Sponsored in loving memory of Moshe Portnoy z”l, Eliyahu Moshe ben R’ Gershon haLevi z”l
g n i h t e Som e n o y r e v for E
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Parshat Vayigash 6 Tevet 5776 18 December 2015
Service Times Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat
15:30
(Candle Lighting)
15:30
Shacharit
09:15
Leining
10:15
Page No.s Artscroll Gutnick Hertz
Mincha follows kiddush Shabbat terminates
16:49
Ma’ariv (followed by Avot Ubanim)
17:05
Weekday
Leining Haftarah 250 298 169
1144 1395 178
Thought For The Week Follow The Leader
Shacharit
Ma’ariv Only
Sun
09:00
19:30
Mon
07:00
19:30
We learned in Parashat Vayishlach that
eral previous situations concerning Yosef
Tues
07:00
19:30
the Jewish people takes its name – Yisrael
and his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Wed
07:00
19:30
– from the name given to Yaakov after
Thur
07:00
19:30
Fri
09:00
15:35*
Candle Lighting
15:35
*Mincha & Kabbalat Shabbat
Chayim Arukim
to all those who have Yarzheit in the coming week as follows שבת
Andrew Joseph Maurice Miller Rabbi Portnoy
Sun
Lawrence Fruhman Father
19 December 7 Tevet
Father Father Father
his struggle with an angel. But our other
As human beings we are not expected
name – Yehudim – Jews – derives from
to be perfect, and we are often placed in
the name of one of Yaakov’s 12 sons,
situations where we have to make dif-
Yehuda. Why do we bear his name rather
ficult moral choices. Yehuda is chosen as
than his oldest brother, Reuven, or per-
the progenitor of Jewish kings because he
haps his more heroic younger brother,
learns to acknowledge his responsibility
Yosef? What did Yehuda do to deserve
to do the right thing. He confesses to his
this honour?
role in the sale of Yosef and his relation-
Diane & Robert Sterling
Daughter
Helyn Orchant Behjat Sarir Lillie Gradel Golda Berens Ruthie Portnoy Raymond Green
Father Husband Father Father Stepmother Father
Parashat Vayigash describes the dramatic
his brothers and the mantle of leadership.
meeting between Yehuda and Egyptian
We should be encouraged as the Yehudim
Chancellor (Yosef in disguise) and opens
who bear his name to make positive moral
with Yehuda’s dramatic plea for the release
choices in our own lives.
22 December 10 Tevet
Irene Varley
Father
of their youngest brother Binyamin. In tell-
Wed
Dennis Wright Andrea Conrad
Father Father
20 December 8 Tevet
Mon
21 December 9 Tevet
Tues
23 December 11 Tevet
ship with Tamar, and earns the respect of
ing the story of Yosef’s death and his own
Rabbi Joel Portnoy
promise to his father to protect Binyamin, Yehuda shows compassion, repentance,
Fri
25 December 13 Tevet
David Finestein
Mother
Mazaltov Marsha and Colin Gee on the birth of a grandson
and a determination to do the right thing. This does not come easily to Yehuda, who
Shabbat Weather
has struggled with his conscience in sev-
AM Rainy 16o High 11o Overnight Low
Parsha
verview
First Aliyah - 13 verses Judah approaches Joseph and appeals to him to allow Benjamin to return to his father Jacob in Canaan. Second Aliyah - 11 verses Unable to restrain his emotions any longer, Joseph sends everyone out the room except for the brothers and reveals his true identity to them. He reassures them that he does not harbour any ill feelings towards them. Third Aliyah - 20 verses Joseph instructs his brothers to quickly return to Canaan and bring Jacob and their families back to Egypt, where Joseph promised to provide them with food until the famine ends. Joseph embraces his brothers and cries. The brothers return to Canaan inform Jacob that Joseph is alive and ruling over Egypt. Jacob’s spirit is revived. Fourth Aliyah - 8 verses Jacob and his entire family leave Canaan and head to Egypt. G-d reassures him that He will bring them out of Egypt and back to Eretz Yisrael. Fifth Aliyah - 20 verses The Torah lists the 70 members of Jacob’s family that went down to Egypt with him. Sixth Aliyah - 17 verses Jacob arrives in Egypt, to the province of Goshen that Pharaoh had allotted his family. Joseph goes there to greet his father. Pharaoh agrees to let them settle there as shepherds. Seventh Aliyah - 17 verses While Joseph supplied his family with food, the rest of Egypt struggles. First they expended all their money in exchange for food that Joseph sold them. Then their money ran out, and they paid for provisions with their cattle. Finally, when they had no money or chattel left, they sold their land and themselves to Pharaoh into servitude in exchange for provisions. Meanwhile, in the land of Goshen, Jacob’s family prosper and multiply exceedingly.
’ Yocheved, Moses rn as bo s wa , er th mo ypt, they entered Eg th 7O e th ng becomi b’s co Ja of er mb me family.
