Uneasy Questions • Torah.org

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Posted on December 20, 2017 (5778) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha |

Level: B eginner

 

In most surprising ending in a Biblical saga, 11 men stood before their youngest brother, Yoseph, humiliated and threatened. Yoseph, in his role as viceroy of Egypt, had incarcerated Binyamin and left his siblings fighting him for his release. Otherwise, they would have to answer an aging father who would certainly die if Binyamin would not come home. They pleaded, begged and cajoled — then they threatened to go to war over Binyamin. Yoseph is impressed.

 

Suddenly he reveals himself as the brother they had sold to slavery 22 years ago.

 

“I am Yoseph,” he declares. “Is my father still alive?” The brothers stood in shock and disbelief.

 

Many commentaries ask why Yoseph asked a question when he knew the answer. His brothers spoke all along about their father and the anguish he would sustain lest Binyamin not be returned to him.

 

What message was Yoseph sending?

 

A man walked into the office of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn with tears flowing down his cheeks. “Rebbe,” he pleaded, “I need your help. I have no means of supporting my family, and my wife has gone into severe depression as the doctors suspect one of our children may have leukemia. I am at the verge of bankruptcy and only despair looms on the horizon.”

 

The Rebbe’s sympathy was obvious. Quickly he took all the money that he had in his desk and then summoned his sexton. “Have you any cash on you?” the Rebbe asked. “I need whatever you can spare to help a Jew in trouble.”

 

The gabbai (sexton) responded to his mentor’s request and handed the sum of nearly $2,000 to the Rebbe.

After the indigent man left the house the Gabbai innocently asked the Rebbe, “That was not for the man who just left here — or was it?”

 

“Surely,” exclaimed the Rebbe. He has nine children, including one who may be very ill. His wife is on the verge of a breakdown and he is in a state of despair.”

 

“Despair?” exclaimed the sexton. “Nine children? That man has two kids, a wife who shops nicely on the Avenue and makes a modest living. Things may be a little tight — but he’s not at all desperate!

 

“You mean his wife is not ill?” “No!”

“His child is not ill?” “No!”

He is not even going bankrupt?” “By no means!”

“Wonderful,” the Rebbe smiled, “I could not bear to hear the pain of such terrible news. How good is it to hear that one less Jew is suffering.” The next day the Rebbe called in his Gabbai and returned the $2,000 he had borrowed from him.

 

In revealing himself to his brothers, Yoseph had choice words to tell them. He could have chided them, taunted them and called their misdeeds upon them. He didn’t. All he wanted to know is, “How is father feeling? Is it really true that he survived the tragedy of my sale? Is he still able to come see me?”

 

Often when we are wronged we have opportunities to harp on the conduct of those who harmed us. In his opening revelation Yoseph didn’t. He picked up the pieces. He did not choose to discuss the past deeds that were dead and gone. He just wanted to speak about the future, his father, and his destiny.

 

Good Shabbos ©1996 Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky

 

Text Copyright © 1996 by R abbi M. Kamenetzky and Project Genesis, Inc.

 

The author is the Dean of the Yeshiva of South Shore.

 

Drasha is the e-mail edition of FaxHomily, a weekly torah facsimile on the weekly portion which is sponsored by The Henry and Myrtle Hirsch Foundation

Lifesavers • Torah.org

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Posted on December 12, 2018 (5779) By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig | Series: Kol HaKollel | Level:

B eginner

 

Upon receiving word that Yosef (Joseph) was alive and well in Egypt, Yaakov (Jacob) was initially skeptical. But when “he saw the wagons (“agalos” in Hebrew) that Yosef had sent to transport him, then the spirit of their father Yaakov was revived.” (Beraishis/Genesis 45:27) Rashi explains the significance of the wagons was that as Yosef departed from Yaakov’s home they were learning about the mitzvah of Egla Arufa (see Devarim/Deuteronomy 21:1-9), the heifer that

is decapitated by the Elders of the closest city to a corpse that is found between cities (“egla” and “agalo” share a common spelling). Yosef sent wagons to transmit the message to his father that he had internalized and continued to live by the lessons that he had been taught as a lad.

Twenty two years later, Yosef’s wagons stated: “Dear Father, you escorted me. As per your teaching, I merited divine supervision, and I have survived this ordeal unscathed.” When Yaakov witnessed Yosef’s demonstration of this lesson, his spirit was revived.

 

In our life’s effort to emulate the Divine, we must appreciate that we, too, have the ability to provide others with the gift of life. We know so many who question their value or import in this world, people who feel alone and downtrodden. When we take the time to demonstrate to them that we value them as people, and what they can contribute to the world around us, we do not simply offer them an emotional boost, we literally give them life.

 

Have a Good Shabbos!

Copyright © 2002 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.

 

Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999

Jewish Renewal and Resilience

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Posted on December 20, 2012 (5773) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level:

B eginner

 

The apparent hero and victor in the epic narrative of the saga of Yosef and his brothers that reaches its culmination in this week’s parsha is certainly Yosef. His dreams and ambitions are fulfilled. His brothers and father have bowed down before him as the prophecy of his reams indicated. He takes no further revenge against his brothers. He houses them and Yaakov in security and prosperity in the land of Goshen and is tireless in caring for all of their needs.

 

He certainly emerges from the entire bewildering and tragic events as a heroic and noble figure, still the beloved son of his father and the heir to the double portion birthright of the first-born. Yet, in terms of the long range view of Jewish history, Yosef is not the vehicle of Jewish survival.

 

His kingdom of the northern ten tribes of Israel is relatively short-lived and riddled with wicked kings and widespread idolatrous practice. The kingdom of Yosef is never restored and the remnants of the northern ten tribes are eventually absorbed into the kingdom and tribe of Judah.

 

Yosef’s triumph is seen in Jewish history as being legitimate but essentially temporary. It is  his brother Yehudah who emerges as the ultimate hero and guarantor of Jewish survival and as the true head of Yaakov’s family. The Jewish people are called upon his name and it is through his descendants that legitimate royalty comes to Israel.

 

The future salvation of Israel and the messianic vision of full and complete redemption and a better world for all are assigned to the family and descendants of Yehudah. He is the ultimate and victor in the debate between Yosef and himself that this week’s parsha highlights.

 

The obvious question that presents itself is why this should be. After all it is Yosef who is the righteous one, the one who resisted physical temptation and who persevered in his loyalty to the ideals of the patriarchs of Israel under the most trying and difficult of circumstances.

 

Yehuda on the other hand can be superficially judged and found wanting in his behavior regarding Tamar and in his leadership role in the sale of his brother as a slave. So why, in historical terms, is he the hero and savior of Israel while Yosef is not?

 

Though God’s will, so to speak, in all of these matters remains hidden and inscrutable to us mere mortals, a glimmer of understanding can come to us from the words of Yaakov that will appear in next week’s parsha. Yaakov blesses Yehudah for his ability to rise from error and tragedy and continue forward. It is Yehudah’s resilience that marks his character and behavior.

He redeems himself from the error of his treatment of Yosef by his unconditional and self- sacrificing defense of Binyamin. He admits his error in condemning Tamar and their children become the bearers of Jewish royalty. The secret of Jewish survival lies in Jewish renewal and resilience. It is the one national trait that outweighs all other factors in Jewish history. It certainly is the one most in demand in our current Jewish world today as well.

 

Shabat shalom. Rabbi Berel Wein

 

Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer offers a complete selection of CDs,

Crash course in Jewish history

audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and books on Jewish history at www.rabbiwein.com