The Light of Joseph

In this week's Torah Portion, Vayeshev, we are first introduced to the great Joseph: "Yakov settled in the land of his father. These are the descendants of Yakov: Yosef was 17 years old." It's not by coincidence that every year the Torah portions about Yosef fall during the holiday of Chanukah (begins this Tuesday Night). Every holiday is associated with a forefather; Avraham with Passover, Isaac with Shavuot and Yakov with Sukkot. But who best exemplified the light of Chanukah?

     At the beginning of the Torah's account of creation, G-d fashions a special light and hides it, calling it "good" - tov. Tov in hebrew is numerically equivalent to 17, the age of Yosef in this week's Torah portion. If that wasn't enough numerical connection for you, on Chanukah we light a total of 36 candles, and Yosef's mother Rachel died at the age of 36. Leah's Hebrew name equals 36, and Yosef's father Yakov was away from his home for 36 years. 

     In the book of Ovadiah (1:18), we read: "The house of Yakov will be fire, the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esau straw, and they will ignite them and devour them." Esau represents spiritual numbness, the darkness of exile full of assimilation and spiritual insensitivity. Yosef represents the light of the Jewish soul, able to illuminate this darkness with his flame of goodness and holiness like the menorah of Chanukah at night, even amidst the temptations and loneliness he experienced in Egypt.
   
     As we watch the candles flicker on these upcoming 8 nights, let us meditate on their strength and power. A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness. We light only one additional candle each day. We learn from this that our inner character growth can be slow and incremental, as long as it's real. Then it will last.

Happy Chanukah!

-Rabbi Daniel Bortz

A Walk on the Beach

~ This Torah thought is dedicated to those killed in Jerusalem this past week, and the comfort of their families. May Israel see no more pain ~

And Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come closer, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." So Jacob drew near to Isaac his father, and he felt him, and he said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 

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There's a known story told in Islamic tradition. A father and son are walking along the beach towards the time of sunset. During this special moment, the father turns to his son and says: "Son, I love you." 

As they continue walking, the son turns to his father and asks, "how much do you love me?" The father responds: "With all my heart." The boy then asks, "Father, how much do you love God?" To which the father responds, "With all my heart." 

With a perplexed look, the boy asks his father one more question. "Father, how can you love me and God with all your heart?" Taken aback by this deep question, the father is very affected by it. The next morning, he packs up his bags, kisses his family, and ventures off into the mountains to dedicate himself only to God.

This story, a concept of spiritual asceticism prevalent in many religions, might not sit well with someone in the Jewish community. The reason is, that the Jewish view on attaining a true connection with God isn't through shunning materiality and human relationships, but is actually the exact opposite. Our physical lives and our relationships -  when approached correctly through the teachings of the Torah - are actually vehicles for connecting to the Divine. 

In this week's Torah portion, Jacob dresses in the clothes of his brother Esau, and receives a blessing from his father Isaac. On a deeper level, our Sages ask, why did the holy Jacob need to disguise himself in his murderous brother's clothing? The explanation is, that Jacob represents the soul, and Esau the body. In order to truly connect with God and draw down Divine blessing, the soul must be in a body and involve itself in elevating the world around them through the Mitzvot.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom! 

The Ark of Shabbat

B"H
In this week's Torah portion, we read the story of Noah and the flood (now a major motion picture), which was brought upon the earth because of the rampant immorality of the time. Noah was told by God to build an ark over a long period of time, to inspire those around him to repent before the upcoming flood. But to no avail. As the rain began to fall and the flood waters rose, only Noah and his family entered the ark which provided them with warmth and shelter for the coming year. Finally the waters began to recede and Noah's ark came to a rest. Noah and his family left the ark in order to rebuild the world in a righteous manner.

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Every event of the Torah has a practical application applicable to our lives today. Hassidic Philosophy explains the story of Noah in a deeper way. In our day, the flood waters that threaten to drown us aren't liquid in nature, but represent the physical and material worries that inundate us. For someone who desires to live a meaningful life, how is it possible to get beyond all of our financial distractions and life's hassles and worries?

The answer to our problem can be found in what God told Noah to do when confronted with a flood: "Enter the ark." For us today, we are being told: "Enter that place where you can find the inspirational warmth and protection to propel you over the powerful waves of this world."

The Hebrew word for "ark" is tei-vah. Ask any Israeli what that word means, and they'll respond: "Word." The "ark" we must enter in order to successfully survive the material flood waters, is the words of prayer and Torah learning. These words help us navigate above the flood of everyday worries, and help guide our lives in a peaceful and purposeful manner. 

Every morning we wake up to the same flood waters, prodding us constantly pursue material gain as an end unto itself. Prayer, and the learning of Torah, strengthen us to remember to every day treat every person we meet with respect and fairness. Inspiring us to affect positive change in our day. To realize a higher purpose in our dealings with the world. Business is to be conducted honestly, while money will be used help our children's education and others around us. 

This is our daily "ark." But God Knew that we would need an extra-special ark that could strengthen us for our entire week of immersion in the flood waters of life. And that's Shabbat. This Shabbat, over 450 cities across the world will be joining together to celebrate one Shabbat, known as "The Shabbos Project." San Diego's can be found at: www.shabbatsandiego.org. Shabbat is a day to reflect and remember the purpose of life, and to gather inspiration and strength for the coming week. Every artist, from a painter to a musician, requires a time to pause in his work in order to reflect on the direction and quality of his piece. 

Imagine you were gazing at a beautiful painting. Admiring the vast intricacies and amazing colors of this work of art, you came to feel great respect for the artist's painting skill. But what do you feel about the artist himself? What do you know about him at all?

The 6 days of the week, from Sunday to Friday, are times when we can appreciate God's beautiful world. On Shabbat we have the opportunity to connect with God beyond His creation and artwork, with the artist himself, celebrating this day of rest with Him.

May we all enter whichever ark we can, to help propel us over the flood waters of life and enter the world to build it into a more pleasant, happy and meaningful place.

Shabbat Shalom!