Vayigash – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

ועתה אל תעצבו ואל יחר בעיניכם כי מכרתם אותי הנה כי למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם

And now, neither be distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that G-d sent me ahead of you.” (45:5)

Yosef appeases his brothers, explaining to them that they were all part of a Divine Plan, in order to have him precede them to Egypt. By “trailblazing” the Egyptian exile which Klal Yisrael was destined to experience, Yosef was able to mitigate their and their descendants’ ordeal to some extent. Yosef was addressing his brothers, but it is a worthy lesson that is applicable to – and should be reviewed over and over by – us all. Hashem controls and guides the world. He has a Divine Plan in which we all have a role. We must be patient and…

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ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אני יוסף העוד אבי חי ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אתו כי נבהלו מפניו

Sruly Schnair In 5779, Vayigash

And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, because they were left disconcerted before him. (45:3)

Yosef finally reveals himself to his brothers, and, in the space of a few moments, G-d’s master plan became evident to all. All of the questions, pain and challenges that had transpired and that they had experienced became clear to them. Twenty-two years of ambiguity had been lifted from their eyes. Yosef asked, “Is my father still alive?” This question begs elucidation. How many times must they repeat to him that their elderly father was still alive and living at home? The Kli Yakar explains that Yosef thought that they might have mentioned an elderly father who was inexorably attached…

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ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אתו כי נבהלו מפניו

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him. (45:3)

The Midrash notes the difficulty individuals experience in accepting rebuke. Bilaam ha’rasha, the evil pagan-prophet, could not stand up to the criticism of his donkey. The Shivtei Kah, the sons of Yaakov Avinu, were overwhelmed with fear when Yosef merely uttered the two words: Ani Yosef, “I am Yosef.” Imagine, says Abba Kohen Bardela, when we come before the Heavenly Tribunal and each and every one of us will be rebuked lfi mah she’hu, according to what he is, (or what he could have been). How will we stand up to this Heavenly remonstrance? In the Talmud Berachos 4b,…

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ולאביו שלח כזאת עשרה חמרים נשאים מטוב מצרים

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

And to his father, he sent the following: ten he donkeys laden with the best of Egypt. (45:23)

We often neglect to acknowledge that we are pawns in a cosmic chess game, all of us part of a Divine plan. Each and every one of us has his/her designated place as the various moves are made, until the ultimate move, when the advent of Moshiach Tzidkeinu takes place. Commentators express this idea time and again as they address the story of Yosef HaTzaddik: his alienation from his brothers; his sale as a slave, which led him to Egypt; his descent to Egypt as the precursor for his family’s departure from Eretz Yisrael in order to be reunited…

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ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

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

Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah ahead of the family to make the proper arrangements for their arrival. The Midrash focuses on the word l’horos, to prepare, which also means to teach. This implies that Yaakov sent Yehudah to Goshen to establish a yeshivah, a house of study. This set the priority for every Jewish community to first and foremost have a makom Torah, a place where Torah will be studied. A community that does not revolve around Torah is missing its soul. I think the word l’horos, to teach, imparts a lesson concerning the type of yeshivah that Yaakov wanted to…

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וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף הנמצא בארץ מצרים. ויבא יוסף את הכסף ביתה פרעה

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

Yosef gathered all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt…And Yosef brought the money into Pharoh’s palace. (47:14)

The Talmud Pesachim 119A teaches that Yosef HaTzadik hid three treasures in Egypt. One was revealed to Korach; the second to Antoninus; and the third is waiting for its revelation to the righteous in Olam Habba, the World to Come. Obviously, Chazal are not talking about material treasures, since Yosef did not have the right to hide treasures for himself. All of the funds that were deposited in the country in return for grain belonged to Pharaoh. Yosef was not a thief. Every penny that came in went through a strict accounting process. Second, the third treasure, which was…

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לינו את השנה הזאת לטובה

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayigash

Bareich aleinu…es ha’shanah ha’zos…l’tovah. Bless on our behalf… this year… for the best.

Obviously, Hashem blesses the year for the “best.” Otherwise, what kind of blessing is it? The word l’tovah is seemingly superfluous. Siach Yitzchak explains that it happens, at times, that the produce is blessed with a high yield, but, regrettably, a shortage of money precludes customers from purchasing their needs. Indeed, it is worse when produce is selling at a low price, but the buyer has no cash, than when the opposite is in effect (the person has money, but there is no produce to be found). We pray to Hashem that food should be available and that people have…

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ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayigash

Now Yosef could not restrain himself in the presence of all who stood before him. (45:1)

Yosef was ready to reveal himself, to share his identity with his brothers, but he could not bear to do so in the presence of so many bystanders. He was concerned for his brothers’ dignity, lest he shame them in public. Veritably, there was nothing holding him back from revealing himself – or was there? Furthermore, following his revelation, the Torah writes that he fell on Binyamin’s neck. Rashi explains that, in this expression of emotion, Yosef wept over the destruction of the two Batei Mikdash which would be destroyed in Binyamin’s portion of Eretz Yisrael. Why was mourning over…

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ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו ויקרא הוציאו כל איש מעלי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayigash

Now Yosef could not restrain himself in the presence of all who stood before him, so he called out, “Remove everyone from before me!” (45:1)

Yosef was taking an enormous chance with his life. He was one person – not characteristically physically strong. Standing opposite him were his ten brothers, each of whose individual strength was without peer. Indeed, if any one of them would have lifted a finger against Yosef – he would have been smitten. All ten together could easily have taken down Egypt. Yet, Yosef sought no protection, asking that no one remain in the room with him at this moment of truth, the moment in which he would reveal himself to his brothers. In his Tiferes Yehonasan, Horav Yehonasan Eibeshutz, zl,…

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ועתה אל תעצבו ואל יחר בעיניכם כי מכרתם אתי הנה כי למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, 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. (45:5)

Does the realization that it was all part of Hashem’s plan mitigate the evil that one has wrought against another person? Is it so simple to overlook, to forgive the evil, the hurt, the pain and misery that had been a constant accomplishment for years, just because one is aware that the perpetrator is G-d’s agent? For most of us: probably not. For Yosef: the above pasuk states that he told them, “Do not lose sleep over what you had done; you were G-d’s agents.” Maavir al midosav, “Passing over one’s faults,” disregarding the bad middos, character traits, of those…

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ועתה אל תעצבו ואל יחר בעיניכם כי מכרתם אותי הנה כי למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם

And now, neither be distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that G-d sent me ahead of you.” (45:5)

ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אני יוסף העוד אבי חי ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אתו כי נבהלו מפניו

And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, because they were left disconcerted before him. (45:3)

ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אתו כי נבהלו מפניו

But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him. (45:3)

ולאביו שלח כזאת עשרה חמרים נשאים מטוב מצרים

And to his father, he sent the following: ten he donkeys laden with the best of Egypt. (45:23)

ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה

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

וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף הנמצא בארץ מצרים. ויבא יוסף את הכסף ביתה פרעה

Yosef gathered all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt…And Yosef brought the money into Pharoh’s palace. (47:14)

לינו את השנה הזאת לטובה

Bareich aleinu…es ha’shanah ha’zos…l’tovah. Bless on our behalf… this year… for the best.

ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו

Now Yosef could not restrain himself in the presence of all who stood before him. (45:1)

ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו ויקרא הוציאו כל איש מעלי

Now Yosef could not restrain himself in the presence of all who stood before him, so he called out, “Remove everyone from before me!” (45:1)

ועתה אל תעצבו ואל יחר בעיניכם כי מכרתם אתי הנה כי למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם

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. (45:5)

YEARS

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