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Page 1: Oneg Vayigash

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ME 1. Yaakov lived for 147 years unlike his father, Yitzchok, who lived 180 years. The Avos

were all meant to live to 180. Why did he die 33 years earlier?

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K I N D L Y S P O N S O R E D לעילוי נשמת הש"ץ שלמה בן אברהם משה ז"ל לעילוי נשמת חנה בת אלעזר ע"ה

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בס"ד

19th December 2015 ז' טבת תשע"ו

פרשת ויגש

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I recently heard a story about two brothers who were separated during the war, one of whom managed to escape from Poland to America, while the other was left under the icy grip of the Soviet Union.

After twenty years they discovered each other, and were able to meet, if somewhat briefly, somewhere deep inside Russia under the watchful eye of the KGB. How emotional that first moment of reunion must have been! The tears, the joy, disbelief – and of course gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

In our parsha, a somewhat similar scene plays itself out – Yosef, his father’s darling child, missing presumed dead for twenty two years, is finally reunited with Yaakov. Yosef, second only to the king Pharaoh, wearing his finest garb of power and kingship, breaks down in public and cries on his father’s neck. Meanwhile, Yaakov’s expected reciprocation of emotion is strangely omitted from the pesukim. Rashi explains in the name of Chazal that in fact Yaakov didn’t cry or even kiss his son – he was occupied with saying Shema. Why did Yaakov chose this moment of all moments to be busy and seemingly ignore his son’s tears?

Perhaps we can suggest an answer based on an examination of an earlier moment in the parsha. When Yosef caves in and reveals his identity to his brothers the shevotim, they are left speechless. Speechless with the shock of the realisation that while they had thought that they had been right in their rejection of Yosef’s dreams, the opposite was true, and they themselves had brought about his rise to power.

Speechless with the knowledge of the harm they had attempted to cause him and no doubt fear of what he might seek to do to avenge himself. Yosef attempts to comfort his brothers and says the following (45:8)

“And now, it is not you that sent me here rather Elokim, who has made me a father to Pharaoh etc”.

This statement is astonishing. Remember, Yosef had spent many years in servitude due to his brothers, and it would be most understandable if he had more than a little feeling of resentment against them because of this. Yosef Hatzaddik however felt otherwise. He bore no grudge against his brothers because he recognised that all that had befallen him while seemingly disastrous had actually been for the good. The hardship which he had endured had been a “blessing in disguise” – because (45:5) “to sustain (us) Elokim sent me in front of you”. As the Sforno points out (on verse 9)Yosef was telling his brothers that since the purpose had clearly been Divine surely so the means, that is to say, that the achieved purpose could not have been achieved in any other way, and therefore was for the good.

Often in life we are sent challenges, some of them momentary, others somewhat longer and some of them life long. We need to constant remind ourselves that Hashem is good, the whole existence of the world to for Him to be able to do good. All that occurs to us is ultimately for the good, just sometimes that good is readily apparent and other times hidden. This is a difficult concept to internalise, a fact reflected by Chazal; the gemora says that in the future we will make a bracha of hatov ve hameytiv on both good and bad, but in the world in its current state we make this brocho only on the

recognisable good, and on mishaps, baruch dayan ha’emes. We are not expected to be able to see the good in such things, to the extent that we can bless Hashem equally as we do on something joyous. However, we should try eventually to give presence to the thought which should be with us on some level – gam zu letova – this also is for the good!

Perhaps this then, was what happened when Yaakov was reunited with Yosef. In krias shema we declare that Hashem is One – this means that all that happens, whether for good or seemingly bad, is from Him. There is nothing other than His will and it unfortunately necessary sometimes for bad things to happen. Often we do not and cannot understand why, and yet nonetheless we believe in His Oneness –

“Everything is from Him”.

For twenty two years Yaakov was inconsolable over the loss of his son. Upon seeing Yosef again Yaakov realised with a powerful clarity – that not for one second had Hashem abandoned him, and that really, all that had transpired, had been for his and his family’s good. What could be more appropriate then, for Yaakov to declare acceptance of Hashem’s kingship at this moment?

We have a twice daily opportunity to contemplate this thought, at the beginning and the end of every day. May Hashem help us to be able to see His hand in all that He does.

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GOODNESS: THE FOUNDATION OF THE UNIVERSE

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Riddle of the Week by Boruch Kahan

Two people in this week’s Sedra share the same name. What is it and how are they related to each other?Any comments can be directed to [email protected]. Answer on back page.

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ME 2. In Parshas Vayigash, where do we see a hint to the way

children eat?

S P O N S O R E D

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AHVAYIGASH – INSIGHTS INTO RASHI:

YOSEF’S REUNION WITH BINYAMIN

Rabbi Yehonoson GefenRabbi for Keter HaTorah

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BEREISHIS, 45:14: “Then he fell upon his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck.”

RASHI, 45:14: SV. Then he fell upon his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept: Over the two Temples that were destined to be in the portion of Binyamin, and whose end was to be destroyed.

