Sruly Schnair

ויוסף אמר לאשר על ביתו קום רדף אחרי האנשים והשגתם ואמרת אליהם למה שלמתם רעה תחת טובה

Yosef said to the one in charge of his house, “Arise, chase after the men; when you overtake them, you shall say to them, “Why do you repay evil for good?” (44:4)

One would have expected Yosef to instruct his agent to simply ask the brothers, “Why did you take the cup? Why did you repay evil for good?” This is not the first question one asks of someone who has just stolen his silver cup. The Zera Shimshon explains that Yosef asked this question by design, in order to send home a message to the brothers. He intimated, “When our father made me a multi-colored coat, you became jealous. You became so jealous that it was sufficient reason for you to sell me as a slave. “If, however, you were to…

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והנה אנחנו מאלמים אלמים בתוך השדה והנה קמה אלמתי וגם נצבה

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeishev

Behold! We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, when, behold! My sheaf arose and remained standing. (37:7)

The Torah’s narrative teaches us how Hashem’s ways (of dealing with the world and with us) must be accepted with love. A superficial, cursory perusal of the stories in the Torah will not do anyone justice; the reader is left clueless, and the profundity of the narrative remains concealed and ambiguous. The Midrash and Zohar, the Talmud and its many commentators, offer us powerful insights into the behind the scenes workings of the narrative, their hidden meaning, and the message for the reader. Concerning Yosef HaTzaddik, Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 84:10) teach, Kamah alumasi; my sheaf stood up – “My alumah,…

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וילכו אחיו לרעות את צאן אביהם בשכם... ויאמר ישראל אל יוסף... לכה ואשלחך אליהם... ויבא שכמה

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeishev

Now, his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem… and Yisrael said to Yosef… “Come, I will send you to them,” and he arrived in Shechem. (37:12,13,14)

Despite the brothers negative association with Shechem, a region where they had killed the male inhabitants of an entire city, they put their trust in Hashem, who caused the pagan residents of the area to fear them. Perhaps they remonstrated to themselves that their actions were not a disgrace. They acted in a manner which they felt was appropriate. Rashi notes that Shechem was a makom muchan l’puraniyos, a place prepared for adversity: there, the tribes acted sinfully; there, the people of Shechem violated Dinah; there, the malchus Bais David, kingdom of David Hamelech, was divided. Rashi’s order of events…

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וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeishev

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

Reuven suggested the brothers throw Yosef into a pit, rather than personally execute corporeal punishment against him. [The Shevatim, tribes/brothers, convened a bais din, judicial court, to determine if Yosef was, in fact, guilty of rendering false testimony against them, or a rodef, pursuer, who wanted to do them harm. In any event, they did not make their decision lightly.] It is difficult to understand how Reuven’s suggestion that the brothers instead fling Yosef into a pit swarming with dangerous creatures was an act of saving Yosef. Was he not selecting one form of death over another? The Ohr HaChaim…

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ויקרע יעקב שמלתיו... ויתאבל על בנו ימים רבים

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeishev

Then Yaakov rent his garments… he mourned for his son many days. (37:34)

Rashi explains the term yamim rabim, many days: twenty-two years, which lasted from Yosef’s sudden departure until Yaakov Avinu went down to Egypt. This specific time was by design (as is everything) to coincide with the twenty-two years that Yaakov Avinu did not fulfill the mitzvah of Kibbud av v’eim, honoring his father and mother. Yaakov Avinu experienced twenty-two years of agony and mourning over the painful loss of a son, as middah k’neged middah, measure for measure, for his lack of fulfilling the mitzvah to honor his parents. At first glance, Yaakov’s departure from home by his mother’s instruction…

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ותסר בגדי אלמנותה מעליה... ותשב בפתח עינים

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeishev

So, she removed her widow’s garb from upon her… and she sat at a crossroads. (38:14)

The term pesach einayim literally translated, means “at an entrance of eyes.” Here, it is interpreted as parashas derachim, crossroads, because it is point where a traveler must open his eyes and decide which road he will take. The parashas derachim is called pesach einayim, because one cannot continue on the road unless his eyes are open, so that he can determine the best road to take. Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, zl (Kerem HaTorah) relates that years earlier (he published his sefer in 1914), in such Jewish bastions of Torah and avodah, one road existed (which was used by the…

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קטנתי מכל החסדים ... כי במקלי עברתי את הירדן הזה

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5783

I have been diminished by all the kindnesses… for with my staff I crossed this Yarden. (32:11)

