Parshas Vayeshev 5779 (Extended Edition)

Bs”d

Parshas Vayeshev 5779

by Mordechai Dolinsky

 

It is so difficult, so difficult to begin to understand how it was possible for the brothers to  make a decision to put an end to the life of Yosef.  Even considering the reports he gave over, the extra love Yaakov Avinu showed him, the dreams reenforced the hatred and the jealously.  Yaakov ran from Esav for 22 years for this fear.  Our tzibur in general failed to relate or to begin to relate to this great difficulty and it would be a great chiddush and accomplishment if they would.

 

Perhaps a thought in one direction; one of our Gedolim made the following important insight–that when one, even a Talmid Chochom, reaches a level of real, strong anger, for a split second, deep down, he reaches a position that he actually take the other’s life.  It can be just a flash, but it’s there.  In this vein for our question, how could jealousy ever lead to an urge for murder we can say — true, it is impossible to arrive in any way to the above as a result of logical conclusion.  However in the depth of the feeling, ‘sinah’ and deep jealousy, and in this case shared by all the brothers…. there is Yosef in his ketones hapasim, standing before them, alone, and their hearts are filled with ‘sinah’ and jealousy; then that spark, the flash, the deep unreasonable urge as we found by anger; REMOVE HIM!

 

The chizuk, of course, is when we are falling into the hands of jealousy or hatred we should try our best to halt it with the strength that we have for who knows what it can lead to.

Have a good week and an inspiring, happy Chanukah.