Upon the momentous reunion of Yosef with his brother Binyamin, Yosef sees through ruach hakodesh that in the future, the two Temples which will be located in Binyamin’s portion will be destroyed, and this brings him to tears. The obvious question is why Yosef received this vision at this point in particular? In order to answer this question it is necessary to delve more deeply into the saga of mechiras Yosef.

It seems clear that there is an underlying connection between the whole episode and the future tragedies that would befall the Jewish people with regards to the destruction of the Temples. The Megaleh Amukos provides the first key to discerning this connection.1 He writes that all the exiles were caused by the sale of Yosef. In particular, it seems that the sinas chinam (baseless hatred) that was generated in this tragic story was the cause of all the future hatred that caused such damage to the Jewish people throughout history.

It seems that Yosef understood the long-term significance of the damage caused by his sale, and this can help us understand his actions when the brothers came to Mitzrayim. The commentaries are very bothered as to why Yosef acted so harshly towards the brothers, thereby causing intense pain to the brothers and to his father, Yaakov Avinu.2 The Kli Yakar explains in great detail that everything Yosef did to them before revealing himself was carefully planned to bring them to recognize the gravity of their sin in selling him and to rectify it.3 He did this by inflicting on them, measure for measure, the suffering that they caused him twenty two years earlier. For example, he threw them into a prison to correspond to the fact that they threw him into a pit; and he kept Shimon as prisoner in Mitzrayim because he was the main instigator of the plot to harm him; most significantly he placed them in a situation as similar as possible to the one they were in so many years earlier; where the other son of Rachel stood to be lost – would they now rectify their earlier hatred

1 Heard from my dear friend, Rabbi Eli Birnbaum.2 See Ramban, 42:9.3 Kli Yakar, 42:9.

of Yosef by willing to give up everything to save Binyamin? Indeed it is apparent from the Torah’s account that his goal was being fulfilled as we see that they increasingly recognised that the tribulations they were undergoing now were teaching them of the severity of their sin in selling Yosef, until the point where Yehuda showed how dedicated they were to saving Binyamin.4

Yet it is clear that he did not succeed in completing his goal of bringing them to complete teshuva; after Yehuda’s passionate plea for mercy, the Torah tells us that Yosef could no longer continue his pretense. The clear implication is that ideally he planned to continue even further.5 The reason for this is that he realised that he had not yet fully rectified the hatred and distrust sowed so many years earlier. And the ramifications of this failure were enormous – it meant as we said in the beginning, that the remaining remnants of hatred would emerge to plague the descendants of the Shevatim in future generation.

We can now approach why Yosef cried at this point in particular about the destruction of the Temples. The second Temple is easier to understand. As is well known, the cause of its destruction was sinas chinam (baseless hatred); accordingly Yosef cried at this moment for its destruction because he now recognized that his failure to continue the rectification process, indirectly facilitated the sinas chinam that resulted in the Second Temple’s destruction.

The connection between the first Temple and mechiras Yosef is a little more complicated. The basic explanation is that there was one particular event that began the sequence of events that culminated in the Temple’s destruction; this was the split of the two Kingdoms. This created a situation where the Northern Kingdom quickly deteriorated into idol worship which in the long-term filtered into the Southern Kingdom, culminating in the Temple’s destruction. The person who caused this split to take place in such a destructive way was Yeravam Ben Navat, a descendant of Yosef. This split was essentially an extension of the momentous clash in this week’s Parsha between Yehuda and Yosef. Had that clash been fully resolved then the future split could never have taken place with the disastrous ramifications that ended with the first Temple’s destruction.6 This was why Yosef was crying at this momentous occasion about events that would take place hundreds of years later.

We have developed a deeper understanding of the long-term ramifications of mechiras Yosef – by learning from what transpired we can strive to continue the rectification process that Yosef nearly completed.

4 Bereishis, 42:21-22.5 Bereishis, 45:1 See Shem Mishmuel, Bereishis Shnas תרעא sv.venireh, p.270, who understands the

passuk this way.6 It is true that later incidents are described as the cause of the split (such as David HaMelech’s

acceptance of lashon hara about Mefisboshes and Shlomo HaMelech’s sin of not preventing his wive’s from worshipping idols), yet it seems that the foundation for the split to take place was laid at this time.

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ME

3. How long did the famine actually last?

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YOSEF’S GREATNESS AND KIBUD AV VO’EIM

Rabbi Zvi PortnoyLoughton & Chigwell Synagogue

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Perhaps one of the most emotive encounters in the entire Torah takes place in this week’s parsha. A complicated series of events comes to a crescendo in that incredibly tense moment in which Yosef, revealing himself to his brothers for the first time after 13 years in slavery, asks his brothers ‘haod avi chai – is my father still alive?’ .

Yet if one looks at Yosef’s broader goal for a minute, we see something

astounding. Let us ask ourselves; what was this grand scheme of Yosef

Hatzadik all about? He concocts an intricate plan which requires the

brothers to bring Binyomin down to Mitzrayim in order to acquire food.

He then sets up another twist in the plot by placing his own silver goblet

in Binyomin’s sack. It works beautifully, the money is found in his sack

and Binyomin is taken prisoner.

