Venue: Young Israel of Oceanside Young Israel of Oceanside

Parsha:

Vayeishev 

Collections: R' Jonathan Muskat Drashot

Description

This drasha explores whether Judaism values instinctive passion or deliberate reason by drawing on Daniel Kahneman’s distinction between fast, intuitive thinking and slow, reflective thinking. Through the story of Yosef and his brothers, it shows how Reuven interrupts a moment of destructive impulse by forcing reflection, saving Yosef’s life by slowing the brothers down. Yet Reuven’s later failure reveals the limits of logic without heart. Yehuda, by contrast, succeeds through raw emotional commitment—but only because Reuven’s earlier intervention had already grounded the family morally. The drasha concludes that the Torah does not choose between reason and passion: true leadership emerges when careful thought shapes instinct, allowing passion to become holy and trustworthy. This balance is embodied by the Chashmonaim, whose intuitive response to the Chanukah miracle flowed from lives deeply formed by Torah.