Tag: Vayigash

Parshas Vayigash (5762)

Bs”d

Parshas Vayigash (5762)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Our whole parsha is electrified with emotion.  We are living in a time that our feelings are sinking to the lowest ebb.  A lack of relating to our friends, neighbors, relatives, siblings, parents and children.  The Torah foretells that at the last period of the golus we will have hearts of stone.  We, however, must do everything to harness every power within us to reverse this.  We must stimulate our emotions and feelings.

Let’s have a warm, emotionally charged, beautiful Shabbos.

Parshas Vayigash (5761)

Bs”d

Parshas Vayigash (5761)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Perhaps the most dramatic scene in the Chumash and maybe in the history of the world was the moment Yosef revealed his true identity to his brothers.  It wasn’t only the shock that this Egyptian monarch was their brother but even more was the realization that Yosef’s dreams were actually a true prophecy.  He was truly Divinely destined to be above them and to be their ruler. The realization of living in such error and deception with such twisted and wrong conceptions that led them to radical conclusions and actions, bringing them to the brink of actually executing him, was devastating.  It isn’t possible to comprehend the mental anguish these great giants and searchers of the truth suffered when shocked in to the reality of having made such an awesome blunder and having been so mistaken and far from the truth.

Just a side thought—when Yosef served them the meal and sat them in the order of their birth and maternal connection, it could very well be he was presenting them with a less painful opportunity to realize the truth.  If they would have had the right mindset, having Yosef on their minds, there was sufficient material to grasp the truth.  Firstly, Yosef’s dreams of ruling over them. Also his appearance was not so radically different with his newly acquired beard that it was not possible to recognize him.  Putting all the factors together might have brought them to the truth, thus having the opportunity of having the revelation without the tremendous ‘tzaar’ of the shock.

The truth is now “out” and it is indeed the Divine Will that Yosef should be the ruler, malchus, presiding not just over the Egyptians but also over his brothers and, yes, even over his father.  Although we cannot fathom the Divine purpose for this in its entirety, there is one reason in the Chumash itself that is not noticed or properly understood.  46;33/4:… When Pharaoh summons you and says what is your occupation then you should say your servants have been cattlemen from our youth until now both we and our forefathers so that you may settle in the land of Goshen, every shepherd is an abomination to Egypt.”   The family is about to be introduced to the most powerful leader in the world and they have to stay temporarily in his country.  They happen to have an occupation that is an absolute abomination, do you have to tell this to him?  It is as though they were saying—yes we are cannibals, we kill and eat people and sell the meat—absolutely revolting.  Did you have to tell him?  “Yes, we all do it, we and our forefathers, all preoccupy ourselves with this revolting abomination.”  If Yosef wasn’t in the position he was, to suggest such an outrageous program would have surely been rejected.  It was only from the shock of the revelation that Yosef was destined to rule over them, did they cooperate with him.

HaShem entrusted Yosef to set up and arrange Bnei Yisroel in the galus which was now to transpire in Egypt.  He had this awesome responsibility to set it up in a way that should be the most beneficial and advantageous for Bnei Yisroel.  This was meant for Egypt and also as a role model for any other galus that Klal Yisroel might have to encounter in the future.  The imperative key to success is isolation from the goyim.

The climax of this long, treacherous drama starting from the early dreams of Yosef was to bring us to this point that Yosef should institute and teach us isolation.  It isn’t always pleasant—it is sometimes difficult and sometimes embarrassing (as with the brothers of Yosef in Egypt), and it isn’t always what we want.

(Bamidbar 23:9): “Hain Am Livodod Yishkon”  —  “Behold it is a nation that will dwell in solitude”.  We should merit seeing the end of this galus sooner than now—amen v’amen.

Parshas Vayigash: Sensitivity (5760)

Parshas Vayigash: Sensitivity (5760)

Something that has always been a great puzzle, is what was the criterion for Yosef deciding the crucial point of when it was time to stop pulling the strings and tightening the screws on his brothers, which he was obviously doing for a rational, definite purpose.

When the Tribes first came to Egypt, and Yosef confronted them, they attributed their plight to the wrong they had afflicted upon him.  It wasn’t the basic decision to harm Yosef that they regretted.  It was only that they hadn’t listened to his pleading.  (Incidentally, the Chumash doesn’t mention that Yosef pleaded to his brothers).

In other words, they still felt completely justified, confident and absolutely convinced of the righteousness of their actions.  Yet, they felt that this terrible, traumatic experience they were going through was a result of what they did to Yosef. Not because it was wrong—they felt they were doing something that was 100% right—yet that were having a severe punishment for doing it.  They weren’t sensitive to the heartbreaking cries of Yosef—some lesson!!!  You have an absolute truth, infallible truth, and infinite truth of truths and nevertheless forget the truth, forget the truth.  Open up your heart and listen to the pleas, open up your heart and listen to the cries, SENSITIVITY.

There is a Chazal in the Medrash Rabba I saw which I never heard quoted.  Klal Yisroel, with the Egyptians chasing them from one side, and the Yam Suf on the other side, chose to jump in to the Yam.  The conventional concept is  Emuna and Bitachon, the faith and the confidence motivated Klal Yisroel to leap into the Yam.  The opinion of the Chazal in this particular Medrash is that Klal Yisroel and Moshe decided to return to Egypt.  Emuna and Bitachon did not justify jumping into the Yam.  But then they said how can we do this to the women and children—how can we disappoint their anticipation of freedom, of leaving slavery.  How can we cause them such anguish?  Idealism, the truth, says—return—don’t jump in.  It is wrong and reckless but how can we break the hearts of the women and children?  …………….

“Vilo Yachol Yosef Lahisapek”—Yosef was bursting with emotion.  Yosef’s dealings with his brothers were obviously for a definite purpose but his sensitivity told him that this was the time to reveal himself.

The essence of the Will of HaShem is having sensitivity to one’s fellow man.