Portion Me Kaytz - a Day After Prison

What does a prisoner do the day after he gets out? Especially if he has NOTHING.

There was a Jewish guy I knew, who I didn't much like. He was in prison (wrongly) for 4 years fighting with his ex to visit his Down syndrome daughter

(The wife and daughter are both dead now these many years).

He  got out just before Rosh Hashono.

We hung out a bit and he introduced me to some of his friends. One had a shoe store.

He asked the shoe-man for a pair of shoes for Rosh Hashono.

The guy said no!

So I bought him a pair of new shoes.

In our portion, there is Joseph, pampered son of rich man Jacob,

still in prison

as world-shaking events are happening

( all around the Great Empire Of Egypt)

 !

And history Always Points to what is happening to the Israelites in Canaan- Israel -

a tiny place with irrelevant tribes-

That the obtuse world is STILL fighting over

Rather than see

The Final Dawn of All Humanity

Where each Tribe contributes to a holy humanity helping each other

 (Note – yesterday's Israel news featured

 Israel bringing clean water to scattered places in India

The whole story in this portion also brings out a basis for some 3200-year-old Jewish customs.

Question 1: Did the family mourn Joseph, and how did Jacob react to his son being missing?

: What did "Joseph in prison" view as his lifestyle Personal Challenges? Did he live any differently from before? And

How is it that the the whole story ended up as a musical on Broadway (Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat)? It may be useful to re-read the portion in the Bible this week!

The following is a part of a teaching from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (of blessed memory)– I saw today Via his student Rabbi Sholom Brodt (also sadly ob"m) - and

Thank you Yeshiva Simchat Shlomo that Rav Sholom started in Jerusalem (for sending it out)

"Reb Nachman says something so strong which is based on the Zohar HaKadosh(Likutei Moharan 2, Torah63) –that Jacob/Yaakov Avinu told his sons, "When you go down to … (Egypt), you have to sing (to the cruel leader) … a song… from the Holy Land… After all this, how can he be so cruel to you?

Can you imagine the way the holy tribes (12 brothers) were singing, the way they were harmonizing? …Now listen to this, (Joseph) has not heard his brothers singing … the longest time … At that moment he decided,…" I have to tell them who I am."

… us Yiddelach What do we do when it is dark? We look for somebody else.

, You know what the holiest thing is before Mashiach comes? It's a little bit dark , but suddenly we are aware - who knows? Maybe somebody else is in even more darkness

Reb Shlomo ended saying "Anyways, I just want to wish all of you that whenever you're living in a little bit of darkness, there should always be someone sitting next to you, singing a holy … niggun - a melody out of darkness. Good Shabbos"

What could be more dark than Corona-Times? We need to sing to each other … be there for each other!!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

 I don't immediately delete all the health reminders I get from my email

 But why do I get one every day with the header Clogged Colon?

That one really sets me off

 And Ebay:

3 years ago I stopped buying on Ebay because they wouldnt let me pay in dollars only in shekels.

So why do I daily get threats that they want to cancel my account? Who cares?

 And Chanuka "messages about eating Dairy,

And defeating the cruel Greek culture of yester year?

 Is that why I am eating Greek Yogurt at 430 AM while writing this?

Okay there really are serious things to learn from this week s portion

 It says "Jacob lived in Israel" - okay,

 After making peace with his brother and escaping from a  dangerous father in law – what's "the learning" here?

 The commentators say

 "JAcob just wanted to live in peace

and then Joseph and the brothers start fighting

 Oiy Vey

 And it leads to Years of Sadness in  the

Family – and you know – in the  Whole World.

 Yes

 Eventually it leads to world Famine!

HUH?

 the ... Jews?

Wait! I didn't mean that

!

But in truth, that's what they were thinking –

 That "we did it" -

And the Canaanite neighbors wère

Getting NASTY.

 So Jacob was afraid like never before! And the brothers?

 Wake Up World!

The Almighty sent Joseph to

Egypt to Feed the World

 Many years ago my first Jerusalem apartment was on Simchoni Street - and next tò Dr Simchoni's apartment (no connection) who had

 all sorts of African .masks. So once  I asked him how come?

 Turns out he was sent by Israel to work in Africa in a field hospital - healing people

 for like 5 years.

 Why does Israel help out everywhere?

 Why does the portion show us how much work Jacob ha still to do?

 Is it about world peace

 ?

Is G-d is telling Jacob that the price of the Holy Land is to Help Create World Peace

?

So stay tuned and connected to

 The next 2 portions