Parshat Vayechi

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The drama of younger and older brothers, which haunts the book of Bereishit from Cain and Abel onwards, reaches a strange climax in the story of Joseph's children. Jacob/Israel is nearing the end of his life. Joseph visits him, bringing with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. It is the only scene of grandfather and grandchildren in the book. Jacob asks Joseph to bring them near so that he can bless them. What follows next is described in painstaking detail: "Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right, and brought them near him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn..... When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to

December 14, 2013 11 Tevet, 5774

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshat Vayechi

Manasseh's head. Joseph said to him, 'No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.' He blessed them that day, saying: 'In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May G-d make you like Ephraim and Manasseh." So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh." (48:1314, 17-20). It is not difficult to understand the care Joseph took to ensure that Jacob would bless the firstborn first. Three times his father had set the younger before the elder, and each time it had resulted in tragedy. He, the younger, had sought to supplant his elder brother Esau. He favored the younger sister Rachel over Leah. And he favored the youngest of his children, Joseph and Benjamin, over the elder Reuben, Shimon and Levi. The consequences were catastrophic: estrangement from Esau, tension between the two sisters, and hostility among his sons. Joseph himself bore the scars: thrown into a well by his brothers, who initially planned to kill him and eventually sold him into Egypt as a slave. Had his father not learned? Or did he think that Ephraim -whom Joseph held in his right hand -- was the elder? Did Jacob know what he was doing? Did he not realize that he was risking extending the family feuds into the next generation? Besides which, what possible reason could he have for favoring the younger of his grandchildren over the elder? He had not seen them before. He knew nothing about them. None of the factors that led to the earlier episodes were operative here. Why did Jacob favor Ephraim over Manasseh? Jacob knew two things, and it is here that the explanation lies. He knew that the stay of his family in Egypt would not be a short one. Before leaving Canaan

Times

Candle Lighting Friday Mincha Hashkama Parsha Shiur Youth Minyan Main Minyan Beit Midrash Gemorah Shiur Mincha Shabbat Ends

4:10 pm 3:55 pm 8:00 am 8:30 am 8:30 am 9:00 am 9:15 am 3:30 pm 4:05 pm 5:21 pm

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Mincha

4:15 pm

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Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Lillian & Gary Chubak in memory of his father Benjamin Chubak, zl

Next Shabbat Shemot Candle Lighting Mincha 4:13 pm 4:15 pm

Kiddush is sponsored by Great neck Synagogue with a herring table sponsored by Dina & Natan Hamerman in honor of the dinner co-chairs, Liz Ort & Jimmy Frisch, and the many different dinner committee members and in honor of their co-honorees, Judy & Jerry Weinstein and Zach Mittleman

Bima flowers in the main sanctuary are sponsored by Dr. Isaac and Farah Sachmechi in honor of the marriage of Amanda & Eldad Mazloumi

Bima Flowers in the beit Midrash are sponsored by Goldie & Howard Lorber in memory of her mother Ethel Winter, zl

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100

Shaabbat Announcements Parshat Vayechi 5774

to see Joseph, G-d had appeared to him in a vision: "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." (46:3-4) This was, in other words, the start of the long exile which G-d had told Abraham would be the fate of his children (a vision the Torah describes as accompanied by "a deep and dreadful darkness" --15:12). The other thing Jacob knew was his grandsons' names, Manasseh and Ephraim. The combination of these two facts was enough. When Joseph finally emerged from prison to become prime minister of Egypt, he married and had two sons. This is how the Torah describes their birth: "Before the years of the famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, saying, 'It is because G-d has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household.' The second son he named Ephraim, saying, 'It is because G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.'" (41:50-52) With the utmost brevity the Torah intimates an experience of exile that was to be repeated many times across the centuries. At first, Joseph felt relief. The years as a slave, then a prisoner, were over. He had risen to greatness. In Canaan, he had been the youngest of eleven brothers in a nomadic family of shepherds. Now, in Egypt, he was at the center of the greatest civilization of the ancient world, second only to Pharaoh in rank and power. No one reminded him of his background. With his royal robes and ring and chariot, he was an Egyptian prince (as Moses was later to be). The past was a bitter memory he sought to remove from his mind. Manasseh means "forgetting." But as time passed, Joseph began to feel quite different emotions. Yes, he had arrived. But this people were not his; nor were its culture. To be sure, his family was, in any worldly terms, undistinguished, unsophisticated. Yet they remained his family. They were the matrix of who he was. Though they were no more than shepherds (a class the Egyptians despised), they had been spoken to by G-d -not the gods of the sun, the river and death, the Egyptian pantheon but G-d, the creator of heaven and earth, who did not make His home in temples and pyramids and panoplies of power, but who spoke in the human heart as a voice, lifting a simple family to moral greatness. By the time his second son was born, Joseph had undergone a profound change of heart. To be sure, he had all the trappings of earthly success -- "G-d has made me fruitful" -- but Egypt had become "the land of my affliction." Why? Because it was exile. There is a sociological observation about immigrant

