Bereshis – מורשת התורה | הרב אליעזר שמחה וויס שליט"א | האתר הרשמי

* Beware of your dreams, they may come true…*

rivkacoi_admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:18:24 +0000

* Beware of your dreams, they may come true…*

In the four Torah readings that describe his life, Yosef was overwhelmed with emotion and bursts into tears. There are eight instances in which Yosef cries. Each case has its special meaning. We will focus on the tears at the end of Yoseph's life. Yosef met with his brothers after the burial of their father Yacob. This family meeting could have been a meeting Where his brothers showed appreciation, reconciliation, love, and understanding for all his actions on their behalf, but Yosef discovers that his brothers are afraid of him, and they believe he holds a grudge against them Despite everything he has done for them, they are not sure that he has forgiven them. It is then Yosef discovers the limits of power. He discovers to what extent the human connection, the personal connection, and the family connection have much more value and importance than power – both for the person himself and for all those around him. Yosef cries at this realization of the terrible price he paid for his dreams coming true and the way they came true. His dreams did come true, to some extent, but the tragedy remains just as real. The torn shards of the family were not completely repaired.

Every person has dreams, we all dream about different subjects, some dream about fame or wealth or other good fortunes. Sometimes prayers seem to be answered and people get what they have long wanted. There is, at least for a while, great happiness and cause for celebration. Then, in one of life's great ironies, a dream come true turns into a nightmare. We dream and sometimes we make our dreams come true, but the price can sometimes be too expensive. Marriages crumble, families fall apart, and personal friendships end bitterly

In our pursuit of wealth and power, we sometimes make our families suffer as a result.

A person should always stop and examine whether, on the way to the realization of his dreams, there can be unexpected (negative) consequences that may put at risk his values and everything that is truly dear to him. When his dream finally is fulfilled Yosef cried tears of sadness for it was the last thing that Yosef wanted – not to be reconciled with his brothers!

“Wish not so much to live long as to live well.”(Benjamin Franklin)

rivkacoi_admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 07:19:43 +0000

“Wish not so much to live long as to live well.”(Benjamin Franklin)

When Yaakov meets Pharaoh an interesting conversation ensues: Pharaoh asks Yaakov how old he is Yaakov replies that “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few… have been the days of the years of my life,…" He distinguishes between " the years of my pilgrimage" and" the years of my life".

What is the nature of this conversation Pharaoh and Yaakov had two different worldviews on what it means to live? Pharaoh defined life in a purely physical sense. He wanted to know how old Yaakov was. Yaakov, on the other hand, defined life by the ability to serve HaShem and be productive without distractions. Yaakov lived until now for 130 years, but during many of those years he was preoccupied with crisis and tragedy Yosef’s plight was on his mind for the last 22 years and that inhibited his ability to focus on improving his life.

Yaakov did not feel that the years he spent dealing with crisis and tragedy were as productive as they could have been, certainly when he compared those years to his father Yitzchak’s life. We certainly can try our best to make the most out of any situation by avoiding distractions that disturb us from using our time positively and creatively Our life is compared to a book, we speak of the Book of Life. The value of a book is arrived at not by its length but by its quality. “Wish not so much to live long as to live well". Thus Yaakov spoke of ” the years of my pilgrimage" and" the years of my life"!

Rabbi E. S. Weisz

Serene and calm-Ephraim and Menashe..

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:55:56 +0000

One of the most beautiful customs in Jewish life is for parents to bless their children at the start of the Friday night Shabbat meal. Girls receive the blessing: “May G-d make you like the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah”. Boys, meanwhile, are blessed to be “like Ephraim and Menashe”.

Why do Jewish parents bless their children with the exact phraseology of Jacob, “May God establish you as Ephraim and Menashe” (Bereshit 48:20)? Why is it that Ephraim and Menashe are the prototype for this blessing? What happened to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?! Why were Ephraim and Menashe chosen instead of the Patriarchs, as the subjects of this important tradition?

Would it not be more appropriate to use the Avot (Patriarchs) themselves as figures for our children to emulate? The lives of the Avot were marked with immense pain and anguish, suffering and turbulence. The exceptions to this rule, at the time of the Avot, were Ephraim and Menashe. Whereas Abraham had his disappointments with Ishmael and Sara being taken into custody, Isaac had his problems with Esau, Jacob and the other shevatim (tribes) lived through the flight from Laban, the death of Rachel, the pursuit of Esau, the conflagration at Shechem, and the sale of Joseph, Ephraim and Menashe were raised with absolutely no strife. Peace and tranquility was associated with the home in which they were raised. It is with this thought that parents bless their children today. We beseech G-d to grant each child a peaceful serene and calm upbringing emulative of that of Ephraim and Menashe.

