IT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE, BUT WHOSE YOU ARE
How fortunate we are that when we were enslaved in Egypt HaShem redeemed us!
This is the theme of our annual Pesach Seder. Ought we not ask ourselves why do we owe such gratitude to HaShem for redeeming us from Egypt, was it not HaShem who put us into Egyptian slavery? Perhaps we would be more grateful if He had left us alone.
THE MEN AND THE BOYS
The Baltimore community has been blessed with the good fortune of having the thoughts of Rav Tzvi Einstadter on Chumash recently published and available to all. The following was culled from Rav Tzvi’s second volume on Sefer Shemos.
In our Parsha the Torah states “And Moshe grew up and he went out to his brothers to share in their difficulties”. This verse indicates a direct correlation between Moshe becoming ‘grown up’ and his sense of responsibility to his brothers. To appreciate this connection let us consider the following.
ONE IS HE IS ONE FOR ME
The Midrash in our Parsha shares the following story. As the shevatim surrounded Yaakov’s bed before his leaving this world, Yaakov wanted to reveal the time when they would reach their destiny; the coming of Moshiach. To appreciate the scene we must recognize that with Yaakov on his bed surrounded by the 12 shevatim he was carrying the Shechina, the Presence of HaShem, similar to the Mishkan surrounded by the 12 tribes in the desert. As he lay there with the Shechina on him, he intended to reveal the ultimate time of Moshiach. However, the moment before he was to reveal it, the Shechina suddenly left him.
Continue reading Vayechi 5782WORDS 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 5782OUT FROM OPEN JAWS
As a child growing up in the 1960’s every Shabbos I thought of the Jews of the Soviet Union. Our family always sang the Shabbos zemer of Ko Ribon Olam. The third stanza forms a prayer to HaShem in which we plead with Him to please save the sheep from the mouth of the lion, and take out Your nation from their exile.
What a picture! The lion’s jaws are already open and the sheep is in his mouth. Once the lion closes his mouth there will be no more sheep. That is the illustration of HaShem’s people in this exile. This picture was certainly not an accurate description of the exile I was experiencing in Baltimore. It was, however, a perfect illustration of the plight of the Jews of the Soviet Union.
ASTRONOMICAL 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 5782KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Taken from the thoughts of Rabbi Ezriel Munk, Rabbi of Adass Yisroel – Berlin
In this week’s Parsha when Yaakov is alone, the angel (the spiritual source) of Eisov engages him in a wrestling match and tries to bring him down. The fight endures through the night and the angel is unable to topple Yaakov. At day-break the angel tells Yaakov that he must go. Yaakov refuses to release him unless the angel will bless him. The angel asks Yaakov what his name is to which Yaakov responds ‘Yaakov’. The angel then tells him that his name will no longer be Yaakov but will be Yisroel. Yaakov then asks the angel ‘and what is your name?’ to which he responds that he has no permanent name. Rashi explains that the angel’s name reflects the mission he is on. Since his mission changes his name changes as well.
FROM WHERE DO WE SPROUT?
Later in the Torah Yisro tells Moshe that he plans on leaving the Jewish people to return ‘to my land and to my birthplace’. This is the natural order because when you leave a place and you go to your birthplace you will first encounter your native land and only later arrive at your birthplace. It is therefore noteworthy in our Parsha when Yaakov tells Lavan that he intends to go home; he inverts the order. He says to Lavan ‘send me and I will go to my place and to my land’. Why does Yaakov invert the order?
Continue reading Vayeitzei 5782