Dvora bat Chava and others passed away or were healed recently so I am revising my prayer list.
Revised prayer list: Prayers for Men: Shalom Charles ben Gracia,
Daniel ben Rivka, Ephraim ben Mazel, Zev ben
Rachel, Yisrael Dovid ben Chaya Yenta, Yisrael Ben Dovid ben Drorah
Rivka, Meir Melech ben Bracha, Rachamim ben Charlotte Jacqueline, Shimon ben
Haviva, Chaim Meir ben Milkah.
Women: Karen Neshama bas Esther
Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Tsvia Simcha bas Devorah Yachad,
Miriam bas Irene Taita Malka, Drorah Rivka bas
Chana, Leah bas Sara, Esther Georgette bas Misooda, Mine’ Dulah bas
Maxine, Rachel Izel bas Sara, Devorah Rosa (row sa) bas Freyda Leah, re-added
temp. Miriam Esther bas Golda Chaya, Dina bas
Sara.
The following persons are recovering
from long term non-threatening injuries and need Psalms. Avraham HaCohain ben
Yocheved, Melech David ben Sulah Pearla,
Parsha Miketz Part 1
There are few ‘cliff
hangers’ in the Parshiyos. Between Yosef being left in jail last week and this
week we begin to wonder if he will rot in jail his whole life? Our Parsha ends
with another one. How will the brothers react to Benyamin becoming a slave? Has
Yehuda learned his lesson has he done Teshuva? With a blink of an eye two years
pass by.
41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that
Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
It was Pharaoh’s birthday again and
what he dreams on his birthday has consequences for Pharaoh and all of Kingdom
of Mitzrayim.
2 And, behold, there came up out
of the river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the
reed-grass. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of
the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the
brink of the river. 4 And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did
eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So, Pharaoh awoke.
What a crazy dream and scary at that
for Pharaoh will remember it well.
5 And he slept and dreamed a
second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and
good. 6 And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind,
sprung up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank
and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
This too is out of the ordinary with a
similar theme and scares the daylight out of Pharaoh. It must be from HASHEM.
8 And it came to pass in the
morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the
magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof; and Pharaoh told them his
dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
One said that he will sire seven sons
and they will die. Somebody said something about seven wives. Another something
else but each Pharaoh was not satisfied. His gut knew that it was not a
solution.
9 Then spoke the chief butler
unto Pharaoh, saying: 'I make mention of my faults this
day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in the ward
of the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief
baker. 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed
each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there
was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard;
and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to
his dream he did interpret.
See how the wicked talk. Not only did
he forget accidently or on purpose about Yosef but he also reminds Pharaoh that
a prisoner could not be Prime Minister, a man under a certain age cannot be
Prime Minister, a servant/slave cannot be Prime Minister and a Hebrew cannot be
Prime Minister
13 And it came to pass, as he
interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was
hanged.'
And Pharaoh remembered.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called
Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself,
and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
You don’t go before the King in an Orange
Jump Suit so he was sent appropriate clothing like that of Pharaoh’s Priests
and Magicians.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph:
'I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have
heard say of thee, that when thou hear a dream thou can interpret
it.' 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'It is not in me; God
will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'
Yosef is putting G-D in the picture
making a Kiddush HASHEM.
17 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph:
'In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river. 18 And,
behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and
well-favored; and they fed in the reed-grass. 19 And, behold, seven
other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such
as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. 20 And the lean
and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine. 21 And when
they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but
they were still ill-favored as at the beginning. So, I awoke.
This was dream number one.
22 And I saw in my dream, and,
behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good. 23 And,
behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up
after them. 24 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears.
This was dream number two.
And I told it unto the magicians; but
there was none that could declare it to me.'
Nobody can give me a sensible solution
to these dreams.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh:
'The dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto
Pharaoh.
G-D has given you a prophetic dream of
things to come.
26 The seven good kine are seven
years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
You might have had two dreams but it
was one message or theme in the dreams.
27 And the seven lean and
ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven
empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of
famine.
Yosef recognizes a 14year period of
prosperity for seven years and then seven years of famine.
28 That is the thing which I
spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto
Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout
all the land of Egypt. 30 And there shall arise after them seven
years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;
and the famine shall consume the land;
The second seven years will devour the
wealth of the first seven years.
31 and the plenty shall not be
known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it shall be very
grievous.
Therefore Egypt will have abundance
and then a very bad famine.
32 And for that the dream was
doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and
God will shortly bring it to pass.
Because the dream is doubled it shall
start very soon.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look
out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of
Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the
land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of
plenty.