Vayechi- Jacobs sensitivity

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:53:55 +0000

Vayechi- Jacobs sensitivity

When Joseph brought his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim to his father, Jacob, to bless them before his death, Joseph positioned Menashe, his older son, at Jacob’s right side and Ephraim, the younger son, on his left. Jacob, however, crossed his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left, on Menashe’s.

The verse (Ch.48, v. 14) relates that when Jacob blessed Ephraim and Menashe “Sikeil et yadav ki Menashe ha’bchor” he crossed over his hands (thus indicating preference of Ephraim, the younger son over the firstborn Menashe). BECAUSE Menashe was the first born.”

The verse should actually say something entirely different. He switched his hands placing his right hand on Ephraim DESPITE the fact that Menashe was the first born. The Chizkuni explains that Jacob had another option he could have replaced Menashe on his left side and Ephraim on his right. This would have enabled him to bless them while extending his hands in front of him, in the normal manner. This, however, would have been a slight to the firstborn, Menashe. By allowing Menashe to remain positioned on his right sight and subtly crossing his hands, Jacob minimized the embarrassment to Menashe. The verse can now be understood. BECAUSE Menashe was the first-born, Jacob crossed over his HANDS, leaving Menashe on his right side to receive Jacob’s blessing. Jacob thus avoided the unnecessary embarrassment which would be incurred had he changed the grandsons’ placement.

In this vein, the Koheles Yitzhak, in the name of Rabbi Ben Zion of Shkud says that although Ephraim received his blessing through the right hand of Jacob, Ephraim must constantly remember that he was seated on the left side. This reminder was instilled by Hashem by giving the descendants of Ephraim the nature to pronounce a “shin” as a “sin” should be pronounced (see Shoftim 12:6). The difference between a “shin” and a “sin” is where the dot is located. A dot to the right indicates a “shin,” and one to the left, a “sin.” Ephraim pronounced both as a “sin,” where the dot is to the LEFT, a powerful reminder that their tribe’s ancestor stood to the LEFT of Jacob when receiving his blessing.

We learn from this incident that even if one is in a situation where embarrassment cannot be avoided, the utmost care, concern and sensitivity must be taken to reduce it to the minimum.

Vayigash-No man is an island

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:51:54 +0000

Vayigash-No man is an island

No man is an island

Often we do something which is not acceptable to others or is not conventional and say to ourselves that whatever we do reflects only on ourselves. However, that is not the case, as is apparent from this week’s Sedrah [portion of the week].

Judah justifies himself and his brothers after the goblet is found in Benjamin’s sack and when challenged by Joseph says “What can we say to- Adoni- my lord -how can we speak? How can we justify ourselves?”

“ויאמר יהודה מה נאמר לאדוני בכסף ראשון מה נדבר בכסף שני מה נצטדק בגביע

מה נאמר לאדוני במעשה תמר מה נדבר בבלהה ומה נצטדק בדינה

מה נאמר לאבא שבארץ כנען ביוסף ומה נדבר בשמעון ומה נצטדק בבנימין.” (בראשית רבה פרשה צב)

Different Midrashim [interpretations of the Rabbis] explain Judah’s exclamation as referring to different matters.

The first explanation is that Judah asks how can they justify themselves to Joseph regarding the first disappearance of money, the second disappearance of money and the disappearance of the silver goblet.

Another Midrash says that the verse alludes to the deeds concerning Tamar, Bilha and Dinah, thus Ad-oni refers to G-d.

Yet another Midrash maintains that the verse alludes to what happened to Joseph, Simon and Benjamin and here Adoni refers to Jacob, their father.

There is deep-seated message to be learned from these statements. The Rabbis’ different interpretations of this verse are not necessarily in conflict with each other. The message of the Midrash offers us vital insight – where the person has sinned (for example he/she has stolen); first he/she needs to apologize to the victim, but also must stand in judgment before the Almighty for not obeying the laws of the Torah. The third explanation sees Adoni as referring to the father who educated him [Judah(and his brothers)] and whom he has let down by not acting in accordance with his father’s teachings.

