Day: December 22, 2023

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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum

ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אותו כי נבהלו מפניו (פרק מה פסוק ג)

After Yosef revealed himself to his brothers the Torah tells us that they were too astounded to respond. The Medrash applies this sensation to the final Day of Judgement when we will be faced with the glaring, undeniable truth and be unable to respond. The Sfas Emes explains the exact parallel between the discovery of the שבטים, and what we will experience on that awesome and frightful day. He says that essentially the שבטים now realized the true holiness that existed in Yosef the entire time. They had viewed him as an evil character, out to get them, and now they see that he was truly holy and pure. This realization is what put them into such intense embarrassment and shock. This will also happen in the future when Hashem will show us that everything that He gave us in this world, every possession, every situation, every gift, was a tool imbued with holiness and purpose in serving Him better and better. We took these gifts, and many times utilized them for evil. We viewed them as existing with the purpose of furthering our own selfish goals and evil intentions. On the final Judgement Day we will be embarrassed to realize that the very gifts that Hashem gave us to come closer to him, we used to rebel against him. All the things that were given to us with inherent holiness we used for the exact opposite. In this we will be the same as the שבטים who realized the true holiness that they had ignored in Yosef the whole time.

ולאביו שלח כזאת עשרה חמרים נשאים מטוב מצרים (פרק מה פסוק כג)

The Torah tells us that when Yosef sent his brothers back to Yaakov to ask him to come to מצרים, he sent a gift to his father- ten donkeys laden with the best that מצרים has to offer. The גמרא in מגילה explains that this refers to old wine which is pleasing to זקנים (lit. elderly people). R’ Shimon Schwab asks, surely Yaakov was not such a big wine enthusiast that he needed ten donkeys full of fine wine? Furthermore, why is the wine referred to as being the best of מצרים? R’ Schwab answers that we know that Yaakov and his family kept the Torah. If so, the fact that they would be willing to drink Egyptian wine (and not be concerned for יין נסך, wine which was used to serve idols) must mean that the Egyptians did not use wine in their service of their עבודה זרה. This is why wine was the best of מצרים, it was the one thing from מצרים that was pure of עבודה זרה and not contaminated by their idolatry. When we say it was pleasing to זקנים, it refers to wise and learned men (זקן ויושב בישיבה), because it did not have a connection to forbidden things. The reason why Yosef sent such a tremendous amount of wine was because he knew that his brothers would be in a state of regret and sadness over having sold him, in fact he encouraged them, “do not be depressed.” To assist in lifting their spirits he sent enough wine for Yaakov to share with the whole family, ויין ישמח לבב אנוש, wine naturally gladdens people.

 

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In the beginning of the week’s Parsha, we read of the epic battle waged by Yehuda to save Binyomin. Truthfully, the stakes couldn’t be higher; Yosef and Yehuda, two people worthy of sovereignty, are fighting for what they feel will affect the destiny of mankind.

Yosef’s plan was to bring the brothers to an awareness of their mistake in selling him, a manifestation of their lack of unequivocal love for one another. If successful, the Medrash says, “The world would have reached its apex- and Yosef would have been Moshiach.”

Yehuda, on the other hand, is aware that if Binyomin is left behind with Yosef, Yaakov Avinu would die due to the pain of losing two sons and subsequently the family would disintegrate and dissolve.

Two giants determined to “save the world”; who will be convinced by the other? The Medrash Rabbah 93:4 explains metaphorically in what manner Yehuda was able to convince Yosef to free Binyomin:

In משלי כ: ה , it states:

“מים עמוקים עצה בלב איש, ואיש תבונה ידלנו”מ

“The designs in a person’s mind are deep

waters, but a person of understanding can draw

them out.” This is a metaphor:

A village has discovered a new well, whose sparkling spring water has attracted the townspeople to try to fetch it. Each person valiantly tries with their rope and bucket to reach the water, but unfortunately no one is successful. A “wise person” then asks all the others to lend him their ropes, whereupon receiving them he ties them together and is able to gain water for all.

Why the use of the connotation “wise”? Wouldn’t it be more fitting to say “practical”? We are being taught a profound lesson in human behavior.

Every person is involved with their “rope and bucket”, many people deal with a situation even if it pertains to another, as if everyone reacts or should react the way they do. The wise person sees the expansiveness and totality of a situation; he or she is one who encompasses the large picture and acts accordingly- asking all for their ropes. A simple solution, but only one who is wise thinks of it.

Wisdom is defined by selflessness; the appreciation of the totality of all the dynamics involved. This is the foundation of “Malchus”, Torah royalty- the ability to absorb another’s feelings, sensitivities, “intellectual bent”, and emotions, and subsequently being able to communicate with others “on their turf”, profoundly touching a chord of their emotional makeup.

This is what Yehuda was able to accomplish. In all relationships, being it marriage, siblings, or friends, it is imperative to “tie the ropes together”, to absorb the personality of another if we are to truly and honestly advise them, if we are to be successful in “merging” two different people into one cohesive unit of love and appreciation.

The usual, normative reaction to any obligation or situation is to judge another objectively, while for myself subjectively. They have to, I can’t! Success in life is the opposite; I must! Maybe they need empathy, encouragement, assistance, or they just have endured a difficult situation and need time to relax. This is true wisdom; absorbing another person or group in an expansive, thoughtful, penetrating manner.

Yehuda could have said to Yosef, “I have never met a person who empathetically inquires about another’s father and family as you have, my neighbor of twenty-two years hasn’t! I can’t imagine the pain and anguish you will have if my father dies due to Binyomin being held captive! He touched the inner soul of Yosef, and immediately Yosef relented and proclaimed, “I am Yosef”!

A lesson for all life situations; understand wisely how the other thinks and reacts!

Another aspect of the ability to convince is the respect, esteem and trust one has in another. After being told by the ‘chamberlain of drinks’ that Yosef is a ‘fool, a slave and one who is not fluent in the Egyptian language’. Pharoh nevertheless appoints him to a position of the greatest importance.

Despite the fact that Yosef was incarcerated for twelve years, he still attributed his ability to interpret dreams not to his personal wisdom, but rather to Hashem (in a way reinforcing the description of the chamberlain!)

Pharoh keenly observed this and correctly reasoned that Yosef is a person who has complete intellectual, selfless control of what he says, does and thinks. Such a person is the worthiest of all to be a leader. When one negates and transcends all of personal bias, then they are one who can be the true leader; always thinking about another’s personality, needs with integrity and dedication. When people recognize this beautiful quality, they will submit to such a person. The Kuzari 3,2-3 describes a pious person as one who has unwavering rulership over oneself in all aspects of one’s living experience, the true definition of a prince, a king. That was Yosef HaTzaddik. (For an extensive essay on this idea, see R’ Chaim Friedlander זצ”ל)