When Judah went to Egypt - Miketz

KMTT's podcast about the weekly portion is delivered this week by rabbi Ezra Bick - next week regular rabbi Chanoch Waxman will return. Bick neatly continues where Waxman left off last week. We continue to discuss the position of Judah among his brothers. Like last week, we try to discover where Judah becomes the primus inter pares.

In Parshat Miketz (or Mikeitz), hunger strikes Canaan and a travel to Egypt is needed. The brothers should go, but among them, should Benjamin come along? Eventually he must, but how to persuade Jacob, who is already heartbroken for the loss of Joseph. The oldest, Ruben, takes a try, but does not succeed.

It is from here that Judah takes the lead. Judah convinces Jacob and the whole bunch journeys to Egypt. In the next parasha (vayigash) Joseph will play his trick on Benjamin and Judah will proceed his leading role, as Ezra Bick explains. More next week from rabbi Waxman.

Midwest Writer - Guided Writing

Here is a podcast that will help you write your novel. Writer Jean Tennant takes you step by step through the process. There is nothing more specifically Midwest about this, than that Tennant is from the Midwest. I am three podcasts into the series and so far all of the advice was very helpful.

Tennant is the first to emphasize every writer has his own mode of working and her organized approach may not suit you, but you are free to pick form the advice what you like. Personally I am taken in by the systematic set up. That is maybe because I am an intuitive writer and what I lack in order, needs to be consciously added.

The only reserve I had was when she went over the list of genres. I could think of a couple more and personally did not feel inclined to choose any of the ones she listed. But certainly this is a minor point. You can go on with her and pile up your ideas, flesh them out, outlining and characterizing just as she proposes. This is a very promising podcast I will continue to listen to.