They Took Hold of the Land

The Torah tells us that Yakov and his family dwelled in the land of Goshen, and ויאחזו בה, “they took hold of it.” They prospered and multiplied in a miraculous.

The commentators discussed why this word, ויאחזו was chosen rather than simply saying, וישבו שם, “and they dwelled there.”

They explained that “taking hold of the land,” implied that they no longer saw themselves as temporary residents. They became firmly implanted and felt that Goshen was their home. They felt comfortable there. This was the beginning of the Galut, exile.

The Keli Yakar commented that the positive side of ויאחזו is that they prospered. But the negative side of this prosperity was very severe. Their deep entrenchment in Egypt, made it that much more difficult to get out of Galut and come home to Israel.

This has been the story of our current exile. Jews have been entrenched and have felt very comfortable living in various places outside of Israel.

They see themselves as citizens and part of the Gentile society. They really believe that they are home. When this happens, it is exactly what the Keli Yakar is talking about. They are so deeply in Galut, that it’s difficult to get out.

I am very saddened when family and friends visit Israel, and they end their stay by saying, “We are going home tomorrow.” They are not going home, but they are leaving home.

They are going to the place where they have been welcome guests for a long time. It is now becoming clear that Jews are no longer welcome. All Jews must realize that the only permanent home for the Jew is Israel.

They must get the Galut mentality out of their heads, and not be fooled by their affluence and comforts. The Jews in Egypt learned this the hard way. This lesson must be relearned today, when all Jews can come home with dignity, and their heads held high.

The Shechina Is Back In Israel

Despite all of the joy in having Yakov reunited with his beloved son, he was uneasy about leaving Eretz Yisrael and going to live in the most decadent place on earth.

Hashem appeared to Yakov Avinu that this is what he needed to do. The Shechina, Divine Presence would go down to Egypt, for his protection and inspiration.

He would live in the land of Goshen, which was given to our Mother, Sara, by Pharoah, when they went down to Egypt, many years before.

It was ironic that the peacefulness that Yakov was hoping to find in Israel, he found in Egypt. The last seventeen years of his life were quite peaceful for Yakov.

The assurances of the safety of Chutz L’aretz, no longer exist. The Shechina has returned to Israel, and Hashem is calling out for His children to come home.

The anti-Semitism of the world has never been more illogical. They hate us specifically after the horrible events of October the Seventh. There should be sympathy for what our people had to endure, not hatred.

It is clear that the current situation is a wake up call for all Jews to come home to Israel with our heads held high. Yakov Avinu needed special assurances that it was okay to leave Israel. It was okay then, but not okay today. Time to come home!

Divine Plan

The Alshich points out a number of incidents that proved it was clearly part of the Divine plan that the Jewish people were meant to go down to Egypt.

This may have been the way that Yosef consoled his brothers by telling them that this is the way it was supposed to be.

It began with Yosef receiving directions from an angel, telling him where he could find his brothers. Why would he go to be around his brothers, who hated him?

The decision to sell Yosef rather than kill him, was also part of the plan. His encounter with Potiphar’s wife ended with his imprisonment. It was there that interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker.

It was uncanny just how successful Yosef was, with everything he touched. He was in charge of the prison just as he was in charge of Potiphar’s house.

His rise to power was nothing short of miraculous. How does one make the jump from being a slave and prisoner, to instantly become second to the king?

Yosef recounted all of these events to his brothers, to show them that he couldn’t possibly be angry at them, when it was obvious that this was the Hand of G-d.

It is always important to see the Hashgacha, the Divine supervision, in all aspects of our lives. Nothing happens for nothing.

The Reunion

The reunion of Yosef and his brother, Binyamin, and the reunion with Yakov, were very emotional meetings.

Our commentators describe how Yosef cried on the shoulders of Binyamin, and Binyamin cried on his shoulders. They were able to see into the future, that the Mishkan in Shilo, in Yosef’s territory, would one day be destroyed. And they saw the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem, in Binyamin’s territory, eventually destroyed.

Each one felt the pain of his beloved brother. They realized that the destruction that they foresaw, was caused by שנאת חינם, causeless hatred. They hoped that their deep love for one another would offset this hatred. It is a beautiful thing to witness true brotherly love.

When Yakov was finally reunited with Yosef, it only mentions that Yosef cried profusely. He felt all of his father’s pain of the past twenty-two years.

The Torah does not speak of Yakov’s weeping. He paused for what might have been the happiest moment of his life, to recite the Shema prayer, and accept the yoke of Heaven.

He was teaching us that in times of joy, we must not forget our love for our Father in Heaven.

