VaYeshev Excerpts
וישב
Shabbat Shalom
We have all had times in our lives where we wanted to hurt a family member. Sometimes we just take their toys.
Most of the time we do not abuse our younger siblings in shule...Nobody knew what to do when Chezky was pulling out Devorah's hair last week in Kiddush. I think the whole shule just stood around.
(37:25) After sending Yosef to a pit, they sit down to eat.
(37:25-28) Because he is their flesh and blood, they make the decision to not kill Yosef. They decide to show compassion and sell.
It must have been real bad. Yosef must have not been on good terms with his brothers. There are times that I make the decision to sell stuff from this shule. Yes, there is deep-seated hatred in this congregation. Oh, how Berns always flashes his pimped out smoking jacket...Hasn't worn a suit jacket since we've known him...But I care, so I sell. I sold the shule's silver breastplate. Why? Because we are brethren, and what am I going to get out of disbanding this congregation?
I know I would have gotten in trouble if I was part of any sale of sibling. But sometimes, you look at Chezky and you think, it might be better to be sold...We must care about our siblings...I care about my siblings....
Sibling rivalries must stop in this congregation. Not one of the children is an athlete. Ear biting must stop. We must stop this favoritism, of giving more herring to the youngest child. It causes resentment.
We don't have our tradition anymore of the ancient slave trade (37:35). Why kill when you can make money? Is there a Poteefar who will take a suburban Jew?....It is about how we use our children correctly...selling Innisbrook and World's Finest chocolate- another tradition of child labor which is has been forgotten....
Yakov cared though. He is mourning, a deep depression of sorts...The problem was with the siblings who did not care. Could not empathize with their jealousy. A jealousy as deep as a plate more full at kiddush...There is a lot of non-care in this congregation. Many people in this congregation have wanted to get rid of their children. Instead, like the brothers, they send them to school, so that they can gain from their children when they retire...
That is what happens with siblings pull hair and we just sit around. Yakkov didn't know. But we do. We have the chance to educate our children. Teach them to care. You don't just look at a bunch of hair on the floor and a bald 6 year old and then go back to eating your sponge cake. Sponge cake which makes me sick to my stomach even without the hair on the ground...even in a beauty salon, they sweep before watching the soap operas....and do not show up to shule in a smoking jacket.
You can hear Devora screaming in the halls right now. Does anybody care about that girl?
***These are excerpts from the sermon. For the sermon in its entirety, come see David Kilimnick perform at the Off The Wall Comedy Basement, in downtown Jerusalem.
David also tours as a Maggid with very few stories, if you invite him.
Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom
We have all had times in our lives where we wanted to hurt a family member. Sometimes we just take their toys.
Most of the time we do not abuse our younger siblings in shule...Nobody knew what to do when Chezky was pulling out Devorah's hair last week in Kiddush. I think the whole shule just stood around.
(37:25) After sending Yosef to a pit, they sit down to eat.
That is a problem. How do you sit down to eat when you are throwing your own brother into a pit? How do we eat when we are looking at globs of hair thrown all around the social hall?
How can you want to kill your brother, throw him in a pit and not even care? To the point where you can sit and enjoy a meal?
I think this congregation knows. All the herring at the kiddush was gone in 12 minutes, and Chezky was still pulling what was left of Devorah's hair. Nobody did a thing. Just kept on eating. Even saw a fight over at the schnapps table. Just fighting and bickering...Were we all fine with it because Devorah got the good dolls from her mom?(37:25-28) Because he is their flesh and blood, they make the decision to not kill Yosef. They decide to show compassion and sell.
It must have been real bad. Yosef must have not been on good terms with his brothers. There are times that I make the decision to sell stuff from this shule. Yes, there is deep-seated hatred in this congregation. Oh, how Berns always flashes his pimped out smoking jacket...Hasn't worn a suit jacket since we've known him...But I care, so I sell. I sold the shule's silver breastplate. Why? Because we are brethren, and what am I going to get out of disbanding this congregation?
I know I would have gotten in trouble if I was part of any sale of sibling. But sometimes, you look at Chezky and you think, it might be better to be sold...We must care about our siblings...I care about my siblings....
Sibling rivalries must stop in this congregation. Not one of the children is an athlete. Ear biting must stop. We must stop this favoritism, of giving more herring to the youngest child. It causes resentment.
We don't have our tradition anymore of the ancient slave trade (37:35). Why kill when you can make money? Is there a Poteefar who will take a suburban Jew?....It is about how we use our children correctly...selling Innisbrook and World's Finest chocolate- another tradition of child labor which is has been forgotten....
Yakov cared though. He is mourning, a deep depression of sorts...The problem was with the siblings who did not care. Could not empathize with their jealousy. A jealousy as deep as a plate more full at kiddush...There is a lot of non-care in this congregation. Many people in this congregation have wanted to get rid of their children. Instead, like the brothers, they send them to school, so that they can gain from their children when they retire...
That is what happens with siblings pull hair and we just sit around. Yakkov didn't know. But we do. We have the chance to educate our children. Teach them to care. You don't just look at a bunch of hair on the floor and a bald 6 year old and then go back to eating your sponge cake. Sponge cake which makes me sick to my stomach even without the hair on the ground...even in a beauty salon, they sweep before watching the soap operas....and do not show up to shule in a smoking jacket.
You can hear Devora screaming in the halls right now. Does anybody care about that girl?
***These are excerpts from the sermon. For the sermon in its entirety, come see David Kilimnick perform at the Off The Wall Comedy Basement, in downtown Jerusalem.
David also tours as a Maggid with very few stories, if you invite him.
Shabbat Shalom
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