Rabbi Weill's Blog

January 2, 2025

Dear Friends,

This year we celebrate the final days of Chanukah and the secular New Year together. This rare confluence of Chanukah, the celebration of dedication to Jewish life and values, and the secular New Year, a time of universal renewed hope for humankind may find some meaning in this week’s parasha.

Parashat Vayigash documents Joseph’s dedication both to his family and to the collective good of his adopted nation, Egypt. To summarize: Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and lost his freedom for thirteen years. He was separated from his father and his family for twenty-two years. It would be understandable if Joseph felt resentment toward his brothers for the injustice committed against him and even sought revenge.  Yet we know that by the time Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt, he no longer saw himself as a victim defined by his past, but rather as someone charged by God to save an entire people from famine, and to provide a safe haven for his family during the coming drought. 

Similarly, Chanukah demonstrates the Jewish people’s ability to overcome adversity and oppression and not let others define our identity. And the secular New Year offers an opportunity to participate in a sense of renewal and hope with our neighbors in the community at large. Perhaps the confluence of Chanukah, the secular New Year and Vayigash can remind us that, like Joseph, we are not necessarily defined by our past, and that there always exists the possibility of change for the good in our lives, in our community, and God-willing, and in our shared world.

L'shalom,

Cantor Daniel Gale