CHANUKAH SAMEIACH!!! It has been an amazing holiday so far with more and more light shining every night. Can you feel that light shining in your life?
I'm writing this after having an amazing time at this year's Chanukah Party! Kol Hakavod to Mindy Jacobs and Beth Emeth's Program Coordinator Jennifer Kirsh who made it happen. Over 100 people enjoyed the food, the entertainment, lighting the Chanukiah and singing Chanukah songs. But I really think the best part for everyone was being back together with our community, in person. Thank you to everyone who came out to make it such a successful event!
This Shabbat is a Family Pray & Play. We'll meet in the Lerman Chapel at 10:30am, followed by some family football in the park, and then some lunch.
You can also join me after Shabbat for Havdalah, Chanukah Candle-Lighting, and a Chanukah musical sing-along! Check the Weekly Schedule for the link.
Looking forward to seeing you soon! SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PROGRAMMING AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
Parshat Miketz - Any Second Now...
Yosef is in jail. He is not only in jail, but he is in the dungeon. While there, he met two other prisoners. They were Pharaoh's private butler and baker and had both had strange dreams, and Yosef tells them how the dreams should be understood. What Yosef said is exactly what happened.
Two years go by and Pharaoh himself has strange dreams. The buttler tells Pharaoh about Yosef.
Suddenly, into Yosef's dungeon cell, where Yosef probably thought he would spend the rest of his life, come Pharaoh's top officers. They quickly unchain Yosef, remove the prison clothes, give Yosef the royal treatment, with a wash and a haircut, dressing Yosef in the finest fabrics, and decorate him with jewelery. Finally, Yosef is brought into the throne room and finds himself standing in front of the most powerful person in the world: Pharaoh.
Pharaoh tells Yosef the dreams and when Yosef tells him how the dreams should be understood, Pharaoh tells Yosef to stand next to him, and then gives Yosef a royal ring off of his finger.
In a moment, everything can change. In one moment, Yosef went from being a prisoner in a dungeon to being the second most powerful person in the world.
We all have dreams and hope that they will "come true". Like Yosef, we all work hard to achieve our dreams, and sometimes it doesn't seem to be working out. And then, in one moment, everything can change, and we can rise to the highest heights.
Discussion Questions:
1. What do you dream about doing in your life?
2. Why is it important to always work toward your dreams?
3. How can Yosef's story keep us hopeful when our dreams seem impossible?
Rabbi David's Answers (from last week):
1. Describe a time where something "random" happened and changed your life. Before I met my wife, a "random" person asked me a question, and I missed my bus. If I didn't miss the bus, I wouldn't have met my wife.
2. Why do you think HaShem sends us those unnamed messengers, instead of making it obvious which way we need to go? If everything was always obvious, then there wouldn't be choices. The unnamed messengers send us in directions that we need to go, but maybe wouldn't choose for ourselves.
3. After Yosef was attacked by his brothers, do you think he felt like the new and surprising direction in his life was a good thing? Yosef probably felt it was a bad thing. He probably thought it was a sign he was wrong about how he understood his dreams. But, Yosef always worked hard. Even when he was a slave or prisoner, he never stopped dreaming about, and working towards always making things better.
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street Toronto, ON M3H 5G7
