PARSHAS VAYIGASH | 9 TEVES 5770 | 26 DECEMBER 2009

In explanation of this detail, Rashi teaches that Joseph was weeping about both of the Holy Temples that were to be built in Benjamin’s portion of Israel and would subsequently be destroyed. Benjamin on the other hand, wept about the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, to be built in Joseph’s portion, which would likewise be destroyed. Rashi’s comment begs the question of whether this was the appropriate time for mourning these tragedies that would occur only many generations later. Equally puzzling is why they each wept about the destruction in the other one’s portion and not in their own.

Rabbi Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755-1856), the first Rebbe in the Chasidic dynasty of Modzitz, explained that at the moment the brothers were finally reunited, they came to the stark realization that the cause of their long painful separation was sin’at chinam, unwarranted hatred. They knew through Divine inspiration that sin’at chinam would also be the cause for the destruction of the Holy Temple and Tabernacle. The realization that they had engaged in the very sin that would bring an end to the Holy Temple

caused them to weep for its destruction at this juncture.

How does one atone for such a sin? How does one prevent the recurrence of sin’at chinam? Through ahavat chinam, unwarranted love, i.e., by loving a fellow Jew for no reason other than the fact that he or she is a Jew.

Our Rabbis teach us that the ultimate expression of loving a fellow Jew is feeling pained by his/her sorrow to the extent that one would be pained by one’s own tragedy and rejoicing at his/her good fortune to the extent that one would rejoice at one’s own good news. Based on this insight, our sages tell us that if someone enhances the joy of a bride and groom, it is as if he has rebuilt the ruins of Jerusalem. Just as sinat chinam brought about the destruction of our Holy Temple, ahavat chinam will bring about its rebuilding.

A story involving Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, a well-known orator in Jerusalem, underscores this point. One day, Rabbi Schwadron heard a scream from the alleyway outside his

window. His wife ran into their home, yelling that his attendant’s grandson, Meir, was bleeding profusely after a big fall. They hurried outside and tended to the boy. Rabbi Schwadron picked up the child and began running with him in his arms in search of a doctor. An elderly woman observing the scene called out in Yiddish, “Rabbi Sholom, Rabbi Sholom, es iz nisht doh vos tzu daigin. Der Eibeshter vet helfen. (There is nothing to worry about. G-d will take care of him.)” As the Rabbi neared the woman however, she recognized that the bleeding child was her own grandson. She screamed, “Gevalt! Meirka! Gevalt! (Woe Meir, woe!) Run faster, Rabbi Sholom!”

While many people are genuinely concerned about the well-being of others, it isn’t as common to have the same degree of concern and compassion for others as we have for those who are our own flesh and blood. Meir’s grandmother’s attitude was typical. Rabbi Schwadron’s manner of personally caring for the child as he would for his own child was a lesson in unwarranted love.

By shedding their earlier rivalry and weeping for the eventual losses that would occur in each other’s portion of Israel, Joseph and Benjamin displayed genuine ahavat chinam for each other – rectifying the sinat chinam that had brought about their long separation. It would do us all well to take this message to heart and follow Joseph’s and Benjamin’s lead by genuinely feeling the pain and the joy of others. With enough unwarranted love, we can undo the harm of the unwarranted hatred that brought about our long exile, and hasten the rebuilding of the ruins of Jerusalem.

Moshe Gewirtz can be reached at: parsha@partnersintorah.org

ויפל על צְוארי בנימן אחיו ויבך ובנימן בכה על צואריו“Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept,

and Benjamin wept upon his neck.” (Genesis 45:14)

C ontinuing the narrative of Joseph’s encounter with his brothers, this week’s Torah portion describes how Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and shocked them with the words, “I am Joseph! Is our father

still alive?” The brothers were stunned to discover that this powerful leader, the second-in-command to the king of Egypt, was their long-forgotten brother whom they had sold into slavery. The Torah then adds a seemingly insignificant detail – that Joseph and Benjamin fell upon each other’s necks and wept.

Parsha Perspectives MOSHE GEWIRTZ

V A Y I G A S H Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. GRAVE CONSEQUENCES “And he kissed all his brothers and cried upon them, and afterwards his brothers spoke to him.” 45:15

And he kissed all his brothers – This teaches that he kissed each brother and cried. Just as the appeasement of his brothers occurred only through tears, similarly, the salvation will come to Israel only through tears. – Midrash Tanchumah

When we return to our Holy Land upon the advent of the Messianic Era, we will be brought to tears because we will realize how much we lost by being stuck in exile all the years. – Ksav Sofer

A Roman king called together ten great sages and inquired of them, “What is the law regarding one who kidnaps a person and sold him as a slave?” They answered, “The kidnapper should be executed.” The king responded, “If so, then punishment should have been meted out to the brothers who kidnapped Joseph and sold him into captivity!” He then declared, “Ten outstanding sages will be put to death in place of those who participated in the kidnapping and sale of Joseph.”

