Yosef Was In Egypt

The Book of Shmot begins by listing the names of Yakov’s twelve sons. When Yosef’s name came up, the Torah tells us that “Yosef was in Egypt.”

This seems to be a pretty obvious statement. We all knew that he was there. He’s the one who brought his family down there.

The message here is one of great importance. Yosef managed to survive spiritually in the most decadent place on earth. We are warned not to behave in the manner of the Egyptians.

The Rambam wrote that Egypt was such an unholy place that was so bad that men married men, and women married women.

Yosef was a truly remarkable person. He lived in Egypt for ninety-three years of his life. Despite his rise to power, it did not change him. He was the same Yosef and did not allow himself to be affected by the immorality that surrounded him. Most people are not that strong, and they are brought down by negative influences.

I have a dear friend who has been a rabbi in Los Angeles for over fifty years. I have often told him how impressed I am that he never lost his ideals, or his enthusiasm for Judaism, during all those years.

The materialism with the fancy houses, and the glamor of Hollywood, did not affect him. He’s the same Rabbi Zvi Block that I knew in the middle seventies.

We must know ourselves and our own strengths and weaknesses. It is difficult to maintain our spiritual level of observance. Not everyone is a Yosef or Rabbi Block. We need to surround ourselves with positive, upbeat individuals. And we must distance ourselves for any impurity resembling Egypt. We will then be able to succeed.

Efraim and Menashe

One of the final tasks of Yakov Avinu was to give a double portion to his designated first born. He chose Yosef, who was the first born to his mother, Rachel, as his official “Bechor.”

He could have chosen Reuven, who was also first born to his mother, Leah, but he proved to be unworthy. Yakov found Reuven to be too hasty and impulsive. He was not pleased when he took his bed and placed it in his mother’s tent.

The double portion was given to Efraim and Menashe. They each received portions in the Land of Israel, while the Tribe of Levi did not receive a portion. They were designated for Temple service, and they were the educators of the Jewish people.

Efraim and Menashe impressed Yakov of their worthiness to be counted among the tribes of Israel. They were able to follow the tradition of Yosef and their ancestors rather than the enticement of Egyptian culture.

Their commitment to Judaism in the face of great temptations, was truly admirable. Egypt excelled in decadence and impurities, and Yosef’s two sons represented the elite of Egypt. Everything was available to them, but they refrained.

They were not only given portions in Israel, but they were the subject of fatherly blessings every Friday evening at the Shabbat.

The blessing of our sons is that Hashem should make them like Efraim and Menashe. Just as they remained steadfast in their commitment to our traditions, and did not give into physical temptations, our own sons should follow their example. They should grow up as proud Jews, strongly committed to Jewish ideals.

True Giving

The real beauty that is experienced in Judaism, comes from the aspect of giving. We are moved when we see how people go to great lengths to ease the pain of another person.

People need to learn that they themselves are as much the beneficiaries of the act of kindness as the recipients themselves.

The ultimate Chessed is called “Chessed Shel Emet,” kindness of truth. This applies to the Chessed that comes with caring for the dead.

This was learned from Yakov Avinu when he asked Yosef to act with such kindness towards him. He asked that he be buried in Eretz Yisrael. All he could ask for was a promise that his wish be fulfilled. Otherwise, he was helpless.

Caring for the dead is the greatest Chessed, because there is no glory in it. The dead can’t thank the person who cared for him.

I have always told my students that if they are moving to a new community, find out who the volunteers are for the Chevra Kadisha, burial society. These are the people that are involved with the ritual washing of the dead. These are the people that you want as your friend. They are genuinely, kind and giving people. This has proven to be true over and over again.

We are people of Chessed, but the greatest Chessed of all, is caring for the dead.

Intellectual Dishonesty

In my career as rabbi, I have often been challenged by students who were turned off by their respective schools. Their complaint is that they were not taught subjects that inspire. All they learned were Halachic prohibitions that became very tedious. Sometimes their complaint was worsened by what they thought was hypocrisy on the part of some of their teachers. They may have discovered certain unethical behavior, or great intolerance for those who did not agree with their strict interpretation of Judaism.

I always tried to emphasize that there is a problem of intellectual dishonesty when one is ready to abandon religious observance only because of poor representation or being turned off by a specific individual. One has an obligation to seek truth and not look for excuses to run away from our tradition. Admittedly, it is difficult to get over the trauma of being put down by a so called religious figure, over foolishness. Nevertheless, our desire for truth should override our unfortunate past experiences.

