis 47:28-50:26, Parshat Ha Shavua for Shabbat, Saturday, December 18, 2021
December 17, 2021 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
Reconciliations are messy and often incomplete. This Shabbat we end the Book of Genesis, which is filled with troubled relationships, sibling rivalries, inter-family squabbles, jealousies and murders. Right from the start Cain murders his brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage. Abraham mistreats his sons, Jacob cheats his brother Esau and deceives his father Isaac. Jacob picks a favorite, Joseph, from among his children and Joseph’s brothers first plan to kill him but sell him into slavery instead. Throughout all of these stories women are rarely present and given little or no agency. Yet, there are also moments of reconciliation. Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father Abraham. Esau and Jacob embrace in tears after 20 years of conflict. In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob blesses his sons, while Joseph’s brothers ask for forgiveness and Joseph grants it. Still, each of these reconciliations is incomplete. Much is left unsaid and it is never clear whether these relationships are ever fully healed. The Torah is laconic. It leaves much unsaid, inviting us to fill in the gaps in the narrative and seek our own lessons. As we end the book of Genesis this week, we can see that this narrative, like our own lives, is messy. We are often in conflict with others, often those we love the most. We, like our ancestors in the Torah are proud, jealous, and self-righteous, justifying our own behavior while easily seeing the fault in others. We are slow to apologize and, at times, unable to forgive others or ourselves. In that sense we are much like our ancestors in Genesis. Before the Mourner’s Kaddish we always say, zichronam l’vracha, may the memory of our beloved dead be a blessing. Perhaps we can learn from their struggles and their suffering to find a way to be kinder, more understanding, more forgiving and more humble in our interactions with others. Then their lives and ours would truly be a blessing. Shabbat shalom. ~Rabbi Dean Kertesz