We must remember that when a negative act is committed it has reverberations in many different places. There indeed is a subtle but deep message from these three interpretations of the Midrash.

The Haftara of Vayeshev

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:47:48 +0000

The Haftara of Vayeshev

The Haphtarah of Vayeshev

The exact meaning of the word “haphtarah” is not entirely certain. However, according to Rabbi David Abudraham15 (14^th century Spain) all the haphtarah of the year are inextricably bound up with the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanies (168-165 BCE), which preceded the Maccabbean Revolt (Chanukah). R. Abudraham sees the word haphtarah as stemming from patur—to be exempt. R. Abudraham explains that the haphtarah was instituted in lieu of Kriat HaTorah (the Reading from the Torah) due to edicts forbidding the public reading of the Torah. The Sages thus instituted that a portion, thematically similar to the censored Torah portion, be read from the Prophets. By reading the haphtarah one exempts himself from Kriat HaTorah. R. Abudraham does not indicate the precise date of this takanah (rule). Indeed, the author of the Book of Maccabees, when listing the Epiphanic decrees, states:

“And wherever they found the Books of the Law, they tore them up and burned them and if anyone was found to possess a Book of the Agreement or respected the Law, the King’s decree condemned him to death”.

The Maccabees’ references to the “Books of the Law” (Torah) explain why the ban was not extended to the Prophets as well: The persecutors did not view the Prophets as threats to their assimilationist policies in as much as they did not constitute the “Books of the Law”. The Jews would read portions from the unbanned Books of the Prophets in place of the Torah.

When they were again able to read the Torah, they continued reading the haphtarah in addition. The haphtarah passages from the Prophets that are read on Shabbat (which do not coincide with a Festival) are generally chosen from material that relates either to the weekly Torah reading or to a specific date.

Examples of readings tied to a date are: Rosh Hodesh or the Eve of Rosh Hodesh, Hanukkah, Purim, the “Four Parshiyot” that are associated with the first of Adar (Shekalim), with Purim (Zakhor), with the first of Nisan (Ha-Hodesh),and one more reading associated with Passover but read on the Shabbat preceding Ha-Hodesh (Parah). On all these occasions, after the reading of the weekly Torah portion a Torah passage dealing with the specific day is read for maftir, save for Shabbat which fall on the eve of Rosh Hodesh.

There are another ten consecutive Shabbatot on which the haphtarah deals with the particular day and not with the weekly Torah portion. These are the three Shabbatot preceding the ninth of Ab, on which three passages foretelling disaster are read (shalosh shel pur’anut), and the seven Shabbatot immediately following the ninth of Ab, on which seven passages of consolation are read (sheva shel nehamah) The link between the Parsha of Vayeshev and the haphtarah is the subject of the sale of Joseph related in this weeks parsha and the veiled reference to this sale in the portion selected for the haphtarah from the Book of Amos. In the opening verses of this week’s haphtarah, the Prophet Amos accuses certain Jews of having sold the Tzadik (a righteous person) for money and the poor man for shoes. “…because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes…” Amos (2:6).

The Palestinian Targum to Genesis 37:28 and most prominently, in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 37,) explain that all ten brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites “for twenty pieces of silver, each of them receiving two silver pieces, enough to buy a pair of shoes…”. These accounts interpret the verse in the Book of Amos (2:6) (quoted above) as a reference to Joseph who was sold by his brothers. Accordingly, numerous sources ascribe the episode of the ‘Asarah Harugei Malkhut, the ten Tannaim who had been brutally murdered by the Romans, as representing, in a cosmic sense, atonement for the acts of all ten of Joseph’s brothers.

This haphtarah is not in fact read this year because we have two Shabbatot of Chanukah and special haphtarot are read but it is important to note the anomaly of this week’s haphtarah being that it is the only haphtarah that does not have a verse or at least some word of comfort,, contrary to The Rabbis custom to have some words of consolation even the haphtarah of the three weeks (shalosh shel pur’anut). The exception to the rule is the regular haphtarah reading for Vayeishev.

How can this be explained? Vayeshev tells us of the tragedy of the hatred between Joseph and his brothers. The Rabbis say that G-d will save us from enemies from without but if there is hatred between ourselves, why should He wish to help us?