Why? What it Yosef doing all of this for? Yosef’s plan is to get the

brothers to appear before him and beg for Binyomin back, and claim

as Yehuda does ‘ki eich e’ele el avi vehana’ar einenu iti’, that returning

home without one of his children, Binyomin, will destroy their father. At

this point Yosef stuns them with the question of all questions: ‘Ha’od

avi chai?’ Yosef knows his father is alive so what is he asking? Says

the Kli Yakar, Yosef was in effect saying to his brothers: why is it that

only regarding Binyomin you are worried about our father’s tza’ar? Was

our father in any less pain and distress when I was taken? In other

words, Yosef’s claim against the brothers and the grand plot which he

has been conjuring up was all aimed at asking his brothers the billion

dollar question: How is it that you are so worried for our father regarding

Binyomin’s disappearance – where was the concern for our father

with me?

Just think about this for a moment. Yosef, having been thrown into a

pit and left to die, sold to a bunch of traders and thrown into a dungeon

suffered tremendously, and his primary claim against his brothers is how

they could do this to their father!

What about any claim he had against them for what they did to him?

What about the claim they made that he was being mo’red bemalchus by

trying to take Yehuda’s place as the ‘melech’? It would seem he didn’t

believe they were guilty. Yosef felt that that’s not what they needed to do

teshuva for at this moment in time. The key here is to appreciate that this

incident was not Yosef coming to his brothers and saying: ‘you see I was

right’! He doesn’t appear to be making a case for himself at all.

Yet this is where it becomes a little difficult. The Ramban famously

asks the question why Yosef didn’t ‘phone home’ in all this time to let

his father know about his whereabouts: “One can only wonder…. after

Yosef’s multi-year sojourn in Egypt, how could he not have sent even one

letter to his father to inform him and to comfort him? After all, Egypt is

only a six-day journey from Chevron. Respect for his father would have

justified even a year’s journey!”

Here was Yosef, admonishing his brothers for giving their father so

much tza’ar, when by the very intricate plan he created for doing so he

added even further tza’ar by causing Binyomin to leave Yaakov! The

Ramban’s answer as to why indeed Yosef didn’t contact Yaakov answers

this question too.

The Ramban, among others, claims that Yosef at this point in his life,

does not see himself as a free agent. Instead, he was motivated by what

he believed to be a Divinely-ordained mission. Yosef believed that he was

the Divinely-chosen instrument for his family’s salvation. He could not

therefore contact his father prematurely. He had to wait until the time

came when the dreams could be fulfilled. This same answer is perhaps

an explanation as to how he could add further tza’ar to Yaakov in forcing

Binyomin to come down to Mitzrayim, whilst giving tochocha (rebuke) to

his brothers for that very same crime!

Yosef, after so much pain and misery, suffering and anguish, has one

thing on his mind when he meets the perpetrators of his suffering, Kibud

Av, honouring his father –asking how has our father been throughout this

whole ordeal? A powerful message for anyone privileged to be able to

perform this mitzvah!

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ME 4. Yosef gave more presents to Binyomin that his brothers. How could he not be

concerned that once again this would arouse the jealousy of the other brothers?

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AHPARSHAS VAYIGASH: WHEN SILENCE

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Rabbi Dr Julian ShindlerDirector of the Marriage Authorisation Office, Office of the Chief Rabbi

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In what is possibly the most emotionally-charged passage in the entire Torah, the opening section of the sedra describes the moment when Yosef finally reveals his true identity to his brothers. After many years of separation, having been cast into a pit by his jealous siblings and then sold into slavery, they are re-united in Egypt.

Yosef, having arranged for a silver goblet to be planted and then ‘discovered’ in Binyomin’s sack decrees that Binyomin is to be held hostage, whereupon Yehudah approaches him and makes an impassioned plea for clemency. He says in effect - since the soul of Binyomin is so intertwined with that of his father, should they return to Yaakov without Binyomin, it will kill him1.

At this juncture, this Egyptian nobleman, holding high office in the most powerful civilisation of the time, orders everyone to leave his presence vayitein es kolo bibchi, vayishmeu mitzrayim, vayishma beis Paroh - He cried in a loud voice that was heard by Egypt and Pharaoh’s household. And after regaining his composure he addressed his brothers and said Ani Yosef, ha’od avi chai? “I am Yosef; Is my father still alive? Just those five words. And the Torah records that on hearing this, the brothers were dumbstruck, unable to answer him.2

This narrative is puzzling because previously, when the brothers first appeared before Yosef, they told him all about their father. The second time they appeared before him, only the day before, Yosef had asked about their father ‘Is your elderly father of whom you spoke at peace? And they confirmed this saying odenu chai – he still lives3. And this

1 Bereishis 44:312 Ibid 45:1-33 Ibid 43:27-28

third time when Yehudah pleads for the release of Binyomin it is abundantly clear from what he says that Yaakov is alive.

Accordingly, we must conclude that if there was one thing that Yosef knew for certain, it was that his father was still alive! So the question ‘is my father still alive’ appears perplexing.

