B"H
Thursday, Tevet 5, 5782 / December 9, 2021
In this week's Parsha, Vayigash, we read that after Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, he urges them, "Hasten and go up to my father and say, 'Thus had said your son Joseph: G-d made me a ruler of all of Egypt, come down to me, delay not.'"
When Yaakov hears that his beloved son was found and is the ruler of Egypt he exclaimed, "Joseph my son is alive! I will go and see him before I die."
The Torah tells us that when Joseph hears that his father is coming, "He made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father."
Our rabbis explain that, instead of having his servants prepare his chariot, Joseph himself prepared his chariot to meet his father. The mitzvah of honoring parents is so great that Joseph wanted to prepare his chariot by himself in honor of his father.
The only reward mentioned in the Ten Commandments is for the mitzvah of honoring parents. “Honor your father and mother, so that your days will be long on the land which G-d your G-d gives to you.”
The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Alim was a very learned and wise man. When he asked, "Who will be my partner in Gan Eden (World-to-Come)?" he was told in a dream, "You and Naness the butcher will be together in Gan Eden."
Rabbi Yehoshua was astonished; "After spending my life studying and teaching the Torah, I will share Gan Eden with a simple butcher?" he said. "I must find Naness and see what kind of person he is."
Rabbi Yehoshua went from village to village and from city to city asking for Naness the butcher. Finally, he came to a place where there was a butcher by that name. The people couldn't understand why Rabbi Yehoshua was so interested in meeting the butcher. "Rabbi, he is an ignorant person," the townspeople said.
"I would like to see him anyway," answered Rabbi Yehoshua.
Naness too couldn't understand why the great sage was interested in meeting him. "Why did you bother to come see a simple person like me?" Naness the butcher asked Rabbi Yehoshua.
"Tell me, my son, what good deeds have you done?" asked Rabbi Yehoshua.
"As you can see, I am a very simple man," answered Naness. "I have very old parents who are weak and can't do anything for themselves. Every day I visit them, wash them, dress them, and feed them."
Rabbi Yehoshua kissed Naness on the forehead and said, "In that case, I consider myself lucky to be your partner in Gan Eden!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Friday, Tevet 6, 5782 / December 10, 2021
This week's Parsha, Vayigash, tells us how Joseph was finally, after 22 years, reunited with his brothers. He proclaimed to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?"
Joseph tells his brothers, "Hasten and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus said your son Joseph; G-d made me ruler over all Egypt, come down to me, do not delay. And you will live in the land of Goshen and you will be near to me... I will sustain you there, for there are yet five years of famine...'"
To dispell any doubt which the brothers may have about Joseph's identity, he adds, "And behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother, Binyamin, see that it is my mouth which speaks to you."
Our sages explain that the fact that Joseph was circumcised and that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language ("it is my mouth that speaks to you") was proof that he is indeed Joseph.
The Torah continues, "And he [Joseph] fell upon his brother Binyamin's neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck."
Why did Joseph weep? Our sages explain that Joseph wept because he saw that the the Holy Temple (Beth HaMikdash), which will be on the land of the tribe of Binyamin, will eventually be destroyed. Binyamin wept for the destruction of the Temple in Shiloh, which will be on the land of the tribe of Joseph.
The Torah tells us that Yaakov was at first skeptical when he heard the wonderful news that his beloved son, Joseph, was alive and ruled Egypt. But in the end, “the spirit of Jacob their father was revived!"
Later in the Parsha, G-d appeared to Yaakov "in the vision of the night and said to him, 'I am G-d the G-d of your fathers; fear not to go down into Egypt, for into a great nation I will make you there. I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will surely bring you up again."
Yaakov and his family totaled sixty six when they came to Egypt. His granddaughter Yocheved (Moshe’s mother) was born as they entered Egypt. Together with Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt, Yaakov's family totaled seventy people. From Yaakov's arrival in Egypt until the Exodus wastwo hundred and ten years.
The Torah relates that Yaakov sent his son Yehudah, before him to Goshen "L'horot." Our sages explain that the word "L'horot" comes from the same root as "Torah” - teaching. Yaakov's first priority, before settling in Egypt, was not his families material welfare, but to insure that his children and grandchildren would have the proper educationto follow the traditions and values of their ancestors, based on the Torah and mitzvot.
Just as in the Egyptian exile G-d said, "I will go down with you into Egypt," so too, G-d is with us and suffers together with us in all our trials and tribulations. The prophet Jeremiah (30:7) says, "In all their afflictions He [Hashem] is also afflicted!" Just as G-d promised Yaakov that I will surely bring you up again, so too will He bring Moshiach to lead us to the final redemption speedily in our days. Amen.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 3:52 / Shabbat ends: 5:01
B"H
Monday, Tevet 9, 5782 / December 13, 2021
This Shabbat we will read Parshat Vayechi, the final Parsha in the Book of Breishis (Genesis), the first of the Five Books of the Torah. It is about the final seventeen years of Yaakov’s (Jacob’s) life which he spent, reunited with his family, in Egypt, close to his beloved son, Yosef (Joseph).
