By Brady Winrob

This week's parasha is called Vayigash. Vayigash is a long and eventful parasha- it begins with Joseph blackmailing his brother Benjamin by planting a silver goblet in his backpack in order to keep him as a slave. Joseph does this not because he actually wants to enslave his brother; he does it because he has not seen his brother for many years, since they sold him into slavery, and perhaps his presence may fill the void in his heart where his family used to be.

Eventually, Joseph is so overcome with emotion in the presence of his brothers, he reveals himself to Benjamin and his brothers after many long years. Their reunion is tearful and they make plans to get the whole gang back together. Joseph sends his brothers back to canaan to get the mishpucha and bring them back to Egypt where Joseph will be able to provide for them. He gives his brothers some supplies for their journey and off they go. Some more things happen in the parasha, such as their return and settling, but i'm going to focus on the parts i just wrote about.

I write this dvar from far away. I have just come off of a program called encounter - one of the many things i've tried to squeeze into my short time in Israel before Mifgash begins. encounter is a two-day seminar that takes place in different areas of the west bank and east Jerusalem. Mine was in bethlehem, and i had the privilege and pleasure to stay with a very kind family, visit many sights, meet residents, learn history and sift through a plethora of questions with other program participants.

Why do I mention this? because of a verse in vayigash that pointed me in its direction. I am also drawing this parallel because a participant in my encounter group called Ezra Balser, a rabbinical student at hebrew college, shared a dvar on our program and it moved me. So thanks Ezra! (used with permission).

Before the brothers' journey back to canaan to gather the family, Joseph gives his brothers a few gifts for the way. He gives one set of garments to each of his brothers, except to Benjamin, who happens to be his only non-half brother, who he gives five garments and three hundred pieces of silver. only a few chapters earlier, we are told that it was joseph's father's spoiling and favoritism

of him that drove his brothers to a jealousy strong enough to fake his death and leave him in a well for someone else to find.

I use this example in the context of encounter because I know it represents a phenomenon all too familiar to the very country I am in as well as all around the world. Joseph has a special love for his brother Benjamin and he chooses to spoil him more than his other brothers because of it. Secondly, he repeated an action that ultimately led to his demise years earlier. i think this says two things. It first says that benjamin was showing more love to the brother that he shares his blood with, and secondly says that he is perpetuating the cyclical nature of this harmful favouritism which has the potential to repeat itself and cause others the same future that he experienced. I hadn't planned on writing a dvar about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but anyways, i see it this way: while my existence within the jewish peoplehood is deeply important to me, and my jewish community is something that has built and inspired me (thanks y'all), i know that those who may not be my "blood" deserve my compassionate listening and solidarity just as much as my community does. In the past two days i have been reminded of this. Giving our attention to those who are not heard or prioritized by us and showing that we are allies in solidarity against injustice are just two of many ways that can help us.

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