Rabbi Linda's blog

As we turn to a new year on the Gregorian, standard calendar, we read the penultimate Torah portion in the book of Genesis. For the Jewish people, our new year of deep introspection and shifting of direction comes in the Autumn, at Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. But living in two civilizations, at a minimum, we are primed to accept the invitation to look both inward and forward as December turns to January So what does the Torah portion in this week of New Year's Eve offer us at this time?

The last four portions in the book of Genesis focus on Joseph, favored by his father and despised by his brothers, going through extreme ups and downs. In this week's Torah portion he has been rescued from prison and he is now the second most powerful person in Egypt at the time of famine. In the presenting narrative, after years of estrangement, he encounters his brothers. As this powerful saga unfolds, we see that Joseph has reinterpreted the events of his life that have brought him to this moment. With a fresh perspective he becomes the first person in recorded history to forgive and is able to reconcile with the brothers who betrayed him so horribly, many years before.

What the Torah seems to point toward is a lesson about the power of perspective. Perhaps, like Joseph, if we look backwards with spaciousness and curiosity, we may be able to come to a new understanding of events that have gone before. With this new vantage point, perhaps we, like our famous ancestor, may be able to move forward with renewed gratitude and additional insight. With this new morsel of wisdom, we may be better able to indeed, have a happier new year.

Wishing you peace, strength, gratitude, and wisdom for the road ahead.