Yosef’s story is one of the most incredible examples of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) in Hashem’s plan. Despite everything he went through—being betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison—he never lost sight of the bigger picture. Yosef understood that every moment of his life, no matter how painful…
This week’s parsha, Vayigash, brings us to one of the most emotional moments in the Torah: Yehuda’s heartfelt plea to Yosef, culminating in Yosef revealing his identity. But beneath this dramatic scene lies a profound lesson about growth and teshuva. Yosef orchestrated an elaborate plan, placing his brothers in a situation eerily similar to the…
Chanuka always seems to fly by, doesn’t it? One moment, we’re excitedly setting up our menorahs and spinning dreidels, and the next, we’re lighting the last candle and realizing it’s all coming to an end. It was fun while it lasted—the lights, the songs, the donuts—but there’s so much more to Chanuka than the celebration…
In this week’s parsha, Yosef tests his brothers one final time. After hosting them for a meal and sending them back home with food, he secretly has his silver goblet placed in Binyamin’s bag. When his steward catches up to them and accuses them of theft, the brothers are in shock. They know they’re innocent,…
A Personal Storm: When Miracles Seem Impossible A few years ago, a friend of mine faced what seemed like an impossible situation. He had been pouring his heart, soul, and savings into building a brick-and-mortar business. Despite countless challenges along the way, he refused to give up. He leveraged every resource, invested more money, and…
At the end of parshat Vayeishev, we find Yosef in jail, interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker. Yosef lived with emuna and bitachon—he trusted that everything Hashem does is for the best, no matter how it looked at the moment. Think about Yosef’s life up to this point. His brothers hated him…
The Blame Game: A Habit from Childhood When I was a kid, if I stubbed my toe or dropped something, the first thing I’d do was look around for the closest person to blame. It was almost automatic. Maybe you can relate—it’s the instinct to believe we’re perfect and any mishap couldn’t possibly be our…
A Sukkot Wake-Up Call This past Sukkot, we had a lot to celebrate. One night, I was walking home from shul when I heard music and saw people dancing out of sheer joy in the street. So, of course, I joined in, soaking up the celebration. Later, my wife showed me a video of the…
Lessons From Kids I absolutely love my kids. Each one of them is unique, with their own special qualities and personality quirks that bring so much joy to my life. Some of the younger ones are particularly eager to help out at times, around the house. They take their “job” very seriously, creating detailed schedules…