PARSHA & PURPOSE
 

Parshat Vayechi concludes the book of Genesis with Jacob’s final days in Egypt. Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, deliberately placing the younger Ephraim before the elder, and then delivers prophetic blessings to all twelve of his sons, reflecting their characters and future destinies. After Jacob’s death and burial in the Land of Canaan, Joseph reassures his brothers that he will not seek revenge, affirming his belief that God turned their actions into good. The parsha ends with Joseph’s death in Egypt and his request that his bones be taken to the Land of Israel, closing Genesis with both an ending and a promise of future redemption.

Parshat Miketz tells the story of Joseph’s rise from prison to power after he successfully interprets Pharaoh’s dreams as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, leading to his appointment as viceroy of Egypt. During the famine, Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain, not recognizing him, while he recognizes them and subjects them to a series of tests: accusing them of spying, demanding that they bring Benjamin, imprisoning Simeon, and finally framing Benjamin by planting a silver cup in his sack. In these encounters, we explore the telling of truth versus silence and consider the repercussions of the latter.

Parshat Vayigash centers on Judah’s impassioned plea to Joseph to spare Benjamin and take him instead as a slave, demonstrating the brothers’ moral transformation and sense of responsibility. Moved, Joseph reveals his identity, reassures his brothers that their actions were part of God’s plan, and invites the family to settle in Egypt during the famine. Jacob and his sons descend to Egypt, are warmly received by Pharaoh, and settle in the land of Goshen, where Joseph skillfully manages the famine and the Israelites begin to grow and prosper. We center on looking at the bigger picture and understanding that sometimes a painful moment can be a part of a longer process of redemption.

Parshat Vayeshev is full of stories of relationships of varying characters in the Torah - from Joseph and his brothers to Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, from Joseph and Potiphar's wife to Joseph and the prisoners whose dreams he helped interpret. However, in this episode we delve into a part of the parsha that may be overlooked: objects. Dive in with us to see why these are important and what our relationships to objects can do for us today.

Parshat Vayetze discusses Jacob's departure from his home in Beersheba as he flees his brother Esau's anger, as referenced in the name "Vayetze" meaning "and he left". The topics in the parsha include Jacob's ladder, his marriage to Leah and Rachel, the birth of his children and the covenant with Laban, his father-in-law.

Parshat Toldot, meaning "generations," tells the story of the patriarch Isaac and his family, focusing on his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. The parshah explores themes of sibling rivalry, the nature of destiny versus free will, and the complexities of human relationships and divine intervention in the lives of the patriarchs.

In Parshat Hayei Sarah, meaning "The Life of Sarah," we discuss the final events in the life of the matriarch Sarah and the beginnings of Isaac's family. The portion covers Abraham purchasing the Cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, his servant Eliezer's mission to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's kin, which leads to Isaac marrying Rebecca, and finally, Abraham's death and burial by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. We focus on the mission to find a wife and the ancient Jewish concept of female consent to marry.

Parshat Vayera is one of the most dramatic and multi-layered portions in the Torah. It continues the story of Abraham and Sarah, filled with divine encounters, moral tests, and human emotion.