Q. The numerical value of the name of the Parsha, Vayechi, is 34. What is the significance of the number 34 to the Parsha?
A. Parshat Vayechi is about the final seventeen years of Yaakov’s life, which he spent with his beloved son, Yosef. Yosef was 17 when he was sold into slavery. Thus, Yaakov and Yosef were together for a total of thirty four years; the first seventeen years of Yosef’s life and the last seventeen of Yaakov’s life.
Q. How many years was Yosef separated from his father?
A. Twenty two years. Yosef was seventeen when he was seperated from his father and he was reunited with his father at the age of thirty nine.
Q. Why did Yaakov deserve such punishment to be separated from his son, Yosef, for twenty two years?
A. Yaakov too was away from his parents for twenty two years. For those years in which he didn’t perform the mitzvah of honoring his parents, he was punished, measure for measure, that, his son, Yosef, was not with him.
Q. The end of the Parshais about Yaakov’s passing and burial. When paying condolences to mourners sitting Shiva, we say "Hamakom Yenachem Etchem B'toch Sha’ar Aveilei Tzion V'yerushalayim" - Hamakom (which literally means, "the place" - a reference to G-d) should comfort you amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem." The expression "Hamakom" ("the place") is very rarely used to refer to G-d. Why is this phrase used in the context of expressing condolence to the mourners?
A. The reason G-d is called "Hamakom" (the place") is because, as our sages say, "G-d is the place of the universe but the universe is not His place." Meaning that the existence of the universe depends on G-d (He is the "place" of the universe), but His existence is not dependent on the universe.
When a person passes away, there is a void. This is why, when we comfort the mourners who have lost a loved one, we mention G-d as he is called "Hamakom" the "Place" - alluding to the wish of comfort that G-d, Who is the "place" of everything, will also comfort you and fill the place, which was left void, with His comfort.
It alludes to the ultimate comfort with the coming of Moshiach, when the place left void will again be filled with the resurrection of the dead. May it be speedily in our time. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Tevet 10, 5782 / December 14, 2021
Today, the 10th day of the Hebrew month Tevet, is a fast day.
There are six fast days in the year: Tzom Gedaliah - Fast of Gedaliah (3rd of Tishrei); Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei); Asara B'Tevet (10th of Tevet); Ta'anit Esther - Fast of Esther (13th of Adar); Shiva Asar B'Tammuz (17th of Tammuz); and Tisha B'Av (9th of Av).
The fasts of Tzom Gedaliah, Asara B'Tevet, Shiva Asar B'Tammuz and Tisha B'Av are mentioned in the Prophets and are associated with the destruction of the First Temple.
Q. Why do we fast on the 10th of Tevet?
A. On the 10th of Tevet in the year 3336 (-425), Nebuchadnezar, king of Babylon, began his siege of Jerusalem. It ended in the year 3338 (-423), with the destruction of the First Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and the exile of Jews from Israel to Babylon.
Though Nebuchadnezar's mighty army laid siege to Jerusalem, the small Jewish army within its walls inflicted heavy losses on their Babylonian attackers. Despite starvation in the city, they fought bravely for two and a half years. Finally, on the 17th of Tammuz, Nebuchadnezar's army breached the walls of Jerusalem. Three weeks later, on the 9th of Av, they set fire to the Holy Temple.
The holy Temple was built by King Solomon four hundred and forty years after the people of Israel entered the land of Israel. The First Temple stood for 410 years until it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezar.
Today’s fast observes the beginning of the destruction of the Holy Temple.
Q. Why should we remember a tragic event which took place two thousand five hundred years ago?
A. The Code of Jewish Law states: "The purpose of the fast is to stir our hearts to repentance and to remind us of our own misdeeds, as well as those of our ancestors, which brought upon them, as well as upon us, all these troubles. Remembering these events encourages us to improve our ways."
As in all other fast days, we recite special prayers in connection with the events of the day.
We read from the Torah in the morning (Shacharit) and afternoon (Mincha) services. It is customary to distribute more charity on a fast day.
There is a happy note to the fast; The Prophet Zechariah tells us that the 10th of Tevet, as well as all the other fast days connected to the destruction of the Holy Temple, will be suspended when Moshiach comes and will, in fact, become days of happiness, rejoicing and festivity (Zechariah 8).
May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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