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Home -> Vayigash -> 5759

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5759, Vayigash

And now, be not distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that G-d sent me ahead of you. (44:5)

In an attempt to assuage his brothers’ fears, Yosef told them that  Hashem had designed his migration from Eretz Yisrael to Egypt so that Yosef could prepare for their eventual arrival.  He emphasizes two points: “Do not be distressed,” and “Do not reproach yourselves.”  What is the difference between these two references to accepting blame for what had occurred?  Horav Eliyahu Schesinger, Shlita, explains that  two factors contributed to their distress.  First, they were bothered by the fact that they had wrongly suspected Yosef of attempting to harm them.  They assumed that his dreams were nothing more than manifestations of…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5759

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5759, Vayigash

And he (Yaakov) sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead for him in Goshen. (46:28)

Rashi cites the Midrash which interprets the word “l’horos” to mean “to teach.”  This implies that Yehudah, the leader of the brothers, was sent ahead to establish a makom Torah, a House of Torah study, a yeshivah to prepare for the spiritual development of those coming to Egypt.  What about Yosef, who was a tzaddik, who had maintained his spiritual level throughout his ordeal in exile, who certainly knew the country?  Why was he not charged with founding the yeshivah? The various commentators rationalize Yaakov’s decision.  Horav Dov Eliezerov, zl, offers a practical solution to the problem.  He relates that…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5758

Moshe Marcovich
In 5758, Vayigash

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

Rashi interprets the word “l’horos” to mean  “to teach.”  Yaakov sent Yehudah  to prepare a makom Torah, a place for Torah study, to lay the foundation for Torah dissemination in Egypt.  The Midrash  asserts that Yaakov sent  Yehudah because he was on good terms with Yosef.  Certainly,  Yosef would have done everything within his power to assist any emissary of his father.  The Midrash implies, however,  that it would have been  inappropriate to send Yehudah to establish a yeshivah had his relationship with Yosef  not been one of total harmony. This seems difficult to understand. Yehudah was selected because of…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5758

Moshe Marcovich
In 5758, Vayigash

He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef to prepare ahead of him in Goshen. (46:28)

Yaakov sent Yehudah ahead of the family to prepare for their arrival.  The Midrash understands  the word “l’horos” according to its Hebrew definition,  “to teach.”  Yaakov sent Yehudah to found a yeshivah, a place where their family could study Torah.  We infer from Yaakov’s action that Torah study takes priority over any other endeavor.  When a community is being developed, one must first establish a Torah institution,  nurturing its inhabitants spiritually.  The commentators address the fact that Yehudah, not Yosef,  was chosen to establish the yeshivah, even though    Yosef  was a distinguished talmid chacham,  who had already been in…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5758

Moshe Marcovich
In 5758, Vayigash

And Yosef gathered all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt. (47:14)

In the Talmud Pesachim 119a, Chazal relate that Yosef buried three treasures in Egypt.  One of the treasures was revealed to Korach. The other was revealed to Antoninus of Rome, who was a friend of Rabbi Yehudah Ha’Nasi. The third remains hidden, to be revealed in the future.  While many commentators understand the words of Chazal to refer to material wealth, as we know that Korach was an unusually wealthy person, the Yalkut Hadrush identifies Yosef’s ideas as the primary aspect of his  wealth.  Yosef left a legacy–three lessons to be gleaned and studied. The first lesson is one that…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5758

Moshe Marcovich
In 5758, Vayigash

As for the nation, he settled it by cities, from one end of Egypt’s borders to another. (47:21)

Rashi explains that Yosef moved the Egyptians from city to city for a specific purpose.  He was concerned that when his family emigrated to Egypt, they would be made to feel as strangers, embarrassed and rejected by Egyptian society.  By moving around the Egyptians, he circumvented this problem, since the Egyptians themselves were no longer considered the “natives.”  The author of Va’yevch Yosef notes Yosef’s remarkable mesiras nefesh, devotion and self-sacrifice, just to prevent  his brothers from being  humiliated.  His concern for their emotional needs was incredible.  He was prepared to move around an entire country, completely disrupt their lives,…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Vayigash

“And Yehudah approached him and said, ‘If you please, my master, may your servant speak a word?'” (44:18)

Rashi views Yehudah’s opening statement as blunt and provocative. Yehudah was telling Yosef that if he did not release Binyamin, dire consequences would ensue. If necessary, Yehudah was prepared to wage war against Yosef and his country in order to effect Binyamin’s release from captivity. What happened? Yehudah seems to have undergone a remarkable personality change. In his previous encounter with Yosef, Yehudah appeared to be a meek, simple person, imploring Yosef to exercise his good graces towards them. Suddenly, Yehudah had become the mighty statesman, who threatened to wage war and heap disaster upon Egypt if he did not…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Vayigash

“And Yosef said to his brothers, ‘I am Yosef.’ … and his brothers could not answer him.” (45:3)

In the Midrash, Chazal quote Abba Bardela who said, “Woe is to us from the day of judgment. Woe is to us from the day of reproach. Bilaam, the wisest of the gentiles, could not stand before the rebuke of his donkey. Yosef was the youngest of the tribes. Yet, his brothers could not stand before him. How much more so, when Hashem will come and reproach everyone according to what he is, will we not be able to tolerate this rebuke.” This Chazal has been the subject of considerable discussion. It has served as the basis for defining the…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Vayigash

“And he fell upon his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck.” (45:14)

Chazal teach us that Yosef and Binyamin wept over the destruction of the Sanctuaries that would be built in their respective territories. Two Batei Mikdash were to be constructed in Binyamin’s territory, and the Mishkan Shiloh was to be erected in Yosef’s portion. This Midrash has been the source of considerable discussion. One would think that at a time of such heightened joy, the last thing that would enter their minds would be tragedy. Second, why are they crying about the churban of the other? What about their own? Obviously, we are not talking about common people, whose prime concern…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In 5757, Vayigash

“And he saw the wagons that Yosef had sent to transport him.” (45:27)

Chazal teach us that Yosef had a specific motivation in sending “agalos,” wagons. The Hebrew word “agalah,” wagon, is similar to the word “eglah,” calf. Yosef intended to provide a hint to Yaakov, referring to the laws of the eglah arufah (the calf which was killed as a symbol of the innocence of the elders of a city where a murder had been committed), which was the last section of halachah that Yosef had studied with Yaakov. He thereby demonstrated to his father that he had not forgotten his studies. Also, Yosef had taken leave of his father without escort…

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