בּ"ה
Parshas Vayigash
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‘My master asked his servants, “Is there to you a father or a brother?”’ (Bereishis 44:19)
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There are times when you might feel very lonely and not loved. But the Torah reminds you ‘היש לכם אב או אח’, ‘do you have a father or a brother?’ -- you have a Father in Heaven Who will always care about you, will always love you and will never desert you. And you have brothers, and sisters (fellow Jews) out there who also care about you. You are never alone. . .
(Tal U’Matar)
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‘And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef -- אני יוֹסף”’ (Bereishis 45:3)
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In the time since the brothers first came to Egypt to buy grain, says the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, and Yosef had recognized them, spoke harshly with them, and “suspected” them of being spies, they asked each other many questions -- “what is this?”, and “why is this?”, and they sought advice, and placed blamed on one another. Similarly, with the second time they came, they wondered and asked, “What is this that G-d has done to us?”
But this was all until they heard these two words from their brother: “אני יוֹסף” -- “I am Yosef” -- and immediately all questions, wonderment and doubts were removed, and the matter was clearly illuminated to them.
So will it be, says the Chofetz Chaim in his wonderful way, when the world will hear the two words “אני השם” -- “I am Hashem”. It will answer all the questions and the wondering about how the world is run, and it will make clear all matters, and all flesh will see together that the Hand of Hashem did everything for our benefit.
(Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah)
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‘And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive?” And his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were in shock before him.’ (Bereishis 45:3)
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The Midrash states: ‘Abba Kohen Bardela says: “Woe to us from the Day of Judgement, woe to us from the Day of Rebuke [i.e. when we go up to Heaven and get our final Judgement]. . . Yosef was the youngest of the Tribes, and they were not able to stand in his rebuke. It is as it is written, ‘And his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were in shock before him’. When HaKadosh Baruch Hu will come and rebuke each one according to what he is. . . how much more so!”
Asks HaRav Shimon Yosef Meller shlit”a; what rebuke was Yosef giving that left his brothers speechless with alarm?
And he answers: When he said to his brothers, “I am Yosef,” they suddenly realized that they had been living with a false belief for decades. All of their calculations, their decisions to kill him, to sell him, etc. -- it had all been in error! Even in the present, they had believed until this moment that they were speaking with an Egyptian ruler. All their strategies were based on this “fact” -- and suddenly they learned that this “Egyptian” before them was none other than Yosef, their brother.
This is the greatest rebuke a man can receive, says Rav Meller beautifully; when he is shown that he has been living under a mistaken assumption. . . and all his plans and actions have been based on falsehood.
(From The Torah of Brisk and Other Gedolim: Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur)
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‘And they [the brothers] went up from Egypt, and they came to the land of Canaan, to Yaakov their father. And they told to him saying; “Yosef is still alive!” and that he is ruler in the entire land of Egypt; and his [Yaakov’s] heart changed,* because he did not believe them. And they spoke to him all the words of Yosef that he had spoken to them, and he saw the wagons that Yosef sent to carry him, and the spirit of Yaakov their father was brought alive.’ (Bereishis 45:25-27)
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Says the Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim {Rebbe Mayer Alter Horowitz shlit”a}; there was something in Yosef’s words in conjunction with the עגלות -- ‘wagons’, which triggered something in Yaakov Avinu and enabled him to overcome his disbelief. Rashi zt”l references the Midrash which explains that Yosef relayed that the last Torah ideas which they discussed were about עגלה ערופה (see Devarim 21:1-9) which was alluded to by the עגלות, wagons, [because of the similarity with the word עגלה]. The Rashbam and others explain that Yaakov could discern that the wagons belonged to the royal government of Egypt, which proved the brothers’ story.
Over Chanukah, says the Bostoner, I thought of another explanation: The Torah reading throughout Chanukah comes from Parshas Nasso, consisting of the Korbanos (offerings) of the Nesiim (princes) of each tribe during the inauguration of the Mishkan. Each day of Chanukah, we read about a different Nasi (prince) and his offering, except for the eighth day when the reading continues until the mention of the Menorah in Parshas Behaaloscha.
On the first day of Chanukah we also read about the twelve oxen and six wagons that were brought for use by the Leviim to transport the various materials of the Mishkan. Each Nasi brought one ox, and together two Nesiim would brought one wagon. As opposed to the individual Korbanos of the Nesiim, these oxen and wagons were all brought together during the opening day ceremony of the Mishkan.
It would seem, thus, he explains, that עגלות, wagons, of transportation are a symbol of Achdus (oneness) and unity between the tribes of Yisroel. Perhaps, seeing the wagons gave Yaakov a subconscious sense of unity between his sons and revived his spirit.
(Bostoner Torah Insights)
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* See Rashi zt”l. However, see many other commentators, who have different translations, as well.
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|~Maaseh~| In Novhardok, the home of the famous Yeshiva that also bears this name, there were no dormitory facilities. Rather, the bachurim needed to rent rooms in town. The majority of landlords were happy to have Yeshiva boys as tenants, since they were clean and considerate.
One lady, a widow, had a huge, twenty room house. Often, she was bitter, and made all sorts of trouble for the bachurim who stayed at her place. Later, she would even yell at them, and at times cause other problems, yet.
After some time, most of the boys decided it wasn’t worth staying by her house, and all the boys moved out. All, that is, but one: Yosef Gefen.
One morning, as Yosef was walking “home”, the woman noticed him approaching and began to scream at him, “You must be crazy! How can you still stay in my house? You see that all the other boys have moved out -- why do you insist on staying? Why not get out like they did?”
He answered her gently, in his sweet voice: “I stay here for your sake. I realize that you live alone, and I fear that one night you might fall, or become ill. You will call out for help, but there would be no one to hear your cries. I understand that you are only yelling at us because of your frustration at being widowed and because you struggle to support yourself.”
The woman’s demeanor instantaneously changed. She turned pale. Expecting a sharp remark from the boy, she was instead stunned by his caring remarks. She fell to her knees and begged his forgiveness. And forevermore, she never said anything but kind words to the Yeshiva bachurim. She was no longer mean or nasty, and the boys began to move back into the house. How amazing it is when someone just takes a moment to understand the predicament of another person!
(A Journey Into Holiness)
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
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