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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5779

ויקח מאתם את שמעון ויאסר אותו לעיניהם

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Mikeitz

He took Shimon from them and imprisoned him before their eyes. (42:24)

Chazal (Midrash Tanchuma, 4) teach that after Yosef said that one of the group would be held hostage until Binyamin was brought to Egypt, he selected Shimon to be that family “representative.” The reason for this choice was twofold. First, it was Shimon who had initiated the process of the sale of Yosef, when he called out, “Look, that dreamer is coming!” Later, it was Shimon who threw Yosef into the pit. An alternative explanation is that Yosef was acutely aware that Shimon and Levi did not comprise a good shidduch, match. He feared that the two would conspire to…

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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5779

הם יצאו את העיר לא הרחיקו ויוסף אמר לאשר על ביתו... ואמרת אלהם למה שלמתם רעה תחת טובה

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Mikeitz

They had left the city, they had not gone far, and Yosef said to the one in charge of his house… “You shall say to them, ‘Why do you repay evil for good?’” (44:4)

Of all of the messages of rebuke that Yosef could have sent to his brothers, “Why did you repay evil for good?” is the last one you would expect. The most pressing question to be asked was, “Why did you steal my cup?” Instead, Yosef seems to be delivering a mussar shmuess, ethical discourse, to his brothers, concerning their jealousy and their turning against him. The Zera Shimshon explains that Yosef was implying, “You were so jealous of me, because our father made me a multicolored coat – jealous enough to sell me as a slave! Is this what I…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5779

וילכו אחיו לרעות את צאן אביהם בשכם... וימצאו איש והנה תעה בשדה

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Vayeishev

Now, his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. (37:12)….. A man discovered him, and behold! – He was blundering in the field. (37:15)

Clearly, the entire debacle concerning Yosef and his brothers is cloaked in profound esoteric secrecy. All we can do is to derive snippets of ethical lessons which we should incorporate into our lives. Perhaps the most powerful and illuminating statement made by Chazal is the following: “The tribes/brothers were occupied with the sale of Yosef; Yosef himself was absorbed b’sako u’b’taaniso, in his sackcloth and fasting; Reuven, as well, was immersed in a state of penitence; so, too, was Yaakov Avinu; Yehudah was engaged in the process of looking for a wife. Last – and most important – was Hashem,…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5779

וישב ראובן אל הבור

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Vayeishev

Reuven returned to the pit. (37:29)

Where was Reuven (that he had to “return”)? Rabbi Eliezer (Midrash) says, “Reuven was occupied with fasting; he was dressed in sackcloth as penitence for changing the placement of his father’s bed. Hashem (in accepting Reuven’s repentance) said to him, ‘From the beginning of time, there has not been anyone who had transgressed and repented. You are the first one. As reward, your descendant will stand and declare/exhort the people to return/repent.’” This is a reference to the Navi Hoshea, a descendant of Reuven, who proclaimed, Shuvu Yisrael ad Hashem Elokecha, “Return Yisrael to Hashem, your G-d.” This Midrash begs…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5779

ויהי בעת ההיא וירד יהודה מאת אחיו

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Vayeishev

It was at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers. (38:1)

The Midrash Tanchuma explains the juxtaposition of Yehudah’s marriage, upon the loss of his wife and two sons, and upon the incident of Yosef’s sale, with Yehudah being the one to inform Yaakov Avinu of Yosef’s death. Hashem said to Yehudah, “You have yet to father children; thus, you do not know what raising children and losing them means, the accompanying pain and sorrow. Yet, you were the one to inform your father that a wild animal had killed/torn his son apart. You must now experience the pain of losing a child. Therefore, you will marry and father two sons,…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5779

ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים

Sruly Schnair
In 5779, Vayeishev

How then can I perpetrate this evil and have sinned against G-d! (39:9)

Potiphar’s wife did everything within her power and resources to beguile and seduce Yosef. True to his earned appellation of tzaddik, righteous man, he resisted her advances. According to Rashi, he employed ingratitude as an excuse, asserting that his master had entrusted him with the total run of the house. To sin with his wife would be the nadir of ingratitude – not to mention indecency – and a betrayal of trust. In the beginning of his Shaarei Teshuvah, Rabbeinu Yonah derives a different tactic from Yosef’s words – one that should, likewise, apply to each and every one of…

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Home -> 5779 -> Vayishlach

ויותר יעקב לבדו

Sruly Schnair
In Vayishlach, 5779

Yaakov was left alone. (32:25)

Rashi cites Chazal (Chullin 91a) who posit that Yaakov Avinu had forgotten some pachim ketanim, small earthenware pitchers, and he returned for them. Clearly, these pitchers had inconsequential value. Yet, to Yaakov, they were valuable enough to return for them, even if it meant exposing himself to danger. From this, Chazal derive that to the righteous (not only Yaakov), their money is dearer to them than their bodies. Our Sages explain that since the righteous are meticulous in avoiding any form of dishonesty, their money represents integrity at its apex. Thus, it is dear to them. Wealth earned through honesty…

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Home -> 5779 -> Vayishlach

ויאבק איש עמו עד עלות השחר

Sruly Schnair
In Vayishlach, 5779

And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (32:25)

Chazal (quoted by Rashi) say that the “man” who wrestled with Yaakov Avinu was no ordinary human; rather, he was the archangel of Eisav, who had been dispatched by Hashem to pave the way for the ultimate salvation of Yaakov and his descendants. We derive a portent for the future from their fight. Just as Yaakov was injured during the course of the struggle, but, nonetheless, he prevailed and went on to even greater achievements; so, too, will our People suffer losses in the future, but will emerge stronger, better, spiritually healthier – in preparation for our ultimate geulah, redemption….

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Home -> 5779 -> Vayishlach

ויאמר אליו מה שמך ויאמר יעקב... וישאל יעקב ויאמר הגידה נא שמך ויאמר למה תשאל לשמי

Sruly Schnair
In Vayishlach, 5779

He said to him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Yaakov”… Then Yaakov inquired, and he said, “Divulge, if you please, your name.” And he said, “Why then do you inquire of my name?” (32:28,30)

Eisav’s angel asked Yaakov Avinu for his name. It is not as if he did not know his name. He simply wanted to know the source of Yaakov’s strength, his power. Our Patriarch replied, “Yaakov. My power is in the heel. I enter the fray from the side, unnoticed. This is how I succeed.” The angel said, “From now on, your name will be Yisrael, a name which implies strength. You will no longer have to come from the eikav, heel/side. You will come with strength.” Our Patriarch seemed content with this new designation. He now said to the angel,…

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Home -> 5779 -> Vayishlach

ויענו בני יעקב את שכם ואת חמר אביו במרמה

Sruly Schnair
In Vayishlach, 5779

Yaakov’s sons answered Shechem and his father Chamor cleverly. (34:13)

Mirmah is usually translated as “treachery/deceit.” In this instance, Rashi translates it as, chochmah, wisdom, or cleverness. This interpretation begs elucidation, since how much wisdom does it take to overpower a community of men on the third day following surgery, when they are in intense pain? One could hardly call this cleverness. The Netziv, zl, explains that “cleverness” in this case serves as a disclaimer, to declare that at no time did the brothers intend to accept this base people into their family. Shechem and his cohorts were not becoming Jews. The use of the word mirmah reminds us not…

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