At first glance, with a cursory reading of the pasuk, one is availed a window in Yaakov Avinu’s “rags to riches” story. He crossed the Yarden alone with nothing but his makel, staff, and today he is blessed with a large, productive family and all the material assets that he needs! Targum Onkelos adds a twist to the translation of these words, which gives us pause to reconsider what the Patriarch is saying. Arei yechidi avris yas Yardena ha’dein, “I crossed this Yarden alone.” Yaakov was not lamenting his economic state, but rather his emotional one, the loneliness that engulfed…

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ויעקב נסע סכתה ויבן לו בית ולמקנהו עשה סכת. על כן קרא שם המקום סכת

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5783

Yaakov journeyed to Succos and built himself a house, and, for his livestock, he made shelters. He, therefore, called the name of the place Succos. (33:17)

According to the simple p’shat, explanation, of the pasuk, Yaakov Avinu built a house for himself and succos, temporary housing/pens, for his cattle. Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains the words, Va’yiven lo bayis, “And he built for himself a house”; u’banah lei bei midrasha, “he built for himself a bais medrash.” In other words, Yaakov built for himself a place to study Torah – this was his house, his domicile. For his sheep and cattle, he built succos. This seems unbelievable. Why should Yaakov give a name to a place based upon the temporary housing that he made for his…

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ולא אחר הנער לעשות הדבר כי חפץ בבת יעקב

Sruly Schnair In Vayishlach, 5783

The youth did not delay doing the thing, for he wanted Yaakov’s daughter. (34:19)

One who reads the story of Shechem’s obsession with Dinah bas Yaakov must be taken aback. As prince of the country, Shechem could have had anything/anyone that he wanted. Yet, due to his compelling desire for Dinah, he risked his life and the lives of all his countrymen. Is this rational? To be driven by such desire is ludicrous, bordering on insanity. Yet, it happened. One powerful lesson may be derived: Nothing stands in the way of one’s will. It is a two-way street. One can either ride his ratzon, will, to extraordinary success, or plummet down to the nadir…

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ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע ... ויפגע במקום וילן שם

Sruly Schnair In Vayeitzei, 5783

Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva … He encountered the place and spent the night. (28:10,11)

Chazal (Megillah 17a) glean from the word sham, there, that this was the first time the Patriarch lay down to sleep. He had spent the past fourteen years “hidden” within the yeshivah of Shem and Eivar. I use the word “hidden” to underscore that Yaakov Avinu became a part of the yeshivah in such a manner that no one even knew he was there. He studied day and night, focused on one thing: learning Torah. The question that should be addressed is how Chazal knew that Yaakov was in the yeshivah. Simply put, after calculating Yaakov’s age at present and…

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ויוסף אמר לאשר על ביתו קום רדף אחרי האנשים והשגתם ואמרת אליהם למה שלמתם רעה תחת טובה

Yosef said to the one in charge of his house, “Arise, chase after the men; when you overtake them, you shall say to them, “Why do you repay evil for good?” (44:4)

והנה אנחנו מאלמים אלמים בתוך השדה והנה קמה אלמתי וגם נצבה

Behold! We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, when, behold! My sheaf arose and remained standing. (37:7)

וילכו אחיו לרעות את צאן אביהם בשכם... ויאמר ישראל אל יוסף... לכה ואשלחך אליהם... ויבא שכמה

Now, his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem… and Yisrael said to Yosef… “Come, I will send you to them,” and he arrived in Shechem. (37:12,13,14)

וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם

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

ויקרע יעקב שמלתיו... ויתאבל על בנו ימים רבים

Then Yaakov rent his garments… he mourned for his son many days. (37:34)

ותסר בגדי אלמנותה מעליה... ותשב בפתח עינים

So, she removed her widow’s garb from upon her… and she sat at a crossroads. (38:14)

קטנתי מכל החסדים ... כי במקלי עברתי את הירדן הזה

I have been diminished by all the kindnesses… for with my staff I crossed this Yarden. (32:11)

ויעקב נסע סכתה ויבן לו בית ולמקנהו עשה סכת. על כן קרא שם המקום סכת

Yaakov journeyed to Succos and built himself a house, and, for his livestock, he made shelters. He, therefore, called the name of the place Succos. (33:17)

ולא אחר הנער לעשות הדבר כי חפץ בבת יעקב

The youth did not delay doing the thing, for he wanted Yaakov’s daughter. (34:19)

ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע ... ויפגע במקום וילן שם

Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva … He encountered the place and spent the night. (28:10,11)

YEARS

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