It is helpful to try to connect with a very kind and righteous mentor. Sometimes, when one is able to meet a person who epitomizes goodness, it can put that past trauma to rest. There really are people who love doing Chessed. They selflessly devote their lives to bringing joy to others. It is important to see our religion as one of holy people that both follow the laws but are accepting of others without judging them, and clearly show the love they have for every Jew.

There are real challenges to our religion and there are many issues that need to be addressed. There is so much beauty in being an observant Jew. It is our task to be living examples of this beauty, in the way that we live our lives and interact with others.

Inspiration From a Convert

I have been associated with Machon Meir since 1995. This wonderful institution has three kinds of students. There are students going though the process of conversion, and there are Ba’alei Teshuva, formerly non-observant Jews, desiring to become religious.

The third category of students are young men who come from observant homes but are uninspired by their religious education, and feel that religion was forced upon them.

Recently, I first had a one on one session with one of these students who was willing to give Judaism one last chance before entering the secular world. He was followed by a twenty-four year old conversion candidate from Poland. I was given the task of preparing him for his meeting with the Beit Din, Jewish court, hoping to approve his conversion.

I asked my first student to stick around and watch me question the conversion candidate as if I was one of the judges of the rabbinic court.

The wavering student from the religious home looked on in disbelief. How was it possible that someone raised as a Christian could be so inspired by experiencing one Shabbat dinner, to go through Jewish conversion?

He left his family and comfortable lifestyle to study in a Jerusalem Yeshiva for over year. He willingly has taken upon himself all of the restrictions of an observant Jew. He is excited to soon be performing the Mitzva of circumcision. He doesn’t have to do any of this stuff, but wants to do it with great passion.

This meeting may have been stronger than any convincing that I might be able to do. We must remember that beautiful quote at all times, “Judaism is perfect. Those who practice it, are not.”

The Gift of Life

The subject of death, is a major theme of Parshat Vayechi. The Torah describes the last years of Yakov Avinu’s life and his blessings to his sons before he left the world.

Our commentators tell us that Yakov Avinu was the first person to actually experience sickness before he expired. Before him, people passed away with little warning. Some thought a sneeze would be followed by death. This is why we say things like, “G-d bless you,” when somebody sneezes.

In Yosef’s case, he was told to visit his father because he was suffering from sickness. This prompted him to bring his two sons, Efraim and Menashe for a blessing.

Rav Avigdor Miller wrote that the aging process was meant to prepare family members of the impending departure from this world of their loved ones. This is what makes the sudden or untimely death of a young person all the more tragic.

The Mussar books emphasize that there needs to be a daily awareness that we will not live forever. It helps give us a perspective on things. It reminds us of what really matters in this world.

It also makes us appreciate the gift of life, and should motivate us to make every moment count. The Rabbis interpret the Pasuk, מפני שיבה תקום, that we are to rise for an elderly person, to mean, לפני שיבה תקום, paraphrased to mean that before old age takes hold of us, we should wake up, and do as many Mitzvot as possible.

The reality is that we will all die. We must take this reality to love life and live our lives in the most giving and productive manner.

Appreciate Every Day

Yakov Avinu was criticized for the way he described his life before Pharoah. He told him that he was 130 years old and his years were מעט ורעים, “few and bad.” He added that he had not yet reached the years of his father.

It sounded as though he was bitter and complaining about all of the difficulties that he had to endure. When he compared himself to his father, he was implying that his father did not have as many problems that he had.

There are those who felt that he lost years of his life because of his complaints. He died at 147, while Avraham and Yitzchak lived to 175 and 180, respectively.

We are told that the first seventeen years of Yakov’s life and the last seventeen years, were very happy years for him. As difficult as Yakov’s life was, he should not have complained at all. I was impressed by an interview with Dennis Prager, that was aired recently. Prager was paralyzed a year ago in a bad accident. He only spoke of how grateful he was for being granted a very fulfilling life of seventy-six years, until his past misfortune.

We see this same attitude with holocaust survivors and even more recently with our freed hostages. Despite unbelievable hardships, they are not bitter. They remain positive and appreciative for the gift of life.

It is never good to dwell on the negative on any level. Faith, optimism, and gratitude, are clearly the correct attitude we are supposed to have as we confront life’s challenges.

The lesson from Yakov Avinu is that we pay a price for our bitterness and negativity. Yakov lost years of his life because of it. This implies, that the opposite approach of gratitude and appreciation for all that we have, will not only bring us peace of mind, but it may very well add years to our lives.

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.