Friday December 20, 1996                            [Fast Day] Erev Shabbat
Tevet10, 5757

Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:31)

Something to think about

Those of us who have been following this dramatic story unfold, wait for
Yosef (Joseph) to reveal his identity to his brothers.  He has forced them to
rethink their earlier behavior.  He has allowed them to reclaim their honor
by defending Benjamin.  

After dismissing his Egyptian Courtiers he proclaims,
"I am Joseph, does my father yet live ?  And his brothers could not answer
him for they were bewildered in his presence."  Any smatterings of
justification for their past behavior now came crashing down.  They could not
respond.  The Midrash (Rabbinical writings) reacts to their confusion and
says to all of us regarding the moment when each and all of us will face
ultimate truth, "Woe to us on the day of judgment, woe to us on the day of
reckoning."

The commentaries question the redundancy of the statement.  They answer by
differentiating between judgment and reckoning.  Judgment is when we have
to face our actions that violated Hashem's will (and often, even our own
sense of right and wrong!)  Reckoning is when we are shown all of the lost
opportunities that we forfeited by those behaviors.  [Not only did I spend
the money gambling, but I could have used it to help my own children or to
better someone's life.]

I believe that the reckoning is more difficult, though less often taken into
account.  Any person; even the most infantile level, can think in terms of
'good things' and 'bad things'.  But it takes a higher level of
sophistication to recognize and appreciate the potential that my life holds.
 
My talents and my time are valuable commodities.  Only when I recognize my
uniqueness and my Divine nature does this reckoning weigh heavy upon me.

Look at what I could have done compared to what I did! OUCH!  

Candle lighting-4:52
                                                     Shabbat Ends-5:52
Good Shabbos!!                             Rabbi  Hirsh Michel Chinn