These ten great sages are known as the “Assarah Harugei Malchus” [ten victims of the monarch], and their story is recited each Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. Einei HaEidah points out that the word “Aleihem” [upon them] in this verse appears to be superfluous, for it would have been sufficient to tell us that he kissed them and cried. What is added by “upon them?” He explains that this word contains a hint to the catastrophe that resulted from this dreadful act of kidnapping Joseph. The letters of the word are an acrostic for “Assidim Lehiyos Harugei Malchus” [They are destined to be victims of the monarch].

2. CHILDREN OF ISRAEL “And Jacob rose up from Beer Sheva and the Children of Israel transported their father Jacob, their children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.” 46:5

Sons of Israel transported their father Jacob – Why doesn’t the verse refer to them initially as sons of Jacob instead of sons of Israel? They were descending to Egypt not only because they were Jacob’s sons, but because they were the children of all the Partriarchs and Matriarchs with whom the Almighty forged a covenant that required that they spend time in Egypt. Therefore, in this context, it refers to them as the Children of Israel. However, they carried Jacob down with them because he was their father, and therefore the verse writes, “Their father Jacob.”

When referring to the nation as descendants of all the Partriarchs and Matriarchs, the term Israel is most appropriate, because the name Israel contains a reference to each of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Yud = Yaakov & Yitzchak, Shin = Sara, Reish = Rivka & Rachel, Aleph = Avraham, Lamed = Leah.

3. ONE FOR ALL “And Judah he [Jacob] sent ahead of him to Joseph, so that he might direct him to Goshen and they then came to the land of Goshen.” 46:28

Judah he sent ahead of him – He sent him to clear out the land from idolatry, because Jacob would not inhabit a place that was full of idolatry. – Sifei Kohein

That he might direct him – To establish a yeshiva in Goshen that they would populate once they arrived and which would provide spiritual guidance for them. - Rashi

Why was Judah selected from among all

the brothers to establish the yeshiva which would serve as the spiritual light for the nation? Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk explains that Judah was the first person mentioned in the Torah to take responsibility for others when he promised Jacob regarding Benjamin: “I will be security for him. You will demand him from my hand and if I do not bring him to you, and set him before you, I will have sinned to you for all time.” One of the indispensable qualities necessary for one who wishes to establish a yeshiva and lead young men is a willingness to assume responsibility for them, even when doing so requires great self-sacrifice. Having demonstrated his willingness to behave selflessly toward others, Judah was the ideal choice to establish the yeshiva which would train the next generation.

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at: rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

This page is dedicated to and written for the 6,500 Partners in Torah mentors. We welcome

you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2. Please send your comments, questions, and

suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org

Contact Info for Partners in Torah Mentor Advisors*:

Rabbi Elazar Meisels 732-917-6370

(Sunday & Tuesday 8:00—11:00 pm, and Thursday 10:00am—12:00 noon) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

Rabbi Pinchos Jung 845-425-6533 (leave message)

*Kindly reserve use of our advisors

for mentor contact

Dear Sarah, There are a number of different prayers and customs involved in taking the Torah scroll out of the ark, and bringing it to the bimah, the table on which it is read. Someone other than the chazzan (cantor) is usually honored with removing the Torah from the ark. In this way, we honor the Torah, by showing how beloved it is that many people want to be involved in taking it out. In the Temple, when the King would read from the Torah, four people would be honored with passing it on before it reached the King. The first prayer said when the ark is opened is, “And it was when they lifted the Ark…” This prayer, which consists of three verses, mimics what is happening in the synagogue. First the Ark is lifted up, or in this case opened, and becomes a part of our service. The next verse, “For from Zion the Torah shall go forth,” is recited as the Torah is being brought out of the Ark. Lastly, as the Torah is about to be handed from the person who took it out of the ark

to the chazzan, we say “Blessed is He who gave the Torah…” After that first prayer is a beautiful paragraph written in Aramaic. This selection is from the Zohar, an ancient Kabalistic work, and is said today almost universally before reading the Torah (MB 282:1). Next in this procession, the chazzan reads three verses, the first two of which are repeated by the congregation. (We do not recite these verses on Mondays and Thursdays, when the Torah is also read.) During the recitation of these verses, the chazzan faces the congregation. For the last verse, “Give greatness to G-d with me, and we will exalt His name together,” he turns around to face the ark. In order to demonstrate that he is doing this together with the people, he turns around to face the same direction in which they are facing. The chazzan begins carrying the Torah toward the bimah, and people kiss it either with their mouths or with their hands. While kissing it clearly shows our great love

for the Torah, it also expresses the ability of the Torah to infuse holiness through simple contact alone. Just as we wash our hands when we touch something impure, as it somehow transfers to our hands, so too when we touch the Torah scroll, we recognize that it transfers some level of holiness to our hands (Pischei She’arim, S.A. 371:4). Lastly, you may notice that the Torah is brought to the bimah from one side of the synagogue and returned from the other. This is based on the concept that whenever faced with a choice of two directions to take, one should take the way toward the right. When the chazzan is facing the crowd from the ark, the “right” way will bring him along one side of the synagogue. But when he is facing the ark to return it, the “right” way will be the opposite side. I hope that this information gives you a better understanding of the procession of the Torah. Regards, Rabbi Leiby Burnham Rabbi Burnham can be reached at: rabbiburnham@partnersintorah.org

