“Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried: ‘Cause every man to go out from me.’ And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.” – Genesis 45:1

“And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him.” Genesis 45:14-15

Perhaps the simplest and most powerful message in this week’s parahsa is that even in the face of deep wounds families can heal, families can recover. The moment must be right. Here are two related prayers “For Family” and for “Family Healing.”

Dear Brother, Dear Sister
How long,
Dear brother,
How long has it been
Since we saw each other?
Stood together?
Wept upon each other’s necks?

How long,
Dear sister,
How long has it been
Since we embraced?
Shared stories?
Shed tears of joy and affection?

Come, let me hold you.
Come, let me hear you.
Come, let me see you.

And this moment will be for gladness.
This moment will be for blessing.
This moment will be for service.
And this moment will be for love.

Blessed are You,
G-d of our fathers and mothers,
You rejoice when families unite.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: My other prayers about family include: “For the Patriarch,” “For the Matriarch,” “For Our Sisters,” “For Our Brothers” and “For the Family Historian.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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