groups, known as Hansen's Law: "The second generation seeks to remember what the first generation sought to forget." Joseph went through this transformation very quickly. It was already complete by the time his second son was born. By calling him Ephraim, he was remembering what, when Manasseh was born, he was trying to forget: who he was, where he came from, where he belonged. Jacob's blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh had nothing to do with their ages and everything to do with their names. Knowing that these were the first two children of his family to be born in exile, knowing too that the exile would be prolonged and at times difficult and dark, Jacob sought to signal to all future generations that there would be a constant tension between the desire to forget (to assimilate, acculturate, anaesthetize the hope of a return) and the promptings of memory (the knowledge that this is "exile," that we are part of another story, that ultimate home is somewhere else). The child of forgetting (Manasseh) may have blessings. But greater are the blessings of a child (Ephraim) who remembers the past and future of which he is a part.

Great Neck Synagogue Shabbat Activities Program 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck , NY 11023 Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Zehava & Dr. Michael Atlas, Youth Directors Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Dr. Scott Danoff, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board Dena Block, Yoetzet Halacha 516-320-9818

GreatNeckSynagogue presentsaseriesofconversationswith GNSYoetzetHalachaDenaBlock "EverythingYouWantedtoKnowAbout TaharatHamishpacha,ButWereAfraidtoAsk..." FirstConversation FromBridetoBaby&Beyond: FrequentlyAskedQuestionsforAllAges&Stages Haveaquestion?Womenareinvitedtopresubmit questionsorconcernsbyemailing GNSYoetzet@gmail.com orcallDenaBlockat5163209818.Emailsandcallsare alwaysconfidential. Tuesday,December17,2013 8p.m. atthehomeof DavidaYehaskel 9WillowLane,GreatNeck Pleasemarkyourcalendarforfutureconversations: Tuesday,January7and Tuesday,February25,2014at8p.m.

GNS ANNUAL DINNER Our 62nd Annual Dinner will take place on Saturday evening, Dec.14, 2013. Our Guests of Honor will be: Dina & Natan Hamerman Judith & Jerrald Weinstein and Boneh Habayit: Zachary Mittleman DEADLINE FOR ADS was Monday, There will be a supplement. Reservations still available.

SOLICITINGNOMINEES

GNS ANNUAL DINNER RAFFLES FOR SALE

An iMac computer - An Apple Combo package of an iPad and Apple TV - The newly-released Playstation 4 - VIP tickets to WhiskyFest 2014 - A stunning Topaz and Diamond necklace -A huge flat screen TV It's easy to buy tickets and you can enter even if you can't come to the December 14 dinner. To buy, just click on the link below: http://www.gns.org/archives/7040

GreatNeckSynagogueiscurrently solicitingnomineestobeconsideredfor theDavidandEllieWerberChesedAward. Thisisanawardpresentedtoachild/ teenagerfromourcommunitywho performschesedinanotableway. PleaseemailMarkTwersky (mtwersky@gns.org)withthenameof yournominee(canbeachild/teenagerthat youknowfromour community,orevenyourownchild/ teenager),andabriefdescriptionofwhy youthinkheorsheisdeservingofthis award. Allnomineeswillbeconsideredbythe committee,andallsubmissionsare confidential.

Doyousometimescrashinthemiddleoftheday? Isithardforyoutohavearestfulsleepatnight? Areyouoftenfrustratedbecauseyoufeelpulledinsomanydirections? Iseveryonedependingonyouforthingsandyoujustcantkeepup? JoinCertifiedhealthCoach,PamBilfeldassherevealscuttingedgeinfoabouthowtoget andmaintainfantasticenergythroughouttheday. When:Wednesday,December11th,2013 Where:GreatNeckSynagogue Time:8:00Pm AFreeGNSSISTERHOODevent. Men,women&teensofallagesinvited

ANNOUNCEMENTS
GNS ANNUAL DINNER Our 62nd Annual Dinner will take place on Saturday evening, Dec.14, 2013. Our Guests of Honor will be: Dina & Natan Hamerman Judith & Jerrald Weinstein and Boneh Habayit: Zachary Mittleman There will be a supplement for late ads GNS ANNUAL DINNER RAFFLES FOR SALE Raffle tickets are on sale on our website www.gns.org.