This difficulty is noted by the Beis HaLevi4 in an essay in which he highlights an astonishingly powerful comment of the midrash5 which only seems to amplify the point. When the rabbis came to this verse, they didn’t just offer an explanation, they let out a cry: “oiy lanu miyom hadin, oiy lanu miyom hatochecha” – Woe to us on the day of judgement; woe to us on the day of rebuke.” Yet where is the rebuke in Yosef’s question? Did he tell them off? All he said was - ‘Is my father still alive?

The Beis HaLevi’s analysis is insightful and compelling.

Yosef had listened to Yehudah’s eloquent soliloquy, telling him about all the anguish and the pain that would afflict his father if Binyomin did not return home. ‘How can I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest I witness the evil that will befall my father?’6 And, having heard this petition, Yosef turned to his brothers and said Ani Yosef – I am Yosef. And this is the resonance of those words:

Ani Yosef - I am Yosef, the brother you wanted to kill; Ani Yosef - I am Yosef, the brother you sold into slavery; Ani Yosef - I am Yosef, the brother that you didn’t want to bring back to his father! Ha’od avi chai – is my father still alive? All those years ago, when you could have saved him twenty-two years of grief – why didn’t you worry about him before? Why weren’t you concerned for his welfare?

Explains the Beis HaLevi, Yosef’s question was not a call for information; it was a rhetorical question. It was a stunning rebuke, a rebuke so powerful that the brothers were unable to speak because they were confronted with their inconsistent behaviour and incontrovertible guilt. The Gemara7 adds that when Rabbi Eliezer read this verse he cried, saying, that if the brothers were unable to answer the reproach of a human, how much more should one fear the rebuke of Hashem.

בית הלוי על התורה: פרשת ויגש, ד"ה 'אני יוסף' 45 Eg: Midrash Rabbah, Bereishis 93, 11; Yalkut Shimoni 1526 Bereishis 44,347 Chagigah 4b

This is why the Midrash bewails “oiy lanu miyom

hadin, oiy lanu miyom hatochecha”. Because when

the time eventually arrives when each individual is

called to give account for the way they have lived

their life, the many flawed excuses and mitigations

– even self-deceptions - that people sometimes

contrive to justify their mistakes, oversights,

inconsistencies, poor behaviour and aveiros, will

be exposed as fraudulent, leaving the person – like

Yosef’s brothers – awestruck and unable to answer.

DOSE OF HALACHA

Rabbi Chaim Cohen

Heating food on a Timer

Question: Can I use a timer on my hotplate to heat my chicken on Shabbos for lunch?

Answer:

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 253:5) writes that one may heat up a davar gush, dry solid food on Shabbos by placing it on top of another pot. One may place such food onto a hotplate whether it is on or off (but will be switched on with a timer).

While one mustn’t place a davar lach, a boiled food with liquid on the stove or hotplate on Shabbos, R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 10 OC:26) allows one to place such a pot on the hotplate while it’s off even though it will later switch on through a timer.

Most poskim, however, disagree. R’ Tzvi Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi OC 136) compares using a timer to later heat food to placing food on a stove that will be lit soon, which he argues is assur deoraisa. R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 1:26), the Chazon Ish (38:2-3) and R’ Benzion Abba Shaul (Ohr Letzion 2:30:18) write that while it isn’t assur de’oraisa, one still can’t do so on Shabbos because it is a problem of gerama, causing something to happen (though one could ask a non-Jew to do so while it was off).

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ME 5. Who informed Yaakov about Yosef still being alive and in what

way? How were they rewarded?

S P O N S O R E D

Sammy Epstein, Rabbi Shimshon Silkin, Rabbi Jeremy Golker , Rabbi Mendel Cohen , Rabbi Mendel Cohen , Osher Chaim Levene , Rabbi Raphy Garson , Eli Katz FR

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MY WEEKLY HALACHIC QUESTION

Rabbi Avi WiesenfeldRosh Kollel, Yerushalayim and Rav at Kav Halachah Beis Horaah H

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A Summary of the Halachos of Putting On, Wearing & Removing Tefillin - PART 3THE CORRECT POSITION

The Tefillin

 The entire tefillin box should be above the hairline (where the hair begins to grow1), exactly in the middle – between the eyes. One with long hair should be aware of his actual hairline.

It is proper to inform people who do not wear it in the correct position2.

Someone who is bald should place the tefillin in the place where his hairline used to be, if he does not remember exactly where that was, he should place it where most people’s hair line is3. Similarly, one with a very low hair-line on his forehead should place the tefillin above where the average person’s hair grows (even though his grows lower)4.

The Knot

The knot at the back of the head should be placed slightly above the area where the head gets soft at the base of the skull [see picture]5. No part of the knot should be in a place where there is no hair on the head6.

If the knot is below where the hair grows – his beracha is levatala (in vain)7. Even if he has hair

1 גמ' מנחות לז. שו"ע סי' כז ס"ט "מהתחלת עיקרי השער ממצחו". דהיינו ממקום התחלת צמיחת השערות שבראש – מ"ב שם ס"ק לג.

