Background
Last week's Torah portion revealed that Joseph, the now Prime Minster of Egypt, will trick his youngest brother, Benjamin, by placing a gold cup in his satchel, so that it seems as if Benjamin stole from the palace. Therefore, Benjamin will be enslaved to Joseph. It is important to note that Joseph knows that his brothers are present, but his brothers do not recognize Joseph as many years before, his brother threw him into a well and sold him into slavery. This was because Jacob favored Joseph out of all his children.
1. What did Judah do in this moment in front of Joseph and his brother? Do you think his actions were heroic?
2. Some say that this is one of the most touching moments in the Torah because of how Judah was so selfless and loved his brother (and father) enough to do this. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Why or why not?
"On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah- Vayigash" with Rabbi Rick Jacobs (URJ President)
"I've always wondered why our religion is called Juda(h)ism. Did you ever wonder why we call it Juda(h)ism? I had a wonderful President early in my career and her name was Judy, so everyone would say Judy-ism. And I was like a stickler for it being called Juda(h)ism. The connection is to a person, Judah, and to a tribe, Judah, and to a territory, Judah. And, we don't know very much about Judah, but if all we knew about Judah was this portion, we would know enough."
3. Reading Rabbi Rick Jacobs' quote from this podcast, why do you think he is so insistent on Juda(h)ism being pronounced this way (as opposed to the way most of us say it- Judaism)? What is the connection between Judah and Judaism for you?
Jeremy Simons wrote an article on ReformJudaism.org entitled, "Taking Initiative on the Road to Peace" and how Judah and Joseph were willing to move past their differences for the greater good of their family reconnecting.
4. Now, think about your own roles and the relationships that you have within your community/organization. Tell me about a time that you had to initiate the "peace process", almost entirely for the sake of resolving an issue? How did it make you feel? And were the results worth your initiative?