December 19th, 2020 — Shabbat Miketz
Names and the act of naming (and renaming) play a central role in the Torah. In a midrash on Parshat Miketz, the rabbis imagined a poignant exchange between Joseph and his younger brother Benjamin, who named each of his children after his lost beloved older brother. This powerful exchange and the emphasis on names teach us how to conjure the presence of loved ones and to affirm the infinite value and dignity of every human being.