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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayigash
between Yosef & Yehuda, as the brothers are
finally reunited after 22 years of separation.
Yosef has put them through quite a lot of trauma
& tribulation until now. But why did Yosef do this to them?
Some would say this was Yosef’s chance to gain
revenge for what they did to him. Yosef was
incarcerated, demeaned & in fear of losing his
life - & so now it is the brothers’ turn to suffer.
But is this the way a "Tzadik" – as Yosef is
colloquially known - would act? Perhaps, as some
suggest, Yosef was creating a scenario whereby
the brothers once again would be in position to
either save or sacrifice another son of Rachel –
Binyamin - & thus could do Teshuva for their past abandonment of Yosef.
I have a different thought. Yosef foresaw that Am
Yisrael would go through several exiles & many
tough times in the centuries ahead (see Rashi
45:14) & so he was preparing his brothers, both
present & future, by giving them strategies for survival.
He "forces" Yehuda to gather his courage &
confront him, though he was a powerful potentate.
Sometimes we would have to act bravely & stand
tall before those who would challenge us. We
would tell our oppressors that we refuse to give
up our adherence to Mitzvot or, like the Ramban,
we would defend our Torah before the masses, even at the risk of our lives.
The brothers were told to say they were
cattlemen, a profession that was despised by the
agrarian Egyptians, so that we would be separated
into our own communities, where we could more
easily create the institutions we needed for spiritual support.
And then Yosef gives another instruction for the
"journey" ahead of us in history: "Al tirg’zu
ba’derech, do not become agitated on the way."
Rashi defines this cryptic phrase in 3 ways, & I
offer my thoughts as to what I think Yosef is trying to tell us:
1) "Do not engage in Halachic dispute such that
you will lose your way." That is, Halacha - which
actually means to traverse - should have the
overall objective of bringing brothers together,
not separating them. This is a lesson we still need to learn.
2) "Do not take steps that are too big." While it
is perfectly fine to achieve wealth & success in
the Diaspora – something we have certainly
accomplished over the centuries – be careful;
don’t leave too big a footprint. When Jews stand
out too much in the Exile, we invariably make
ourselves targets, something Western Jewry is
experiencing every day in the current crisis we’re in.
3) Finally, "Enter the city when the sun is
shining." We Jews, as we moved around the planet
in our wanderings, have generally chosen to live
in urban areas of large, prosperous cities in
leading nations. We seek, in essence, "sunny
climes" where job prospects are good & where we
can find a comfortable home. But there is a flip
side to this, as well; the sun also sets. In
other words, "climate change" is always on the
horizon, & the cushy spot we created for
ourselves can quickly turn dark & gloomy.
Yosef prophetically gives us the guidebook for Jewish history.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
