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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Miketz
Yosef begins his life in glorious fashion: The beloved son of Yakov the Patriarch, heir to the leadership of the family (as evidenced by his royal coat of many colors); blessed with charisma, good looks & physique. He has it all.
But soon it all goes south. Yosef enrages his brothers, is almost murdered by them & then sent into exile in morally-depraved Egypt. There, the road back will begin.
When we are babies, immature in the extreme, we think we are the center of the universe. All of our needs are attended to; our slightest cry is quickly answered; we are the King of the Crib! But, as we grow, we must learn that we are not the end all & be all; we are but a part of a much greater whole – an important part, yes, but not exclusive.
The key to our growth spurt is Humility; humility before Man & G-d. Yosef expresses this trait in just 1 word - "Bil'a'dye." When Paro remarks that Yosef is said to have interpretive powers, Yosef says: "Bil’a’dye – this is beyond me; only
Hashem has the power to probe the future." Paro is stunned & impressed by this confession. Others would surely have grabbed the credit for themselves; now Paro knows that Yosef is no threat to his throne. His humility, combined with his wisdom, is a rare & valuable commodity in totalitarian society. And so, he vaults to Viceroy.
Yosef will rise to leadership not from above, having being chosen by Yakov, but from below - way, way below. - the dungeons of Egypt. And that is what defines the great leaders of history: Men of the people, who struggle, who emerge from humble beginnings, as did Moshe & David, shepherds both of them, the lowliest of all professions, say Chazal.
Humility, I suggest, is also the centerpiece of Chanuka. The brave Maccabees are referred to in the Al HaNisim prayer as "Chalashim," weak, so as to temper their ego & remind them that their power emanates from G-d. And the holiday’s central icon, that lone, solitary cod of pure oil? It, too, oozes with humility. This little, unassuming cruse of oil, though tiny in volume, had the ability to fuel a marvelous miracle that would light up millions of homes for thousands of years. Amazing what just a little faith in a bottle can do, right?
So stay humble, little Israel; keep your ego in check. As long as you do, you will grow stronger & stronger & you will undoubtedly surpass all of your bigger & older "brothers."
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
