Hamaayan / The Torah Spring: Parashat Vayigash
Alan Broder
Edited by Shlomo Katz
Vayigash
Volume 24, No. 11
9 Tevet 5770
December 26, 2009
Sponsored by
the Rutstein family
in memory of father and grandfather
Nachman ben Asher Halevi a"h (Nathan Rutstein)
Today's Learning:
Nach: Yeshayah 7-8
Taharot 3:8-4:1
O.C. 382:6-8
Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Batra 127
Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Horiot 15
The Midrash Rabbah comments on the verse (45:28), "Yisrael said, `How
great! My son Yosef still lives!'" -- Yaakov said, "How great is the
strength of my son Yosef! How many troubles caught-up with him, yet he
remained righteous, unlike me [Yaakov] who sinned by saying (in the words
of Yeshayah 40:27), `My way is hidden from G-d' [i.e., G-d has hidden
Himself and is not watching over me directly]. I am certain I will share
in the reward about which it says (Tehilim 31:20), `How abundant is Your
goodness that You have hidden away for those who fear You!'"
How did Yaakov know that Yosef had remained strong in his faith
during all of his years in Egypt? Also, why did Yaakov expect to be
rewarded for Yosef's faith? R' Yitzchak Ze'ev Yadler z"l (Yerushalayim;
1843-1917) explains:
Commentaries ask: Why didn't Yosef write to his father during the 22
years that Yosef was in Egypt and let Yaakov know that he was alive? The
answer is that Yosef did not write because he understood that what was
happening to him was part of a bigger plan. He may not have understood
the exact meaning of events, but he recognized that he would be
interfering with history by contacting Yaakov. [In reality, Yosef's being
in Egypt was part of G-d's plan to bring Yaakov's family there.] Yaakov
now understood Yosef's thinking and recognized that Yosef's decision
required tremendous faith and a strong belief that Hashem is directing
history. According to the midrash, Yaakov's own faith had not remained as
strong.
In Olam Haba, a person can receive reward two ways, R' Yadler writes-
-either for his own meritorious actions, or for those of his children and
students. This latter form of reward is what the verse refers to when it
says, "How abundant is Your goodness that You have hidden away for those
who fear You!" Unlike the reward for a person's own deeds, which is
finite (because he stops earning reward when he dies), the reward that a
person earns for being a positive influence on others is infinite (and
therefore "hidden"), for he continues to earn it as long as his positive
influence continues to bear fruit. (Tiferet Zion)
********
"Vayigash / Yehuda approached him . . ." (44:18)
According to one interpretation in the Midrash Rabbah, "him" (or
"Him") refers to Hashem. The verse is stating that Yehuda approached G-d
in prayer before he confronted Yosef.
R' Elazar of Worms z"l (1160-1238) writes: When one wants to pray, he
should take three steps forward, since we find the word "vayigash" / "he
approached" used three times as an introduction to a prayer--once
involving Avraham (Bereishit 18:23), once involving Yehuda (our verse),
and once involving Eliyahu Hanavi (Melachim I 18:36).
Another reason for taking three steps forward before praying is that
angels are described with the words (Yechezkel 1:7), "Their legs are a
straight leg." "Legs" (i.e., 2) plus "leg" (i.e., 1) equals three. Also,
the word "straight" (in Hebrew "yesharah") has the same Hebrew letters as
"shirah" / "song" or "prayer." (Rokeach: Hil. Tefilah 322)
If the pasuk is informing us that us that Yehuda prayed, why does it
use a pronoun ("Yehuda approached him") whose antecedent appears to be
Yosef?
R' Yitzchak Ze'ev Yadler z"l (Yerushalayim; 1843-1917) explains that
Yehuda approached Yosef in order to pray because prayer is more
efficacious if the person praying is standing close to the person or thing
about whom or which he is praying. (Tiferet Zion)
********
"Yisrael said, `How great! My son Yosef still lives! I shall go
and see him before I die'." (45:28)
We say in the Pesach Haggadah that Yaakov descended to Egypt, "Anus
al pi ha'dibbur" / "Coerced by the word [of G-d]." R' Joseph B.
Soloveitchik z"l (1903-1993) explains that Yaakov did not want to leave
Eretz Yisrael, but he was coerced by the circumstances, since he had a
burning desire to see Yosef again.
Why is this significant? R' Soloveitchik explains: Had Yaakov and
his family left Eretz Yisrael voluntarily, one might have argued that they
had forfeited their claim to the Land that originated from Hashem's
promises made to the Patriarchs. However, generally speaking, the
halachah is that an act done under coercion neither cancels nor generates
obligations.
R' Soloveitchik observes that when Yaakov left Eretz Canaan for
Charan, Hashem expressly promised him (28:13), "The ground upon which you
are lying, I will give it to you and to your descendants." In contrast,
Hashem made no such promise when Yaakov left Eretz Canaan to go to Egypt.
Apparently, such a promise was not necessary, since Yaakov's trip to Egypt
was involuntary. [Ed. note: Perhaps Yaakov's journey to Charan was
considered voluntary because he was not in immediate danger from Esav as
long as Yitzchak was alive, or because he voluntarily traveled to Charan
to find a wife.] (Haggadah Shel Pesach: An Exalted Evening p.62)
********
"They took their livestock and their wealth which they had
amassed in the land of Canaan and they came to Egypt . . ."