2 מ"ב שם ס"ק לג, וע"ע בערוה"ש שכתב וז"ל "ואשרי חלקם ושכרם גדול מאד".3 שו"ת ארץ צבי ח"א סי' יב.

4 שו"ת לבושת מרדכי ח"א סי' קי, שו"ת באר משה ח"ג סי' ז.5 מ"ב ס"ק לה.

6 מ"ב שם ס"ק לה. ועי' שו"ת אז נדברו ח"א סי' פח.7 מ"ב שם.

on his neck, the knot must be put above the

place that most people’s hair ends8.

The knot must be in the middle of one’s head,

not towards the side [see picture]9.

The strap should be tight around one’s head,

since this is the ‘tying’ of the tefillin, and also to

prevent it moving out of place10.

The Strap

One should make sure that the strap around

the head has the black smooth side facing

outwards11. Similarly the top of the strap that

emerges from the knot (at the back of the head)

should also be with the smooth side facing

outward12.

Although not required, it is nevertheless a

beautification of the Mitzvah to have the rest of

the strap (i.e., what lies in front of the person)

with the smooth side outwards13.

The above applies even to a strap that has both

sides painted black14.

8 כף החיים.9 שו"ע עפ"י גמ' מנחות "כלפי פנים". וכ"כ הגר"ז "שצריך ליזהר בזה מאד". וזה

מעכב בדיעבד – קצשו"ע ומ"ב.10 מ"ב ס"ק לה.

11 שו"ע סי' כז ס"יא עפ"י פירוש המ"ב.12 שו"ע שם עפ"י גמ' מנחות "ונוייהם לבר".13 כיון שאין זה מעיקר המצווה, פרמ"ג, מ"ב.

14 כף החיים.

Separations – חציצה

 One must ensure that there is nothing intervening between the tefillin and the body15. This applies to the tefillin box itself, and the part of the strap of the shel rosh and shel yad that is part of the

‘knot’16.

After a haircut, one should wash or shake his hair to remove any detached hairs17.

Dandruff is not a problem of a separation. Lice in the hair can pose a problem18.

 The first part of the strap that is wound around the arm must not have any separations under it, for example the sleeve of his shirt.

 If one has a plaster/band-aid on his arm between the strap and his arm, it is not a problem of a chatzitza. If it is under the tefillin box, a Rav should be consulted.

 Some write that it is praiseworthy to remove ones watch before putting the tefillin on, since some Poskim write that the complete strap should be directly on the body with no separation between19.

TO ORGANIZE A DIGITAL SLIDESHOW ON THE HALACHOS OF TEFILLIN, HAIRCUTS AND MORE FOR YOUR SHUL, YESHIVA, SCHOOL CONTACT: [email protected]

15 גמ' זבחים יט. לקיים מה דכתיב "על ידך" ו"בין עיניך". שו"ע סי' כז ס"ד.16 רמ"א שם, מ"ב ס"ק טז.

17 כך אמר לי הגר"ע אויערבאך שליט"א.18 מ"ב ס"ק יד.

19 פרמ"ג במ"ז ס"ק ד, שו"ת חשב האפוד ח"א סי' כא, שו"ת דובב מישרים ח"ב סי' לז, תשובות והנהגות ח"ב סי' כו.

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ME 6. What was Yosef’s proof to his brothers that he was Jewish and

the real Yosef?

S P O N S O R E D

Joseph Faith, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman , Dayan Elimelech

Vanzetta , Rabbi Shlomo Odze , Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn ,

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Rabbi Dov Ber Cowen , Dr Yossi Adler SU

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AHMY BROTHER’S KEEPER

Rabbi Mashiach KelatyRabbi of Stanmore United Synagogue Sephardi Kehilla

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“And he (Yosef) fell on his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck.” (45:14)

The pasuk here reveals a very touching

scene. The Midrash comments that Yosef and

Binyamin wept over the destruction of the

various sanctuaries that would be built in their

respective portions in Israel.

Why, at this moment of heightened joy, did

they cry over events that would occur in the

future? Furthermore, why did each cry for the

other one’s destruction? What about their own

destruction?

The Batei Mikdash were destroyed as a

result of sinat chinam (unwarranted hatred).

This breach in Jewish society was a demanding

accuser against the Jewish People. When Yosef

and Binyamin met, they immediately sensed

that the breach in their own family catalysed

Yosef’s separation from Binyamin and his other

brothers. This reality caused them to think of

the future churban. (destruction), which would

affect their descendants. This awareness

brought them both to bitter weeping.

The effect of sinat chinam is rectified

through an increase of brotherly love, to the

point that one feels his friend’s pain even more

than his own. Therefore, each brother wept for

his respective brother’s destruction. Moreover,

even though the mikdash in Binyamin’s territory

would not be built until after the mishkan

in Yosef’s territory was destroyed, Binyamin

nevertheless wept for Yosef’s churban

(destruction). He would rather that it be his

mikdash if that would prevent the destruction

of his brother’s mishkan. This represents the

zenith of love and sensitivity between brothers.

