Chanukah, Light, and Happiness Amidst Adversity

It's Chanukah, but we never got the decorations up.  I have quite a collection of Chanukah decorations, most of them delightfully cheesy, like the string of menorah lights.  Most years, I put them up before Chanukah with the kids and it makes the house a little more cheerful amid the winter gloom.  This year, I …

Yosef’s Dreams and the Faith Clinic

In this week's Parsha, Yosef has dreams that he will be the greatest of his brothers and yet, he finds himself thrown into a pit and then wrongfully imprisoned on his way to greatness.  There had to be times, in the pit or in the jail cell, that Yosef's dreams had to seem very far …

And Leah’s Eyes Grew Dim

I know we've moved on from the epic story of Jacob and Leah in the parsha.  This week, we're talking about Joseph and his dreams and how he wound up sold into slavery.  However, in my own life, this morning, the idea of Leah's eyes came to me. It's often said that Leah's eyes were …

Vayeitzei, Cancer, and the Power of Laughter

In this weeks parsha, poor Jacob goes through a lot of trials.  First, he has to flee his home under threat of violence from his brother.  Then, he sleeps on a rock and wrestles with an angel, earning him the name Israel and a wound he carries the rest of his life.  When he does …

Asher Yotzar and Watching Him Sleep

When my children were babies, I used to catch myself staying awake even though I was exhausted just to watch them sleeping.  I'd marvel at their perfection and I would have this feeling of not wanting to miss a single moment.  I wanted to make time stand still and memorize every feature of them. Since …