Pharaoh should appoint an
administrator who knows what he is doing to handle the surplus and the famine
that will follow.
35 And let them gather all the
food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh
for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 And the food shall
be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in
the land of Egypt; that the land perishes not through the famine.'
Your wise Administrator must have a
system of granaries near the larger cities to store and then distribute the
grain during the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the
eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh
said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the
spirit of God is?'
Can we find such a man who knows what
to do and the spirit of G-D is upon him?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph:
'Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise
as thou. 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word
shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than
thou.'
Since G-D has imparted you this
wisdom, you shall be my Prime Minister and administrate the gathering and
stowage of the grain. When the time comes you will manage the distribution.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph:
'See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.' 42 And Pharaoh
took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and
arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his
neck. 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had;
and they cried before him: 'Abrech'; and he set him over all the land of
Egypt.
He is second in command over all of Egypt
and the police shall yell “bend the knee” aka bow when such a leader passes by.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph:
'I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in
all the land of Egypt.' 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name
Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera
priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
Zaphenath-paneah literally hidden
explained/clarified or perhaps mystery solver. He was also given a wife for his
position. Medrash states that Asenath was really Dina and since before Matan
Torah she was permitted to him. However, that goes against the laws of Bnei
Noach and the Pshat seems to say that she is simply what is mentioned in the
sentence.
46 And Joseph was thirty years
old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.--And Joseph went out from the
presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
Thirty is already a man with a head on
his shoulder and not a teen youth.
47 And in the seven years of
plenty the earth brought forth in heaps. 48 And he gathered up all
the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the
food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city,
laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the
sea, very much, until they left off numbering; for it was without number.
In the Tanach, we see the word Revivos
or 10,000. I do not know how high their numbering system went if like in census
in Parsha Bamidbar they could understand 100,000’s but a billion or more
100,000 multiplied by 100,000 they could not find a word for it.
50 And unto Joseph were born two
sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera
priest of On bore unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the
first-born Manasseh: 'for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my
father's house.'
To forget or erase the 13 bad years as
a slave and in the dungeon.
52 And the name of the second
called him Ephraim: 'for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my
affliction.'
The concept of my fruit or I am fruitful.
53 And the seven years of plenty,
that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. 54 And the seven years
of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in
all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Yosef stored away 20% of the crop each
year. We can believe that the average person may have used 20 to 30% of the crop
and the rest made good business selling or exchange of goods.
55 And when all the land of Egypt
was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all
the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.' 56 And the
famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the
storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land
of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into
Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the earth. 42:1
Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why
do ye look one upon another?' 2 And he said: 'Behold, I have heard
that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence;
that we may live, and not die.'
News and rumors or greetings were sent
via a person traveling from place to place. Therefore it became know to Yacov.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went
down to buy corn from Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob
sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall
him.'
Benyamin alone is what Yacov has of
his beloved Rachel.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy
among those that came; for the famine was in the land of
Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that
sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down
to him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren,
and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with
them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of
Canaan to buy food.'
He knew them but at 17 he had Peyos
and a scrawny beard. Now he was a man with a thick beard and leader of Egypt. When
Yosef left, he looked and dressed like is brothers. Now he was dressed in royal
garments with servants. They came looking for a slave or a male prostitute
named Yosef but nobody in the red light districts knew of a Yosef.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren,
but they knew him not. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he
dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the
land ye are come.'
After 20years, Yosef had forgotten or
moved on from his dreams. Now when he saw them bowing down did he remember the
dreams. He catches them off guard with the spying charges. These Bumkins can’t
think that high but a royal can.
10 And they said unto him: 'Nay,
my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one
man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.' 12 And he
said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come.' 13 And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the
sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with
our father, and one is not.'
No we are not spies but ten honest
brothers. Our youngest brother is with our father and one we have lost.
14 And Joseph said unto them:
'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies. 15 Hereby ye
shall be proved, as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, except your
youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch
your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether
there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely ye are spies.'
He is testing them and also longs to
see that Benyamin is treated well.
17 And he put them all together
into ward three days.
I haven’t read the Medrash in years but
it appears to me that this was the time that Yosef was in the pit.
18 And Joseph said unto them the
third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God: 19 if ye be upright
men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry
corn for the famine of your houses;
He mentions fearing G-D so maybe like
people in the past had dreams from G-D that scared them, he had one and was
going to let them go.
20 and bring your youngest
brother unto me; so, shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And
they did so. 21 And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty
concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he
besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon
us.' 22 And Reuben answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you,
saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also,
behold, his blood is required.'
While they fought against one another
for the foolish advice of Shimon. Now the who story comes out before Yosef and
he knows precisely what happened 20years previously.
