Sruly Schnair – Page 69 – Peninim on the Torah

ויאמר פרעה אל יוסף... אין נבון וחכם כמוך אתה תהיה על ביתי ועל פיך ישק כל עמי

Pharaoh said to Yosef… “There can be no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and by your command shall all my people be sustained.” (41:39,40)

In Shemos 1:8, the Torah records, “A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Yosef.” The Talmud (Sotah 11a) contains a debate between Rav and Shmuel concerning the “new” Pharaoh: Was he truly a new monarch who had now ascended to the throne? Or was he the same Pharaoh of Yosef’s time who conveniently forgot who it was that had benefited Egypt in their time of national need? If, indeed, it was the same Pharaoh whose benevolence to Yosef now donned a cloak of despotism concerning the Jews, how is it that he was not impacted by the…

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רק הכסא אגדל ממך

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Mikeitz

Only by the throne shall I outrank you. (41:40)

Was Pharaoh protecting his throne, or was he underscoring the elevated position that he was giving to Yosef? In his commentary to the Torah, the Shach (cited in Kerem HaTzvi) employs an anecdote to explain Pharaoh’s demand that he maintain a higher status than Yosef. Without doubt, Pharaoh was not about to relinquish his monarchy to Yosef. Pharaoh added a caveat to his contingency concerning Yosef’s appointment. A distinguished gaon, Torah giant, was as humble as he was erudite. He did everything possible to conceal his saintly character and scholarship. He was required to travel to a large Jewish community,…

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ויכר יוסף את אחיו והם לא הכירוהו

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Mikeitz

Yosef recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. (42:8)

Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, zl, explains this pasuk practically. Yosef always viewed his brothers through the lens of filial love – as brothers. Indeed, whenever the Torah mentions Yosef’s relationship toward his brothers, it always uses the word ach, brother: Es achai anochi mevakeish, “I am searching for my brothers” (Bereishis 37:16); Va’yehi kaasher ba Yosef el echav, “And it was when Yosef came to his brothers” (Ibid. 37:23); Va’yeilech Yosef achar echav, “And Yosef went after his brothers” (Ibid. 37:17). Yosef never once lost his relationship with his brothers, but – v’heim lo hikiruhu, “They (however) did not recognize…

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ויאמר אליהם מרגלים אתם לראות את ערות הארץ באתם

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Mikeitz

You are spies! To see the land’s nakedness you have come. (42:9)

Why did Yosef choose to accuse them of spying, rather than any other trumped-up charge? Ten men appearing and dressed in a like-manner all arriving in Egypt at exactly the same time do not quite present the modus operandi of spies. A spy attempts to blend into the community. He certainly does not call attention to himself. When ten men who have similar appearances and manner of dress enter a country from different points of entry, they are declaring, “Look at me!” This is certainly not the handiwork of spies who live by stealth. The brothers were certainly not acting…

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וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו... ויראו אחיו כי אתו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אתו... ויקנאו בו אחיו ויתנכלו אתו להמיתו

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Vayeishev

And Yisrael loved Yosef more than all his sons… His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, so they hated him… So his brothers were jealous of him… They conspired against him to kill him. (37:1,3,4,11,18)

Writing about the lives of our Avos and Imahos, Patriarchs and Matriarchs, is extremely difficult and must be done with great trepidation. To present them on a mortal level equal to us not only denigrates them, but it is ludicrous. In the pesichah, preface, to Leket Sichos Mussar (the shmuessen, ethical discourses, of Horav Yitzchak Aizik Sher, zl, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, and son-in-law of the Alter, zl, of Slabodka), the Rosh Yeshivah observes that our approach toward studying Torah narrative dates back to when we were young children in cheder, elementary school. The terminology and nuances that served us then…

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ויראו אחיו כי אותו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אותו ולא יכלו דברו לשלם

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Vayeishev

His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, so they hated him; and they could not speak to him peaceably. (37:4)

When two people do not get along, their inability to maintain an honest discourse which has nothing to do with their disagreement is an indication of their antipathy towards one another. The brothers, regrettably, could not carry on a friendly conversation even about matters unrelated to their discord. On the other hand, as Rashi observes, their incapacity to have a conversation showed their virtue: Their integrity did not allow them to evince a show of friendliness. If they did not feel it – they did not show it. Unfortunately, their refrain from speaking also caused them to avoid rebuking Yosef…

