Vayeishev – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו...ויראו אחיו כי אתו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אתו ...ויקנאו בו אחיו

Now Yisrael loved Yosef more than all of his sons…His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers so they hated him…So his brothers were jealous of him. (37:3,4,11)

Clearly the story of Yosef and his brothers is one of the most difficult passages in the Torah to understand. One must view everything which occurs in the Torah and the Torah’s description of these events through a spiritual lens, understanding full well that the actions of our ancestors are beyond our understanding, and completely inexplicable from a simplistic, secular perspective. Do we even have an idea concerning the spiritual persona of Yosef HaTzaddik – or his brothers, the Shivtei Kah? In a passage of the Midrash (Midrash Eileh Ezkerah), Chazal say the following: “Rabbi Yishmael said, ‘When I returned…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5777

כי ראתה כי גדל שלה והיא לא נתנה לו לאשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayeishev

For she saw that Sheilah had grown, and she had not been given to him as a wife. (38:14)

Tamar waited – and waited. Tamar was determined to have children from Yehudah. When she noticed that Sheilah had not been given to her, she decided to take undignified steps to realize her dream. If her children could not emanate from Yehudah’s sons, they would emanate from Yehudah himself. She was going to be the progenitress of the Davidic /Messianic dynasty. The Baal HaTurim adds to the above (Rashi’s) p’shat, explanation. When Tamar saw that she was not being given to Sheilah, she became anxious, filled with pain at the thought that she would not play a role in carrying…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5777

לאיש אשר אלה לו אנכי הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החתמת והפתילים והמטה האלה.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayeishev

“By the man to whom these belong I am with child.” And she said, “Identify, if you please, whose are this signet, this wrap and this staff.” (38:25)

What is the definition of yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven? A G-d-fearing Jew is one who is acutely aware of Hashem’s Presence, who understands that he stands before G-d at all times and that all of his actions and designs are under Heavenly scrutiny. A G-d-fearing person never loses his perspective of Hashem. This may sound like a given, almost a simple understatement, but, if one thinks about it, most of us act as if we do not think Hashem is “looking.” If one were to ask the average person how to develop recognition, a profound realization of Hashem, the…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5777

ולא שמע אליה לשכב אצלה להיות עמה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayeishev

If he would not listen to her to lie beside her, to be with her. (39:10)

Yosef HaTzaddik suffered greatly from the attempt of Potifar’s wife to seduce him. Chazal (Yuma 35b) describe her machinations in order to take Yosef down: “Every day, she would attempt to seduce him with words. The clothes she wore for him in the morning, she would not wear for him in the evening. The clothes she wore for him in the evening, she would not wear for him in the morning. After varying her wardrobe in order to arouse him, she said, ‘Surrender yourself to me.’ He responded, ‘No!’ She threatened to have him put in jail. He responded, ‘Hashem…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5776

וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם ויאמר לא נכנו נפש

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayeishev

Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand; he said, “We will not strike him mortally.” (37:21)

Two of his brothers attempted to save Yosef from his fate: Reuven and Yehudah. Yet, it is only Reuven who has been recognized as the one who made the attempt, and it is he alone who has received credit for his effort. Why? Chazal (Makkos 10a) explain, She’hu posach b’hatzalah techilah, “He was the first to initiate the rescue of Yosef.” Yehudah made the attempt by convincing them to sell Yosef. Should he not also have received credit for his good intentions? The Ponevezer Rav, Horav Yosef Kahaneman, zl, teaches us a profound lesson concerning the true meaning of “saving…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5776

והנה ארחת ישמעאלים באה מגלעד וגמליהם נשאים נכאת וצרי ולוט

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayeishev

Behold! – A caravan of Ishamelites was coming from Gilead, their camels bearing spice, balsam and lotus. (37:25)

Rashi’s commentary is well-known. After all, why did the Torah find it necessary to mention the cargo carried by the Ishmaelite caravan? He explains that the Torah is teaching us that Hashem intervened on behalf of Yosef. Ishmaelite caravans usually transported foul-smelling cargo, such as naphtha and tar, but, in order to spare the righteous Yosef the discomfort of smelling the offensive odor, Hashem arranged for this caravan to carry sweet-smelling fragrances. Many lessons can be gleaned from Rashi’s interpretation of the sudden change in Ishmaelite cargo. Indeed, Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl, categorizes these lessons, based on individual insights…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5776

וימאן... ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדלה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayeishev

But he adamantly refused… how then can I have perpetrated this great evil and I have sinned against G-d. (39:8,9)

Above the word va’yima’en, “but he adamantly refused,” are two cantillation signs/notes, a shalsheles followed by a p’sik; the shalsheles is a rarely used sign. Together, they underscore the word va’yima’en, indicating that Yosef’s refusal was emphatic and unequivocal. It was a definitive “No!” which offered Potifar’s wife no question about her ability to entice Yosef into committing a sin with her. He asserted that there was no room whatsoever for negotiation. It was only after he emphatically said, “No!” that he explained his reasons to her. From this pasuk, Horav Shlomo Amar, Shlita, derives the Torah’s approach to dealing…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5775

וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם ויאמר לא נכנו נפש

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Vayeishev

And Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand; he said, “We will not strike him mortally.” (37:21)

What is the meaning of “Reuven heard”? Was he not present together with his brothers? He did not “hear” from afar; he was there! The Midrash explains that, indeed, Reuven was there; it is just that he viewed the situation from a different vantage point than his brothers did. It was as if he had heard differently than they did. When Reuven heard Yosef relate his dream, he heard something which the other brothers either did not hear, or to which they did not bother listening: Yosef mentioned that there were eleven stars. This indicates that he still included Reuven…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5775

ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Vayeishev

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…

Home -> Vayeishev -> 5775

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…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> 5777 ->

וישראל אהב את יוסף מכל בניו...ויראו אחיו כי אתו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו וישנאו אתו ...ויקנאו בו אחיו

Now Yisrael loved Yosef more than all of his sons…His brothers saw that it was he whom their father loved most of all his brothers so they hated him…So his brothers were jealous of him. (37:3,4,11)

כי ראתה כי גדל שלה והיא לא נתנה לו לאשה

For she saw that Sheilah had grown, and she had not been given to him as a wife. (38:14)

לאיש אשר אלה לו אנכי הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החתמת והפתילים והמטה האלה.

“By the man to whom these belong I am with child.” And she said, “Identify, if you please, whose are this signet, this wrap and this staff.” (38:25)

ולא שמע אליה לשכב אצלה להיות עמה

If he would not listen to her to lie beside her, to be with her. (39:10)

וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם ויאמר לא נכנו נפש

Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand; he said, “We will not strike him mortally.” (37:21)

והנה ארחת ישמעאלים באה מגלעד וגמליהם נשאים נכאת וצרי ולוט

Behold! – A caravan of Ishamelites was coming from Gilead, their camels bearing spice, balsam and lotus. (37:25)

וימאן... ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדלה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים

But he adamantly refused… how then can I have perpetrated this great evil and I have sinned against G-d. (39:8,9)

וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם ויאמר לא נכנו נפש

And Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand; he said, “We will not strike him mortally.” (37:21)

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)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!