Practical Chinuch

In פרשת וישב, we learn of the special relationship between Yakov and Yosef. He is referred to as Yakov’s בן זקונים, son of his old age, because he taught most of his Torah to his beloved son.

It is interesting that the commentators point out that Yakov taught Yosef the Torah he learned during his fourteen years of study at the Yeshiva of Shem and Eiver. It does not say that he taught the Torah he learned from his father, Yitzchak.

The reason for this is that Yitzchak’s Torah was given in an ideal world, when everyone sat in their tents and treated people properly. The Torah learned by Shem and Eiver was designed to help Yakov cope in the real world.

He needed to acquire the tools to know how to stand up against corruption and immorality. There were evil people in the world such as Lavan and Eisav. And there were many things in the world that could entice an innocent Jew to go off the Derech.

Yosef’s knowledge that he received from his father allowed him to come out unscathed from the decadence of Egypt.

Rabbi Twerski, himself, was given very serious directions from the Steipler Gaon, how to survive medical school while being exposed to what was happening on college campuses.

He had to promise to learn Torah for two hours a day, never miss a minyan, and study Mussar books to keep him strong.

It is wonderful to learn all aspects of the Torah. But it is equally important to learn the Shem and Eiver type of Torah that will allow us to overcome the real challenges of today’s world.