"Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he made him an ornamented tunic. And when the brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him so that they could not speak a friendly word to him."  (Genesis 37:3-4)   Read more...

So often, with our focus on building larger edifices or increasing synagogue membership or cultivating contributions for a deserving charity, we forget the original purpose for Jewish identity. We were not called to be Jews in order to spread borscht-belt humor, or to convince everybody to eat bagels or to provide a voice for the Federation to call once each year. We were called -- and are enjoined still -- to be a holy nation, a people of priests. Read more...

In the development of Joseph's character and the events of his life, the Torah portrays a bittersweet lesson about the loneliness of pride. On the surface, there is no reason for Joseph to be lonely. He is, after all, the favorite child of his father, surrounded by 11 brothers, in the midst of a bustling and energetic family. Joseph has the potential to fill his life with friendship, family and love. Yet his need to be preeminent, his need to belittle the gifts and experiences of this family in order to glorify his own talents, isolate him from his own kin. Read more...