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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5778

ויוסף הוא השליט על הארץ הוא המשביר לכל עם הארץ

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Mikeitz

Now Yosef – he was the viceroy over the land, he was the provider to all the people. (42:6)

Simply translated, the pasuk informs us that Yosef was both ruler and provider to the people. Horav Moshe Cheifetz, zl (cited by Tzeil Ha’Eidah), derives from here that a community/group accepts the guidance/ rulership/governance of a person only after he has shown that he cares/provides for all of them. Thus, he interprets the pasuk as: Yosef was the (accepted) ruler because he was the provider to all the people. When the ruler provides, people listen; when the ruler thinks only of himself or those close to him, he will eventually deal with a mutiny, people rebelling against him. Obviously, one achieves…

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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5778

ויתן לו את אסנת בת פוטיפרע כהן אן לאשה

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Mikeitz

And he gave him Osnas bas Potifar, chief of On, for a wife. (41:45)

Certain words in the English language are anathema to the Jewish religion. Coincidence, believing that things “happen” without being designated by G-d, is the antithesis of Jewish belief. We could devote books to support the notion of Hashgachah Pratis, Divine Providence, but why look anywhere but in our parsha? This is, of course, true throughout the Torah, but the story of Yosef and his brothers and the need to have him descend to Egypt so that they would eventually follow, is a classic example of Hashgachah. Yosef’s marriage to Osnas is a classic tale of Hashgachah Pratis as stated by…

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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5778

יאמר פרעה אל יוסף ראה נתתי אתך על כל ארץ מצרים

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Mikeitz

Then Pharaoh said to Yosef. “See! I have placed you in charge of all the land of Egypt.” (41:41)

Hakoras hatov, recognizing a favor and paying gratitude, is a defining middah, character trait. One who is an ingrate is not a mentch, decent human being. Nonetheless, some individuals who, although not by nature ingrates, find themselves hard-pressed to recognize that (a) they owe something to someone, (b) that they have sufficient reason to show their appreciation. In other words, they seek every excuse to justify their lack of gratitude. They owe no one for anything. We all know people who seek excuses not to show their gratitude. We observe another form of character deficiency. A person helps; he is…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

ברך עלינו ...את השנה הזא

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Bareich aleinu … es ha’shanah ha’zos.

After Adam and Chavah sinned in Gan Eden, Hashem brought certain curses to the world. One of these curses was B’zeias apecha tochal lechem, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” Toil and labor in the pursuit of a livelihood comprise a curse. Unfortunately, some of us have elevated this “curse” to blessing status, almost as if one looks for every opportunity to work himself to the bone in order to earn a living. Hashem provides one’s “needs.” Some of us “want” more than we “need.” This is where the curse enters into the picture. We work…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

אין שר בית הסהר ראה את כל מאומה בידו באשר ד' אתו

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

The prison warden did not scrutinize anything that was in his charge inasmuch as Hashem was with him. (39:23)

Prison is not a happy place. It is usually reserved for the dregs of society. Many are there because they were unable to defend themselves against the prevailing circumstantial evidence. Others just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yosef was accused of a crime which he did not commit, but, in Egypt, as in most countries, this does not prevent the ruling class from disposing one into a system where he is lost – often forever. Yosef was admired and revered by the warden, as well as by the prisoners. They saw that something was…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

והבור רק אין בו מים

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

The pit was empty, no water was in it. (37:24)

How sad it is when someone considers himself worthy of the appellation talmid chacham, Torah scholar, but does not really warrant this title. Heaven help the person who has the audacity to point out this person’s deficiency. He will be abused for lacking kavod haTorah, the honor due to the Torah, and its representatives. I wrote the word, “sad,” because this person is in a situation which, of course, he brought upon himself, and which he can survive as long as he does not press the wrong buttons. Otherwise, one day, someone who is far from being a scholar will…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Reuven heard, and he received him from their hand. (37:21)

Reuven had much to gain if Yosef were to be out of the picture. He was the firstborn. Yosef was a threat to his position, since he, too, was a firstborn. The shevatim rendered a halachic decision, finding Yosef guilty of being a redifah, a pursuer, who was bent on destroying them. Reuven attempted to dissuade them for one purpose: so that he could return later and release Yosef from the pit, thereby saving his life. Horav Zalman Sorotzkin, zl, observes the incredible level of atzilus, nobility, that was manifest by Reuven’s actions. As far as the shevatim were concerned,…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

יוסף ... היה רעה את אחיו בצאן

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Yosef … was a shepherd with his brothers by the flock. (37:2)

As parents, we have an awesome responsibility to infuse our children with proper middos, character traits, coupled with yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, and an abiding commitment to Torah study and mitzvah performance. As parents, we are our children’s first and primary mentors. The rebbeim and moros that we choose for them are a reflection of our standards. Last, the joy in mitzvah observance that we present will have a lasting impression upon our children as they journey forward in the world. Horav Nissim Yagen, zl, relates the story of two American families who, on the outside, maintained similar lifestyles,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

ברך עלינו ד' אלקינו את השנה הזאת

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

Bareich Aleinu Hashem Elokeinu es ha’shanah ha’zos. Bless us Hashem, our G-d, this year.

A year is 365 days long. We say this prayer thrice daily all year. What about the end of the year? Is the prayer still as meaningful? Once, prior to Minchah on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the very last tefillah, prayer, of the year, the holy Horav Sholom, zl, m’Belz, was surrounded by his chassidim, as they prepared to conclude the past year. He said, “We are now about to recite the last Minchah of the year. Yet, we ask Hashem to bless ‘this year.’ What does this mean? In mere minutes this year will conclude. How can we ask Hashem…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר... בני רחל יוסף ובנימין... אלה בני יעקב אשר יולד לו בפדן ארם

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

The sons of Yaakov were twelve… the sons of Rachel were Yosef and Binyamin… these are the sons of Yaakov who were born to him in Paddan Aram. (35:23,24,26)

The Rishonim, early commentators, question the location of Binyamin’s birth. The Torah states that he was born in Paddan Aram, when, in fact, he was born outside of Bais Lechem (Bethlehem) on the road to Efras. This is where Rachel Imeinu died and was buried. It was clearly not Paddan Aram. Ibn Ezra explains that the majority of Yaakov Avinu’s sons (eleven) were born in Paddan Aram. Chizkuni offers a novel response to this question, which offers us a powerful insight into the concept of tefillah, prayer. Indeed, Binyamin was not born in Paddan Aram, but the precursors for his…

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