Parasha Vayechi (Gen. 47:28 - 50:26) 12-24-17

http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=119441 Dec. 24, 2017: This week’s Torah portion concludes the Book of Genesis: “The parashah tells of Jacob’s request for burial in Canaan, Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob’s blessing of his sons, Jacob’s death and burial, and Joseph’s death. The parashah constitutes Genesis 47:28–50:26. It is the shortest weekly Torah portion in the Book of Genesis.”

* Should a Jew say Merry Christmas? Christmas memorializes the birth of Jesus, the Messiah according to Christianity.

* Sholom Rubashkin of Agriprocessors is free thanks to a sentence commutation by President Trump. Is this good for the Jews? For the goys? Samuel Freedman writes for the Washington Post: “Yet too many Jews have one set of ethics for their own kind and another for gentiles.”

Isn’t dual morality the most common form of morality in the world? There’s one standard for how you treat your own kind and another standard for how you treat outsiders? Isn’t dual morality the essence of all tribal morality, including Judaism? Does not the Torah explicitly endorse dual morality in that it sets different standards for how you treat your fellow (such as do not lend at interest) versus the outsider?

I have many reactions to Sholom Rubashkin’s going free. One is tribal. This is a member of my tribe. Even if I am not fond of him, there’s universal rejoicing throughout the Orthodox world over his freedom. Who am I to set myself apart from the community and be a Debbie Downer?

Luke talks to Portland blogger Dennis Dale. http://dennisdale.blogspot.com/