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In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Vayeshev, we are introduced to Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph is one of the great archetypal characters of the Torah. Born with the gift of being a prophetic dreamer, and dreaming that his brothers would one day bow down to him, he drives a wedge between himself and his brothers and is cast off by them. Later in his life, the same gift finds him favor with Pharaoh and eventually helps him save the Jewish people from famine.

What skills and tools have we been given that we haven’t harnessed for the greater good? It feels so good to use our power and gifts beyond how they serve us to improve the lives of others. Especially during Chanukah which begins this Sunday night, let us figure out how to be a light in someone else’s life. Whether it be by sharing a skill, by end-of the-year generosity to our favorite causes, or just by being present for another human, we can add light to the world with the very things that make us…well, us! We are the greatest gifts we can give to others.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Beth