TINW Torah Study

Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a study of the political implications of the Joseph narrative, which may be more than a compelling story about siblings. This could instead be a story about the ancient tribes of people who were drawn together by Saul as a defensive mechanism against enemies: people who came to form the Israelite people. According to the ancient rabbis, Judah, the brother who all Jews are named for, is the brother who takes responsibility for all his brothers, he acts heroically, and he shows anger when his family is threatened. That is the type of leader, and ancestry, of which we Jews, descendants of Judah, can feel proud.

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

As modern readers we  know that the past is never completely the past. When we gather at holidays times, we fall into old, established patterns. Joseph and his brothers did not have good relations when Joseph was young, and his brothers were heartless when they threw Joseph into a pit and then sold him into slavery. Joseph does not immediately trust his brothers. Could we do any better when confronted with someone who had transgressed against us in such a way?

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

For the 20 years that Joseph resided in Egypt and climbed the ladder to prominence, we do not hear about Jacob’s father or his brothers. We do not know if the brothers thought about him or about what they did to him. This week, Rabbi Jaech led us in an exploration of the wide range of emotions that Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, and Jacob experience. 

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that the intermarriage rate among all American Jews was 58%, and among non-Orthodox American Jews was 71%. Since the mid-1980s, the Reform Jewish Movement has been welcoming of interfaith families. This week we looked at the interfaith marriages of two of our most important biblical heroes: Joseph and Moses. And we looked at how the ancient Rabbis spun those ancient stories to tell the narrative they wanted to tell.

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

Guest leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts, continued our exploration of the Joseph story by comparing it to another biblical tale: the story of Daniel. While sharing a lot of similarities, unlike the Joseph story, the Daniel story emphasizes that Daniel stayed true to his roots. The Joseph story may remind us of our own lives in America today. As Reform Jews, we may feel a pull toward the dominant culture. Each of us must decide how we adapt. How far are we willing to go toward assimilation, and where do we draw the line and say ‘No, this is important to me as a Jew.’

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

In biblical times, interpreters of dreams were consulted because people believed their dreams contained omens about the future. Even today, people do not like to live with uncertainty, which is one reason that some homes keep cable news on all day long. People are hoping to gather as much information as possible in order to feel some sense of control. But in reality, we often have no control over what the future will bring.

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

The story of Joseph includes a scene where his boss's wife tries to seduce him, but he rebuffs her advances. Manufacturing a story of rape, the wife manages to have Joseph thrown into prison. From this low, Joseph will rise in prominence, eventually becoming second only to Pharaoh in Egypt. This story was inspired by an older, Egyptian story with a similar scene of attempted seduction, followed by a rise to great heights in Egypt. 

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

We have not had a deep dive into the Joseph story in several years, so Rabbi Jaech thought the time was right! At 13 chapters, Joseph’s story is the most complete literary narrative in the Bible. Like so many other biblical tales, although this can be viewed as a story about family dynamics, it is also a stand-in for the larger concerns of the ancient Israelites.    Note: Torah Study member Lauren pointed out that this story is an illustration of family estrangement, which can be difficult especially at holiday-time. Wherever you are, we hope that you will share your holidays with loved ones.

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

The New Testament book of Revelation is a frightening story about the End of Days; also known as The Apocalypse. But that story has its origin in older stories from the Hebrew Bible that remind the audience of bad times. A power of religion is that, even in bad times, it brings us rays of light that we will prevail. As we light the Hanukkah candles, our guest leader today, Rabbi Janet Roberts, reminds us that the candles are also rays of light that remind us that we will prevail. Happy Hanukkah to All!

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

At Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, we do not insist that the text in the Bible should direct our way of thinking today, or that it is in line with our modern values. We recognize that the text can run from sublime to abhorrent, and it is up to us to determine what, if anything, is meaningful to us today. 

The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.