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Home -> Shemos -> 5778

ויאמר אל עמו הנה עם בני ישראל רב ועצם ממנו

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Shemos

He said to the people, “Behold! The people, Bnei Yisrael are more numerous and stronger than we. (1:9)

Wherein lies our strength? What are the characteristics of Judaism and its people that catalyzed fear in Pharaoh? We are: united with Hashem; united with family; united in ourselves; secure in our beliefs and in our distinctiveness. When Haman sought to eradicate the Jews of Persia, he told Achashveirosh, V’daseihem shonos mikol am; ‘Their laws are different from every other people’ (Megillas Esther 3:8). Horav Bunim, zl, m’Peshicha interprets this to mean: “Their ‘law’ is to be different/to be distinct from all peoples.” Our distinctiveness is what has preserved us as Jews throughout the millennia. Those who assimilated did not…

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

ושבענו מטובך

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayechi

V’sabeinu mituvecha. And satisfy us from Your bounty.

Satisfaction is elusive for some people. In Pirkei Avos, the Tanna extols one who is sameach b’chelko, happy with his lot. This means that he does not determine financial success by how much he has accrued, but, rather, by what he has – period. He understands that he is blessed according to what Hashem has determined his needs are. Everyone receives from Hashem enough to meet his needs. Many of us are dissatisfied with just having our “needs” filled. We also want to satisfy our “wants.” It does not work that way. A truly wealthy person is a satisfied person….

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

שמעון ולוי אחים כלי חמס מכרתיהם ... ארור אפם כי עז ועברתם כי קשתה

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayechi

Shimon and Levi are brothers; their weaponry is a stolen trade…Cursed is their wrath for it is intense and their age for it is harsh. (49:5,6)

The greatest blessing a parent (or anyone, for that matter) can confer upon a child is to tell him the truth about himself. If the subject of the blessing suffers from a shortcoming, his/her parent should note it and advise him/her about how to address the issues arising from this failing. Some parents and mentors shy away from relating the truth for fear of a negative reaction. This alone is proof that something is very wrong and should be addressed. Yaakov Avinu showed us the way, as he admonished his sons while he blessed them. After all, what value can…

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך אשר לקחתי...בחרבי ובקשתי

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayechi

And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took…with my sword and my bow. (48:22)

B’charbi u’b’kashti, with my sword and with my bow. Rashi interprets sword and bow as: sword – sharp wisdom; bow – prayer. Targum Onkelos translates it as tzalusi u’b’bausi; with my prayer is my supplication. Thus, Yaakov Avinu’s strength lies not in his physical prowess, but rather, in his spiritual potency. Yaakov’s prayer was much more effective than his physical strength. This is true for all of us. Our strength is in our spirituality. We vanquish the enemy with our supplications, not with our guns. Horav Shimon Pincus, zl, observes that during an eis tzarah, period of tribulation, when the numbers…

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayechi

And the days of the death of Yisrael drew near. (47:29)

The “days” of Yaakov’s death drew near.  A person does not die over a period of days; he dies in a moment. The Zohar wonders what is the meaning of the “days of death”? The Zohar explains that when the time for a person to pass from this world arrives, all of his days (which he has lived) are calculated and assessed. Each day that was spent in the service of Hashem, committed to mitzvah observance, Torah study and performance of acts of lovingkindness – is considered a day worthy of being counted. Other days, which are found lacking in…

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Home -> Vayechi -> 5778

ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayechi

Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt. (47:28)

There is a general rule concerning the placement of a new parshah/sidrah in a Torah scroll: The new Sidrah either: begins on a new line, or it is separated from the previous parshah by a nine-letter space. Parashas Vayechi is unique in that no extra space exists between it and Parashas Vayigash – the preceding parshah. Thus, Rashi calls Parashas Vayechi a parshah setumah, closed parshah. Since nothing happens in a vacuum, Rashi explains why Vayechi is “closed.” It teaches us that at the time of his passing, the mood of Yaakov Avinu’s children was “closed.” They were acutely aware…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

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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Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

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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Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

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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Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

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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