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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayeshev
that iconic phrase from the 1967 movie "Cool
Hand Luke" could easily be the subtitle of
Parshat Vayeshev. Within 7 p’sukim (37:4-10) 4
different forms of the verbs we use for
communicating – Diber, Siper, Omer, Magid – appear no less than 8 times.
But the essential statement about communicating –
or the lack thereof - is made regarding Yosef’s
brothers: "V’lo yachlu dabru l’shalom;" they were
unable to speak peaceably to Yosef. There is a
hidden message here beneath the surface that
presages the brothers’ plan to kill Yosef (later amended to selling him).
When Jews take leave of one another, & wish them
the best, we say the phrase, "Lech L’Shalom, go
in Peace;" these were the parting words of Moshe
& Yitro after their pleasant encounter. The
"lamed" also infers movement, implying that the
journey will go on (as in "Kol Yisrael yesh
lachem chelek L’olam haba;" inferring one’s
journey in the next world is fluid &
never-ending, as it connects to the life & merit of those we leave behind).
"Lech B’Shalom," however, has a negative
connotation. These were the last words spoken
when David & Avshalom parted, leading to tragic
consequences. The prefix "bet" also can infer
staying in place, implying that no future
movement will occur. That is why the parting
words we direct to the deceased at a funeral, lo
aleynu, are "lech B’shalom" rather than "L’shalom."
And so when the pasuk says that Yosef’s brothers
could not say "L’shalom," the Torah is telling us
just how dismal the situation was within the
family. Even the simplest greeting was painful
for them to utter. And the implication is that
they used the other term, "B’shalom," hinting to
what they were plotting for Yosef.
Words are not frivolous things, they are not just
"air;" they have power, they make an impact, they
create reality in the universe. Just by saying
something, in Halacha, we bind ourselves to an
action & cannot easily, if ever, retract or remove those words.
Words are precious, very precious. Indeed, there
are those who sincerely believe that when we are
born, we are allotted a finite amount of words to
be used in our lifetime, & when they are
depleted, we die. And since we don’t know just
how many words we’re granted, we should use them sparingly & carefully.
The terrible sin committed by the brothers has
eternal consequences; it reverberates throughout
the generations, long after Yosef & his siblings
reunite. It is, say Chazal, the cause of our
being placed in servitude in Egypt. And it
reappears in the "Eleh Ezkera" account of the
martyrdom of the Asara Harugei Malchut, the
murder of the 10 sages we read of on Yom Kippur.
The brothers’ sin started with words; harsh,
unforgiving, words. Sadly, our own crisis taking
place today also began with words. We – also
brothers - broke into rival camps that descended
into shouting at one another, barely, rarely
listening to what the other was saying. Is it
surprising that our words morphed into actions &
that the war of words became just…..war.
So let’s change the paradigm: Speak well, and it will be well.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