Within Our Family

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Dale & Ellen Polakoff and Lauren & Joseph Hyman on the birth of a grandson born to their children Yehudah & Liz Polakoff. Mazal Tov to our member Harvey Kaylie, founder, president and CEO of Mini-Circuits International and a YU Benefactor, who will receive an honorary doctorate from YU President Richard M. Joel at Yeshiva Universitys 89th Annual Hanukkah Convocation and Dinner on Sun., Dec., 8, at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Mazal Tov to Dr. Isaac and Farah Sachmechi on the marriage of their daughter Amanda, to Dr. Eldad Mazloumi, son of Dr. Baruch & Diana Mazloumi. Mazal Tov to Randi & Michael Barenholtz on the engagement of their son Eric to Adena Stern. Mazal Tov to Donna & Leon Schwecter on the engagement of their son Cary to Shuli Rosen

SISTERHOOD UPCOMING EVENTS Next Wednesday, Dec 11th, at 8 PM, the Sisterhood presents Pam Bilfeld, CEO Cutting Edge Nutrition and Health, who will give us a talk about how to get and maintain fantastic energy throughout the day. We're all busy and tired, so I'm sure this event will be useful to all of us! See you there! DECEMBER CHESED COLLECTION WINTER CLOTHING Please drop off all gently used winter clothing from Sunday to Friday until Sunday Dec. 22nd at Debbie & Hal Chadows house, 50 Dickenson Place Great Neck- please leave all bags at their garage door. DOS YIDDISH VORT Takes up DIE EBBIGE MILCHUMAH-MENNER UN FROYEN at its meeting on Wednesday, December 11 at 1:30 in the Chalfin Room. Come and join in the discussion. For info, call Roz Wagner 487-9795. MEN'S CLUB UPCOMING EVENTS TUES., Jan 21, 8pm: The next event in our Medical Forum series features a PLASTIC SURGEON, Dr Arnold Breitbart. He will educate and inform you on many aspects of Plastic Surgery, from Tummy-tucks and Breast reconstructions to Facelifts and Rhinoplasty. Details to follow MASTER CHEF COMPETITION Our 1st ever Adult Master Chef Competition will be Saturday night, Feb. 1st. We are looking for interested parties to captain teams of six each. Our deadline for people to sign up as captains is Thursday, Dec. 19th. Please contact Rabbi Lichter at ilichter@gns.org.
DEAR GNS HUNGER INITIATIVE Once again, GNS members brought joy to over 40 senior residents and their aides at Arrandale. This year, when Thanksgiving coincided with Chanukah, we helped to light the lives of so many! After Thanksgiving, we received a phone call from Larry, an 88 year old resident, who wanted to call to tell the volunteers how important this dinner was for him. He couldn't believe how wonderful it felt that his GNS table host, Sharyn, remembered him from previous years. He also wanted to share that Thanksgiving was particularly important to him as his parents were married on Thanksgiving in 1922 and it meant so much to him to have this celebration on this special day. Thanks to all those who generously donated meals and to the wonderful volunteers who served as wait staff, table hosts, kitchen staff and the youngest volunteers who made personal cards for each resident. Leftovers (from Mazur's delicious food) were brought to the volunteers firefighters to enjoy their own Thanksgiving feast.

THANKS Many thank to the amazing super bakers who baked and to all the generous people who bought pies to raise funds to help young Jewish women facing OVARIAN CANCER through the organization Sharsheret. Over $5000 was raised, pies were enjoyed by many, including pies that were donated to local volunteer firefighters, police, and seniors living at Arrandale Housing. SNOW BIRDS Please let us know when you are going south.

Y A H R Z E I T

Saturday, 11 Tevet Pari Schwartz for Aziz Rebbe Torkan Sunday, 12 Tevet Martin Griffel for Marion Griffel Edwin J. Rosman for Romy Rosman Marvin Rotman for Herman Zelman Rotman Monday, 13 Tevet Milton Mitzner for Gitl MItzner Israel Slochowsky for Miriam Slochowsky Tuesday, 14 Tevet Judy Blatter for Raymonde Katz Sadie Frank for Meyer Leshkowitz Helen Ishofsky for Willie Herskovitz Henry Katz for Raymonde Katz Michael Katz for Raymonde Katz Murray Weiss for Harry Weiss William Wolff for Bernard Wolff Wednesday, 15 Tevet Leon Fuks for Emanuel Fuks Jerome Lippman for Max Lippman Goldie Lorber for Ethel Winter Kenneth S. Magida for Jacob Magida Ellen Polakoff for Casper Pinsker Thursday 16 Tevet Gary Chubak for Benjamin Chubak Ronald Malen for Eli Malen Dorothy Reiser for Theodore Cohen Henry Schwartz for Max Schwartz Mitchell J. Siegel for Morris Turner Friday, 17 Tevet Norman Fisher for Molly Fisher Sigmund Horowitz for Liba Horowitz Ester Noy for Rachel Nir Cheryl Sperber for Isaac Forst Annabelle Zackheim for Harold Osman