Melech David ben Sulah Pearla needs prayers and Penina Bas Zeesa Priyah
Parsha
Vayigash
Every year, my emotions
are stirred when I read this Parsha even though it happened sometime between
3600 to 3500 years ago. The reconciliation between the brothers and the 130
year-old Yacov coming down to Mitzrayim to see his son as the Prime Minister.
The Rambam defines
complete Teshuva as if the situation arises again and one does not give into
temptation that his Teshuva is complete. Even if one heaven forbid was a
pickpocket and regrets it but the situation cannot arise because he has either
Parkinson or lost his hand, still that is Teshuva but not on the same level. At
this point, Yehuda has a second son of Rachel about to become a slave. Yehuda
came up with the idea which was not so brilliant to sell Yosef. Now he is about
to offer himself in place of Benyamin. The Medrash tells us that Yehuda had a
broad chest and was very strong. He also was skilled at the art of war. He will
say take me as your slave to even abuse me as the Egyptians abuse men. He is
prepared for all as he has guaranteed his Olam HaBa for Benyamin. It is also
the fairness of Mida Knegged Mida and even the other brothers are struck by the
fact that Benyamin does not deserve this for he never participated in the sale.
44:18 Then Judah came near unto him,
and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's
ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as
Pharaoh.
Do not be wroth for you
have the power of life and death like Pharaoh that is the Pshat. The Drasha is
that you are like Pharaoh here one minute and gone the next or like Pharaoh
where the womb was withheld because of Sarai and his wives were in danger of
dying without Avram’s Prayers.
19 My lord asked his servants,
saying: Have ye a father, or a brother? 20 And we said unto my lord: We have a
father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother
is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.
Since he had no way of
finding or producing Yosef he stated that his brother was dead lest this Egypt
demand him too or find out the true story.
21 And thou said unto thy servants:
Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto
my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave nhis father,
his father would die. 23 And thou said unto thy servants: Except your youngest
brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to
pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my
lord.
Another time your
servant, my father, which would cut of time from Yosef’s life by not stating
that the old man is too old to be a servant or something similar.
25 And our father said: Go again,
buy us a little food. 26 And we said: We cannot go down; if our youngest
brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's face,
except our youngest brother be with us.
Up until now Yehuda has
not said anything new to bring out the Chessed or Rachamim from the Egyptian
Prime Minister.
27 And thy servant my father said
unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;
Again your servant but
now Yehuda is playing on the mercy and compassion of the leader.
28 and the one went out from me, and
I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;
Yosef was very put off
that Yacov did not send out a search party for him or check if he had been sold
into slavery. Now he knows what they told their father.
29 and if ye take this one also from
me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the
grave. 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is
not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;
I brought down last week
the passing of the actress Debbie Reynolds the day after her daughter Carrie
Fisher died. This is not an unusual case and it must have been very likely for
Yacov to have succumbed too.
31 it will come to pass, when he sees
that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down
the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy
servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not
unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father forever.
This includes the next
world.
33 Now therefore, let thy servant, I
pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up
with his brethren.
Yehuda showed leadership
before in a negative way now he was taking full responsibility and also
realized that if he became a slave it would be his Tikkun of Mida Knegged Mida
or in modern terms Karma.
34 For how shall I go up to my
father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on
my father.'
At this point Yosef
knows that Yehuda has done complete Teshuva and his Israeli heart is full of
Chessed V’ Rachamim. He now feels that the time is ripe to reveal himself. His
original thought was to save Benyamin from them but now with Yehuda’s action he
has seen complete Teshuva on the part of the brothers.
45: 1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried: 'Cause every man to go out from me.' And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
He showed them that he was circumcised.
2 And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'I am Joseph; does my father yet live?' And his brethren could not answer him; for they were affrighted at his presence.
Od Avinu Chai? A question and a rebuke. Is it true that my father still lives with all the grief of missing me? How could my father stand the news of me being killed when you brought him my torn coat? Perhaps he had learned soaked in blood from the conversations that they thought he could not understand.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
Yosef warns them of 5 more years of drought.
…12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.' 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
While the others were half-brothers, Benyamin was his full brother. Yosef according to the Medrash wept on Benyamin’s neck because of the destruction of the Mikdash as the head is higher like the town of Ramallah and the Mikdash was built at shoulder level.
15 And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him. 16 And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying: 'Joseph's brethren are come'; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
This is how Gallus starts. The first state is a welcome like Lavan kissing Yacov. The stage here is welcome and Berlin was the Jerusalem of the West once. How do they end, with Lavan by the skin of Yacov’s teeth, with Egypt doing slavery and with Germany the Shoah.
