Summary:
In our portion, the famous narrative of Joseph begins. Jacob is shown to favor his son Joseph, whom the other brothers resent. Joseph has dreams of grandeur. After Joseph's brothers had gone to tend the flocks in Shechem, Jacob sends Joseph to report on them. The brothers decide against murdering Joseph but instead sell him into slavery. After he is shown Joseph's coat of many colors, which had been dipped in the blood of a kid, Jacob is led to believe that Joseph has been killed by a beast. God is with Joseph in Egypt until the wife of his master, Potiphar, accuses him of rape, whereupon Joseph is imprisoned.
Lesson from our Haftarah Portion – Amos 2:6-3:8
Our haftarah was chosen because just as in our Torah portion where Joseph, known as a righteous person in the Talmud, is sold into slavery by his brothers, so too in our haftarah portion a righteous person is sold into slavery for silver. The rabbis make the connection and assume that Amos must have been thinking of Joseph.
In our haftarah Amos lashes out at the people for their transgressions. He was appalled at their behavior. Amos felt responsible, as a prophet, to denounce the immorality that surrounded him.
The people of Israel at the time were wealthy and comfortable. The rich had both summer and winter houses adorned with gorgeous furniture and fabrics. They enjoyed wine and abundant food and anointed themselves with precious oils. Yet at the same time, there was an absence of justice in the land. The poor were exploited and even sold into slavery. The judges were corrupt. Amos was furious with what he saw.
There are those who say that for Amos, religion was social justice. Clearly, for Amos religious observance is a sham when it does not lead to right living. Social justice played a large part in Amos’ worldview. However, his emphasis on social justice was not at the expense of religiosity. He believed that God stands behind all of existence. It is God who gives us the commandments and demands that we live by them. We remember God with ritual and prayer and at the same time, we must live by the ethical guidelines given to us. Religion included ritual and prayer however religion without ethics is empty.
Following in the footsteps of the prophet Amos, Reform Judaism often emphasizes the ethical commandments. However, also like Amos, Reform Judaism has not forgotten that these commandments are holy. Along with social justice, we remember that spirituality is intrinsic to our Judaism. It is God’s desire that we care for the unfortunate and the needy.
Amos’ final message is one of hope. Despite the depth and variety of our transgressions, God will not abandon God’s people. Amos’ message resonates for us today. In a world of abundance, we cannot forget God’s message of concern for those in need. Amos reminds us that we can change. And Amos also reminds us that when we do, God will forgive.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Don Goor