23 And they knew not that Joseph
understood them; for the interpreter was between them. 24 And he
turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to
them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
He took a time out for crying as he
released all of them except Shimon, the hothead could he could have murdered
Yosef over a dream.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill
their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to
give them provision for the way; and thus, was it done unto them.
Yosef commanded and so it was done.
26 And they laded their asses
with their corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened
his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money;
and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said unto his
brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their
heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is
this that God hath done unto us?'
Translated to American English: Oh
boy! Now we’re really up the creek without a paddle.
29 And they came unto Jacob their
father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them,
saying:
They gave him a full briefing and
explained why Shimon did not return with them.
30 'The man, the lord of the
land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the
country. 31 And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no
spies. 32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and
the youngest is this day with our father in the land of
Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby
shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and
take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
As security as brother would not
abandon a brother. (Sort of twisting a few raw nerves for what they did to
Yosef. Causing them to do Teshuva.)
34 And bring your youngest
brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are
upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the
land.'
If you want to see me and release
Shimon you will have to bring your younger brother.
35 And it came to pass as they
emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack;
and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were
afraid.
This did not make them joyful that
they had free food but rather they might be accused of being thieves.
36 And Jacob their father said
unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is
not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'
Why did you have to open up your big
mouths? Now you want to take Benyamin from me.
37 And Reuben spoke unto his
father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee;
deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'
You are not the most brilliant star in
the sky brain wise. What pleasure does a grandfather get out of killing his
grandchildren? What revenge is this?
38 And he said: 'My son shall not
go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall
him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with
sorrow to the grave.
I don’t want to go to the grave
without knowing that at least one of Rachel’s boys is alive.
Although I am feeling much better
and now recovering, I am still experiencing pains at night with causes me to
doze off sometimes while writing. Next week I will try to conclude here and
completely finish Parsha Vayigash.
Milestone: Rachel Adams Eisenberg
She was a Jewish
Housewife. She loved dancing as an Orthodox Lady with other women to exercise
and free herself from worries. She had a nice life on Staten Island until life
started throwing curve balls her way.
Her beloved husband, Dr.
Daniel Eisenberg, had a stroke that incapacitated him. Shortly afterwards or
just before, her daughter, Kayla Rus, ended up with cancer. After a battle of a
number of years she succumbed. She took care of her aging father in some form
for about five years until he passed and was taking care of her 93year old
mother and until her mother-in-law passed away the same. With all this it was
no wonder that her dancing stopped. Her guide, Rabbi David Winiarz Zal passed
away in an icy traffic accident so her ‘crying towel’ was gone.
About a year or more
ago, her son was in a car accident with a brain injury. She had shall we say
some of the hardships of Iyob. She never complained about her own health. I
estimate that she was somewhere between 50 and 60 when she passed away
suddenly.
Rabbi Chaim Volozhin and the birth of the modern
Yeshiva By Rabbi Benji Levi.
https://aish.com/rabbi-chaim-volozhin-and-the-birth-of-the-modern-yeshiva/
During the years I studied in Yeshiva, friends and visitors were
surprised by the striking spectacle of hundreds of pairs of learners sitting
opposite each other, vigorously fighting over a page of the Talmud.
There’s a furrowed brow, a wrinkled forehead, a finger raised in
triumph. Occasionally voices are raised in indignation, if not what appears as
outright hostility.
Surrounded by books teeming everywhere, there is a hum of
blended conversations, a cacophony of voices. But there’s also a tune; a
sing-song cadence threading the animated arguments. The noise is deafening,
overwhelming. It’s difficult to understand how anyone could actually be
studying.
This fractious throng seems as far from a typical classical
spiritual paradigm – the smiling Buddha sitting serenely under the lotus tree –
as it’s possible to be.It’s tempting to think the yeshiva has always just been
there; that these same scenes have played out for centuries. Although the
source texts have been poured over and picked apart for thousands of years, the
yeshiva itself is a relatively modern construct.
It is the brainchild of a visionary Jewish leader. His name was
Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin.
Born in the Lithuanian town of Volozhin (today part
of Belarus), “Reb Chaim” as he
is popularly known, was the foremost disciple of the great Vilna Gaon, the
genius of Vilna. That itself is enough to seal his place in Jewish history. In
truth though, in terms of his historical influence, some argue that in certain
respects Reb Chaim went on to surpass even his great teacher.
Reb Chaim’s beginnings were inauspicious. That he came into this
world at all was a minor miracle. Legend has it that his father, the local
bartender, divorced his mother within weeks of marriage. The couple were only
reconciled after a local Count (in a neat inversion of the typical
bartender-patron dynamic) encountered the downcast and remorseful bartender,
and intervened on his behalf. Reb Chaim was born shortly thereafter.
