Jewish Musings Thursday, December 14, all 8 candles tonight

[hollygail]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[hollygail]

What’s the difference between Chanukah and a dragon? One lasts for eight nights, the other sometimes ate knights.
Who is the most powerful potato? Darth Tater.
Why did the potato cross the road? He saw a fork up ahead.
What do you call a lazy spud? A couch potato.
What kind of donut can fly? A plain donut.
Why did the donut go to the dentist? To get a filling.
How much Hanukkah gelt did the skunk get? One scent.
What do you call a Jewish rapper? Dr. Dreidel.
Why did the dreidel go to the doctor? It kept getting dizzy spells.

Okay. You can stop groaning now.

One thing we may learn from Miketz, this week's Torah portion, is that life is filled with tests of character. That was what Joseph was doing to his brothers — seeing if they had really changed (and there may be some pure vengeance going on as well!). Joseph tightens the screws by framing Benjamin. The stakes for all involved have just been raised.

Has your character ever been tested? When was it tough to decide right from wrong? And/or do you agree that Joseph was bullying his brothers? Could he have handled things differently?

And have you ever been in any sort of similar position (to any of the above)?

As a teacher, I've been tested by students. There was one boy about 6 or 7 years ago who behaved in a way that pushed my buttons; I reacted (in a negative way). The following week, he did it again (and so did I). Then I realized what he was doing. The third Sunday when he tried to push the same button, I ignored what he said and didn't react at all. In the same hour, he answered a question I'd posed, and although it wasn't the answer I was looking for, I praised him for his clear thinking about the matter. That's all it took. Not only did he stop pushing my buttons, but became one of the best behaved kid in the class and also turned out to be one of the brightest. We were able to become friends. I was really proud of myself for noticing what went wrong and even more proud of myself for handling the problem so well. He shone at his bar mitzvah! (Every single adult member of his family thanked me. Apparently they weren't all that sure he was going to make it through that day, let alone with flying colors!)

[gazelle18]

Practicing law was one constant ethical challenge after another. In my life as a lawyer, clients looked to me to guide -and often decide. Sometimes my job was to steer them away from danger , even though they had no idea that’s what I was doing. (Would it have been ethical to carefully explain ALL of the alternatives and let them pick, knowing they might pick the really dumb choice? Or would it have been more ethical to only suggest the one or two choices that made sense, knowing I was only giving them a partial explanation?) This is just one example of how I had to deal.

One time I was the recipient of incredibly kind treatment from another lawyer. We were reaching a settlement, and the document I drafted left out something important and valuable to my client. He would have been within his rights not to point out my oversight. It would have been “better” for his client, and my client might never have realized my mistake. But he knew I’d be upset and that my mistake was an honest one. So he quietly called me over, mentioned the oversight, and gave me an opportunity to correct it.

This lawyer had an ethical choice to make: be collegial and fair to opposing counsel versus represent your client zealously. He chose the first. I think it showed character on his part.

[peachymom1]

I don't think Joseph was bullying his brothers. Joseph was hated by his brothers, thrown into a pit, then dragged out and sold as a slave. He went to prison for something he didn't do, and his rich, powerful father never came looking for him. Joseph had no way to know that his father believed him dead, and he certainly had no reason to believe his brothers had changed. They deserved every deception Joseph cooked up. Not a pleasant character test, but understandable. Joseph was the second-most powerful man in Egypt - he could have had his brothers killed on sight. But instead he gave them a chance. I think that says something about Joseph's character.

[lee058]

Good afternoon everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Re today's topic: Re being tested: I feel like I am tested frequently, as to whether or not I can stay calm, productive, kind, and various other good character traits. What do I do? The best I can. It's not perfect, but it's me, so I am pretty much okay with that. Sometimes. Not always. I go back and forth between "good enough" and "you could have done better" and "hey, that was good!" I'm a mixed bag, but generally I like the way I handle things. It has taken a long time to get there, but it's worth it.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[louise]

I'm late and off topic but I went to the cemetery today with a friend and saw my mother's stone. Big day. I brought stones with me I had brought back from Israel. It was very moving - so glad a friend could come with me.