Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

Category

Back to Home -> 5784 ->


קחו מזמרת הארץ בכליכם והורידו לאיש מנחה

Take from the land’s glory in your baggage and bring down a gift to the man. (43:11)

Coping with anger can be challenging, for some more than for others. People do not always act nicely to one another. This is especially true when two highly competitive people are both vying for the same position. Conflicts ensue, relationships are damaged and, at times, negative and even unethical behavior occurs. Anger is a normal emotion, unless one is highly refined and in control of himself. If we would stop for a moment to consider the ramifications, both short and long term, we would think twice before expressing ourselves. This is especially true when one is unjustly harmed, provoking feelings…

Continue Reading

קחו מזמרת הארץ בכליכם

Take of the land’s glory in your baggage. (43:11)

Horav Nachman Breslover, zl, explains zimras ha’aretz innovatively. Zimras is derived from zemer, song. Thus, Yaakov Avinu sent his sons to Egypt with a melody of Eretz Yisrael to be sung before the ruler who was causing them so much angst. A melody has a strong influence; a song has immense power and can elevate a person. When Yaakov wanted to send something along with his sons that would have powerful influence on the ruler, he sent a song. What is a Jewish song? (I refer here to traditional melodies handed down through the generations and nuschaos, versions of liturgical…

Continue Reading

הנה שבע שנים באות שבע גדול בכל ארץ מצרים וקמו שבע שני רעב אחריהן ונשכח כל השבע בארץ מצרים

Behold! Seven years are coming, a great abundance throughout the land of Egypt. And seven years of famine will arise after them; all of the plenty in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. (41:29, 30)

Yosef HaTzaddik was describing to Pharaoh the seven years of famine which were to follow on the heels of the seven years of plenty. He said that the famine would be so fierce and grim that no one would even remember that they had enjoyed seven years of plenty. This idea begs elucidation. Hunger is hunger. Is it necessary to underscore that people would forget the years of plenty? While it is true that the people would no longer have any remaining food, why should that prevent them from remembering that they had once had food? Horav Levi Dicker, zl,…

Continue Reading

ושם אתנו נער עברי עבד לשר הטבחים

And there, with us, was a Hebrew youth, a slave of the chamberlain of the bakers. (41:12)

Rashi quotes Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 89:7), “Cursed are the wicked because even their favors are incomplete!” The chamberlain described Yosef in the most disparaging terms: a naar, youth; ignorant and unfit for distinction; Ivri, Hebrew; a foreigner not conversant in the prevalent culture and language; eved, a slave; about whom it is written in Egyptian law that he can neither be a ruler nor wear the robes of a noble man. In other words, even when they are supposedly nice, it is with great reluctance and insincerity. After all, they cannot allow the Jew to be superior to them. We…

Continue Reading

ויהי מקץ שנתים ימים ופרעה חלם

And it was at the end of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming. (41:1)

“No wine before its time” is a general maxim often used in the context of patience and waiting for things to reach their full potential before one can enjoy them. [This phrase became the slogan of choice for the largest wine company in California.) We look at a given situation and ask, “Why not now?” Because now is not yet the time. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh addresses the unusual manner in which the Torah conveys that Pharaoh had a dream. Since the introduction of Pharaoh’s dreams is the beginning of a new narrative, it should have written, Cholam Pharaoh, or,…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

ויאמר יעקב לבניו למה תתראו

Yaakov said to his sons, “Why would you have everyone gazing at you?” (42:1)

Yaakov had sufficient food for his family. The country, however, was suffering through a hunger which was taking its toll on everyone around them. Thus, Yaakov told his sons to be like everyone else and go down to Egypt to purchase grain to sustain the family. In an address at an Agudas Yisrael convention, Horav Shimon Schwab, zl, exhorted the listeners: Lamah tisrahu, “Do not be conspicuous with your wealth – even if it was honestly earned (according to Torah standards). Why display before others that you have sufficient food when they are starving?” They had enough, but others did…

Continue Reading

ויאמר פרעה אל יוסף... אין נבון וחכם כמוך

Pharaoh said to Yosef… “There can be no one so discerning and wise as you.” (41:39)

Pharaoh mentions navon, discerning, before chacham, wise. In Devarim 1:13, concerning the appointment of judges, the Torah writes, Havu lachem anashim chachamim u’nevonim, “Provide for yourselves distinguished men who are wise and discerning (well-known).” What is the reason for the disparity? Horav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlita, explains chochmah as basic wisdom, knowledge that one receives from his forebears – without personal embellishment or supplementation. Tevunah, discernment, is what one understands on his own, thus enabling him to add to the knowledge that he has acquired. With this principle in mind, we can understand the difference between the Jewish and the non-Jewish…

Continue Reading

ועתה ירא פרעה איש נבון וחכם וישיתהו על ארץ מצרים

Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. (41:33)

Chochmah, wisdom, is clearly a prerequisite for growth and leadership. It is also vital to functioning as a ben Torah, one who is committed to achieving a close relationship with Hashem. Horav Elazar M. Shach, zl, was wont to say that Hashem will not take a person to task if he is not a tzaddik, righteous man, but He expects him to be a chacham, wise man. This means that Hashem waits for a person to use his own G-d-given brain to determine that it is in his best interest to choose to live the Torah way of life. His…

Continue Reading

ועתה ירא פרעה איש נבון וחכם וישיתהו על ארץ מצרים

Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. (41:33)

Pharaoh had asked Yosef to interpret his dreams. Nowhere do we find him asking for advice. Yet, after Yosef paints a picture of prosperity followed by hunger, doom and gloom, he adds that Pharaoh should immediately appoint a wise and discerning man to administrate the country. Horav Yitzchak Volozhiner, zl, explains that Pharaoh’s dream occurred on Rosh Hashanah, as Chazal (Rosh Hashanah 10) teach that Yosef was taken out of prison on Rosh Hashanah. Yosef wondered why Pharaoh had his dreams on this auspicious day. Indeed, Chazal (Rosh Hashanah 16a) teach that four times during the year Hashem judges the…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!