A Talmudic prodigy in his early 20s, Reb Chaim was introduced to
the Vilna Gaon. He was already among the leading Torah scholars of his time.
And yet, such was his veneration for the Gaon, that he began his Torah learning
from scratch, incorporating his teacher’s penetrating analytical methodology.
The focus was on ferreting out the meaning and intent of the sages of the
Talmud and especially of the early commentators, with an emphasis on literal
interpretation and on working from first principles.
Reb Chaim progressed quickly in this new approach under his new
master, while also earning a highly respectable living as a cloth manufacturer.
By 1773 at the tender age of 25, he was appointed head rabbi of Volozhin. He
would hold the position until his death almost five decades later, albeit with
a short-lived stint in between as head rabbi of neighboring Vilkomir for less
than a year, where he angered the town’s leaders by refusing to accept a
salary.
Reb Chaim continued to be influenced and awed by his great
teacher. He made the pilgrimage to Vilna three or four times a year, where he
would consult the Gaon on various questions on Torah and Jewish law he had
collected in the interim.
On one such occasion, he posed to the Gaon a question of a
different sort…
The Jewish world at the time was in a state of flux. The
Enlightenment had by now reached Eastern Europe. Suddenly, a good Jewish boy
had intellectual pursuits other than the Talmud to occupy his mind, if he so
wished.
Torah learning was in decline for other reasons, too. Torah
books were available only to the very well-off members of society. Often the
town synagogue would lack even the basics of Jewish literature. Illiteracy was
rife. Public Torah study was unheard of.
It was in this context that Reb Chaim presented to the Vilna
Gaon his idea for a central institution of higher learning that would raise the
level of Torah study in the region, elevate its standing in the eyes of the
public, and establish it as an intellectually compelling alternative to other
academic pursuits.
Legend has it that Reb Chaim’s fervent pitch was met with his
mentor’s firm disapproval. Only a few years later, when Reb Chaim again raised
the issue – this time with far less conviction – did the Gaon give it his
enthusiastic blessing. What had changed?
“The first time you asked me about it,” the Gaon explained, “too
much of your ego was invested. You wanted to create it. It
would not have succeeded. Now you talk about it more calmly, more critically,
more rationally, with less of your personality and ego involved. It’s a great
idea. Go ahead and do it!”
As a start, funds were needed. Reb Chaim delivered a rousing
appeal to the community during the Ten Days of Repentance:
As representatives of the people, we are saddened to witness the
Torah’s esteem diminishing from day to day. This is not due to sacrilege or
rebellion. There are many who desire to learn, but they lack a piece of bread,
while those who have it and want to study do not have teachers… The children of
Israel are thirsty, their soul is longing for the holy books. We cannot refuse
the pleading voices… I call on volunteers to teach and to finance. I will be
the first volunteer, in heart and soul, to be among the teachers, and with
God’s help, to maintain the students according to their needs… I ask you to
join me in this sacred duty.
Nevertheless, contributions weren’t initially forthcoming.
Eventually, Reb Chaim laid the cornerstone for the Yeshiva in 1803, six years
after the death of the Vilna Gaon. He began with ten young pupils, whom he
maintained at his own expense, with proceeds from the linen factory. It is said
that his wife sold her jewellery to contribute to their upkeep.
Despite these humble beginnings, the yeshiva grew rapidly and
its fame spread, which brought much-needed financial support. At its peak there
were more than 400 students
As much as Reb Chaim wanted Torah study to proliferate, access
to his elite institution was by no means a fait accompli. Only the
best and brightest were admitted. Applicants were asked to complete an
extraordinarily demanding examination, requiring an in-depth and vast knowledge
of the Talmud.
The yeshiva provided hearty meals, and each student received
full room and board, and was clothed and cared for in every respect. Reb Chaim
was adamant that nothing come between them and their learning; that no material
concern should play on their mind while they were immersed in the intricate
commentaries of the Talmud or a particularly knotty dialectic in one of the 63
voluminous tractates of the Talmud.
Indeed, one well-known anecdote is that every winter morning,
before sunrise, Reb Chaim would don a pair of heavy peasant boots and rake the
snow in front of the yeshiva entrance to clear a path for his students. There
are many such tales.
In general, Reb Chaim’s pedagogical approach was unique and
progressive; he regarded the intellectual autonomy of the student as
sacrosanct. He understood that the personality of each student was something
valuable, to be preserved, and helped them nurture independent thought and
critical analysis.1 He addressed them as equals, and would often
consult them for their perspectives on life and on learning.