…26 And they told him, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
He thought that they were pulling his leg as they returned Benyamin safe and sould.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
Medrash says he learned Egel Arufa (calf that has his neck broken when a body is found near a city) with Yosef and wagon and Egel in Hebrew sound similar. I tend to think that the royal seal was on the wagons with gold plating.
28 And Israel said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.'
At the age of 130, he suddenly found the strength to travel.
…46:26 All the souls belonging to
Jacob that came into Egypt, that came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons'
wives, all the souls were threescore and six.
The Rabbis have a
problem with the number 70 souls with Yosef and considering Osnat his niece
that Dina gave up to adoption for the number comes to 65. So since Yacov did
not come out of his own loins, where is the missing person. They claim Yocheved
was born at the gates of Egypt but that would make her 130 when Moshe was born
which is not mentioned as a miracle. There is another two possibilities and
that a niece was born who was not mentioned who married one of the tribes. Last
but not least is the possibility that when 70 is mentioned it includes Yacov
after all.
27 And the sons of Joseph, who were
born to him in Egypt, were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob, that
came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. 28 And he sent Judah before him unto
Joseph, to show the way before him unto Goshen; and they came into the land of
Goshen.
To check out the land
for settling for the flocks and herds as well as setting up a Talmud Torah for
the children that would grow up there. The stay was supposed to be temporarily
but that temporary lasted 210 years.
29 And Joseph made ready his
chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented
himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
And Joseph harnessed his
chariot: He personally harnessed the horses to the chariot to hasten to honor
his father. [From Mechilta, Beshallach section 1] And he appeared to him: Joseph
presented himself to his father.And he
wept on his neck for a long time: Heb. עוֹד וַיֵבְ,
an expression of profuse weeping, and likewise, “For He will not place
additional [guilt] on a man” (Job 34:23), an
expression of profusion. He (God) does not place upon him additional
accusations over [and above] his sins. Here too he wept greatly and
continuously, more than was usual. Jacob, however, neither fell on Joseph’s
neck nor kissed him. Our Sages said that he was reciting the Shema. [From
Derech Eretz Zuta 1:10, ed. Hager, p. 62; quoted in Bereishith Zuta ; Yichusei
Tannaim va’Amoraim , p. 180, Teshuvoth Hageonim, ch. 45
30 And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Now
let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive.'
Based on the Medrash
that Yacov knew that if one of his sons died in his life time that he would not
have a place in the next world. Now that Yosef is alive, Yacov is prepared for
death for he can have a place in the next world. The Pshat is that now I can
rest in peace happy.
I will die this time: Its simple meaning is as the Targum
renders. [If I should die this time, I would be consoled.] Its Midrashic
interpretation is, however: I thought that I would die two deaths, in this
world and in the next world, because the Shechinah had left me, and I thought
that the Holy One, blessed be He, would hold me responsible for your death. Now
that you are still alive, I will die but once. [From Tanchuma Vayigash 9]
31 And Joseph said unto his
brethren, and unto his father's house: 'I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and
will say unto him: My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of
Canaan, are come unto me; 32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been
keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all
that they have. 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and
shall say: What is your occupation? 34 that ye shall say: Thy servants have
been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers;
that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination
unto the Egyptians.'
For they worshipped a
sheep god.
And from among his brothers: From the most inferior of them in regards to physical strength,
[i.e., those] who did not appear strong, for if he [Pharaoh] recognized them as
being strong, he would make them his warriors. They are the following: Reuben,
Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin, those whose names Moses did not double
when he blessed them (Deut. 33), but the names of the strong ones he doubled,
[as follows:] “And this is for Judah…Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah” (Deut. 33:7). “And regarding Gad he
said, ‘Blessed be He Who granted space to Gad’ ” (ibid. 20). “And regarding
Naphtali he said, ‘Naphtali’s wishes shall be well satisfied’ ” (ibid. 23).
“And regarding Dan, he said, ‘Dan is a young lion’ ” (ibid. 22). And so on for
Zebulun (ibid. 18), and for Asher (ibid. 24). This is a quotation from Genesis
Rabbah (95:4), which is the Aggadah of Eretz Israel. In our Babylonian Talmud,
however, we find that those whose names Moses doubled were the weak ones, and
it was they whom he brought before Pharaoh. As for Judah (the sixth one), whose
name was doubled, however, it was not doubled because of weakness, but there is
a[nother] reason for it, as is stated in Baba Kamma (92a). In the Baraitha of
Sifrei , in “Vezoth Haberachah” (354) we learn as in our Talmud. [I.e., the
Sifrei identifies the five brothers as does the Talmud, namely that the five
brothers were Gad, Naphtali, Dan, Zebulun, and Asher.]
…6 the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if thou know any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.'
The first Pharaoh paid for watching his cattle, the next volunteer service, the next compulsory service and finally slavery for all.
