SHEMA; IT’S ALL HIS WILL
Gleaned from the thoughts of Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky
Our Sages tell us that when Yaakov met his beloved son Yosef, the one on whom rested the destiny of his people, the one whom he thought had perished years earlier, he recited the Shema. Yosef, on the other hand, did not recite the Shema. If their first encounter generates inspiration for Shema, why does Yosef not recite the Shema?
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT LIFT
In this week’s Parsha the brothers discover that Yosef is the viceroy in Egypt. When they tell their father, Yaakov, of the news he refuses to believe them. Only after seeing the wagons Yosef sent “did Yaakov’s spirit become alive.” What did Yaakov see in those wagons? Our Sages teach us that those wagons were sent by Yosef to remind Yaakov that the last verses of Torah they studied together before he left the house 22 years earlier were the laws of egla arufa. Therefore, when Yaakov saw those wagons he realized that it must have been Yosef who sent them and that he still remembers the Torah he learnt.
Continue reading Vayigash 5782THE SAFETY LINE
This week’s Parsha, Vayigash, opens at the climax of the drama playing out between Yosef and Yehudah. In last week’s Parsha Benyomin was implicated in stealing Yosef’s goblet for which Yosef committed Benyomin to be his slave. The Parsha ended in the middle of a dialogue between Yehudah and Yosef in which Yehudah offered to serve as a slave instead of Benyomin and to allow Benyomin to go home to his father. Yosef, however, would not budge. He insisted that Benyomin serve as his slave and Yehudah return home. Our Parsha begins with the continuation of that dialogue as Yehudah tries to shake Yosef’s decision. The Torah’s opening verse states “And Yehudah approached him…” We must ask, Yehudah was already standing before Yosef and was already engaged in speaking with him, what is the intent of this additional “approach”?
Continue reading Vayigash 5781THE SEED VAULT OF OUR PEOPLE
Excerpted from a talk from Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky zt’l
In the last 13 verses of our Parsha, Vayigosh, the Torah relates specific details regarding the manner in which Yosef managed the distribution of the food during the famine. It warrants investigation why should the Torah tell us of these details. There seems to be no relevance to the story of our people. Furthermore, if the Torah felt it was important why did she not mention these details in last week’s Parsha at the beginning of the famine, which would be its place chronologically.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
In this week’s Parsha, Vayigash, we find for the first time since the end of Vayishlach, that HaShem speaks to Yaakov and that Yaakov speaks to HaShem. It is striking that once Yaakov returns to the Land of his fathers, to the home of his father and establishes the monument which he promised, HaShem goes into hiding and does not reappear until Yaakov leaves the Land on his way to Egypt.
Continue reading Vayigash 5779SURVIVAL IN THE WILD
As we read this week’s Parsha, Vayigash, the incredible righteousness of Yosef is revealed. To appreciate the depth of his character let us spend a paragraph reviewing what transpired so that we can appreciate Yosef’s reaction.
Yaakov showed favoritism to Yosef by choosing him from the other sons in grooming him to be the leader. As a result, his brothers harbored a deep hatred and jealousy for him. This jealousy moved them to convict Yosef to be sold into eternal slavery. Once a person was enslaved in Egypt there was never a hope of being freed.
THE CLOUD
In this week’s Parsha, Vayigash, Yaakov and his family make their fateful move to Egypt to be with Yosef because of the famine that ravaged the land of Israel. It was fateful on account that this would be the beginning of a 210 year exile which would include over 80 years of bitter enslavement and would conclude with the Exodus. Before the making this move Yaakov sent his son, Yehudah, to establish an academy of Torah study so that when the family would arrive the Yeshiva would already be set up.
Continue reading Vayigash 5777Click for Shlomo Horowitz’s presentation of the Israeli Raid on Iraq’s Nuclear Reactor
When one stands on the same location where a miracle happened to him or his parents there is a special bracha to recite. The same is true on Chanukah when lighting the menorah we recite a bracha commemorating the miracle HaShem performed for our ancestors.
Remembering the miracles HaShem performs for us draws us closer to Him and that closeness opens up yet more channels of salvation.
Reb Shlomo’s presentation is a most magnificent pirsumi nesa. Enjoy and become inspired!
Paysach Diskind
THEY JUST DON’T MIX
Our Sages teach us that the rise of Antiochus and his evil decrees occurred because there was an overwhelming hisrashlus (lack of passion and alacrity) in our performance of mitzvos. It is noteworthy that Chazal do not say that there was diminished observance, only a diminished passion. As long as the mitzvos are being performed why is passion so critical? Also, how did it diminish?
Continue reading Vayeishev 5783ASTRONOMICAL PROPORTIONS
This week’s Parsha Vayeishev begins the drama of Yosef and the brothers that will continue through the next several Parshios. The drama is extreme and there is cause for great concern that the reader will project his own set of life experiences on the players of this drama. For example, when reading that the brothers were jealous when Yaakov gave Yosef the special jacket we tend to project our own sense of petty jealousy. We extend that sense of jealousy to the point that they actually wanted to kill Yosef.
Continue reading Vayeishev 5782