Close Encounters

Parashat Va'yigash The dramatic, destiny-driven ‘close encounter’ of Yosef and his brothers in the Torah portion of Va’yigash coincides with three ‘days of darkness’ coming up next week: the 8th, 9th, and the Fast Day of the 10th of this Hebrew month of Tevet. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast ponders the significance of the historical events recalled by these days: The forced translation of the Torah into Greek; the death of Ezra the Scribe; and the start of the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem, which ultimately led to the destruction of the Holy Temple. Yet Tevet, having begun with the light of the waning days of Chanukah, continues to shine forth a light that illuminates Torah’s universal message: finding Hashem in a world of concealment. Plus: the inimitable scholarship of Jim Long once again finds harmony between the Biblical narrative of Yosef, and ancient Egyptian historical and archeological records.  ___  Rabbi Chaim Richman  Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone    Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:   Paypal: [email protected]   or:  https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...  In the USA:  Jerusalem Lights Inc.  Post Office Box 16886 Lubbock Texas 79490   In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395  Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem Israel    Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.rabbirichman.com