While The Cat’s Away Theo Hamburger Last week’s Parsha ended on a cliffhanger, with Yosef threatening to keep Binyamin in Egypt as a prisoner, while the other brothers return to Canaan. This week’s parsha opens with Yehuda pleading with Yosef for Binyamin’s freedom, due to the frailty of their father, Yaakov. As Yosef comes to the realisation that his brothers have full regret for the way they treated him all those years ago, Yosef succumbs to the pressure and reveals his identity in one of the most dramatic episodes in the Torah. Amidst the shock, Yosef requests that they should bring their father to Egypt and reunite him with Yosef. When the brothers finally meet their father in Canaan, and report that Yosef is still alive, the Torah (45:27) says that Yaakov was unconvinced, until “he saw the chariots that Yosef had sent to carry him and the spirit of their father Yaakov, was revived.” Rashi explains that Yosef sent the chariots as a symmbol to his father to show that he remembered the topic they had been learning about before he was sold. They had been learning the topic of Egla Arufah. If an anonymous dead body is found between two cities. The Beis Din measures the
distance from the body to both these cities, and the Beis Din of the closer city is held accountable for the death. Therefore, Yosef sent ‘agalot’ as a hint to the ‘egla’, as they share an etymological root. Furthermore, The Torah specifies that the chariots ‘agalot/egla’ were sent by Yosef, rather than by Pharoah, to further prove his understanding of the topic. We are told that one city must be held accountable for the death, because they should have taken greater care in escorting the victim from their city, ensuring his safety on his journey. Therefore, Yosef states clearly that he is sending the agalot. There are many lessons to learn from this episode.
Yosef ensured that they were raised according to the same values as his father Yosef sent a message for Yaakov to intuit that he was still connected to Hashem and His Torah. Despite more than two decades of imprisonment, slavery, and eventually unmatchable wealth, Yosef always remained close to his Yiddishkeit. He had successfully thwarted spiritual threats from his surroundings, and most notably, refused the advances of Potiphar’s wife – an achievement
that leads us to crown him as ‘Yosef HaTzaddik’. This message is emphasised further in next week’s parsha. When Yaakov blessed his grandsons, he gave them the blessing ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe’. These words will be familiar to us, because it is the formula used by fathers when they bless their sons on Friday night. This raises an interesting question. If daughters are blessed to be like the Imahot (Matriarchs), why are sons not blessed to be like the Avot (Forefathers)? One answer is that Ephraim and Menashe were the first descendants to be born in the Diaspora, away from the holy influences of the Avot. They were born in Egypt; the most spiritually bankrupt country of their time. And yet, Yosef ensured that they were raised according to the same values his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather held dear. Therefore, we bless our children to emulate their ways. Even though we live in the Diaspora, even though we face challenges at every turn, even though we have highs and lows, we can remain connected to Hashem and His Torah. Theo is reading Business Management at Birmingham University
If you would like to share your words of wisdom, please submit your article of no more than 500 words to nick@hale-community.org.uk
Parsha Stats
Keeping Tabs Hale’s gift to the departing Priest of All Saints Church
Vayigash is the 11th of 54 sedras
In November, All Saints Church bade farewell to Parish Priest,
11th of 12 in Bereshit
Roger Clarke, who is starting a new position with the Diocese of
Written on 178.07 lines in a Torah (ranks 34th)
Chester. In recognition for his years of service, he was presented with a
106 verses - ranks 28th (joint with Toldot and Bo)
special cushion, featuring emblems commissioned by the various religions and communities that are represented in Hale. Linda
1480 words - ranks 30th (9th in Bereshit)
Price designed a stunning emblem on behalf of the Jewish community in Hale, featuring a gold metallic thread menorah with blue
5680 letters - ranks 29th (9th in Bereshit)
Swarovski crystals. The Rabbi’s message reads
Did You Know
‘Wishing you every success in your new post. With thanks for your warmth, friendship and - above all - your determination to promote interfaith under-
Joseph pretended to not understand the brother’s language, so as not to arouse suspicion.
standing in Hale’.
Joseph lost 10 years of life for not objecting to his father being referred to as his servant; 5 times by Judah, and 5 from the interpreter. Joseph’s son was the interpreter, and would have only been around 7 years old.
QA &
When Joseph interrogates the brothers, he never asks about their mother, because he somehow knew that both Rachel and Leah had died. Pharoah asked Jacob how old he is because he was the spitting image of Abraham, which would have made him hundreds of years old!
Read through the Parsha in English and find answers to the questions. LOLLIPOPS WILL BE AWARDED TO ANYONE WHO READS THROUGH IT, AND TELLS RABBI NICK THE CORRECT ANSWERS!
What was Joseph’s first question after revealing himself?
Just For Fun
Where did Joseph wish to allow his family to move to in Egypt? What gift did Joseph give to Benjamin? Where did Jacob offer sacrifices to Hashem while on his way to Egypt? How many people descended to Egypt, who were not already there?
Question: What do you call a cruel Egyptian leader?
Why did Joseph only introduce five of his brothers to Pharoah?
Answer: Un-Pharoah.
L
EDUCATION
KING AHEAD
In The Spotlight
YOUTH
The Annual Bournemouth Shabbaton One of the highlights of the Hale Youth calendar is the annual trip to Bournemouth. The Rabbi and Ruthie have been running this event for over 25 years, and it has always been one of the favourite memories for people growing up in our community. The Shabbaton is a hit with the kids; featuring rock climbing, quad biking, go karting, a midnight BBQ, and an unforgettably Shabbat experience. If you know of children in school years 7-10, please let them know about it, even if they are not members of our community. All are welcome. The trip will run from 4-7 February, and enquiries to Rabbi Nick and Shira should be made before Friday 8 January.
Kiddushim Adult Education programmes close for the winter break on Wednesday 23 December and will resume on Sunday 3 January If you would like to sponsor an edition of ‘Something For Everyone’, in honour of a simcha or for a yahrzeit, or for any reason, please contact the Shule office on 0161 980 8846 or admin@hale-community.org.uk
19 December Diane & Robert Sterling on the occasion of Yahrzeit for their daughter, Harriet z”l
26 December Unsponsored 2 January Unsponsored
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