SAVE THESE DATES:
January 4 - Beineinu Learning Groups resume this week
January 9 - A little Torah returns
January 9 - Harlem Shabbat Sing 3:00pm
January 20 - "Wonderings" 8:00pm (Come! We had a lot of fun this past Wednesday.)
January 22 - "Shabbat Beineinu" 6:30pm (service and dinner)
Time for some Torah...
Genesis 44:18-47:27
Va'yigash - "And he got closer"
We are nearing the end of the Book of Genesis and we are going to go out with a BANG! So much happens. In fact, there is too much. Instead of writing, I am recommending you watch 2 videos ("thank you" g-dcast) and follow the steps below.
1. click on this link or paste it into your browser
http://www.g-dcast.com/vayigash-2008/
2. watch the video (at least twice)
3. acknowledge something you did that caused harm to someone (As the brothers did to Joseph when they threw him in the pit and told their father he was killed by an animal. Or as Joseph did to his brothers when he framed them and tried to get revenge before revealing his true identity.)
4. take responsibility for your action by apologizing to the person you harmed
5. do whatever it takes to repair the relationship
6. reclaim the closeness
7. click this link to find out how the Book of Genesis ends:
http://www.g-dcast.com/vayechi/
When we finish reading a Book of the Torah it is customary to say "Chazak! Chazak! Ve'nitchazek!" - Strong! Strong! We will be strengthened! I have always understood this to mean that studying Torah, unpacking the multiple layers of each story and then living the lessons, provides us with strength, strengthens us as a people and helps ensure our continued strength in the future. With all of this collective strength, we can make the world better.
Shabbat shalom,
Laurie
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