In this week's parsha, Vayigash, Yosef, is standing before his brothers who deliberately caused him his untold suffering. They tossed him - totally stripped of his clothing - into a pit full of snakes and scorpions, and sold him into slavery. As a result he had to bear the ongoing test and temptation of his master's wife. That in turn led to him being thrown into jail under humiliating circumstances, etc., etc. Yosef could have shown anger and exacted revenge. After all, they caused him so much pain. Instead Yosef tells them: "My brothers, if you had not sold me, I would not have been an authority here and been able to give you the food when you needed it. I would not have been able to help
Mesorah NJ is about young professionals and graduates in NJ and Jewish Values. The same Jewish values that were around with Abraham, with Deborah, during Purim and during Chanukah. These values and ideas have been an ongoing conversation for the Jewish people for 2000 years. And, despite the length of time, we study and engage in this "Jewish conversation" continuously. Take Chanukah for example: Chanukah presents a paradigm for upholding a value system in a world sometime hostile to spirituality. The Maccabees model for us the courage to stand up for what is good and right despite overwhelming odds. It is "Jewish Chutzpah" at its best. Whenever a conflict arises for the Jewish nation, i
Mesorah is the Hebrew word for legacy and tradition, usually referring to the transmission of values through time. The root of the word Mesorah is "to give" and the word often associated with it, "lekabel," means “to receive.” Every gift needs a receiver. In fact, the first Mishna in Avos describes the "mesorah" of the Torah throughout the generations. In each phrase, it recounts a giver and a receiver of the Torah values. The Mesorah NJ vision is to embrace the past and actualize those values in a meaningful way in the present-in 2014. We recently read the Torah potion of Vayishlach. In it, we see the showdown between Esau and Jacob (Eisav and Yaakov). Yaakov is meeting his brother Eisav, a
