New Year's Resolutions/Can We Really Change

 Dear Friends,

As we conclude 2023 and conclude the reading of the Biblical narrative about Joseph, we read that Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers.

Rabbinic commentaries discuss the reason for Joseph's decision to  tell  his brothers that "I am Joseph, is our father still alive?"  His brother Judah gives a remarkable speech where he discussed their father and Joseph's younger brother Benjamin.

I believe  that something about the passion with  which Judah  spoke, moved Joseph to tears and to reconnect with his brothers.  Despite what his brothers had done to him when they  threw him in  a pit, Judah's speech shows that that at least, Judah, had changed.

As we conclude 2023 and think  about our own capacity for change, I hope that one of our  New Year's resolutions will be to be willing to accept that people can change and that part of being human is growing and evolving.

Too  often we only remember things that people have done to  us and hold grudges.  I believe that for us to build more peaceful relationships, we must be willing to forgive and to believe that people can and do change.

In the song, "The Boxer," by  Simon and Garfunkel, there is a verse that says, "people hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest."  May 2024 be a year where we truly listen to each other and change our world by being more understanding.

Finally, I hope the following lyrics to an Israeli song, inspire you  as they  inspire me.(see below)

Happy Secular New Year!

Rabbi  Bruce Aft


Ani VeAta  (literally I and You)

 Arik Einstein & Micki Gavrielov


Translation

You and I will change the world,
You and I, then all will follow.
Others have said before, but that doesn't matter.
You and I will change the world.

You and I will start at the beginning
It will be difficult.
But that doesn't matter. It's not so bad.
Others have said before, but that doesn't matter.
You and I will change the world.


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