"So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

Genesis 45:4,5

Hi friend,

This coming Shabbat's Torah portion, read on Saturday, December 27th, is Parashat Vayigash. In this week's Torah reading, Vayigash, Judah responds to Joseph's demand that Benjamin remain enslaved in Egypt, pleading to be taken as a subtitute. Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. At Joseph's request, Jacob and his family come down to Egypt.

The Echoes Bible was born from an extraordinary, God-led discovery, and if you missed how it all began—or want to revisit it—check it below.

In connection with Root Source’s Holocaust initiatives, Light Up The Church and We Must Not Forget, we’re highlighting an article that combines sincere human interest with an essential Holocaust message—Check below.

Join us in exploring the Weekly Bible Chapter: Shabbat And Mishkan: A Day and a Tent: The secret? Sacred time can be experienced anywhere by Josh Blechner with Rabbi Avraham Norin, and let’s learn and reflect together! 

Please enjoy this teaching of our beloved Root Source teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz of blessed memory, about this week's Torah portion, Vayigash, and share your thoughts with us!

Check below to hear what Gidon Ariel and Abigail have to share.

We sign off with a nice comment and a beautiful photo of Dead Sea, Israel .

Shalom,

Gidon Ariel and Bob O’Dell 
Root Source Founders

The Echoes Bible is, without a doubt, the most surprising project I have ever undertaken. It all began twenty years ago, in 2005, while I was riding a train through the Midlands of England on my way back to London to catch a flight home to Austin, Texas. As the countryside rolled past my window, I was quietly thanking God for the completion of a fruitful series of meetings I had just finished in Germany and the UK.

The central story in Parashat Vayigash is the emotional encounter between Joseph and Judah, which takes place as Jacob and his sons descend to Egypt. This moment, filled with tension and reconciliation, reflects the complex relationship between these two figures—a relationship that remains central and significant throughout Jewish history.

Conversations: 

Comments

We get so many comments! 
Here is one from Barbara on a blog post Coincidence? I think not!

"Excellent teaching Gidon, thank you! Am I right though that whilst there is the word m-k-r-m in modern hebrew, there is no word for co-incidence in the Hebrew bible because it is all G-d-incidence?"

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