Vayigash
Do we honor those parts within us that are the most tender and precious?
Reflection by Ariel Dominique Hendelman, the Or HaLev Team:
"The Torah portion of Vayigash brings the climax of Yoseph’s story with his brothers: the `big reveal` in which Yoseph finally confesses his true identity to his brothers.Once Yoseph tells his brothers who he is, he reassures them that although they sold him into slavery, he now sees it all for good; that it had to be that way. In the words of Avivah Zornberg, `God’s plot is the only narrative that matters to him [Yoseph].`
With all of the above, there is still a crucial piece of this family drama that pertains to Benyamin and Yehudah. Benyamin is Yaakov’s other beloved son from Rachel. When he believes that Yoseph has been killed by a wild animal, that also makes Benyamin the youngest and most beloved son. In Vayigash’s pivotal moment of meeting, as the title suggests, Yoseph puts Yehudah in a position where he can either once again let jealousy rule, or he can step up as the eldest of the brothers and protect Benyamin, the most vulnerable. He does this – and when he does, the whole story turns and opens up for the redemption of the family trauma.
We are all Yoseph, and we are all Yehudah. Our meditation practice puts us face to face with our deepest dreams, while inviting us to honor those parts within that are the most tender and precious. We engage in transformation when we sit in the stillness within, surrounded by the relentless impermanence of our particular life dramas, riddled with thoughts and emotions, and yet something constant remains. Just as Yoseph is guided and blessed by his childhood dreams, so too are we rooted and raised up by our dedicated practice. May it bring revealed blessings for us all."