5786 – Peninim on the Torah

ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh comments concerning the redundancy of the text. It previously said that Yaakov v’chol zaro, with all his offspring, came to Egypt. Why does the Torah reiterate that his sons and grandsons came? Were they not part of his offspring? The Torah goes on to mention daughters and granddaughters, following the word ito, with him. First, why are they separated from the rest of the offspring? And why is the extra word ito added as a separation between sons/grandsons and daughters/granddaughters. The Ohr HaChaim explains that, indeed, with regard to their attitude, the different groups were not…

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ובני בנימין

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayigash

And the sons of Binyamin. (46:21)

The Torah goes on to record the names of Binyamin’s ten sons. Rashi (ibid 43:30) quotes Chazal that Binyamin named each of his sons for some element of Yosef’s tragedy. For example: Bela, because Yosef was Nivla, swallowed among the nations; Becher, related to be’chor, first born, which Yosef was to Rachel Imeinu; Shavui, because he was taken captive. In this unique manner, Binyamin immortalized Yosef’s memory. Thus, he ensured that every time he called his children, Yosef’s character, his ordeal, and his greatness would come to mind. A vital truth is underscored herein. A person dies twice: Once when…

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רק אדמת הכהנים לא קנה כי חוק לכהנים מאת פרעה ואכלו את חוקם

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayigash

Only the land of the priests did he not buy, since the priests had a stipend from Pharaoh. (47:22)

Rashi explains a set decree which Pharaoh established, that the priests should receive a daily stipend of bread – regardless of the country’s economic condition. Thus, it was unnecessary for them to sell their land for food. Targum Yonasan disagrees, explaining that Yosef established this rule out of a sense of gratitude to the priests for saving his life. Potifar was a priest, whose wife claimed that Yosef had made advances toward her. Understandably, for a lowly slave to act in such a reprehensible manner warranted the death penalty. Potifar sought the advice of his colleagues – both as verification…

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ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים ופרעה חולם

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

It happened two years to the day, Pharaoh was dreaming. (41:1)

At the end of Parashas Vayeishev (Bereishis 40:23), Rashi cites Midrash Rabbah (Bereishis 89:3), which teaches that Yosef placed his trust in the chamberlain to put in a few good words about him to Pharaoh. Perhaps this would secure his release from prison. For someone of Yosef HaTzadik’s elevated spiritual level, relying on people was beneath him. Thus, Yosef’s sentence was changed, and two more years were added. His request implied a subtle lack of bitachon, trust. Not that Yosef should have avoided exerting his hishtadlus, effort, which is crucial, but his heart relied too heavily on human intervention, rather…

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ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אב

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe for Hashem has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household. (41:51)

Clearly, Yosef could not have been so crass as to praise the fact that Hashem had allowed him to forget the tzaros, troubles, that had plagued him in his father’s home. While forgetting troubles, pain and anxiety is a good thing, what about his home did he want to forget? He was the son of Yaakov Avinu, not just any son, but his ben zekunim, son born to him in his old age, the son of Rachel Imeinu. He was the favorite son. Was all of this something he wanted to forget? On the other hand, unquestionably, life for Yosef…

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ויאסוף אותם אל משמר שלשת ימים

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

Then he herded them into a ward for a three-day period. (42:17)

Was it really necessary to herd all the brothers into the lock-up? He could have taken one, and it would have sufficed to send a message. The Brisker Rav, zl, cites the Yerushalmi in Terumos (12), “A group/caravan of men were traveling and were accosted by a gang of non-Jews demanding that they give up one of their own. They said, ‘We want one Jew whom we will kill. Otherwise, we will kill all of you!’ The halachah is clear that we may not give up a Jew under any circumstances –even if it means that everyone will die. Therefore,…

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למה הרעתם לי להגיד לאיש העוד לכם אח

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Mikeitz

“Why did you treat me so ill by telling him (the viceroy) that you had another brother? (43:6)

Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 91:10) comment: “Hashem said, ‘Yaakov thinks that he is being harmed and does not realize that I am in the process of making his son viceroy of Egypt.” In other words, Hashem has a Master Plan. He orchestrates events to fit the goals of His plan. To us mere mortals, our cognitive appreciation coincides for the most part with appearances, with what we see before us. We do not see the before and after – the entire global picture. Be patient, and it will all come together. The Veitzener Rav, zl, Horav Tzvi Hirsch Meisels, applied this…

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וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayeishev

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

Chazal teach that Yaakov Avinu sought to settle, to relax from the many struggles that had heretofore been a part of his life. Hashem responded with the mechiras Yosef. The message is clear: Tzaddikim are not on this world for a tranquil walk in the park. Their tranquility will be their reward in Olam Habba, which they earn in this world. Clearly, Yaakov’s idea of shalvah, serenity, was on a spiritual plane, during which he could spend every waking moment immersed in Torah. Life is about overcoming and living with challenge. Everything that we receive from Hashem comes with a…

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וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו כי בן זקנים הוא לו

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayeishev

Yisrael loved Yosef best of all his sons, he was a child of his old age. (37:3)

The Torah teaches us that Yaakov Avinu’s love for Yosef exceeded his love for his other sons. On the surface, this favoritism seems to have been the precursor of the tragic strife that ultimately led to mechiras Yosef. One wonders why Yaakov, who personally knew the pitfalls of partiality and the resulting discord that can reign between siblings, not have taken a different route upon raising his children. The simple, straightforward explanation is that Yaakov’s love for Yosef was not about Yosef, but about his mother, Rachel Imeinu. We all remember the story well. Yaakov came to Charan, met Rachel…

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וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם

Sruly Schnair In 5786, Vayeishev

Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand. (36:21)

Mechiras Yosef is one of the greatest tragedies recorded in the Torah. It was not merely a family quarrel or a dysfunction in the Patriarchal family (as those lacking in Torah and yiraas Shomayim would contend); it was the near dissolution of the future Shivtei Kah, the very foundation stones of Klal Yisrael. What makes the episode (for which we are still paying in the present) more painful is that it was rooted in misconception and misjudgment. The brothers were all noble and devoted to Hashem; yet, they misread Yosef’s character. They saw what they saw, or perhaps what they…

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ויבאו מצרימה יעקב וכל זרעו אתו ... בניו ובני בניו אתו בנתיו ובנות בניו וכל זרעו הביא אתו מצרימה

And they came to Egypt… Yaakov and all his offspring with him … His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring he brought with him. (46:6,7)

ובני בנימין

And the sons of Binyamin. (46:21)

רק אדמת הכהנים לא קנה כי חוק לכהנים מאת פרעה ואכלו את חוקם

Only the land of the priests did he not buy, since the priests had a stipend from Pharaoh. (47:22)

ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים ופרעה חולם

It happened two years to the day, Pharaoh was dreaming. (41:1)

ויקרא יוסף את שם הבכור מנשה כי נשני אלקים את כל עמלי ואת כל בית אב

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashe for Hashem has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household. (41:51)

ויאסוף אותם אל משמר שלשת ימים

Then he herded them into a ward for a three-day period. (42:17)

למה הרעתם לי להגיד לאיש העוד לכם אח

“Why did you treat me so ill by telling him (the viceroy) that you had another brother? (43:6)

וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען

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

וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו כי בן זקנים הוא לו

Yisrael loved Yosef best of all his sons, he was a child of his old age. (37:3)

וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם

Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand. (36:21)

YEARS

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