Table Talk

In this parsha Joseph is shown favoritism by his Dad. He received a very colorful and beautiful coat from his father and so his 10 older brothers were very jealous of him. Joseph also told his family about dreams he had in which they were all bowing down to him.

One day, his father told him to go spy on his brothers working in the field, and this made the brothers so mad that they shoved him in a pit. Then they decided to sell him as a slave to Arab merchants who were passing by and then they put goat blood on his coat. When they got home, they showed the bloody coat to their father and told him that his son had been attacked by wild animals.

When Joseph was a slave in Egypt he worked for a man named Potiphar. Joseph was put in charge of the house but then Potifar sent Joseph to jail because Potiphar's wife accused him of something he didn't do.

In jail Joseph met the baker and the butler who both used to work for Pharaoh. The baker and the butler had dreams and Joseph interpreted them. 

The butler’s dream was that he would be freed and return to the palace, but the baker’s dream was bad. Joseph then asked the butler to remember him when he was in Pharaoh's palace.

I learned from this parsha that Jacob loved Joseph more than the other siblings, and this was one of the reasons the brothers hated Joseph. The lesson is that parents should not show favoritism and should treat all siblings equally.

I am blessed to have parents who treat me and my siblings equally. One time my mom told me and my two siblings that we could get a Nintendo if we shared it. When we got, it my siblings and I were arguing about how long we could play. My Mom said that we each could get 30 minutes, and we agreed to share it equally and not to ever fight over it. From this experience, I learned that my parents try so hard for our home to have Shalom Bayit - peace in the house - and that I should also help them to accomplish Shalom Bayit by not arguing with my siblings.

Also, throughout his hardships, Joseph kept being kind to everyone and helping however he could, and he also continued to believe that Hashem would help him. I learned from Joseph to always be positive and kind even when you are at your lowest point, because Hashem will always be with you and help you to accomplish your goals.

In this parsha Joseph never gave up, and in the story of Hanukkah, which starts this Sunday, our ancestors refused to give up their religion, and refused to give up hope that the oil would last until we could find new oil.

Personally, my favorite holiday is Hanukkah. I love it because the whole family gathers together to light the Chanukiah and sing songs.
My parents got us each our own Chanukiah so we get to light our own every year.

I think the real message of Hanukkah is similar to the lesson from Joseph in this week’s parsha - that when everything seems hopeless, there’s always a little miracle that can happen and change the situation for the better. If we trust Hashem and believe in ourselves, then we can all bring lots of light into the world.

Thank you, Shabbat Shalom, and Happy Chanukah!