Every week, Julie Seltzer, artist and Torah

scribe, bakes a challah

challah

Pronounced: KHAH-luh, Origin: Hebrew, ceremonial bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

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depicting an aspect of the week’s Torah portion.

And they told him, saying: ‘Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them. (Genesis 45:26)

וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ לֵאמר, עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי, וְכִי-הוּא משֵׁל, בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ, כִּי לא-הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם

This is Jacob’s heart. He has been living in pain for many years, under the impression that his favored son Joseph was torn up and eaten by an animal. When the brothers reveal the news that Joseph is alive, the Torah tells us that “his heart fainted.”