| Dear Friend,
We are pleased to share an insight by the Rebbe on parshat Vayigash, excerpted from our Daily Wisdom, adapted by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky.
Today is Hei Teves, which celebrates the victory of the Books, a day on which we are occupied with holy Torah books -- buying them, repairing them etc. Of course, ultimately its the actual study in the books.
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Creativity and Selflessness Judah then approached him and said, "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord's ear, and do not become angry at your servant, for you are the equal of Pharaoh." (Gen. 44:18)
The spiritual conflict between Joseph and Judah centered around the approach that would most effectively serve the cause of disseminating Divine consciousness. Joseph favored engaging the world proactively, utilizing its institutions, culture, technology, and emotional energy for holy purposes. His brothers, led by Judah, preferred to shun the world and its attendant enticements and pitfalls, opting instead to devote themselves to the ongoing task of augmenting their own holiness, thereby inspiring the rest of the world to eventually join them and emulate them.
There is a place for both approaches, and the reunion between Joseph and Judah described in this parsha allegorically teaches us that we must maintain the proper balance between creative engagement with the world and withdrawal from the world in order to focus on self-refinement. --Daily Wisdom Vol. 3
Gut Shabbos and a joyous Hei Teves, Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman Kehot Publication Society
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