These two reunions are among the most moving stories in the entire Tanach.

Dumbfounded Brothers

The climax of the story between Yosef and his brothers, occurred when he revealed himself as their long lost brother.

The Torah tells us that the brothers were dumbfounded and were unable to speak. They were in a state of shock and embarrassment. The Rabbis tell us that if this was the response of brothers of flesh and blood, how will we be able to stand before Hashem on our “Day of Judgement!”

This certainly points to the notion of accountability that we will all have to confront. The “Sha’arei Teshuva” of Rabbeinu Yona, mentions that a wise person should keep in mind that his death is inevitable, at least once a day.

This will help keep a balance and allow us to keep a proper perspective on how we view the world. This little reminder will also help to keep our priorities straight.

We will know what is important and what is fleeting. It will not allow us to stray too far from the realization that Hashem runs the world, and we owe everything to Him.

The revelation of Yosef to his brothers, carries a very powerful message that we must take to heart.

Yehuda Emerges As Leader

In Parshat Vayigash Yehuda emerged as the leader of his brothers, with his impassioned plea to Yosef.

The Alshich described how Yehuda analyzed the situation. At first he thought that they were accused of stealing Yosef’s goblet as a punishment for their sin. But when Binyamin was chosen to pay for their crime, he realized it had nothing to do with their sin. Binyamin was not involved in the sale of Yosef.

He decided to explain how he personally took responsibility for his little brother. He was willing to sacrifice his share in the world to come, if he did not bring him back safely.

Yehuda even told Yosef that Yakov was upset for volunteering the information that they had another brother. Apparently, the part of the plea that moved Yosef to tears was when Yehuda explained how devastated Yakov would be if he came back without Binyamin.

Yehuda assessed the situation and figured out the strategy that would work. He hinted that he was not afraid to fight Yosef, if necessary. But he realized that his diplomacy could win him over. A true leader does what he has to do, to protect his people in the face of its numerous challenges. Yehuda met this challenge beautifully.

They Did Not Recognize Him

The Alshich found it most surprising that Yosef’s brothers did not recognize him at all. They left him when he was seventeen, and now he was thirty-nine.

Rashi wrote that Yosef left with only a stubble of a beard, and now he had a full beard. Nevertheless, there still should have been certain mannerisms and appearances that should have at least made them suspicious that this was their brother.

We are told that they did look for Yosef. But they looked for him in the “red light” district, rather than the palace of the king. It never occurred to them that it was even a possibility that Yosef could have risen to such a high position of prominence. If they did, they might have figured things out.

For this reason, Yosef needed to shake them up. He spoke harshly to them, and accused them of being spies. He played the “silver goblet game” pretending that it gave him the power to know specific details about their family.

It was only then that they woke up and began realizing that their callous treatment of their brother, was so wrong and the cause of their current predicament. They verbalized in front of Yosef that they were guilty for not hearing the cries of their brother, when he pleaded with them for compassion.

Yosef had achieved his goal of bringing them to Teshuva for their horrible act. The stage was now set for the Divine plan to be carried out. He had to eliminate their arrogance, and open their eyes. Once this was done, they would realize that their missing brother was right in front of them all along.

Keep a Low Profile

When the famine that Yosef predicted came true, the Torah shifts its attention from Egypt, and turns to Canaan. Yakov and his family had to deal with this as well.

Initially, our commentators tell us that Yakov still had food, while others around him, did not. It was only later, that his food ran out and he sent his sons to bring back food.

Yakov tried to drive home a message not only to his sons, but for all future generations. He told them not to flaunt the fact that they had provisions while others did not. He was letting them know that they needed to be careful so that they would not arouse the jealousy of the nations living in their proximity.

He wanted them to be aware that there would always be those who would hate the Jews, simply because they were Jewish. This was going to continue to exist until the time of Mashiach.

Jews were supposed to keep a low profile. They were not supposed to flaunt their wealth and success in the eyes of their Gentile neighbors. They hated us anyways, and did not need to be given another reason for this senseless hatred.

Rav Meir Kahane once said, “When things are good for the Getile, they hate us quietly. When things are bad for the Getile, they hate us loudly. When things are very bad, they hate us violently.”

We are so fortunate to have a Jewish homeland. The worldwide anti-Semitism we are witnessing today, is most troubling. But what is more troubling is the attitude of most Jews. They think it’s a passing phase and the problem will just go away with time. History has taught otherwise, and it’s time to wake up.

There is only one country in the world where Jews are welcomed with open arms. This is Israel, and this is what makes the current situation a little less frightening. We must live humbly and not arouse the envy of the Gentile. But even more importantly, it is time for all Jews to come home.

