GOOD MORNING!  There are two ways to gain wisdom about life -- study revealed wisdom (the Torah) or look at life and
distill the wisdom (philosophy, history, science). In Jewish law, one
is obligated to stand for a scholar and for an elderly person -- even
if the elderly person is not well-versed in Torah. Why? If a person
is advanced in years he has lived life and has therefore gained
wisdom about life.

We can even learn lessons from the animals. I bring to you
this week a beautiful piece I received from Neil Hamburger who
received it from his sister, Nancy Nashban. It discerns wisdom
from the behavior of geese. By the way, if you would like to read an
uplifting and insightful book which investigates the inherent purpose
and design of creation, read Designer World by Rabbi Avraham
Katz, distributed by Feldheim Books (available from your local
Jewish bookstore or by calling toll free 877-758-3242).

LESSONS FOR LIFE FROM GEESE

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird
following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds a 71%
longer flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People
who share a common direction and sense of community can go
where they are going quicker and easier when they travel on the
thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels
the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back
into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird
immediately in front. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a
goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where
we want to go.

When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation
and another goose takes over at the point position. Lesson: It
pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership
because people, like geese, are interdependent upon each other.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage
those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson: We need to make
sure our honking from behind is encouraging -- not something less
helpful.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two
geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and
protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly again or
dies. Then they launch out on their own, either with another
formation or to catch up with the original flock. Lesson: If we have
as much sense as geese, we'll stand by each other like they do.

Torah
Portion of the Week
Mikeitz

Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Pharaoh likes Joseph's interpretation of his dream and then appoints him to be in charge of Egypt's economy. The Torah states, "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'after the Almighty has
informed you of all this, there is no one who is as understanding and wise as you.' " How could Pharaoh trust Joseph whose resume listed his last two positions as "convict" and "slave"?