Asking forgiveness of people we may have aggrieved is a core principle in Judaism, and is central to a developmentally useful process leading up to Yom Kippur. But interpersonal issues and squabbles are complex. We will study two Talmudic texts that present a basic framework, and analyze the motives and circumstances of the Talmud’s Biblical proof text about Joseph’s brothers asking him for ‘forgiveness.’ This will help us to better understand the process and what we can hope to achieve through it.