Good Intentions

We learn from the Torah that Yosef married Osnat, the daughter of Potifar. She bore him two sons, Efraim and Menashe before the seven bad years.

The Alshich brings a story related to the birth of the great Amora, Shmuel. He founded the Yeshiva in the city of Pumbedita in Babylonia.

A harlot once was read her horoscope. She was told that if she successfully seduced the father of Shmuel, (This is how he was known in the Talmud) the son would be a great leader in Israel. The father of Shmuel learned of her “sincere” intentions and managed to resist the efforts of the harlot.

He realized that it was a sign that he was destined to have another child with his wife. The horoscope reading was correct but Shmuel was not destined to come from anyone but his father’s legitimate wife.

This was also the motivation of Potifar’s wife. She misread reading of a horoscope. She tried to seduce Yosef, because she believed that future tribes of Israel would come from their union. She did not realize that this would be fulfilled through her daughter. Efraim and Menashe were recognized as tribes of Israel.

The stories of the Torah are not to be taken at face value. They need to be studied more deeply to get a better insight as to its messages.

Why Didn’t Yosef Let His Father Know

The question that is often asked about Yosef and his brothers, is why it took him nine years until he let his grieving father know that he was alive.

There are several attempts to make sense of this, and admittedly, the answers are also difficult to comprehend. There is even a Midrash that said that Yitzchak was alive when they told Yakov that Yosef was devoured by a wild beast. Yitzchak knew via prophecy that Yosef was alive, but he reasoned that if Hashem wanted him to know, He would have let Yakov know. Therefore, he felt he needed to stay out of it. Very difficult to understand.

Some say that when Yosef met up with his brothers in Egypt, he remembered his dreams before he was sold. He felt there was a Divine need for these dreams to be fulfilled.

Another explanation for not telling his father that he was alive, was to protect his brothers from shame and embarrassment for their evil plot. The way things transpired, they were able to save face.

The final explanation that might be the best of all, is that Hashem wanted to protect Yakov from having to come down to Egypt in chains. Avraham Avinu was told in a moment of prophecy that his children would be strangers in a strange land. They would leave with great wealth. Ultimately, Yakov was brought down to Egypt with great respect and dignity. It could have been different, in another scenario. We are not meant to understand all of the narrative of the Torah. We can try to make sense of things, if we can. If we still don’t understand, we must believe that everything is meant to be revealed at the appropriate time.

Yosef’s Rise to Power

Yosef’s rise to power from being a slave, to becoming the viceroy to Pharoah, was truly remarkable.

The Alshich pointed out that Yosef had some good old Jewish, “Chutzpah.” He was thirty years old and had been in prison for over a decade. He interprets Pharoah’s dream and then tells him what he must do in order to benefit from the message of the dream.

The Divine plan was that Pharoah would listen to his advice, and appoint him to be the one to implement it. He changed his name to Tzofnat Pineach, so that he would not be associated with his past, and he even demanded that the general population bow to Yosef.

Pharoah did not object when he demanded that all Egyptian males be circumcised. Yosef did this, according to the Alshich, to weaken the decadence of Egypt.

We are also told that there were Egyptians that also attempted to store grain during the seven good years. Miraculously, their grain rotted, so that everyone was forced to go to Yosef.

Eventually, much of the world came to Yosef, and he turned Egypt into the superpower of the world. This is what was meant by “the servants of Pharoah.” The entire country’s population, were servants of Pharoah.

If one would take a step back and observe Yosef’s meteoric rise, he would recognize that this does not happen by chance. Similarly, we need to take a step back and recognize that the incredible achievements of Israel against her enemies, is not by chance. The sooner we recognize “the hand of G-d,” the better off we will be.

“Hishtadlut”

Parshat Mikeitz begins by telling us that Pharoah’s dreams occurred exactly two years after the butler was released. This was meant to be a hint that Yosef was forced to stay in prison an extra two years, because he put too much faith in the butler, and not in Hashem.

This little detail in the story of Yosef’s rise to power may have seemed insignificant, but there is a serious message here. We are to learn how to balance between doing our own “Hishtadlut,” and recognizing that all success comes from Hashem.

Hishtadlut means that we don’t sit back and wait for a miracle, and say that Hashem will provide. We set things in motion by working hard and making the proper contacts who will help us succeed.

We must never assume that just because an influential person says he will plead our cause, and direct us towards our desired goal, that he will come through for us.

Even if he does come through, he must be seen as the Shaliach, the messenger from Hashem.

The Orchot Tzaddikim makes a strong statement by reminding us that nothing that we possess is deserved. Everything is a gift from G-d. This even includes that which was given from parents or relatives. They are also G-d’s messengers.

