Midreshet Amit

• LIVE TORAH:
• Academic Program
• Yimei Iyun
• FAQ
• Recent Shiurim
• View by Parsha
• View By Chag
• Search Database
• Ask the Rav

This past Thursday we spend Thanksgiving together as a school, some of had the opportunity to say what we were thankful for. Though it sounds cliché I said my family. We went from the Thanksgiving meal to Sarah (Littman) and Ariel’s Beigel’s wedding where we became part of someone else's family as we joined in as part of the Jewish people and danced at her wedding.
 
In Parshat Vayeshev, we read of Yaakov’s very sad and dysfunctional family. They don’t seem to love each other very much, in particular the brothers hate Yosef. The parsha begins with Yosef as favored child and hated brother. He adds to his brothers feelings toward him by telling over his dreams in which he appears superior, plus Yaakov’s outward favoring of him coupled with standing by, the brothers fighting that sends the brothers over the edge. They decide to kill Yosef, but settle with selling him thereby removing him from their lives. Yosef’s situation goes from bad to worse, after being sold eventually to Egypt and working for Potifar, he ends up in jail. As he thinks things will get better the parsha ends with him being forgotten by both his loved ones and new friends.
 
How does someone go from the highest point in their lives to the lowest? How will Yosef get out of this situation? Yosef makes the best of his situation once he reflects on his life and realizes that it is not all about him and that his talents come from Gd. This week we were able to watch as Sarah Littman made the best of her situation by allowing us to all join her family and be a part of her wedding.