His regard for his students was deep and sincere; he rejoiced in
their celebrations and suffered in their pain. The students, in turn, revered
their teacher, just as he had revered his, and responded in kind. Their
devotion to Torah study knew no limits. They learnt, on average 18 hours a day.
Some particularly diligent students would maintain a cycle of learning for 36
hours then sleeping for eight.
One inviolable principle of the yeshiva was that there had to
be, at all times, at least one person learning Torah. Day and night the study
hall was occupied. On occasions where that principle was in danger of being
broken (such as the afternoon before the onset of Jewish festivals or Yom Kippur
or straight after the fast), Reb Chaim himself would fill the breach.
Volozhin yeshiva ran in accordance with a very particular
blueprint for Torah study. One of these was that Torah knowledge itself was not
the most important thing; rather it was the labor, the intense strain, of the
study; of “breaking one’s head” on the Talmud.
Another key principle was that Torah study was in its ideal form
a social pursuit, to be done in pairs (and sometimes in groups) rather than as
individuals. Hence the noise of hundreds of pairs of students learning out loud
in a typical yeshiva study hall.
A third principle was that the sheer intellectual exhilaration
of Torah study was its own reward, and indeed, the source of the deepest joy
and of the most profound spiritual growth.2
Those principles have endured over centuries and today form the
nucleus of the modern yeshiva. But back in 19th century Lithuania, as the Volozhin yeshiva grew in scale and influence, it drew the ire of the
Russian empire who saw it, perhaps correctly, as a bastion against the regime’s
objective of assimilating Jews into the greater population, and especially, of
bringing them into the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The pressure got so intense that in 1892, with Volozhin yeshiva
in the hands of Reb Chaim’s distinguished son-in-law, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda
Berlin (the Netziv), the yeshiva was forced to close. But unfortunately for the
Russian government, the genie was already out the bottle and the Volozhin
yeshiva’s closure led to a proliferation of similar institutions. In time,
Volozhin became the forerunner of all the great Lithuanian yeshivas – Slobodka,
Mir, Ponevezh, Kelm, Kletsk, and Telz – august academies of learning, many of
which endure to this day, and which have spurred some of the great modern centers
of learning in Israel.
Throughout his life, Reb Chaim wrote numerous halachic responsa
(most of them tragically, lost in a fire in 1815). His magnum opus, however,
is Nefesh Ha-Chaim (‘Living Soul’). A remarkable and suitably
unique work, fusing kabbalah and Jewish ethics, it explores the nature of God
and the deep secrets of the universe, but it also deals with less esoteric
subjects such as the cultivation of good character, adherence to Jewish law,
and of course, the primacy of Torah study. It is viewed as the Lithuanian
response to Hasidism, though its criticisms are more subdued and less explicit
than those of the Vilna Gaon.3 To this day, Nefesh
Ha-Chaim remains a classic, a staple in the yeshiva world and beyond.
The 3,500 Jewish inhabitants of Volozhin were massacred in the
Holocaust. Today, one striking remnant of the community still stands. An old
yeshiva building. But beyond the building is what he built. The legacy of Reb
Chaim lives on not just through the Torah he taught, but his approach to Torah
he lived.
Biography:
E. Leoni, Volozhin - the Book of the City and of the Etz
Hayyim Yeshiva, Tel Aviv Publishing, 1970.
Chaim Ben Isaac Of Volozhin, Solomon Schechter and
Peter Wiernik, The Jewish Encyclopaedia.
Norman Lamm, Torah Lishmah – Torah for Torah's Sake: In the
Works of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and His Contemporaries, KTAV, 1989.
- He would
say, “A human being without an opinion is not worth compassion.”
- Reb Chaim
himself went even further, identifying Torah study as the primary service
of God, the main path to repentance, and even the foundation of prayer.
- Reb Chaim
was in general more moderate in his opposition to Hasidism, and he often
preached tolerance. There were even students with a Hasidic outlook
studying in the Volozhin yeshiva.
I got this story on What’s
App about $300,000,000 cost for a Kiddush HASHEM. An interview with a 95year
old before his passing by Rabbi Yoel Gold Shlita.
https://www.bagels.tv/the-300-million-dollar-kiddush-hashem-story/
The Story of Hanukah as told by Sara
Yocheved Rigler. 25 years of war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNrZ8Cqlb8A
Ed-Op the war of Gog and
Magog (Armageddon) approaches by Rabbi Pauli
I essentially started
with the section of Inyanay Diyoma at the end of the Torah Drasha and Stories
to prepare the readers for the End of Days. Well they are approaching rapidly.