This was the lesson to be learned from Yosef. There was nothing wrong with asking the butler to put in a good word for him. His mistake was that he did not look at the butler as a possible messenger from Hashem. That is why he needed to stay in prison two more years. He needed to understand this important lesson just as we do.

Chanukah Hints From The Torah

Even though the holiday of Chanukah is from the Rabbis, the Sefer Hatoda’ah brings a few hints to this holiday from the Torah.

The first hint comes from counting the words from the beginning of the Torah. The twenty-fifth word from Bereishit, is אור, meaning “light.” The Festival of Lights is celebrated on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev.

A second reference to Chanukah is that the twenty-fifth place where the Jewish people camped in the desert was called חשמונה. The heroes of the Chanukah story were the Chashmonaim.

In Parshat Emor, the rules of the festivals are listed. After Succot is discussed with the command to have a “Ner Tamid,” permanent light in the Temple. This command was given after Succot and before Pesach. Some see this as a hint to Chanukah.

The final reference comes from the command to light the Menorah in the Temple. This is preceded by the offerings of the twelve tribes during the days of the dedication of the Mishkan.

When Aharon noticed that the tribe of Levi was left out. He was told that his portion was greater, for not only was he commanded to light the Menorah, but his descendants in the future would lead a rebellion that will end with a rededicating of the Temple. It will be a holiday known as “Chanukah” where everyone lights the Menorah.

These were four hints in the Torah, related to Chanukah.

Hallel On Chanukah

The holidays of Chanukah and Purim were decreed by the Rabbis. There may be hints to them from the Torah, but they are rabbinical.

The question that is asked is why is Hallel recited on Chanukah and not on Purim? One answer is that the Megilla takes the place of Hallel. There is no special book read on Chanukah.

Another answer comes from the story of Yosef being thrown into the pit. It contained snakes and scorpions. There is a Gemara in Yevamot said that if a woman gets testimony that her husband fell into a pit of snakes and scorpions, she can remarry on the basis of that testimony. She can assume that her husband was killed.

The reason why Yosef was saved, was in the merit of Eretz Yisrael.

The holiness of the land, gave him protection. This answers our question about Hallel. The miracle of Chanukah took place in Israel. The miracle of Purim took place in Persia.

The added holiness of the land that saved Yosef, merited the additional prayer of Hallel. We must always appreciate our special connection to the land. Since it is our home, it provides us with added protection and safety.

Happiness and Worry

The Orchot Tzaddikim speaks of parallel positive and negative character traits. The chapters of the book, reflect this idea.

There is a chapter on arrogance, followed by one on humility. There is love and hate, miserliness and generosity, and other similar parallel traits.

It is most fascinating that the opposite of happiness in this book is not sadness, but worry. The simple explanation is that one’s worries deny him the ability to be happy.

Two of the greatest worriers in the Torah were the butler and the baker. Yosef seems them one morning and notices that they had a forlorn expression on their faces. They explained to him that they were both troubled by their dreams of the previous night.

The Rabbis have discussed the subject of worry, known as דאגה. There is bad worry that takes away joy, but there is also good worry.

There is a story of a rabbi who noticed a Jew looking very worried. He said to him, “ If you are worried about matters of this world, stop worrying. But if you are worried about spiritual matters and your serving Hashem, worry more!”

This is a very important idea. We must know what is important and what is not. And we must know what is temporary and what is permanent.

Material worry removes our happiness. Spiritual worry adds to our joy.

The Personalities of the Tribes

We get certain insights into the personalities of the various sons of Yakov. Our first introduction to Yosef is that he was a pretty annoying brother.

He seemed to boast about his favored status with their father, and he told them about his dreams that hinted to his superiority.

Reuven was the oldest brother but did not use good discretion. He meddled into his father’s personal affairs by moving his father’s bed into his mother’s tent. He later made a foolish offer to his father that he could kill his own two sons, if he didn’t bring back Binyamin.

Yehuda had leadership skills and his suggestion to sell Yosef was followed by his brothers. They later blamed him for this bad decision. He also married a woman from Canaan, which was frowned upon. He later redeemed himself and showed he was king material.

Shimon and Levi seemed to have an anger issue. Yakov cursed them for their anger. Not only did they wipe out the males of Shechem, but they also wanted to kill Yosef.

The four sons of the maidservants, Dan, Naftali, Gad, and Asher, seemed to have a less influential role in the family.

When Yakov was on his deathbed, he blessed and got a clearer picture of the natures of his twelve sons. What is important to note is that despite their very different personalities, they were all considered very righteous men.

