Vayeishev – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני

Yehudah recognized; and he said, “She is right: it is from me.” (38:26)

Tamar could have saved herself and the two fetuses that were growing in her womb – at the expense of Yehudah. She was not prepared, however, to step on someone in order to save herself. Potifar’s wife wanted very badly to be married to Yosef. She wanted to contribute to Klal Yisrael. Yosef was not prepared to take the wife of his master. This was not only immoral; it was also prohibited. Chazal teach that both women had noble intentions. They both wanted a role in building Klal Yisrael. Something was apparently lacking in the l’shem Shomayim, acting for the…

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ויהי ד' את יוסף ויהי איש מצליח... וירא אדניו כי ד' אתו וכל אשר הוא עשה ד' מצליח בידו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Vayeishev

Hashem was with Yosef, and he became a successful man… His master saw that Hashem is with him, and all that he would do Hashem would make successful in his hand. (39:2,3)

People go through life searching for success. They are seeking that unique elixir that will provide them with favorable achievement in all of their endeavors. Some are fortunate to find it; while, to others, it remains elusive. What is the key to success? Wherein does one find the passport to achievement? Yosef was successful. How did he do it? Rashi explains the phrase, ki Hashem ito, “Hashem was with him,” as Shem Shomayim shagar b’fiv, “The Name of Heaven was fluent in his mouth,” to mean that he would regularly refer to Hashem in conversation. The Midrash Tanchuma elaborates on…

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וימאן... הן אדני לא ידע אתי מה בבית

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Vayeishev

But he adamantly refused… Look – with me here, my master concerns himself about nothing in the house. (39:8)

The word va’yimaein, “And he (Yosef), adamantly refused,” has above it a shalsheles, which is one of the tamei ha’mikra, cantillation marks, rarely used in the Torah. The few times it is used, it is for the purpose of underscoring something specific. In this case, it notes the degree of refusal manifest by Yosef – adamant. The word shalsheles means chain, which lends itself to an inspirational story that adds commentary to this unique cantillation mark. Our story takes place during the dread Spanish Inquisition, when Jewish life in Spain and Portugal became meaningless, and Jewish blood flowed like water….

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ועשה לו כתנת פסים... וישנאו אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayeishev

And he made him a fine woolen tunic… so they hated him. (37:3,4)

When we recite the supplication during the Bircas Kohanim service on Yom Tov, Festivals, we say to Hashem, V’sitneinu l’ahavah, “And may You grant that we find love, favor, kindness and mercy, in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who behold us… Just as You granted Yosef, Your righteous one – at the time that his father garbed him in a fine woolen tunic.” It seems strange that we would ask for such favor, when, in fact, the kesones pasim, woolen tunic, triggered Yosef’s brother’s hatred toward him. What favor did he find as a result of this…

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ויאמר יהודה אל אחיו מה בצע כי נהרג את אחינו וכסינו את דמו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayeishev

Yehudah said to his brothers, “What gain will there be if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” (37:26)

Yehudah’s idea for preventing Yosef’s death comes across as preposterous. Once they had convened a bais din, court of law, and adjudicated Yosef’s guilt, they had no more patience for counterclaims, especially one that asserted that no monetary gain would be achieved. Is this a reason to spare someone’s life? Were they killing him for money – or because he was a rodef, pursuer, who was endangering the spiritual lives of each of them? Horav Yerachmiel Chasid, Shlita, quotes an explanation from Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, that illuminates this query, teaching us a significant principle in avodas Hashem, service to…

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ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayeishev

Yehudah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I.” (38:26)

With his confession, Yehudah demonstrated his moral integrity, his willingness to stand behind his actions, even if they were later deemed inappropriate. He was wrong; Tamar was right. She was prepared to die, thereby shattering the very goal of becoming the progenitress of the Davidic dynasty and Moshiach Tzidkeinu. Rashi quotes a Midrash which teaches that Yehudah had no culpability whatsoever with regard to the entire incident; “Hashem said, ‘Mimeni, it is from Me.’ Yehudah did not advance toward Tamar by his own volition. Hashem orchestrated the entire scenario. He greatly approved of Tamar’s tznius, modesty, while in her father-in-law’s…