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וישב ראובן אל הבור

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Vayeishev

Reuven returned to the pit. (37:29)

Chazal (Midrash Rabbah 24:19) ask: “Where was Reuven that he had to return?” One opinion in the Midrash contends that he was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting as part of his penance in repenting for the deed concerning Bilhah (when he rearranged his father’s bed). Chazal record Hashem’s response to Reuven’s teshuvah, repentance: Hashem said, “No man has heretofore sinned before Me and repented. You are the first to take the initiative with regard to repentance. By your life, your descendant (Hoshea HaNavi) will one day rise and take the initiative with regard to repentance. (As it says:…

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ויהי בעת ההיא וירד יהודה מאת אחיו

Sruly Schnair In 5782, Vayeishev

It was at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers. (38:1)

Chazal (Midrash Rabbah 85:1) make a fascinating observation, one over which we, as Jews living b’ikvessa d’Moshicha, during the epoch of Moshiach, should carefully ruminate again and again. The Torah relates that Yehudah went down from his brothers and turned away toward an Adulmite man whose name was Chirah – a seemingly benign statement. Chazal explain that Hashem was quite “occupied” during this seemingly innocuous period. The Midrash opens with a pasuk from Yirmiyahu (29:11) which implies (as per Chazal’s interpretation) that Hashem knows what is going on in everyone’s mind. He knows that while others are each individually engaged…

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ויאבק איש עמו עד עלות השחר

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5782

And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (32:25)

It was in middle of the night that Yaakov Avinu encountered a “man” who fought with him until he was bested by the Patriarch. We know that this was no ordinary man – and no ordinary fight. This was none other than Eisav’s Heavenly angel, and the battle was one which represented the forces of evil against the forces of good. The angel representing Eisav lost the fight, but, throughout the millennia, he has not thrown in the towel, as he has attempted at every available juncture to turn the tide against Yaakov’s descendants. The question that confronts the reader…

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על כן לא יאכלו בני ישראל את גיד הנשה עד היום הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5782

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are not to eat the Gid ha’nasheh, displaced sinew on the hip-socket,…to this day. (32:33)

When Eisav’s angel saw that he could not best Yaakov Avinu, he made one last attempt at maiming the Patriarch by striking his gid-hanashe. To commemorate this battle, Yaakov’s descendants are prohibited from consuming the nerves/sinew which are included under the rubric of gid ha’nashe. The commemoration of the miracle of Yaakov’s triumph in battle over the forces of evil seems counterproductive. Issur achilah, prohibition from eating, is a shev v’al taaseh, passive form of celebrating the miracle, the direct opposite of the manner in which we celebrate the many miracles which are part of our continued existence. Horav Moshe…

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ויאמר פרעה אל יוסף... אין נבון וחכם כמוך אתה תהיה על ביתי ועל פיך ישק כל עמי

Pharaoh said to Yosef… “There can be no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and by your command shall all my people be sustained.” (41:39,40)

רק הכסא אגדל ממך

Only by the throne shall I outrank you. (41:40)

ויכר יוסף את אחיו והם לא הכירוהו

Yosef recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. (42:8)

ויאמר אליהם מרגלים אתם לראות את ערות הארץ באתם

You are spies! To see the land’s nakedness you have come. (42:9)

וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו... ויראו אחיו כי אתו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אתו... ויקנאו בו אחיו ויתנכלו אתו להמיתו

And Yisrael loved Yosef more than all his sons… His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, so they hated him… So his brothers were jealous of him… They conspired against him to kill him. (37:1,3,4,11,18)

ויראו אחיו כי אותו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אותו ולא יכלו דברו לשלם

His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers, so they hated him; and they could not speak to him peaceably. (37:4)

וישב ראובן אל הבור

Reuven returned to the pit. (37:29)

ויהי בעת ההיא וירד יהודה מאת אחיו

It was at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers. (38:1)

ויאבק איש עמו עד עלות השחר

And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (32:25)

על כן לא יאכלו בני ישראל את גיד הנשה עד היום הזה

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are not to eat the Gid ha’nasheh, displaced sinew on the hip-socket,…to this day. (32:33)

YEARS

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