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: 'How many are the days of the years of thy life?' 9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: 'The days of the years of my sojornings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojornings.'
If President Elect Trump was interviewing me for Homeland Security TSA in charge of airport and port security, I would tell him how old I am and what I did and could do for him. I would not tell him my whole medical history or how rough my life has been as that was not his question. He did not ask, “How are you” but “How old are you”. This is one of the problems of the Jews complains here, there and everywhere.
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
This was the greatest gift that Yacov could give to Pharaoh for the man had everything. But the blessing from the Tzaddik HaDor was the one thing that Pharaoh did not have.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones. …20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh's. 21 And as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land. 23 Then Joseph said unto the people: 'Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
Yosef institutes a grain tax for the future just in case a famine will ever come again into the land and the nation now works for Pharaoh and the land is his. However, the earnings are 80% and the tax is 20%.
24 And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.' 25 And they said: 'Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.' 26 And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh's. 27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
Whenever the Bnei Yisrael come into a new country, the were welcomed and made the area profit both for themselves and their non-Jewish neighbors.
Rabbi Chen and the renegade Israeli Lady
A number of years ago on Chanucha in NY, Rabbi Chen
made a party for children in the local Chabad Schul. It was the first time the
children of this lady had gotten anything really Jewish for the lady had gone
from bad to worse.
Years before, the lady had left Israel and her
religious roots. She wound up in the States and gradually went to discos and
began eating non-kosher and doing all sorts of things that Rabbis don’t discuss
in public. She went out with this fellow who drank and drugs and was a non-Jew.
He wanted to marry her and they did get married.
Somehow seeing the Rabbi treat her children kindly,
she decided that she wanted to talk to him and tell her of her troubles. The
drugged up husband would come home and abuse her and disturb the children. With
the help from the Rabbi and a volunteer Orthodox Lawyer plus perhaps some other
services, she got a divorce and away from her abusive relationship.
It came time for the oldest boy to be Bar Mitzvah but
he only wanted to do it with Rabbi Chen. The Rabbi arranged for a small party
and food for 50 people. The ex-husband demanded that he bring 50 people also.
The situation was bad who needed his friends and family at the Aliyah to Torah.
The Rabbi suggested with the help of a restaurant owner that there be a dinner
in the evening for 50 people which the Goyim would like better but for the
ceremony only the grandparents and father would come and so it was.
The party was in the evening and the non-Jewish
grandfather spoke to his grandson. I came from Mexico to the USA and worked
close to 40 years for a Jewish family but I never wondered what they did. They
were nice people. Today I saw how even a young boy is honored. I implore you,
my grandson, to be strong in Judaism and honor your traditions. I beg you to
guard this and respect your religion.
As for the former Israeli Lady, she began returning
to observing Shabbos on her own and the children are practicing Jews. (As told
to me by Rabbi Chen last Shabbos)
Fast 10th of Teves from Rabbi Salid: בס'ד
Chazal (Sages OBM) tell us that the eighth, ninth and tenth of
Teves are days’ worthy of fasting. Since we can't fast for three consecutive
days, we observe the tenth which is the most significant of the three.
This was the day on which the wicked Nevucaneitzar initiated the siege of Yerushalayim, resulting in its eventual capture. But what are the tragedies of the eighth and ninth?
We are told that Ezra died on the ninth. The eighth of Teves was the date of the so called "Septuagint" when Talmai (Ptolemy) of Egypt forced seventy-two elders to translate the Torah into Greek.
Chazal tell us that metaphorically, the world was cast into darkness for three days. Tradition has it that the sages deliberately corrupted certain passages to avoid scorn at the hands of the Greeks. More important, once the Bible was exposed it became subject to subversion, false interpretation, and total distortion.
It would seem that corruption of the word of G-d is a catastrophe of the highest order and a matter worth fasting over. How many lives have been lost on account of ascribing false meaning to G-d's will? Indeed a sobering thought.
As we enter these days of sadness and introspection, let us dedicate ourselves to the true meaning of Torah, and resolve to defend that truth with all our might!
This was the day on which the wicked Nevucaneitzar initiated the siege of Yerushalayim, resulting in its eventual capture. But what are the tragedies of the eighth and ninth?
We are told that Ezra died on the ninth. The eighth of Teves was the date of the so called "Septuagint" when Talmai (Ptolemy) of Egypt forced seventy-two elders to translate the Torah into Greek.
Chazal tell us that metaphorically, the world was cast into darkness for three days. Tradition has it that the sages deliberately corrupted certain passages to avoid scorn at the hands of the Greeks. More important, once the Bible was exposed it became subject to subversion, false interpretation, and total distortion.