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ויהי אחר הדברים האלא ותשא אשת אדניו את עיניה אל יוסף

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayeishev

It came to pass, after these events, that his master’s wife cast her eyes on Yosef. (39:7)

Two women who went out on a limb, so to speak, were actually moseir nefesh, willing to sacrifice themselves, for a role in the eternity of the Jewish People: Tamar and the wife of Potifar. They both resorted to methods that were unseemly: Tamar dressed herself as a woman of ill repute in an attempt to entice Yehudah; the wife of Potifar practically forced herself on Yosef in an attempt to convince him to consort with her. Tamar went down in history as a righteous woman who acted l’shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven, while Potifar’s wife, although originally…

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ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Vayeishev

How can I perpetrated this great evil and I have sinned against G-d! (39:9)

It is sad that those who – either by choice or by upbringing – live a life totally estranged from Torah have no clue how distant they are from the verities of the Torah, its values and proposed lifestyle. Many of them are well-meaning, good people, who simply do not know. They are clueless concerning what a Torah Jew believes and the lifestyle to which he adheres. I recently had occasion to have a conversation with a respected member of the secular Jewish clergy – which taught me how distant two minds can be from another. Yet, one of them…

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וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Vayeishev

Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojournings. (37:1)

Rashi teaches that, after enduring the many trials of his life – Eisav, Lavan, the premature passing of Rachel Imeinu, and the violation of Dinah – Yaakov Avinu sought tranquility, leisheiv b’shalvah. Immediately, Kofatz alav rogzu shel Yosef, “The trial of Yosef tumbled suddenly upon him.” This world is one of continual striving. Although the Patriarch was near perfect, his work was not complete. The question that confronts us is simple: Does it have to be this way? Does life have to be a constant struggle? Would it have been so bad if Yaakov could spend his twilight years in…

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וימכרו יוסף לישמעאלים בעשרים כסף

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Vayeishev

And they sold Yosef to the Yishmaelim for twenty pieces of silver. (37:28)

Twenty silver pieces amounts to five shekalim, the same amount we use to redeem our firstborn sons. Chazal teach us that this amount of money atones for the brothers’ sin of selling Yosef. Additionally, since each brother’s share of the “take” amounted to two dinarim, the equivalent of a half-shekel, Jews annually give a half-shekel for the upkeep of the Bais Hamikdash. Since we no longer have the Bais Hamikdash, the Machatzis hashekel, half shekel, is contributed annually on Purim to charity. The Shivtei Kah, brothers who sold Yosef, represent Klal Yisrael. Thus, the onus of their guilt is on…

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ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני

Yehudah recognized; and he said, “She is right: it is from me.” (38:26)

ויהי ד' את יוסף ויהי איש מצליח... וירא אדניו כי ד' אתו וכל אשר הוא עשה ד' מצליח בידו

Hashem was with Yosef, and he became a successful man… His master saw that Hashem is with him, and all that he would do Hashem would make successful in his hand. (39:2,3)

וימאן... הן אדני לא ידע אתי מה בבית

But he adamantly refused… Look – with me here, my master concerns himself about nothing in the house. (39:8)

ועשה לו כתנת פסים... וישנאו אתו

And he made him a fine woolen tunic… so they hated him. (37:3,4)

ויאמר יהודה אל אחיו מה בצע כי נהרג את אחינו וכסינו את דמו

Yehudah said to his brothers, “What gain will there be if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” (37:26)

ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני

Yehudah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I.” (38:26)

ויהי אחר הדברים האלא ותשא אשת אדניו את עיניה אל יוסף

It came to pass, after these events, that his master’s wife cast her eyes on Yosef. (39:7)

ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים

How can I perpetrated this great evil and I have sinned against G-d! (39:9)

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו

Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojournings. (37:1)

וימכרו יוסף לישמעאלים בעשרים כסף

And they sold Yosef to the Yishmaelim for twenty pieces of silver. (37:28)

YEARS

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