Category: Berashis

Parshas Vayeshev 5779 (Extended Edition)

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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.

Parshas Vayechi

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Parshas Vayechi 5777
by Mordechai Dolinsky

I wqould like to share a striking thought. Rashi bringws the “shibud”, suffering, imposed by the Egyptians started even in the lifetime of Yosef. We see it was such a pRiority for Yaalov not the be buried in Egypt. It was always difficult to understand his extremity in this. Mitzrayim turned out to be such a wicked nation as revealed by our terrible suffering. Yaakov didn’t want his body in a place of such horrible wickedness.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Vayigash

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Parshas Vayigash (5777)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

46:29–Rashi–Yosef cried and cried but Yaakov didn’t even embrace but wasn’t even expected to cry. Yaakov already cried–he lost hid dearest Yosef, now it was a gift of Heaven, just to kiss and love and to say Krias Shmah to understand the hashgachas Hashem. Yosef knew the truth, knew his father and his loss, how much he missed and missed and missed–now he finally comes together–so much to cry and cry. What a beautiful climax of connection of neshamos, to rise together for the Creation of Klal Yisroel, for the glory of Hashem.

Have a wonderful and fulfilling Shabbos.

Parshas MiKaitz

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Parshas MiKaitz (5777)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

42:9–The brothers come innocently and Yosef attacks them suddenly, no sense, no logic. “No sir, no sir, we certainly didn’t”. They could have said you are making no sense, if their minds were straight they would have said it, Yosef was waiting, and Yosef would have dealt differently. The cause of everything (all the past troubles)was not thinking straight and Yoef was hoping for a change. The deepest of deepest, think straight.

Have a wonderful, meaningful Shabbos, inspiring Chanukah and a wonderful Chodesh in every way.

Shabbos Chanukah 5777:
The Yevanim were wicked and tried to devastate.

Hashem loves us and thinks of us always in all ways and He wants it reciprocal. The Chashmonaim and Klal Yisroel showed it and Hashem made Chanukah.
Have an inspiring, uplifting and meaningful Chanukah.

Parshas Vayeshev

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Parshas Vayeshev 5777
by Mordechai Dolinsky

39:6 The true root of Yosef’s awesome ordeal that he endured with aishes Potifar was the result of the lack of keeping in his conscious mind the suffering that his father was enduring and connecting with it. It would be correct to say that with that tsaar he would have paid in full for the anguish he had to endure with that ordeal.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Vayishlach 5777

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Parshas Vayishlach 5777
by Mordechai Dolinsky

After Yaakov had the victorious encounter with the Malach he gained through this the recognition that Yitzchok’s brachos were his rightfully. The great difficulty here very obviously is –what does one have to do with the other–the victory and the brachos. What took place in this battle of Yaakov and Esav we can probably explain –Esav for sure had some very positive traits that he worked on the acquire and these were crystallized in his Malach. Yaakov had his traits that he worked on for years to perfect. In the battle they were matched up from the depths of their souls, the kochos of their souls. After the victory Yaakov had no need for anything to be done underhanded. Yaakov goes and says Avi Yitzchok –it was let known that you felt that Esav deserved the brachos for certain traits, I wish to show you and I’m sure you’ll agree that I am the one that should be the recipient of the brachos and Yitzchok surely would agree.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Todlos 5777

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Parshas Toldos (5777)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

There is something in the episode of Rivka’s orchestrating the brachos going to Yaakov that changes the whole perspective of this historical event and is unnoticed. 27:4/7..When Rivka repeats to Yaakov the request of Yitzchok Avinu to Esav she inserted “vaavorcha lifnei Hashem”. Rashi explains “birshusi sheyaskim al yadi”. However Rivka knew that these words were there, it meant that the brachos were on the condition only with the Will and agreement of Hashem. Rivka obviously understood that the brachos going to Esav was not His Will. As it turns out the direction of the brachos to Yaakofv wasn’t a necessary Shem Shomayim deceit rather an absolute fulfillment of Yitzhok’s true will. This is an amazing enlightenment on this critical, historical episode that affected the history of Klal Yisroel and the whole world. I thank Hashem for this insight.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.