It would seem that corruption of the word of G-d is a catastrophe of the highest order and a matter worth fasting over. How many lives have been lost on account of ascribing false meaning to G-d's will? Indeed a sobering thought.
As we enter these days of sadness and introspection, let us dedicate ourselves to the true meaning of Torah, and resolve to defend that truth with all our might!
Have a beautiful and
meaningful Shabbos.
A nation with suicidal thoughts and many don’t want to do army
service because of this unnecessary trial. Pardon the fellow who killed the
terrorist that attempted murder. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222779
New Israeli Medical package adds more medicines that are
subsidized. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4902514,00.html
Israel. A new law went into effect 10 Agarot for
each plastic bag. While supplies last if you purchase more than 100 Shekels you
get a free more permanent bag for multi-use. Supposedly this helps the
environment but bake-shops and small grocery stores are exempt from the law so
not to damage their business. How can I take hope fresh fruits, veges, cakes
and doughnuts, bread and rolls without something to hold them! I need the small
bags for wrapping my shoes and slippers for travel. I also wrap some things for
my carry-on with small bags.
Problem with those who break away from Charedi Judaism has them
going to the opposite extreme. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222623
Milestone former Justice Minister passes away. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4901655,00.html
Global warming more proof. Since the records started in
Israel, this Dec. was the coldest ever recorded. Rav Shteinerman is in the ICU
and we should be concerned when Torah Giants are in danger it is not a good
sign for the world. There are capable people to take his place but he is the
greatest for many Talmidei Chachamim both Sephardic, Yemenite and Ashkenazic.
Inyanay
Diyoma
Israeli Police vs Magen David and freedom of speech: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222547
ISIS, the JV team, pulls off a win or so against varsity Iraq. http://debka.com/article/25864/Propping-up-US-Iraqi-Mosul-flop-exposed-Baghdad
Santa Claus terrorist murders two guards and 37 more in Turkey and
escapes. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4901235,00.html
Typical
anti-Semite hiding behind Israel as an excuse. Had Steinmeier been around in
1939 he would have done more damage. From Valerie.
German Foreign
Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a staunch proponent of the Iran nuclear deal,
has slammed Israel in a series of tweets and statements since last Friday’s
Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.
In a statement issued
to Germany’s largest circulation daily, Bild, after the UN resolution, the
Foreign Ministry claimed that “a democratic Israel is only achievable through a
two-state-solution.”
The statement prompted
the editor-in-chief of Bild’s digital outlet, veteran journalist Julian
Reichelt, to express astonishment at the harsh wording.
In response to
Reichelt’s criticism, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffan Seibert
wrote on his Twitter feed: “Israel is a Jewish democratic state.”
Steinmeier, a Social
Democratic politician who is jockeying to be the next president of Germany,
later said on Twitter: “Israeli settlements in occupied territories jeopardize
possibility of peace process.”
The same
English-language tweet was issued again. The flurry of messages attacking
Israel appeared on the German- and English-language Twitter feeds of the
Berlin-based Foreign Ministry.
Steinmeier also
endorsed US Secretary of State John Kerry’s Wednesday speech, writing that the
“speech is a warning and a reminder that the #2StateSolution must not become an
empty phrase. #MiddleEast.”
Donald Trump invites PM Netanyahu to meet with him before or in the
grandstands and ball on Jan. 20th http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222566
From Richard A. and the photo is not photo-shopped: http://truepundit.com/family-business-john-kerrys-daughter-married-iranian-national-best-man-was-son-of-irans-minister-of-foreign-affairs/
Normally bodies are returned but because they are holding our bodies
of two soldiers from “Protective Edge”. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4901582,00.html
Turkey’s price of supporting ISIS against Assad. http://debka.com/article/25866/Turkey-pays-dear-for-Erdogan-overreach-into-Syria
Police capture Friday Morning suspect hiding in Kfar
Makar for terrorist murder, victim was buried on Thursday. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4903531,00.html
Mike Huckabee says time to rethink the two state solution: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222703
Major Ben Ari passes away from wounds of the Protective Edge battle HY”D. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222721
Heave-Ho trying to build a lot more houses. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222776
Why the President Elect is against the half-baked
no-proof intelligence report. http://debka.com/article/25875/Why-Trump-and-US-intel-clash-over-Russia
Congress 342-80 backs Israel http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4903882,00.html
Brig. Gen. dismissed over illegal Arab settlement in area C. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222873
Serial Wedding Crasher arrested for stealing cellphones. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222868
No longer “back to the future” a flying ambulance being developed. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222871
Dr. Martin Sherman Ed-Op two states gone mad. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20012
Batya Medad Ed-Op Sovereign over Maale Adumim is not enough: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/9434
Good Shabbos and have a productive fast for the 10th
of Teves.
Rachamim Pauli
