In Vayashev, this week’s Torah portion, we read of Yakov giving Yosef, his chosen son, a pied jacket and all of his dreams. This all sow the seeds of contempt of Yosef by his brothers. Ultimately this lead to them selling their brother into captivity. In the middle of all of this drama Yakov sends Yosef to look after his brothers. It seems like Yakov is either in on their scheme to do him harm or aloof to their feelings of Yosef. There we read:

…When he reached Shechem, a man came upon him wandering in the fields. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” He answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Could you tell me where they are pasturing?” The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” So Yosef followed his brothers and found them at Dothan. ( Genesis 37: 14-17)

Who was this mysterious man? Rashi explains that this was none other than Gabriel the Angel. This is clearly a pivotal part of the story. The Torah would go in a dramatic different direction if Gabriel did not point Yosef toward his brother’s in Dotan. We also do not know what would have happened if Yosef has stayed with Gabriel.

I was thinking about this sliding door moment earlier this year when watching Bad Shabbos. In the dark comedy an engaged interfaith couple’s plan for a peaceful first meeting of their families during a traditional Shabbat dinner in New York City is derailed by an accidental death that forces the family into a frantic cover-up. The story revolves around David and his Catholic fiancée Meg who is undergoing conversion classes. The couple hosts both sets of parents for a Friday night Shabbat dinner in the Upper West Side apartment of David’s parents, Ellen and Richard. 

Before Meg’s conservative, Midwestern Catholic parents arrive, a prank by David’s younger, rebellious brother, Adam, goes horribly wrong, resulting in the accidental death of Benjamin, the disliked boyfriend of David’s sister Abby. Panicked and desperate to maintain a façade of normalcy, the Jewish family — along with an assist from their building’s doorman, Jordan (played by Method Man) — attempts to hide the body and cover up the incident before the in-laws walk through the door. The doorman plays a critical role to save the day.

The majority of the film focuses on the chaotic and humorous lengths the family goes to in order to keep the crime a secret during the dinner, which involves bending Jewish traditions, inventing new ones, and navigating various family tensions and culture clashes. The tension is heightened by a ticking clock element as the doorman’s shift change approaches, adding urgency to their farcical scheme.  I just loved the character of Jordan. And when it come sto the plot he is a delightful Gabriel. We are left assuming things go well because it could not have ended any other way.

Shabbat Shalom