In terms of a Gallus of 2000 years, rapidly may mean tomorrow or two or three
years down the road.
The Malbim Commentary
talks of a war starting in Iran. The Vilna Gaon identifies Russia as Magog for
the War of Gog and Magog. Joe Jr. if written in Hebrew would be Gog. Gog is a
leader.
A few statements written
centuries ago about the nations of the world fighting around Israel, the
ingathering of the exiles, Har Tzion will be a Refuge, and from the Gaon “When
you see the Russian Fleet entering the Mediterranean have your suit ready to
greet Moshiach”.
One of the 13 Principles
of Faith of the Rambam is to wait for the Moshiach Daily. However, that is only
if we merit him. Unfortunately, it looks like the specified time as we learn
from history of the Redemption 430 years from Bris between the Pieces, 400
years after the birth of Yitzchak and 210 years after Yacov entered Egypt. So
too I can feel history coming to a head. Let us just hope that the Lubavitcher
Rebbe’s declaration that the Shoah was the horrible war on the Jews that
describes the battle of Gog and Magog and we will survive it. So, everybody
follows the boy scout model and “Be Prepared” for Moshiach.
Milestone: Jim Carr, 71, Former
Canadian MP. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jim-carr-canadian-mp-whose-political-values-stemmed-from-his-jewishness-dies-at-71/
Milestone: Dr. Vivian Blair Skolnick,
93, married 73 years. Clinical Psychologist author of Torah Parsha Books &
Papers. https://kodeshpress.com/about-our-author-dr-vivian-skolnick/
Inyanay Diyoma
Some Ukrainian Cities want the
Menorah others not. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-ukraine-hanukkah-candles-are-a-lifeline-in-the-midst-of-power-outages/
Peace with the Saudis would end the
Israeli Arab Conflict. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364532
Terrorist fire at Israeli Vehicle
hitting Driver’s headrest. A
preliminary investigation reveals that the driver was traveling from Elon Moreh
to Emanuel. Approximately one hundred meters after the driver turned towards
Havat Gilad, a terrorist fired at him and fled towards Nablus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364524
King Charles III dances with
Holocaust Survivors. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364533
Ed-Op Caroline Glick: Ayman Odeh and
the coalitions of hate. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364520
Peru protests are blocking airports.
Looking to evacuate Israelis. Some stuck in Macho Picchu . https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364541
Shooting at Amazon averted by armed
employee. https://www.foxnews.com/us/armed-amazon-employee-stops-shooter-who-opened-fire-arizona-facility
Bystander saves Toddler from Hippo. https://www.foxnews.com/world/hippo-in-uganda-chomps-down-2-year-old-boy-brave-bystander-takes-quick-action
Meagan Markle’s false claims in doc.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/meghan-markles-half-sister-fires-back-ex-royals-claims-made-netflix-docuseries
Iran – more executions will lead to
a full uprising. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364499
An Israeli citizen was among seven people
charged by US prosecutors this week with smuggling sensitive electronic
components to Russia that could potentially be used to make nuclear weapons. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-charged-in-us-for-allegedly-smuggling-components-used-in-nukes-to-russia/
IDF Troops fire after misidentifying
settlers as terrorist. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-troops-shot-at-settlement-security-guards-mistakenly-identified-as-rock-throwers/
Trump speaks positive to Orthodox
Jews but mum on apology. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-mum-on-west-and-fuentes-in-first-speech-to-jewish-group-since-dining-with-them/
CIA Head – Russia looking to support
Iran against west. https://www.timesofisrael.com/cia-head-russia-looking-to-support-iran-posing-threat-to-us-allies-in-middle-east/
Injured Baseball Player pulled from Team
Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ailing-yankees-outfielder-pulled-from-team-israels-world-baseball-classic-roster/
$3 Billion approved to Egypt by IMF.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/imf-approves-3-billion-support-package-for-egypt/
Massive aquarium spills out 1500
fish. https://www.timesofisrael.com/massive-berlin-aquarium-that-housed-1500-tropical-fish-bursts/
MN neo-Nazi arrested in plans for
mass shooting. https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-minnesota-man-revered-mass-shooters-showed-interest-in-joining-neo-nazi-groups/
Channel 13's Arab affairs correspondent Zvi Yehezkeli
suggested that Israel should kidnap Hamas officials' children in order to reach
a deal to return Israeli hostages in Gaza in a 103FM interview on Friday. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725131
Israel-S. Korea trade deal. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-725034
Terrorist who wanted to kill Rabbi
Yosef deported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364565
Iranian enriched Uranium hits record
highs. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-atomic-official-says-uranium-enrichment-capacity-hits-record-highs/
Antisemitism: Jon
Minadeo Jr., the leader of Goyim TV, announced the move to FL. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364566
N. Korea launches solid fuel
missile. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364561
Why is J. Street defending Ilhan
Omer and the Reform too. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364448
Rescue mission to Peru a success. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725141
Righteous Gentiles: https://www.timesofisrael.com/polish-couple-killed-by-nazis-for-hiding-jews-declared-martyrs-by-pope/
Gal Gadot removed from “The Flash”
movie. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-725156
More US States blocking Tik Tok on
State Phones and Jordan completely bans it. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-blocks-tiktok-after-cop-killed-in-protests-over-fuel-hikes/
Republican Ed-Op against Trump but
not Trumpism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364449
UFO’s earthly foe? https://www.timesofisrael.com/pentagon-receives-hundreds-of-new-ufo-reports-though-no-evidence-of-aliens-yet/
As Intel stock falls layoffs
increase also in Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/intel-israel-lays-off-dozens-with-thousands-reportedly-offered-retirement-packages/
Meah Shaarim riots leave a woman
unconscious. https://www.timesofisrael.com/condemnation-pours-in-after-woman-seriously-hurt-by-jerusalem-ultra-orthodox-rioters/
Iran to launch satellites.
