Parshat Hashavua

Joseph's actions in dealing with the famine challenge us to strive for a delicate balance of power and compassion.

Joseph reminds us that our perspective of reality is limited compared to the ultimate meaning that God perceives.

By judging others favorably and responding to them with kindness, we add holiness to the world.

To be fully educated and human we must study a range of disciplines--humanities and sciences, secular and Judaic.

Joseph's status as an outsider, and the outsider status of the Jewish people, allow for critical insight into the deeper truths of the surrounding people.

Jacob's response to his dream provides us with two models of discovering God's presence.

Through his experiences with his nephew Lot, Abraham learns valuable parenting skills.

In his covenant with Avimelech, Abraham provides us with an example of how to build peace, justice, and kindness where they seem to be absent.

Rebecca provides a model of a powerful biblical woman who asserted her independence and her control over the future of the covenant.

We can attain godliness by acting with kindness towards others.