Vayigash 5781: Seeing Things in a New Light

Posted by Michael Emerson on December 22, 2020
Topics: Pardes from Jerusalem, Bereishit (Genesis), Torah, VaYigash

After an impassioned speech from Yehuda, Yosef dramatically reveals his identity, and it is finally his chance to unleash his years of pent up anger and frustration on his brothers. However, Yosef chooses a different approach and calmly demonstrates to his brothers, and to us as the readers, that he has made peace with the past and is ready to move forward. How does he achieve this tranquility and how can this affect our own perspective on the current challenges we face?

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Sources include Genesis 45:4-8 Genesis 50:15-21.

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Credits
Rabbi Michael Emerson – Faculty and Host for Pardes from Jerusalem
Rabbi Adam Titcher – Lead Consultant and Producer
Arlene Harel – Faculty Coordinator

About Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson is the Associate Director of Marketing and Development at The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Raised in Memphis, TN, Michael graduated from Columbia University in 2009 and completed a Master’s Degree in NYU’s Education and Jewish Studies program. He received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in 2014 and is a Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholar alumnus. Michael made Aliyah in July 2019 from Columbus, Ohio where he was Program Director of the Wexner Service Corps, a service-learning fellowship for Jewish teens run by The Wexner Foundation. Previously, Michael taught Tanakh for four years at SAR High School, an Orthodox day school in Riverdale, NY, and during the summers he taught at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in its learning program for high school girls. Michael spent six wonderful summers at Camp Stone, a Modern Orthodox summer camp, where he was inspired to become a Jewish educator. Michael is married to Dr. Adina Bitton, and together they have three daughters, Maayan, Lital and Keren.

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