Thinking of others even before they thought

of themselves is the hallmark of our Torah

leaders. They distinguished themselves in

the sensitivity they demonstrate to their fellow

man, despite the apparent hardship it may

have caused them.

Rabbi Yechiel Spero tells the following story,

which demonstrates how one man personified

this trait.

The Piaseczno Rebbe zt’’l hy’’d, was a

human being of unique character. A man of

great personal strength, he exemplified faith,

courage and self-sacrifice under the most

trying conditions. As mentor to many during

the war years in the Warsaw Ghetto, he inspired

his Chassidim with hope and optimism, amid

grief and anguish. He suffered personal losses

that were devastating. Yet, his faith was

unswerving until the very last moment when

he himself was led to his death.

It was shortly after Yom Kippur, and the

relentless shelling was bombarding the ghetto

on a regular basis. The Rebbe’s daughter

and son-in-law had been running for shelter

when the building in which they had been

hiding collapsed on them. They did not die

immediately, but wavered between life and

death for a few days, until the first day of

Sukkos when their pure souls ascended to

Heaven.

The Rebbe heard the tragic news just as he

was about to begin the Yom Tov davening. His

reaction was characteristic of his enormous

inner strength. He sang the traditional cheerful

melodies that were so much a part of the Yom

Tov ritual. When he came to Hallel, he turned

to the congregation and sang Min Hameitzar,

(From the depths I call to You, Hashem).

“Please answer me with expansiveness,

Hashem. Hashem is with me, I have no fear,

because what can man do to me?”. These

words of David Hamelech aptly described the

Rebbe’s essence. He embraced Hashem at all

times.

The suffering in the ghetto was unbearable

and led people to do things they would never

have otherwise considered doing. A hapless

person, who had fallen to the nadir of depravity,

was caught rifling through the clothes of the

Rebbe’s recently deceased children. While

this was a depraved and corrupt act, we

must understand that this person had already

probably lost everything: money, family and

friends. His sense of self-respect had long

ago been destroyed by the Nazi beasts. The

Gestapo handcuffed him and hauled him down

to the jail, declaring that he was en route to the

gallows.

The Rebbe was notified of this tragedy

as he was about to begin the funeral for his

beloved children. His reaction was typical: He

turned around with a fiery passion in his eyes

and ran from the funeral, declaring: “We must

immediately go and save this man from the

Nazis. We may not allow another Jew to fall

prey to them”.

The Gestapo headquarters was one place

the Rebbe should have stayed well away from.

But a Jew’s life was in danger and he felt that he

had to try to save him. The Rebbe suspended

the funeral and proceeded to the jail. He risked

his life to save another Jew - the same Jew who

had previously shown little respect for the dead.

Several hours later, the Rebbe returned to bury

his children, after having saved the life of a Jew.

His sensitivity towards another person knew

no bounds.

This story should give us all courage under

duress, how an individual who distinguished

himself, not only in Torah knowledge, but also

in Torah actions.

Page 7: Oneg Vayigash

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IZTI

ME 7. How did the special law for special rights for the priests (47:22)

help the Jews later?

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THE TORAH UNDERSTANDS THE TORAH

Rabbi Doron BirnbaumRebbe at The Hasmonean Beis

MILLER’S MUSINGS

Rabbi Shimmy MillerRebbe at Manchester Mesivta

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The climax of these Parshiyos occurs at the point which Yaakov and Yosef finally meet. As expected, the pasuk tells us “Yosef... fell on his (Yaakov’s) neck, and wept on his neck excessively”. However, less expected is the reaction of Yaakov ‘Yaakov did not fall upon his neck, nor did he kiss him, for as the sages say, Yaakov was reciting the Shema at that moment’ [Rashi].

Why now at this moment would Yaakov recite the Shema?!

Many meforshim answer that at this moment Yaakov felt an incredible surge of love and happiness towards Yosef and he decided to harness and channel all that love and happiness towards Hashem by reciting the Shema.

Rav Shimshon Pincus zt”l writes in his sefer Tiferes Torah, that when Rav Chaim (of Brisk) heard this pshat, he got very upset and responded; “Have you clothed Yaakov Avinu with your clothes? Just because it may have made sense for you to say Shema for that reason, does that mean Yaakov Avinu would also have done so!? The Avos were greater than we can imagine and their actions are beyond our simple comprehension, so one may not view them through our own terms of reference.

Rather, Rav Chaim explained that the reason why Yaakov Avinu said Shema at this time was as follows.

Since Yaakov was commanded by Hashem to go down to Mitzrayim (Bereshis 46:3), he was exempt from performing other positive commandments because of the halachic principle that ‘One who is involved in one mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah’. Now that Yaakov had fulfilled this commandment at the meeting with Yosef, he once again became obligated in other mitzvos and had an obligation to say the Shema right away”.

Rav Chaim’s response upon hearing the first answer is intriguing – What does Rav Chaim mean? What was he so upset about?

Rav Shimson Pincus illuminates the paradigm of Rav Chaim which in turn explains his reaction.

