Author: Eve Posen

Redemption Song

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As Cantor Bitton knows, I love the use of contemporary melodies matched with ancient liturgy. It’s one way of making prayer more accessible, something Jewish composers have been doing for hundreds of years. One of my favorite mashups is Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” sung as the melody for the Mi Chamocha prayer. The original lyrics to this song are often on repeat in my head. They speak of being redeemed from the “bottomless pit” which is the mental and physical pit of slavery in US history, but also paints a picture of the story of Joseph, who was thrown into a pit, escaped those bonds to fame in Egypt, and brought us to this moment in our Jewish narrative, as the Israelites have been thrown once again into the bottomless pit with a new pharaoh. 

Parshat Shemot marks the beginning of the Exodus and redemption of the Israelite nation from Egypt to the story of their own nationhood. The themes of redemption and sacred human dignity repeat again and again throughout the book because redemption is both a human experience and a partnership with the Divine.  

As part of the weekday Amidah we recite the following blessing, which is one powerful connection to the idea of redemption:
“בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’, גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל”
“Blessed are You, God, Redeemer of Israel.”

Additionally, a meaningful personal blessing inspired by Parshat Shemot could be:
“May you be blessed to recognize your sacred mission, like Moses, and to act with courage and humility in partnership with God to bring freedom and justice to the world.”

This blessing encapsulates the idea of Moses’s journey from self-doubt to leadership and God’s call for human action in the pursuit of redemption.

Sibling Sleepover

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A few weeks ago something strange happened in my home. Duncan was out of town attending a conference. It was one of those Shabbat days when my kids would have to spend more time at Neveh, their second home, than at our home. We had Tot Shabbat, Kiddush Club, and a bat mitzvah service in the morning, and then we were heading back for a fun PJ Havdallah that night. And, strangely, Shiri and Matan were as close to angels as they’ve ever been. They played together, laughed together, and overall were helpful and fun to be with. After a full day of togetherness, we got home and they ran upstairs to set up a “sibling sleepover.” If you’ve got a sibling or are a parent of siblings, you know how rare this can be. 

Our Torah portion this week, Parshat Vayechi, is the final portion in the first book of the Torah. This book has shared the narrative of multiple sibling relationships, all of which were fraught with rivalry and general discontent. The end of the book, however, contains several blessings in it, including the well-known blessing of Jacob to his grandsons Ephraim and Menashe. This moment is the source of a traditional blessing given to children in Jewish homes, especially on Shabbat:

For boys, the blessing is:
יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹקים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה
“May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe.”

For girls, a parallel blessing is often used:
יְשִׂמֵךְ אֱלֹקים כְּשָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל וְלֵאָה
“May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.”

This tradition comes from Jacob’s statement in Genesis 48:20:
בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר, יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹקים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה
“By you, Israel will bless, saying: May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe.”

This blessing is significant because Ephraim and Menashe were the first siblings in the Torah to live in harmony, without recorded rivalry, symbolizing unity and peace—values central to Jewish tradition.

A Blessing for Reconciliation

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Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister Miriam Mozes (far right in knitted hats) at the liberation of Auschwitz.

Forgiveness isn’t often controversial, but for Eva Mozes Kor, it was. In 2015, at the trial of former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening, Holocaust survivor Kor publicly forgave 93-year-old Groening, a former SS officer who was facing accusations of accessory to 300,000 murders. This act of forgiveness was widely criticized by Kor’s co-plaintiffs, who questioned her decision to be a plaintiff at all. But whether you feel what Kor did was right or wrong, it certainly speaks to the very human need to reconcile our feelings. Toward the end of her life, Eva Kor felt that the hate she was holding was more painful to her than to the Nazis at whom that hate was directed. She would go on to write, “I didn’t forgive the Nazis because they deserve it. They don’t. I forgave them because I deserve it.”

Parshat Vayigash, this week’s Torah portion, shows us behavioral changes that lead to what was perhaps a very unlikely reconciliation, considering everything that has transpired in Jacob’s family. In the parshah, Joseph’s brother Yehudah (Judah) tries to redeem himself by asking to be imprisoned instead of Benjamin, and Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and heroically invites the whole family to Egypt to save them from starvation in Israel. In addition, Joseph and his father Jacob are reunited, and Joseph is able to finally reveal his newfound position of power.

This emotional reunion of Joseph with his brothers is the definition of forgiveness. This moment of healing their fractured relationship also reflects the rebuilding of shalom bayit, literally “peace in the home.” This Jewish value originally referred to marital relationships, but now often includes the whole family unit. Reconciliation isn’t necessarily easy; it requires intense work on all sides. But maintaining shalom bayit creates an environment where kindness, patience, and understanding thrive. A home that embodies this value is a microcosm of a peaceful society. Families filled with love and harmony contribute the same to their communities.

If you’ve recently reconciled with someone or are working to repair a relationship, what better way to mark the moment than to pause and offer a blessing to honor and sanctify this essential human act:  

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who brings peace among siblings and teaches us to seek forgiveness and understanding.

For Wisdom and Leadership

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As you can imagine, the clergy team at CNS is faced with a wide variety of decisions to be made every day. Part of leadership is honing decision-making skills. You have to weigh multiple perspectives and outcomes of the decisions you’ll make, and over the years I’ve gotten better at trusting my gut. Like any healthy organization, we don’t make decisions in a silo; we use our collective wisdom to understand and move forward. This is a lesson that comes from the richness of our texts as well.

This week we read Parshat Miketz, which details Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt, his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, and the beginning of the reconciliation of the brothers when they unknowingly come before him for support. If we focus on Joseph as a leader, it becomes clear that his ability to interpret dreams has positioned him as an indispensable figure in Egyptian society. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. How would you feel about going from jailed nobody to top official in a relatively short time?

Perhaps it’s remembering that his wisdom only works in partnership with God that keeps Joseph grounded. As just one of our community leaders, I know that for decisions to be effective, they have to be made with wisdom, partnership, and generosity of spirit. Our decisions are not only a team effort, but they look to our ethical and moral guide, the Torah. For that, we have a blessing to keep us grounded. This blessing is often recited upon seeing a wise person, and it can serve as a way to reflect on Joseph’s God-given insight.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, she-natan michochmato levasar va-dam.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has given wisdom to flesh and blood.

A Coat of Many Colors

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Do you know that smell when something’s new? Or fresh? There’s a joy in those “new” smells, whether it’s that newborn baby smell, the smell of spring, or the smell of a new car or a new pair of shoes. Our sense of smell is powerful, and it pleases the senses to experience a fresh, clean, new smell.

While the new smell fades, new clothes in particular often hold a special significance the first few times we wear them. Can you remember the first time you wore a favorite item? Was it cozy? Shiny? Our Torah portion this week, Parshat Vayeshev, is centered around a new item of clothing.

This week we read about the coat of many colors that Jacob gives to his son, Joseph. This coat brings about anything but a blessing for Joseph (and Jacob). It is because of this coat and the favoritism that it represents that Joseph is sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt and why Jacob sits in mourning for his favored son. What do you think Joseph might have felt just before all this upheaval? What was the joy he felt receiving such a beautiful garment? 

We often try to extend this moment of newness by saying something like “Use it in good health.” It’s a little like a prayer or a blessing that the moment of gratitude will only continue.

To that end, we are reminded by our tradition to recite the Shehecheyanu prayer each time we wear a new garment. Specifically, it’s something of worth and value, not just new socks. 

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

How does taking a pause when you use something for the first time add intention or meaning to the moment?