MASHIACH ben YOSEF

the Leadership Duel between Yoseph and Yehuda- The Haftarah of VaYigash

Description: Our sages draw the confrontation between Yehuda and Yosef as the two types of leadership in Jewish history. Through this we can finally understand who exactly is that mysterious "Mashiach ben Yosef", and what Rav Kook (based on the Vilna Gaon) meant when he said that Dr. Herzl had a spark of that Mashiach.

The First Yeshiva in Egypt

Parashat Hashavua: Neither Menashe Nor Yerachme’el

Parashat Hashavua: A Yeshiva and a Community Go Together

Is burial in israel meritorious for all?

Yosef lights the path of jewish history

The U.S.I. – United Strengths of Israel

Parashat Vayigash- The Space Between

God Will Remember You

Monotheism Even in Ancient Egypt!

Before Yaakov Avinu (Patriarch Jacob) leaves the Holy Land for the last time and descends to Egypt with his family, G-d appears to him "in the visions of the night [and says to him]: Yaakov, Yaakov… I am the Lord, the G-d of your father; do not fear to descend to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will descend with you to Egypt, and I will certainly raise you up, and Yosef will place his hand on your eyes" (B'reshit 46,2-4). The final phrase in that verse is somewhat enigmatic, and has been explained in various ways...

Jacob sent Judah before him... to guide him: like Jacob, like the Ben Ish Chai

What did our father Jacob ask of Joseph just before he went down to Egypt? And how are these things related to good leadership?

The Birth of Forgiveness

Joseph forgave. That was a first in history. Yet the Torah hints that the brothers did not fully appreciate the significance of his words. After all, he did not explicitly use the word ‘forgive’. He told them not to be distressed

Did He Know?

How much did our father Jacob really know about the events previously described in the Torah readings? There are various streams of thought regarding this matter.

All Together Now!

Yakov is anxious. Frightened. Scared. He is about to leave Israel, the land he knows is his true home, for the depraved environment of Egypt. On the other hand, he is desperate to be reunited with Yosef.

A Haftarah from Yechezkel

Who chose which haftaros we read? In what ways is the book of Yechezkel unusual? Why is the haftarah on Shabbos seldom from Yechezkel?

The Hidden Sale

Before revealing his identity, Yosef commanded all others to leave the room (ibid. 45:1). Why was this important to him?

Stop, Look..…and Listen!

Heart To Heart

The language that needs no translation.

More on the Passage of Time

Vayigash