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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5778

יאמר פרעה אל יוסף ראה נתתי אתך על כל ארץ מצרים

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Mikeitz

Then Pharaoh said to Yosef. “See! I have placed you in charge of all the land of Egypt.” (41:41)

Hakoras hatov, recognizing a favor and paying gratitude, is a defining middah, character trait. One who is an ingrate is not a mentch, decent human being. Nonetheless, some individuals who, although not by nature ingrates, find themselves hard-pressed to recognize that (a) they owe something to someone, (b) that they have sufficient reason to show their appreciation. In other words, they seek every excuse to justify their lack of gratitude. They owe no one for anything. We all know people who seek excuses not to show their gratitude. We observe another form of character deficiency. A person helps; he is…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

ברך עלינו ...את השנה הזא

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Bareich aleinu … es ha’shanah ha’zos.

After Adam and Chavah sinned in Gan Eden, Hashem brought certain curses to the world. One of these curses was B’zeias apecha tochal lechem, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” Toil and labor in the pursuit of a livelihood comprise a curse. Unfortunately, some of us have elevated this “curse” to blessing status, almost as if one looks for every opportunity to work himself to the bone in order to earn a living. Hashem provides one’s “needs.” Some of us “want” more than we “need.” This is where the curse enters into the picture. We work…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

אין שר בית הסהר ראה את כל מאומה בידו באשר ד' אתו

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

The prison warden did not scrutinize anything that was in his charge inasmuch as Hashem was with him. (39:23)

Prison is not a happy place. It is usually reserved for the dregs of society. Many are there because they were unable to defend themselves against the prevailing circumstantial evidence. Others just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yosef was accused of a crime which he did not commit, but, in Egypt, as in most countries, this does not prevent the ruling class from disposing one into a system where he is lost – often forever. Yosef was admired and revered by the warden, as well as by the prisoners. They saw that something was…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

והבור רק אין בו מים

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

The pit was empty, no water was in it. (37:24)

How sad it is when someone considers himself worthy of the appellation talmid chacham, Torah scholar, but does not really warrant this title. Heaven help the person who has the audacity to point out this person’s deficiency. He will be abused for lacking kavod haTorah, the honor due to the Torah, and its representatives. I wrote the word, “sad,” because this person is in a situation which, of course, he brought upon himself, and which he can survive as long as he does not press the wrong buttons. Otherwise, one day, someone who is far from being a scholar will…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Reuven heard, and he received him from their hand. (37:21)

Reuven had much to gain if Yosef were to be out of the picture. He was the firstborn. Yosef was a threat to his position, since he, too, was a firstborn. The shevatim rendered a halachic decision, finding Yosef guilty of being a redifah, a pursuer, who was bent on destroying them. Reuven attempted to dissuade them for one purpose: so that he could return later and release Yosef from the pit, thereby saving his life. Horav Zalman Sorotzkin, zl, observes the incredible level of atzilus, nobility, that was manifest by Reuven’s actions. As far as the shevatim were concerned,…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

יוסף ... היה רעה את אחיו בצאן

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Yosef … was a shepherd with his brothers by the flock. (37:2)

As parents, we have an awesome responsibility to infuse our children with proper middos, character traits, coupled with yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, and an abiding commitment to Torah study and mitzvah performance. As parents, we are our children’s first and primary mentors. The rebbeim and moros that we choose for them are a reflection of our standards. Last, the joy in mitzvah observance that we present will have a lasting impression upon our children as they journey forward in the world. Horav Nissim Yagen, zl, relates the story of two American families who, on the outside, maintained similar lifestyles,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

ברך עלינו ד' אלקינו את השנה הזאת

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

Bareich Aleinu Hashem Elokeinu es ha’shanah ha’zos. Bless us Hashem, our G-d, this year.

A year is 365 days long. We say this prayer thrice daily all year. What about the end of the year? Is the prayer still as meaningful? Once, prior to Minchah on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the very last tefillah, prayer, of the year, the holy Horav Sholom, zl, m’Belz, was surrounded by his chassidim, as they prepared to conclude the past year. He said, “We are now about to recite the last Minchah of the year. Yet, we ask Hashem to bless ‘this year.’ What does this mean? In mere minutes this year will conclude. How can we ask Hashem…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר... בני רחל יוסף ובנימין... אלה בני יעקב אשר יולד לו בפדן ארם

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

The sons of Yaakov were twelve… the sons of Rachel were Yosef and Binyamin… these are the sons of Yaakov who were born to him in Paddan Aram. (35:23,24,26)

The Rishonim, early commentators, question the location of Binyamin’s birth. The Torah states that he was born in Paddan Aram, when, in fact, he was born outside of Bais Lechem (Bethlehem) on the road to Efras. This is where Rachel Imeinu died and was buried. It was clearly not Paddan Aram. Ibn Ezra explains that the majority of Yaakov Avinu’s sons (eleven) were born in Paddan Aram. Chizkuni offers a novel response to this question, which offers us a powerful insight into the concept of tefillah, prayer. Indeed, Binyamin was not born in Paddan Aram, but the precursors for his…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

עכרתם אותי להבאישני בישב הארץ

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

You have decomposed me, making me odious among the inhabitants of the land. (34:30)

Although the men of Shechem were collectively guilty of Dinah’s violation, either for harboring the perpetrator or for not preventing the outrage, Yaakov Avinu felt that the actions of his two sons had disgraced him. To the average unlearned student of the “Bible,” this would be another “example” of Jewish obsequisness, fear of retaliation, of taking a stand for what is right. Baruch Hashem, there are those who understand the depth of Yaakov’s shame as being related to his position as the b’chir ha’Avos, chosen of the Patriarchs. Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl, observes that Yaakov’s middah, attribute, was emes, truth….

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

ויאמר עשיו יש לי רב... וכי יש לי כל

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

Eisav said, “I have plenty… in as much as I have everything. (33:9,11)

In addition to differences in their chosen vocations, Yaakov and Eisav had completely different perspectives on life. Yaakov Avinu was totally immersed in spiritual pursuits. The life of Eisav ha’rasha was all about the physical and the material. Spirituality did not play a role of any sort in Eisav’s world view. Satiating his physical desires, fulfilling his material needs, was what made life worth living. One powerful difference exists between the physical/material and the spiritual, with regard to satisfaction. One who is focused on the physical/material can never satisfy his physical/material hunger. One who is focused on spirituality, however, is…

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