Vayechi-Body Language in the Bible

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:46:07 +0000

Vayechi-Body Language in the Bible

Body Language in the Bible

In his parting words to his children, Yaakov admonishes Shimon and Levi for having killed the inhabitants of Shechem after Dina was defiled. Yaakov prays that his soul not been associated with them because BE’APAM HARGU ISH (Genesis 49, 6). The word APAM which here means anger can have a double meaning. It is the plural of AF which means “nose”. The sentence can also be translated as ” they killed with their nose ” Yaakov in describing the slaughter of the wicked Shechemites by his sons Shimon and Levi was, of course, using the word to mean, “in their anger they killed men”. However the expression BE’APAM HARGU ISH can be used in its literal sense, meaning “nose”. By “turning one’s nose up” or “looking down one’s nose”, one shows signs of scorn, contempt and disgust. And one can deal a ‘killing blow” to someone demonstrating your rejection of what he/she is, has, or stands for, thus ‘destroying” him/her by the use of ones nose.

A person need not speak evil about another individual to cast him/her into disrepute. Sometimes the shift of the nose silently expressing condescension, derision and disdain can be as murderous as evil speech or a dagger.

Va'yeshev – the power of words

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:44:02 +0000

Va'yeshev – the power of words

The power of words

The words that changed the world

The Midrash Rabbah on Vayikra (16:2) relates the following incident: There was a certain peddler who would travel around the towns near Tzipori, calling out “Who wants to buy the elixir of life?” … [R. Yanai] heard his announcement. He called the peddler over and said to him: “Show me the elixir of life that you are selling!” He took out a book of Tehillim, and showed him the verse, “Who is the person who desires life?” What does it say afterwards? “Guard your tongue from evil … Turn from evil and do good.” (Tehillim 34:13-15)…

Using words correctly is the elixir of life: not knowing the correct use of speech i.e. Lashon Hara is the gravest of sins. Poorly chosen words can kill enthusiasm, impact self-esteem, and lower expectations and hold people back. Well chosen ones can motivate, offer hope, create vision, influence thinking, alter results and even change history.

The use of four words by Joseph, changed history. His whole life took a different course because of the four words he uttered, without any ulterior motive. As a result he became Viceroy of Egypt and he brought about a turn in history.

We can be sure that no spirit of familiarity or trust existed between Joseph and Pharaoh’s officials. There was no familiarity between them and they would definitely look with disdain at the slave boy addressing them.

Yet Joseph ignores convention and seeing them looking depressed he turns to them and asks after their welfare. They both had dreams that had upset them. Joseph saw that they were depressed and using the four words : “Madua peneichem ra’im hayom?” (Why are your faces troubled today?) changed history.

Joseph hears their dreams and interprets. The Butler sees that Joseph has special powers. The Butler is eventually released from jail. Years later, he remembers Joseph and brings him to Court to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. He becomes the second in command. He feeds the entire world including his own brothers and father. All due to that remark, because of those four words he created new opportunities!

Words can change history — “Good Morning” “How are you today?” “How are you doing?” “How was your holiday?” “How is your wife?” “How are your children?” These are the types of words that can make a difference. They made a vast difference in Joseph’s life and to Klal Yisrael [The Jewish Nation’s].

We not only have an obligation to greet each person in a cheerful and pleasant manner; we also have the obligation try to initiate the greeting, as Joseph did to the two members of Pharaoh’s Court. The Talmud states in the name of Rabbi Masya ben Charash: “Initiate a greeting to every human being” (Pirkei Avos 4:20). In this spirit, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, a leading sage in the Land of Israel at the end of the Second Temple period, would initiate a greeting with each and every person he met in the marketplace,regardless of status (Brachot 17a).

Vayishlach-Spiritual and physical dangers

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:40:04 +0000

Vayishlach-Spiritual and physical dangers

Spiritual and physical dangers

The scene is set in this week’s Parsha for Yaakov and Esav’s meeting for the first time since Yaakov received his bracha from Yitzchak. We read the story of Yaakov, preparing with fear and anxiety to deal with Esav by prayer to G-d:

“Please save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esav, for I fear him lest he come and strike me down, mother and children [Bereshit 32:12]”.

There is an apparent redundancy in Yaakov’s prayer — “the hand of my brother, the hand of Esav.” Shouldn’t Yaakov have said, “Save me from the hand of my brother, Esav?” The pasuk [verse] seems to indicate being rescued from two different people — from his brother and from Esav. Why did Yaakov Avinu have to pray specifically for salvation “from the hand of Esav“? He had already asked for being saved “from the hand of my brother,” and as he only had one brother, either part of the prayer should have sufficed. Why repeat things by saying “the hand of my brother” AND “the hand of Esav” ?