THE PROCESSION OF THE TORAH RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

Dear Rabbi, My partner and I have been discussing the importance of prayer, and I recently started attending a local synagogue for Shabbat services fairly regularly. (I had been a “twice-a-year” Jew for the past twenty years, going only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.) I really enjoy the warm atmosphere, the rabbi’s speeches, the chance to talk to G-d, and the Kiddush of course ☺. I was wondering if you could describe the procession of the Torah, beginning with its removal from the ark. Thanks, Sarah H.

LOOK WHO MADE PARTNER…

RECENT SAMPLING OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOINED AS PARTNERS:

DAVID KOLAT -- ELIZABETH, NJ AMANDA KATZ -- MARGATE, FL

STUART SCHNEE -- JERUSALEM, ISRAEL SALLY MARVER -- NORTHBROOK, IL

BAILY DAVIDOWITS -- BROOKLYN, NY LISA ARNOLD -- BEVERLY HILLS, CA

MOSHE PEREZ -- TORONTO, ONTARIO MARC NELKIN -- SILVER SPRING, MD

Making Partner has never been this easy!

And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s

household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and I will

say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household

who are in the land of Canaan have come to me. The

men are shepherds, for they have been cattlemen;

their flocks and cattle, and everything they own they

have brought.’ And it will be that when Pharaoh summons you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Then you shall 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, since all shepherds are abhorrent to

Egyptian.” (Bereishis 46:31-34)

As explained by Rashi (47:2), Joseph feared (א

having his brothers conscripted into

Pharaoh’s royal army. In an effort to convince

Pharaoh that his brothers were unsuitable for royal

service, he encouraged them to emphasize that their profession, and hence their skill, was limited to caring

for sheep. His ultimate goal of keeping his brothers

sheltered in the land of Goshen was thus realized.

As Joseph personally succeeded in maintaining his

character while playing such a pivotal role in Egypt,

why did he shield his brothers from having a

potentially similar or an even greater influence? Is

this not at odds with our charge (see Isaiah 42:6) to

serve as “a light unto the nations”?

In preparation for his own discussion with (ב

Pharaoh, Joseph said that he was planning to tell Pharaoh that his brothers brought

everything they owned with them. How is this piece

of information relevant to his agenda of dissuading

Pharaoh from enlisting his brothers in his army?

Rabbi Lam can be reached at: rabbilam@partnersintorah.org

TABLE TALK FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

RABBI LABEL LAM

Parsha At-A-Glance

Joseph, who was still unrecognized by his brothers, sentenced Benjamin to slavery. In an impassioned plea for Benjamin’s release, Yehudah so aroused Joseph’s feelings for his elderly father that Joseph could no longer hold back the truth. He ordered all the Egyptians to leave the chamber.

When he and his brothers were alone, he raised his voice in weeping and revealed that he was their long-lost brother. They were speechless. The full impact of their actions twenty-two years ago suddenly confronted them. Joseph comforted them by explaining that he harbored no ill-will. He understood that all the events of the past were ordained by Hashem to provide a salvation for his family during the famine.

Joseph sent wagons full of food to his father with a plea that Jacob move his household to Egypt. Pharaoh was very pleased at the prospect of Joseph’s entire family moving to Egypt and promised them the best land on which to settle.

Jacob rejoiced that Joseph was alive and planned to see him, but was afraid to move to Egypt. Hashem reassured Jacob that He would accompany him down to Egypt and

promised him that he would be buried in the land of Israel. The Torah enumerates the individuals in Jacob’s family (a total of seventy descendants) who went with him to Egypt.

When Joseph met his father after a separation of twenty-two years, he embraced him and cried. Joseph told his family to answer Pharaoh, who would inquire about their occupations, that both they and their ancestors had been cattlemen from childhood. Egyptians disliked shepherds – thus securing Joseph’s family to live in Goshen, away from the negative influences of Egypt. Pharaoh spoke just as Joseph had predicted.

The parsha describes Joseph’s successful efforts to keep Egypt alive. He rationed the food supply, accepting first money, and then valuables in exchange for grain. When there was no longer anything with which the people could buy food, they sold themselves as slaves to Pharaoh in exchange for sustenance. Joseph shifted entire populations from one city to another, leaving only the Egyptian priestly class undisturbed. Joseph’s family remained secluded in Goshen and increased dramatically.