Charedi Lawmakers give up the idea
of amending the Law of Return. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364617
5th Ave Candle Lighting
by Chabad with Mayor Adams and Gilad Erdan. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364615
Terrorists open fire on a bus carry
MK. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364599
German Finance Min. blasts Putin
over war. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364605
Lions' Den terror organization on Sunday published additional
threats to the life of Otzma Yehudit chairman. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364589
Sunday to an op-ed published in The New York Times which warned against
Netanyahu’s incoming new government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364604
NYT Crossword Puzzle Swastika. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725239
Ed-Op Dr. Martin Sherman does the
Arabs really want a state? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364587
Infallibility of the Pope: Left
leaning Pope dismisses Trump Supporter anti-abortionist Priest. https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-725227
Gaza blaming Hamas for refugees that
drowned. https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-mass-funeral-furious-gazans-blame-hamas-for-drowning-of-migrants/
Iran planning to launch satellites. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-says-it-will-launch-two-satellites-into-space-in-coming-months/
$99 Trump Cards sell out. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trumps-99-nfts-of-himself-in-different-guises-sell-out/
Insurance Firm evacuates tourists from
Peru. https://www.timesofisrael.com/travel-firms-begin-evacuating-israelis-stranded-in-peru-amid-deadly-unrest/
Police Officer accepting assault
claim tries it for himself. https://www.timesofisrael.com/cop-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-woman-who-filed-complaint-at-station/
World on the brink https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725248
Police watch World Cup Final in Drug
Lab after Raid. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-725233
Tunisia: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-725237
Bedouin thieves steal expensive
vehicles under soldier’s noses. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725228
Northern Border heats up with many
Hezballah fights in Lebanon looking to pick a fight. Syria is attacked again by
air. Hezballah shines lasers towards Israeli Vehicles to blind the soldiers. As
a result their forts and laser source is getting hit with more powerful lasers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364657
4months after terrorist shot her she
leaves hospital with baby. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364633
Biden condemns antisemitism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364662
TX man arrested in the carving of
antisemitism symbols on Menorah in Beverly Hills. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364665
European Commission in Eastern Jerusalem calls for helping the Arab
Authority actively take control of land in Area C. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364651
This appears to be a non-Jewish Bar
Mitzvah per Halacha. https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/s1blgea00i
4th graders discover 2000
year old lamp. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/s1gywfroj
Ben Gvir and Police Commissioner
light candles together. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364639
Rabbi Druckman’s condition improves.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364642
Using sensors to develop
archeological sites. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-embarks-on-challenge-to-find-sensor-tech-to-map-archaeological-sites/
Known from the start House Comm.
