Chazal teach us: Yerushalayim was destroyed because of groundless hatred (Yoma 9b). Fortunately, we are also informed of the antidote: Shalom. And though it sometimes seems as if peace only exists in some far-off dream, this week’s parsha – in which fantastic dreams are very much a common theme – we are shown that shalom is in fact a great dream to have. And all of this, ladies and gentlemen, reminded me of a song.
In a world where change has become a constant phenomenon, and opinions become obsolete almost more quickly than they come into style, Magen Avos is a perfect example of the fact that Chazal’s wisdom is timeless and eternal, relevant in all times and places, giving the Jewish people a stability that every individual, and all the other nations so desperately crave.
Does the Torah record every conversation that ever took place? Surely our Biblical ancestors spoke more than what is written in the Torah, so what is the Torah teaching us by describing this brief interaction that Yosef had while on his way to find his brothers?