Jealousy’s Destructiveness

The story of Yosef and his brothers is one of the most tragic stories in Jewish History. It was clearly part of a Divine plan that the Jewish people would go down to Egypt. But the circumstances that caused it, are most troubling.

The Mussar books speak of negative personality traits that need to be corrected. Such traits as arrogance, miserliness, anger, and lust, clearly need to be removed from one’s interaction with others. But it might be that jealousy is the worst trait of all.

The Rabbis spoke of different types of jealousy. Sometimes it can come from longing for a possession that a friend possesses. It might come from a feeling of inadequacy when looking at someone else’s success. But the worst type of jealousy is קנאה מחמת שנאה, jealousy that is motivated by hatred.

The Torah points out that Yosef’s brothers were jealous of him, and they hated him. This hatred was so great that the Alshich wrote that they did not feel any compassion for their father, when he was grieving for Yosef.

The correct thing to do is to distance ourselves from jealous people. Their negativity can really bring a person down. This is especially true of our relatives. We see the damage from Yosef’s brothers. It led to our enslavement for 210 years in Egypt. The saddest part of one who is consumed with jealousy, is that it takes away from him the ability to be content.

As long as one is fixated on another person, he will never be able to feel contentment. He is unable to count his own blessings because of his jealousy. A great deal of pain has come from jealousy throughout our history. It’s time we all learn to overcome it.

Man Was Meant To Struggle

The message of Parshat Vayeshev, comes from a verse from the Book of Iyov. אדם לעמל יולד, “Man was meant to struggle.”

This is the response given to Yakov Avinu when he returned to Eretz Yisrael after having to deal with Lavan and Eisav. Yakov was seeking שלוה, peace. He was hoping that he could enjoy the remaking years of his life without strife.

He needed to be reminded that the place where such peace of mind is achieved, in in Olam Haba, the next world.

In a way, it was a reprimand to him. Isn’t it enough that you will granted eternal bliss in the future? Do you want it now, as well?

The lesson for all of us is that we are meant to have our struggles in this world. We need to learn how to embrace the challenges placed before us.

We are all very much needed to bring out the best in our people. We are to make extra efforts in our serving Hashem. We need to accumulate as many Mitzvot and acts of kindness in this world. This is the way to assure that it’s worth the struggle. Things are meant to be challenging in this world. But meeting up to the challenge is our guarantee that we will merit the same eternal bliss that awaited Yakov Avinu.

Our Mother Rachel

The death of Rachel was one of the most tragic stories in the Torah. Yakov’s one true love perished while giving birth to Binyamin, the youngest of the twelve brothers.

The Torah added that a monument was built in Beit Lechem, her place of burial. The memorial was not made because Rachel needed it. But it was created so that her children could visit her place of burial, and ask her to pray in Heaven on their behalf.

Rachel is viewed more as our mother, even more than the other matriarchs. She is the one who is particularly not at peace when her children went into exile.

There is a great deal of emotion connected with our Mother Rachel. She stood out for her devotion to her sister, Leah and to her children.

We read on Rosh Hashanah the Haftarah that describes “ the voice heard on high. Rachel crying for her children.” This refers to the sadness she felt at seeing the Jewish people leaving their homeland, to live in foreign countries. She is ultimately comforted when Hashem said, “Stop your voice from and your eyes from tears. There is reward for your actions. Your children will return to their borders.”

We are living at a time when the tragedy of Rachel’s life is witnessing a happy ending. Finally, her children are coming home!

Bar Mitzva Speech

There is a clever commentary by the Chidushei Harim, that explains the justification of Shimon and Levi to kill all of the males in the city of Shechem.

He claimed that both boys were thirteen years old at that time. It was already a custom for the Bar Mitzva boy to give an original Dvar Torah, in celebration of his milestone.

There is a Halacha that states that if a Noachide observes Shabbat, he is deserving of the death penalty. For this reason, conversion candidates do one Shabbat transgression until their conversion is complete.

They reasoned that just as one who observes Shabbat is put to death, as Shabbat is referred to as an אות, “a sign,”the same would apply to Gentiles who perform circumcision. Brit Mila is referred to as an אות, “a sign” on the flesh of every Jewish baby boy. This was their Bar Mitzva speech according to the Chidushei Harim.

There were other reasons given as to why the whole city was put to death. They were not allowed to condone rape, and they were obliged to set up courts of justice. This made them all complicit in the terrible violation of Dina.

On Yakov’s death bed he cursed the anger of Shimon and Levi. He did not curse them for the act they did. Maybe the Bar Mitzva boys were not that far off the mark, in their Dvar Torah on their great day!