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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayigash
Avraham and Sara experienced this when they were blessed with a child; Yitzchak when he realized that Esav was not the "model son" he thought he was. In our Sedra, Yosef’s brothers certainly are shocked & surprised to learn that Yosef is alive & well, & that all his seemingly fantastical dreams have actually come true.
But Yosef, too – though he occupies center stage and is the lead actor in this amazing drama - also has an epiphany.
I believe this moment comes when he "unmasks" and asks his brothers to confirm the fact that his father Yakov is still alive. "Ha’od avi chai?!" Yosef asks. The Soforno succinctly comments: "Yosef was really asking, ‘Is it possible that my father is still alive, that he did not die from anguish & worry about me, his missing son?!’ " It’s almost as if Yosef is saying, "How dare my father still be alive, with all that I, Yosef, have gone through!"
At that moment, Yosef understands that all that’s been happening in his family’s life – while it has indeed been centered around him to a great extent - is not ONLY about him. There are other dynamics at work, too; there is a bigger picture - the puzzle is much larger than just his individual piece.
At that point, Yosef stops feeling sorry for himself and embraces his brothers in love & reconciliation. "G’shu na aylai, vayigashu - come closer to me, and they came close," says the pasuk, employing the same term which connects back to the title of our Sedra, Vayigash; the title is always the key to the parsha's deeper message.
Yosef began his life being described as a "na’ar," an immature and impetuous youth who stared in the mirror and curled his hair; but he ends up being known as "Yosef Ha-Tzadik – the righteous one." How does he make that colossal jump? Well, it starts by realizing that the whole world does not necessarily revolve around him, that, yes, he is vital, but he is also part of a greater community.
When a baby cries, he receives all of his needs – food, a diaper change, a hug or a cuddle – almost immediately. He thinks that he controls everything around him, that it’s all about him. But as he grows older, and matures, he begins to understand that he is not the end all and be all, that people have their own lives to live, too. That is not an easy morsel to digest; it can be quite painful. But the transition from selfish to selfless is a huge step in the growth process, and it is what ultimately turns a katan into a Gadol.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.