Parshat Vayigash
Have you ever embarrassed someone in public whether on purpose or by mistake? I'm sure you have as we've all done this at least once in our lives. In Jewish thought embarrassing someone in public is considered a serious wrongdoing, at times it is even compared to killing someone. Judaism is sensitive to just how painful it is to be humiliated. In fact, Joseph provides a good model for us about this topic in Parshat Vayigash. Having been estranged and separated from his brothers for years, and now a a powerful Egyptian ruler, he could have so easily embarrassed them when he realized who they were. Since so many years had passed the brothers didn't recognize him (and, of course, Joseph made it harder by being dressed as an Egyptian). When he chooses to expose his true identity, Joseph demands that all the Egyptians leave the room. Now, only when he is alone with his brothers, does he reveal his identity. Not knowing how they will react, he protects their privacy by asking anyone from outside the family to leave the room. Despite the harm they have done him early in his youth, he still empathizes with their feelings and does not want to embarrass them in front of others.
Joseph's sensitivity gives us a clue of how to behave in our own home. By being more sensitive to one another's potential to be embarrassed or humiliated, we can spare hurt feelings.
TALK TO YOUR KIDS about how Joseph was sensitive to the feelings of his brothers and spared them embarrassment.
• Have you ever been embarrassed publicly? How did you handle the situation?
• Have you ever embarrassed someone else publicly? How did he/she react?
• What can we do to control our urges to embarrass others publicly?
Joseph's sensitivity gives us a clue of how to behave in our own home. By being more sensitive to one another's potential to be embarrassed or humiliated, we can spare hurt feelings.
TALK TO YOUR KIDS about how Joseph was sensitive to the feelings of his brothers and spared them embarrassment.
• Have you ever been embarrassed publicly? How did you handle the situation?
• Have you ever embarrassed someone else publicly? How did he/she react?
• What can we do to control our urges to embarrass others publicly?