YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayeshev
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Chana bat Chaim
The brothers are first said to hate Yosef in context of Yaakov’s special love for him (Bereishit 37:4). The situation deteriorated, as the Torah describes: "Yosef dreamed a dream and told his brothers, and they increased their hatred of him. Yosef said to them: ‘Hear now this dream that I have dreamt’" (ibid.:5-6). Toldot Yaakov Yosef infers that first Yosef just told them he had a dream without revealing its contents. Why did this anger his brothers? Rav Hirsch suggests that the words (ibid.:5), "v’lo yachlu dab’ro l’shalom" (usually translated as: they were unable to speak to him in peace) mean that they rejected Yosef’s words of peace to them. The latter pasuk would follow suit. Even the idea of Yosef confiding in his brothers as if they were friends upset them. Yet, their reaction was still only internal.
After Yosef shared his first dream’s contents, that his brothers’ sheaths would bow down to his, they protested against Yosef’s apparent presumption that he would have dominion over them and increasingly hated him. At this point, the word for hatred is replaced with the root kanoh. We usually translate kinah as jealousy, a feeling of being disturbed that someone else has something that we desire and lack. That seems more appropriate at the beginning of the process, when Yaakov favored Yosef, which was not necessarily Yosef’s fault. As Yosef, though, continued not only to dream egocentric dreams but to share them freely, hatred seems more understandable. Why is the seemingly weaker kinah introduced?
Throughout the Torah, use of kanoh exceeds what we call jealousy to introduce an imminent, strong action. Pinchas’ kinah was the precursor of violent action (Bamidbar 25:11). Rachel’s jealousy brought her to accuse Yaakov of negligence regarding her barrenness (Bereishit 30:1). Other occurrences support this thesis. The second dream already brought the brothers to contemplate action (see Rashi 37:12), but why?
Firstly, the second dream involved Yaakov, both in content and in the fact that Yosef shared it uncensored to him, indicating that Yosef’s ambitions knew no boundaries. Even Eisav took his father’s feelings into account when feuding with his brother. Secondly, Yosef’s and the brothers’ sheaves of the first dream could represent Yosef’s accomplishments outshining theirs. However, here heavenly bodies representing his entire immediate family were bowing down to Yosef himself, from the heaven to the earth as Yaakov stressed ("artzva" – ibid.:10). This represented to the brothers Yosef’s readiness to make their spiritual state subservient to his earthly desire for dominion. This was already something that pushed them to action, albeit a grossly unjust one.
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.