Indicts Trump. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-december-19-2022/
6 Indicted for murder mostly Mafia
from Arab Ramla. https://www.timesofisrael.com/6-indicted-over-kiryat-ata-killing-of-mistakenly-identified-young-father/
Parents beg Iran not to execute son.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/parents-beg-iran-to-avoid-death-penalty-for-son-arrested-over-protests/
4 Revolutionary Guards killed in SE
Iran. https://www.timesofisrael.com/4-revolutionary-guard-troops-killed-in-restive-southeast-iranian-state-media-says/
Jordan: Three police officers were killed in
a restive area of southern Jordan on Monday while trying to arrest suspects in
last week’s slaying of a police commander. The main suspect was also killed. https://www.timesofisrael.com/shootout-in-jordan-kills-3-officers-and-key-suspect-in-slaying-of-senior-commander/
“Jewish Candidate” is a practicing
Catholic. https://www.jpost.com/annual-conference/article-725332
Disney takes a stake in Israeli Real Estate. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/real-estate/article-725276
73year old kills six before being
taken down in Vaughan Ontario Canada. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725287
Drones strike Kyiv as Putin visits
Belarus. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725269
Two men choke on Jelly Doughnuts. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725297
Toyota Manager wonders if the push
for electric vehicles is ready for the public. https://www.foxnews.com/media/toyota-chief-praised-warning-electric-vehicles-understands-market-ready
Kari Lake two claims go to trial. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arizona-judge-rules-two-kari-lakes-election-challenge-claims-can-trial
Iran Deal is dead but not buried. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/20/it-is-dead-but-were-not-gonna-announce-it-biden-downplays-renewed-iran-nuclear-deal-in-resurfaced-video/
Israeli troops came under fire in two separate
instances near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday night, the
military said. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-troops-come-under-fire-near-nablus-lions-den-claims-responsibility/
Eight
Bedouin Israeli men have been arrested for alleged involvement in the theft of
thousands of rounds of ammunition. https://www.timesofisrael.com/eight-bedouin-men-arrested-over-theft-of-30000-bullets-from-idf-base-in-south/
Justice Ministry outed source. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364729
Female Soldier injured in ramming
attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364698
Netanyahu to announce a new
government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364727
Person tortured into confession to sue
the Shin Bet for injuries. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364727
Holding body of terrorist held for
ransom.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364730
Virginia Atty Gen. issues orders on
antisemitism guide lines. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/20/virginia-attorney-general-issues-letter-on-campus-antisemitism/
Some right-wing Americans are banned
from You-Tube but not arch terrorist who advocates terrorism. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/20/new-leila-khaled-talks-remain-on-youtube-despite-her-praise-for-terrorism/
6.4 earthquake in N. California
kills 2. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725418
Women kicked out of Afghan Universities.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/20/taliban-led-afghan-administration-suspends-women-from-universities/
Arab Vandals acquitted in VA. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/20/george-washington-university-students-for-justice-in-palestine-acquitted-of-vandalism-charges/
Mexico grants asylum to ousted
Peruvian President and family. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-725401
Baby the 111th murder
victim as father gunned down . https://newsrnd.com/news/2022-12-20-bakri-vs--hariri--the-story-behind-the-double-murder-in-nazareth-israel-today.H1W36jtkFs.html
Oligarch and son for Bar Mitzvah at
Kotel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/oligarch-roman-abramovich-spotted-at-western-wall-reportedly-for-sons-bar-mitzvah/
Bedouin hit and run with killing
youth. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364717
The Vilna Gaon identified Magog as Russia.
There will be no peace for the Ukraine – Putin. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-725439
18Minutes before deadline – “I have
succeed in forming a new government”. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364767
Zelinsky addressed Congress. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364771
Gunfire near Yosef’s Tomb. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364770
Rabbi Druckman in grave condition. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364759
FTX CEO extradited to the US. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364773
Iranian Hackers control private
security cameras. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364735
NC overpass had Nazi Flag. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364750
Nasrallah Fish visits Eilat. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364731
Leftist Soldier pens a letter to
HaAretz Newspaper. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364732
EU Blood Libel Plan. https://www.timesofisrael.com/dozens-of-mks-accuse-eu-of-blood-libel-hatred-after-west-bank-plan-leaked/
2nd elderly man chokes to
death on Jelly Doughnut this week. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-chokes-to-death-on-hanukkah-doughnut-in-2nd-such-fatality-this-week/
Giant Natural Gas field found off of
Cyprus extending into Israel territorial waters. https://www.timesofisrael.com/large-natural-gas-field-discovered-off-cyprus/
PLO denies releasing Lion Den. https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-725478
Tinder Swindler’s lawyer swindled by
young woman. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skcof9xfj
My area got a few sprinkles of rain
but cloud bursts in the northern central part of Israel flooded roads. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rksrfrxks#autoplay
Animal trafficking ring broken up. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-725523
Seven-eleven coming to Israel. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-725458
Error leads to call-up of thousands
of reservists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364785
Study 3 or more injections raise the
probability of getting Covid 19. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364787
Ramming attack leaves two police
injured. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364832
Wary of Iron Dome, Putin congratulates
Netanyahu. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-725534
Iran claims to have arrested Mossad
Agents. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-725551
PLO military arm will continue fight.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364835
Have a wonderful Shabbos
Hanukah in good health and Chodesh Teves Tov.
Rachamim Pauli