Rav Chaim held that it is impossible for us to expound the Torah using our own intellect and emotions; firstly, we are far from what true intellect is, and secondly it makes no sense to project our feelings onto those in the Torah as a way of explaining their actions, because they lived a completely different existence to us of which we have no concept. (Moreover this applies when expounding the words of the Torah themselves, not just the acts of the people in the Torah.)

If so, with what can we expound the Torah?Only by using the Torah itself, because the Torah

understands the Torah!When we want to answer a question on the

Rambam or a sugyah in Shas, we can’t just rely on our intellect or emotions, only the Torah itself can elucidate the matter.

This explains Rav Chaim’s words, his sharp reaction upon hearing the first answer, and his understanding of Yaakov’s actions using a pre-existing halachic principle.

Still, many of the gedolei acharonim did give the first answer (see the Gur Aryeh), so how can we reconcile this with the sharp words of Rav Chaim?

Rav Pincus writes that the bare essence, the nature of a person, is from the hands of Hashem himself, just like the Torah, as the pasuk says “Hashem founded the earth with wisdom” (Mishlei 3:19, see Rashi there). This means that the innate intelligence and emotion of a person is in line with that of the Torah, and just like the Torah can be used to expound the Torah, so too can this innate intelligence and emotion. However, it must be noted that even this can only be done by people who are Tzaddikim who have worked tirelessly on their middos and doesn’t give a license to anyone to view it through their own eyes.

This is the point of contention. Rav Chaim was concerned that the nowadays we are too far removed from this innate, pure, intelligence and emotion. Perhaps our intelligence and emotion is overly influenced by our own biases and the world around us. Thus the only remaining way to expound the Torah is by using the Torah itself. However, those gedolei acharonim held that we are still able to tap into that innate intelligence and emotion. By overcoming self bias and external influences we can use our own innate intelligence and emotion to expound the Torah, for this is Divinely inspired just like the Torah.

Hence those gedolei achronim explain Yaakov’s action in conjunction with how we may have acted, assessing the situation based on our understanding of the nature of a person, using our intelligence and emotion in answering the question. Yet, Rav Chaim’s answer explains Yaakov’s action using a halachic principle, explaining the Torah, through the Torah.

The brothers’ world seemed to be coming crashing

down over their heads. They had come simply to

procure some food for their families in a time of famine,

and now they were accused of being traitors and were

about to lose their youngest brother, the only child left

to Rochel, to Pharaoh. The situation seemed without

a chance of redemption. Where would salvation come

from in a time of such utter despair and desperation?

Then with three words, their whole set of

circumstances were turned on their head. “I am

Yosef”. With those two words the brothers now

understood everything that had happened to them and

everything that they had endured. They understood

why they had gone through this test and the motive

behind their entrapment. All questions, doubts and

difficulties were resolved in those two seconds.

The Chofetz Chaim explains that this is the way of

the world we inhabit. Every day and every hour there

are uncertainties and problems with our life and what

happens to us. Things can seem incredibly unfair and

the truth is that from our current perspective some

questions are unanswerable. But when Moshiach

comes and we hear the words ‘I am Hashem’ all

those events that were contradictions to how we

think life should be, will somehow all seem perfectly

understandable in that one second. Every question we

had and every time that made no sense will somehow

piece together like the most perfect jigsaw.

This is our belief and this is what carries us through

the hard times. Truly believing and internalising this

is the hard part, especially in times of tragedy, but

there is a reason and there is a plan and it will all

become clear in the blink of an eye.

May we all have a Shabbos of comfort.

Page 8: Oneg Vayigash

Why Did The Brothers Edit Yosef’s Message To His Father?In an attempt to reassure his brothers that he bore no grudge against them, Yosef tells them “And now: It was not you who sent me here, but G-d; He has set me as a

“father” (patron) to Pharaoh, and as a master of his entire household, and as a ruler over the entire land of Egypt.” (BERESHIS 45:8)

There are a number of strange things about this statement. First, if I were Yosef, I would not say, “I am the ruler over the entire land of Egypt.” Yosef needs to know his place. There is only onesupreme leader in the land of Egypt and that is Pharaoh. (For those old enough to remember, at the time when Ronald Reagan was shot, Alexander Haig, who was the Secretary of State at that time, said, “I’m in charge here now”. This was an overly bold and inaccurate statement that he was never allowed to forget in the future! This statement of Yosef seems to be the political equivalent of Haig’s faux pas.)

Second, is noteworthy to see how the brothers edited Yosef’s message when they relayed it to Yaakov. When the brothers return to their father in Canaan, they tell him “Yosef is still alive and he is ruler over the entire land of Egypt…” (BERESHIS 45:26). Yosef had specifically told his brothers to tell his father three things:

1. I am a “father” to Pharaoh

2. I am a master of his entire household

3. I am ruler over the entire land of Egypt.

The brothers, in delivering the message, mentioned the third point, but not the first two. Why did they delete the first two parts of the message Yosef asked them to deliver?

