In the Torah portion of Miketz, Yosef has been taken out of jail and called before Pharaoh to interpret the ruler’s disturbing dreams. In Bereishis (41:33) Yosef advises Pharaoh to select someone to oversee Egypt who is an “ish navon v’chacham.” Although a casual translation would simply indicate the need to choose someone wise to protect the kingdom from famine, Yosef specifically uses two words, navon and chacham. The Rashbam says that in this context the words mean “knowledgeable” and “possessing foresight.” Rambam explains this as, “possessing technical skills” and “people skills.” Even the pagan Pharaoh recognizes that, while being wise is vital to perform the difficult tasks at hand, Yosef also possesses the Divine “spirit of G-d within him.” Yosef is therefore much more than wise. It is for this reason that Pharaoh chooses Yosef to become the viceroy of Egypt.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the words navon v’chacham. The Talmud, in Tamid 32, refers to a chacham as someone who can ascertain the consequences of future actions. When we meet those rare individuals, who are both a chacham and a navon, we are surely meeting someone who possesses the Divine spirit.

?I like the American holiday of Thanksgiving which was just celebrated. Unfortunately, these days, instead of giving thanks to G-d and showing gratitude to others, many Americans think that Thanksgiving is simply a time to shop for bargains.

Giving thanks and showing appreciation are core Jewish values. The Modim prayer of thanksgiving is recited daily in our Shmoneh Esrei/Amidah. As Chanukah approaches, we Jews are reminded to be thankful for the miracles that Hashem performed for our ancestors. Our survival then, as now, has always relied upon miracles. In recent times, though, both of these holidays have become more about getting than giving. It seems that we need to be reminded to give with an open hand, to appreciate, and to be thankful, because our spiritual health and wellbeing require it.

?During the past year I have, on several occasions, reprinted articles written by the award-winning British journalist Melanie Phillips. Because she lives in London and is not an American, Melanie has a unique objectivity when commenting on what’s happening in the United States. As mentioned in one of my previous articles, Melanie introduces herself as a “liberal who was mugged by reality.” Her most popular book is entitled Londonistan: How Britain is Creating a Terror State Within. Unfortunately, the United States and most other naïve Western democracies have also created “terror states within.”

On the day after the U.S. elections, Melanie wrote the following article, which appeared in several major British publications.
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As we approach this year’s Yomim Nora’im, we cannot forget the horrors that occurred on October 7, 2023, which, last year, coincided with Shemini Atzeres.

A year ago, Jews in Israel were vociferously divided and rigid in their animosity towards one another. This culminated last Yom Kippur, when secular Jews broke up a group of worshippers in Tel Aviv claiming that they – the worshipers – were destroying the city’s secular ambiance. On Motzei Yom Kippur, when I read about the Tel Aviv tragedy, my heart sank. I knew that when there is such extreme animosity among Jews, we become weakened and vulnerable. I felt that something awful was going to occur. Then, just 13 days later, the slaughter happened. Of course, our enemies do not discriminate between secular and religious Jews. In their reptilian eyes, a Jew is a Jew.

Sadly, many of our Israeli (and Diaspora) brothers and sisters are still divided, but this Rosh Hashanah, our enemies in the North have served as the catalyst for some renewed internal unity among the Jewish people. How tragic it is that, for most of Jewish history, our unity has been inspired by those who desire our destruction.

In my youth, almost every Orthodox shul had a shamash. I fondly remember the elderly shamash who would pinch my cheeks at my grandpa’s shul when I was young. For those unfamiliar with the role and responsibilities of the shamash, I’ll explain. If you google the term, you’ll be informed that Shamash was a Mesopotamian sun god. Actually, there may have been some shamashim who thought of themselves in such terms. Nevertheless, for centuries, until rather recently, the shamash assisted the rabbi, the chazan, the baal koreh, and the gabbayim in the many tasks involved in maintaining and running a shul. In the shtetls of Europe, the shamash, using a special wooden mallet, would knock on the doors of congregants to wake them up and remind them to get to the minyan.

Because What Where When is a monthly publication, it is often difficult to write about current events when so many astonishing things are unfolding hour by hour. As I write these words, Israel is bracing for another Iranian attack. No other country, having already been repeatedly attacked, would stand back and await the enemy’s choice of time and place for a follow-up strike. In the Talmud Sanhedrin 72A, we learn, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first!” Unfortunately, the rules for Jews and Israel, which are being strictly enforced by the current administration in Washington, require Israel not to respond in an appropriate manner (a massive preemptive strike) since the U.S. woke appeasement policy requires that Israel, and America, must not upset their sworn enemies. Consider that the U.S. possesses the firepower to neutralize Iran. Nevertheless, the Iranian regime openly threatens America, Israel, and the free world. That’s because the Biden administration has demonstrated by its inaction that Iran need not to be concerned that the U.S. will respond decisively. Sadly, America is sorely lacking in leadership and resolve. It is for that reason that Iran has been emboldened.