BY RABBI ARNOLD SAUNDERS

The last couple of weeks has seen some very cold weather with significant accumulations of snow.
The snow started to fall a couple of weeks ago on Shabbat Parshat Vayeshev. I said in my Sermon that day that the snow was forecast in the Sedra as it says “ vayosefu od snow” (Bereshit 37,8 ).
However, that was of course a joke – albeit a very funny one!
I have though, in all seriousness, seen a Kabbalistic/ Chasidic prediction of this recent weather in this week “s Sedra, Vayigash.
The letters of the word Vayigash make up an acronym of “ Vav Yiheye Gimmel Shevat” -if the 3rd of Shevat falls on a Friday (as it does this year). If you then read it backwards it can stand for “Sheleg Gadol Yihyeh Vekor” – It will be a year of much snow and cold!
Don’t say you weren’t warned!