D'var For Shemot

This week's D'var was written by Sam Burg.

In the Torah portion Shemot Pharaoh orders the hebrew midwives in Egypt to kill all of the male babies at birth. When the Hebrews do not comply Pharaoh commands the Egyptian people to throw the Hebrew babies in the Nile river. Also in this this portion G-d appears in a burning bush and tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.”

D'var for Vayechi

This week's D'var was written by Michael Berelowitz

This week’s parshah is Vayechi. Remember that Joseph got reunited with his entire family last week. Jacob is now down to his final years, living in Egypt. He asked Joseph to take an oath that he, Joseph, would bury him, Jacob, in the holy land. Jacob then blesses Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob also blesses each of his 12 sons before his passing, assigning each of them a role as a tribe. Each son would start their own tribe, and these later became known as the 12 tribes of Israel. Judah’s tribe would produce leaders and kings, Levi’s would produce priests, and so on for each son. Jacob soon passed, and there was a large funeral procession to Hebron, which is in Israel, where Jacob was buried. Joseph also ordered that he would be buried in the Holy Land, but this didn’t happen until the Israelites escape from Egypt a while later. Before Joseph died at the age of 110, he said to the people of Israel, “G-d will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (You know the Passover story? Foreshadowing!)

D'var for Vayigash

This week's D'var was written by Ben Herzberg.


This week’s Parsha is Vayigash. Last week, Jacob's sons went to egypt in search of food because there was a famine. And Joseph upon recognizing them sets out to punish them, as they do not recognize him. He does this by tricking them into thinking that Benjamin (the youngest) stole for the Egyptians and so Benjamin must stay with him until their father, Jacob, comes. He does this because they sold him into slavery when they were younger. This week the Brothers ask Jacob to be kind and let their Benjamin go. Joseph upon seeing their loyalty to one another reveals to them that it is he, their brother. He tells them not to fret for it was not their fault that he is in Egypt, but rather that G-d sent him there for a reason, as he has been able to prevent the famine in Egypt. He tells them that they can come and live with him in Egypt. The brothers immediately rush back to their home to tell Jacob who still believes that his son is dead. Jacob and his entire family then travel to Egypt. For what Joseph has does for Egypt by preventing the famine pharaoh gave Joseph and his family a fertile plot of land to live on.

Jacob forgave his brothers even though they sold him into slavery, he forgives them because he sees that they are now loyal to each other, something that they weren’t when he left. They have changed for the better, so he gave them a second chance. Second chances are important as people learn from their mistakes and if we do not give them a second chance to prove themselves they will never be able to show that they have changed. And for his kindness Joseph is rewarded by being reunited with his entire family.

Shabbat Dinner December 18th

This coming Friday, Natick USY is having a Shabbat dinner from 5:45-9:00 at Temple Israel of Natick! It is for people ages 6th grade to 12th grade. We are going to be leading parts of the service. This event is totally free!

Please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/DecShabbatDinner

December SATO Snap

Something we tend to take for granted when we're eating is the number of napkins we use. On average, every American uses approximately 2,200 napkins each year, which is equivalent to about 6 napkins per day. If each person used just one less napkin each day, we could be preventing billions of pounds of napkins from ending up in landfills every year. The next time you're eating a meal and reach for a napkin, try to limit how many you use and think about how much you could be helping the environment! -Bonnie Tursky

D'var For Mikeitz

This week's D'var was written by Kenny Shuster.

This week's Parsha is Miketz. Last week, we saw Joseph go from being the favored son (and most hated brother) to enslaved by Ishmaelites, to being imprisoned. This week, Joseph is freed from prison when he interprets Pharaoh's dream of seven fat cows being swallowed up by seven skinny ones. Joseph said this represented seven years of famine coming after seven years of bountiful harvests. After advising Pharaoh to store grain each of the seven years, Joseph is appointed governor by Pharaoh. He has a wife and two kids, Ephraim and Manessah.

Later, during the famine, ten of Joseph's brothers show up looking for grain, except Benjamin stays behind. However, they need to bring Benjamin in order to prove to Joseph they are who they say they are. As they are leaving, the guards find one of Joseph's silver goblets, and Benjamin is forced to remain behind, as a slave.