These two concepts of ‘Achi’ [brother] and ‘Esav’ represent the two tactics employed against us as individual Jews and as the Jewish people as a whole. Esav can have two faces. He can be the Esav, the classic anti-Semite, who will kill you, have pogroms against you, try to throw you out of his country and institute Inquisitions against you. Esav is the enemy who overtly and by force annihilates us (‘Esav’ being the obvious enemy). We certainly have to be saved from this Esav.

However, there is a disguise that Esav all too often uses . he masquerades as a loving brother. Not the Esav that kills you, but the Esav that loves you. This is when our destruction is caused via nations pretending to be our friends/brothers in behaving liberally to us, leading to assimilation and self-destruction. ‘My brother’ that loves me is sometimes as dangerous as the Esav that will kill. If we have lost hundreds and thousands and even millions of Jews to the Esav that kills us — we our losing hundreds of thousands of Jews to the Esav who ‘loves’ us, the Esav that wants to marry us, marry our sons and daughters, and who offers us “salvation through love.” we have lost many more Jews to ‘Achi’ than ‘Esav’.

Thus, Yaakov was praying to be rescued not only from the physical danger he saw in Esav, but also from the influence of Esav, his brother, should Esav decide to behave ‘kindly’ to him.

There is a tradition not recorded in history books but is related in my family that in the 1840s Nicholas, The Czar of Russia who took stern actions against the Jews met his cousin, the Austro Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, who emancipated the Jews. Nicholas expressed his shock ands disgust at Franz Joseph’s liberal attitude to the Jews, saying that he, Nicholas, persecuted and did all that he could possible to stunt their growth and ultimately be rid of them. How could Franz Joseph be kind to them? Franz Joseph is said to have replied “Let us see who will be more successful”!!! History has proven Franz Joseph to be correct. The lesson we must learn from this is that just as we face physical dangers, one must not forget to arm ourselves internally to ward off spiritual dangers too.

Vayishlach-Don’t leave things behind and don’t be embarrassed to be tidy

rivkacoi_admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:38:00 +0000

Vayishlach-Don’t leave things behind and don’t be embarrassed to be tidy

Don’t leave things behind and don’t be embarrassed to be tidy

The night before meeting his brother Esav, while alone in the dark, Yaakov grapples with a strange and mysterious visitor.

Yaakov was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

Who was the mysterious assailant?

According to Chazal as the morning star arose, Yaakov Avinu wrestled with:” a man” who was the ” Sar shel Esav” the angel representing Esav in heaven. This occurred after Yaakov went back to retrieve small vessels (“pachim ketanim”) which he had left behind.( Rashi on Bereishis 32:25)

Was Yaakov so materialistic that put his life in danger to retrieve some inexpensive earthenware vessels? If so why?

The Talmud in Chulin (91)explains that tzaddikim value their material possessions even more than their lives. . This is a remarkable statement and is explained in the Talmud as meaning that in no way would they wish to use someone else’s possessions and were especially concerned not to become involved in theft Tzadikim treat their possessions with care, so they should not even dream about theft…

The Alter from Kelem. Rav Simcha Zisel, had a different take on why tzadikim are careful with their possessions. The tzadikim look after their possessions, because they know that if they lose them, they need to spend time searching for them and if they are not found they will have to lose even more time shopping for replacement items. To tzadikim, all this is an unnecessary and avoidable waste of time. . Sometimes shopping has to be done, but unnecessary shopping is a waste of their time and tzadikim avoid wasting their time .

If Yaakov lost the pachim ketanim he would have had to go to out and buy new ones. [They did not have supermarkets in those days – they would have to spend time making new ones]Rather than waste the time, he went back to retrieve the old ones. The Saroh Shel Esav did not understand this. He looked at Yaakov and thought that maybe Yaakov had been influenced by his time spent in Lavan’s house and become materialistic. Saroh Shel Esav said to himself “Now must be the time that is right to attack Yaakov because he has been influenced by olam hazeh [this world]. However, the angel was not successful (“Vaya’ar ki lo yachol lo“). Yaakov responds to the angel with the expression he will later tell Esav directly – Eem lavan garti, v’taryag mitzvos shamarti – I lived with Lavan, but I kept the mitzvos of the Torah.

Yaakov had not become materialistic; he did not highly value his possessions but he did place a high value the time that would be spent to replace them