This week’s parashah is VaYechi, the 12th and final portion of Bereshit/Genesis, and first Torah portion of the secular year 2023 CE/ 12023 HE. In this parashah, Joseph swears to bury his father up north, gets the double inheritance, promises not to kill his brothers for what they did to him, and then, dies, after making them swear to bury his bones up north, some time in the future. Once again, we see the effects of favoritism, jealousy, and rigid inheritance rules on family relationships, and how harmful this can all be. Here is another reason that long term planning and access to basic survival and equal health care resources for everyone is essential to the democratic process, right?
The common good requires both rule of law and an acceptance by all to refrain from taking personal vendettas to their individually desired conclusions, while trusting in a system of justice that will both resolve existing cases of injustice, and also prevent future wrongs. This makes favoritism bad both for the general welfare in terms of law and order, and also for public mental and even physical health, due to both fear and threat of violence, as well as the public health menaces which are increased when sanitation, food and water access, and other services are disrupted by ongoing lawlessness. When a family, especially a ruling or powerful family, does not set the best example for the common good of all without distinction, society degrades into a set of competing groups which then prevents all of us from solving common problems together in a more efficient way for everyone. Thus, the difference that Joseph shows us between justice (as he got a double portion) and vengeance (as he refrained from taking revenge on his brothers) set an example for later society. Even if his taking of the land and persons of Egypt were less than just, some progress takes longer…
Last year we looked at this portion, Parashat VaYechi, from the point of view of Endings.
Last week was Parashat VaYigash 5783, Land vs. Public Health, and Tightening Belts.
While there are many ways to help increasing empathy, Language Learning as a Fourth Tool for Empathy Building is both fascinating and practical.
Empathy building is a crucial task, particularly in our contentious society today. The task is tiring, and cannot be done all at once, but with careful planning, education, and greater cooperation between the generations, it can be done.
Let’s Do Better.
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