Rav Moshe Sheinerman of Brooklyn, NY, in his sefer Ohel Moshebrings a hesped (eulogy) that the Chasam Sofer said on someone named HaGaon Rav Yosef Dovid. In his hesped, the Chasam Sofer gives an answer to this question in Parshas Vayigash.

Rav Yosef Dovid apparently had some kind of connection with Napoleon Bonaparte. (The Chasam Sofer lived during the period of the Napoleonic wars.)

To understand the Chasam Sofer’s message, let us use a contemporary example. Suppose you have a Jew from Eretz Yisroel, a Jew who never left Yerushalayim – a person who sits and learns the whole day. His entire life is immersed in Jewish living (Yiddishkeit). For whatever reason, his son left Yerushalayim and went away to seek his fame and fortune in the United States of America. As it turns out, he was wildly successful and started working in the White House. He rose through the

ranks and ultimately became the White House Chief of Staff. It has now been ten, twenty or even thirty years since the father and son last saw each other. When the father wants to hear about what happened with his son, he is not interested that he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard Law School or that he worked his way up from being a White House intern to being White House Chief of Staff. He is interested in one thing and one thing only – is he still an erhliche Yid (honest and upstanding Jew) or not? The halls of power are intoxicating. When a person is in Washington and in the White House and literally has his hands on the levers of power that control the world – it is very intoxicating. A person can become so wrapped up in that power that nothing else matters. For this Yerushalmi Yid from Meah Shearim, the rest of it – Harvard Law School, the White House, the money, the power, the armored limousine, does not mean anything. He wants to know one thing and one thing only – does he put on Tefillin daily; does he eat Kosher; does he learn? The rest does not mean anything to him.

That is exactly what happened over here with Yosef. He went away as a 17 year old boy. He became viceroy to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Yosef was the second most powerful man in the world. “I became the patron of Pharaoh” “I became in charge of the entire house of Pharaoh (the White House of its time)” However, “u’moshel b’chol Eretz Mitzraim” does NOT mean, “I am the supreme leader of Egypt”. That statement means, “I rule over Egypt and Egypt does not rule over me”. I did not become wrapped up in the society and in the culture, and in the licentiousness and depravity of Egypt. “Egypt did not dominate me. I dominated Egypt. I am still in charge. I never abandoned my Jewish life style.”

This answers both our questions. Yosef was not bragging that he ruled over all of Egypt. “I am in charge of Egypt” was a reassurance to his father that Egyptian culture had not taken over his life; rather he was in charge and was not in any way subservient to the influence of the surrounding society. The brothers came to their father and they told him “Yosef is still alive” and now we will tell you the only thing that interests you: He is moshel (rules) on Mitzraim and not vice versa

– meaning he never abandoned his Judaism. This is the only thing that made a difference to Yaakov Avinu.

This is the hesped the Chasam Sofer said about the Gaon Rav Yosef Dovid: He was a confidante of the Emperor Napoleon, but nevertheless he remained an ehrliche Yid. He never lost that which is the essence. He was moshel over the entire culture of France.

1 The Daas Zekeinim (47:8) brings a Midrash that when Yaakov appeared before Paroh he asked him how old he was and he complained how bad they had been. Hashem said that for every word of complaint instead of recognising that He had saved him from Esav and Lovon, returned to him Dena and Yosef, one year of his life would be deducted. There were 33 words (including Paroh's question since his looking sad brought on the question).

2 When Yosef provided food for his brothers to take for their families he provided enough (even) for the children. The Sifsei Chachomim (to Rashi 47:12) brings that this means he gave more than just what was required since the way of children is to waste and make crumbs meaning they need more!

3 In Mitzrayim it stopped when Yaakov came and only lasted two years. However, elsewhere the famine continued a full seven years to fulfil the interpretation of Yosef and not give an excuse for others to say Yosef had been wrong in his interpretation. (Sifsei Chachomim to Rashi 47:19)

4 The Gemara in Megilla 16b asks this and answers that he was sending him a message for the future alluding to Mordechai going out dressed in the king's garments. Perhaps the idea is that when the brothers realised that it was not given out of favouritism and was alluding to someone who would save all the Jews, therefore there was no reason to be jealous.

5 Yaakov's granddaughter, Serach Bas Osher, played her harp and sang to Yaakov that Yosef is still alive. She did so in such a way to slowly break the news to the elderly Yaakov. In gratitude for this, Yaakov blessed her with long life and prophecy.

6 He showed them that he had a full bris mila like Jews have and he spoke Loshon Hakodesh, a language that even Paroh who spoke all other seventy languages did not know (see Gemora Sota 36b).

7 It was because of this that the tribe of Levi did not have to work as slaves during the exile in Mitzrayim since they were the tribe of priests of the Jews.

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ANSWERS

Riddle Answer CHETZRON.They were first cousins once removed one was the son of Reuven (46 :9). The other was the grandson of Yehudah (the son of Peretz the son of Yehuda (46:12)

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AHTHE TORAH SHIURIM OF RABBI FRAND

Rabbi Yissochor FrandMaagid Shiur, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore

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