Shabbat Shalom GRJC
Weekly Emails to the Congregation
Parshat Miketz 2007
Shabbat Shalom to the GRJC family,
This Friday, we light the Chanukiya
first before lighting our Shabbat candles. Shabbat candle
lighting is at 4:10 PM this week. (We light the Chanukiya
after Shabbat ends on Saturday night.)
Friday evening at 6:30 PM we have Tot Shabbat and Shabbat Sheli
before our main service begins at 8 PM.
Friday night we welcome all those with DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS AND
ANNIVERSARIES for a special blessing and songs.
Saturday morning services begin at 9 AM. We read a special
Maftir and Haftorah for the Shabbat that occurs during Chanukah.
We will recite Hallel, and we will announce the new Hebrew month.
We will also have a baby naming ceremony for Olivia Lily
Satanovsky. JUNIOR CONGREGATION will begin at 10 AM.
This Sunday we will have a morning service on the fifth
intermediate day of Chanukah. Gabriella Belferman will
become a Bat Mitzvah at this service. Please join us for a
short service including Hallel. We put on tefillin at this
service.
We read this week from the beginning of parshat Miketz. The
story begins with Pharaoh’s dream that Joseph will later interpret
as a prophecy regarding the fruitful years ahead to be followed by
years of famine in Egypt. Joseph’s dreams and his ability to
interpret them initially made his family angry and his brothers
tried to kill him. Now, Joseph’s original dreams are being
fulfilled and his ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams has saved
his life. This is a great reversal that sets in motion the
events that will eventually bring Jacob and the family down to
Egypt.
Note how the story of Joseph in Egypt is the opposite of Moses’
stay in Egypt. Joseph begins as a servant, becomes a
prisoner, and then he is Pharaoh’s honored official. Moses
begins as a member of the royal household and eventually ends up
as a fugitive who will free the Israelites.
Both Joseph and Moses, however, end up in a position of power
despite the difference in their final status in Egypt.
Joseph is the number two person in Egypt just below Pharaoh.
Moses ends up having the power to challenge Pharaoh’s ability to
keep the Israelites as slaves, and he is God’s servant in rescuing
the people from the Egyptian army.
There is a language connection between the stories of Joseph and
Moses as well. Note the language that Joseph uses when he
suggests to Pharaoh to appoint him as an official to supervise the
food collection, “Vee’shee’tay’hoo.” (“Let [Pharaoh] Appoint...”)
And then we have the language that describes how Pharaoh’s
daughter pulled Moses from the river, “Mi’shee’tee’hoo” (“I drew
him out [from the water]”). In both cases, the action
communicated by this verb is a turning point in Joseph and Moses’
life, a moment that sets them on their respective paths and
destinies. We see, then, a connection between Joseph and
Moses who both had significant experiences in Egypt that helped
set the stage for the Exodus that we will read about in just a
couple of weeks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. WOMEN’S ROSH CHODESH GROUP – Tonight, Thursday, at 8 PM.
2. NURSERY SCHOOL CHANUKAH CELEBRATION – Friday morning 9:30 –
10:30 AM.
3. TOT SHABBAT & SHABBAT SHELI – Friday evening, 6:30 PM
4. JUNIOR CONGREGATION – Saturday morning at 10 AM.
5.RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CHANUKAH PROGRAM – Sunday morning 10 AM – 12
for all children.
6. JUBILEE CHANUKAH CELEBRATION – Sunday afternoon 4-7 PM.
Free of charge. Join us for latkes, songs, memories and
more!
7. BOGRIM – Monday night at 6:30, Join us for a Bogrim Chanukah
program.
Chag Oo’reem Same’ach/A Happy Festival of Lights and Shabbat
Shalom to everyone,
Rabbi Tow
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