(46:6)
Rashi z"l comments: But all that Yaakov had gotten in Padan Aram he
gave to Esav as payment for Esav's share in the Me'arat Ha'machpelah. He
said, "The possessions I obtained outside Eretz Yisrael are of no value to
me."
The midrash Tanna D'vei Eliyahu Zuta (ch.19) relates that Yaakov and
Esav divided the worlds between them--Esav took this world, and Yaakov
took the World-to-Come. Later, when Esav saw that Yaakov had amassed a
fortune while living with Lavan, Esav asked Yaakov, "What right do you
have to enjoy this world?" Yaakov's answer (found in the midrash) has
been given several interpretations. According to some, Yaakov answered
that his fortune was a reward for his mitzvah observance and was not
covered by their deal. Others explain that Yaakov answered that their
deal permitted him to have what he needed to live. In any event, Rashi
teaches that Yaakov then turned over those possessions to Esav as payment
for Esav's share in the Me'arat Ha'machpelah.
R' Chaim Palagi z"l (1788-1868; rabbi of Izmir, Turkey) writes:
However Yaakov's answer is interpreted, that "excuse" is necessary only
regarding belongings from outside of Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael is
Hashem's portion, and we are His flock, so Yaakov was entitled to the
wealth of Eretz Yisrael. This is why Yaakov divested himself of all the
belongings he had amassed in Lavan's house and turned them over to Esav.
He kept for himself only those belongings he had amassed in Eretz Yisrael.
(Haggadah Shel Pesach Pninei Rav Chaim Palagi p.381)
********
"Binyamin's sons [were] Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman,
Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Chuppim, and Ard." (46:21)
The Gemara (Sotah 36b) relates that each of Binyamin's ten sons was
named for some aspect of the loss of Binyamin's brother, Yosef. According
to the Gemara, the names "Muppim" and "Chuppim" mean: "He [Yosef] did not
see my wedding, and I did not see his."
R' Aharon David Goldberg shlita (Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland) writes
in the name of R' Chaim Shmuelevitz z"l (rosh yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva
in Shanghai and Yerushalayim): We learn from here that Binyamin's
disappointment at not having Yosef at his wedding was as great as his
disappointment at not being at Yosef's wedding. This demonstrates a very
high level of empathy. Many people are capable of making another's pain
their own (i.e., "I am suffering with Yosef because he suffered a tragedy
and was unable to share in my simcha"). However, not so many people are
capable of making another's simcha their own ("I would have been as happy
to have been at Yosef's wedding as he himself was at his own wedding").
R' Goldberg continues: R' Moshe Cordevero z"l (1522-1570) writes in
Tomer Devorah that one of Hashem's Attributes of Mercy is that He relates
to us as if we are His relatives. We are obligated to emulate Him and to
share in the suffering and the joy of others as if it was our own family
suffering (G-d forbid) or rejoicing. (Ve'halachta B'drachav pp. 49-50)
********
Shabbat
R' Yisrael Meir Kagan z"l (the Chafetz Chaim; died 1933) writes: It
is written in the Torah, "Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it. For
six days you shall work . . . for in six days Hashem made the heavens and
the earth . . ." This informs us that Shabbat is at the foundation of our
faith, because it teaches us that the world was created [i.e., the world
has not always existed and it did not come into existence spontaneously].
Furthermore, because He created it, He is its master and we are His
servants; therefore, we must obey His Will and serve Him with all our
bodies, souls and property, for everything is His. The Torah warned us
regarding Shabbat twelve times [which demonstrates its centrality]. Our
Sages taught, "If one keeps Shabbat, it is equivalent to keeping the
entire Torah, and if one desecrates Shabbat, it is equivalent to denying
the entire Torah." The reason for this is as we just said, for Shabbat is
at the foundation of our faith.
The Chafetz Chaim continues: One should know that the 248 positive
commandments parallel the 248 major limbs and organs of the human body.
Some of these limbs and organs are essential to life, while others can be
damaged or missing, and a person can still live. When a person performs a
mitzvah, he gives life to the corresponding body part. Some mitzvot
parallel those limbs or organs that are not essential for continued life
(although their loss is, of course, tragic). A person who is lacking
those mitzvot will not necessarily experience spiritual death. Other
mitzvot, however--Shabbat among them--parallel the head, the heart, and
other essential limbs and organs. A person who lacks Shabbat is lacking
the essential force that gives life to his holy soul. (Mishnah Berurah:
Intro. to Vol.3)
We recite in one of the Shabbat zemirot, "Whoever sanctifies Shabbat
as befits it, whoever safeguards Shabbat properly from desecrating it, his
reward is exceedingly great in accordance with his deed." R' Mattisyahu
Solomon shlita (mashgiach ruchani of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood,
N.J.) observes that there are two types of Shabbat observance mentioned
here. One is not desecrating Shabbat. This is itself a great
accomplishment considering the number and complexity of the laws of
Shabbat. But that is only the beginning. Above that is one who
sanctifies Shabbat as befits it. Each person will be rewarded in
accordance with his deed. (Matnat Chaim)
**************
Shabbat Shalom
"Hamaayan is prepared by laymen and published weekly for the
edification and enjoyment of the reader who is lacking the time or
ability to study the weekly parashah on his own. Hamaayan's goal is
to acquaint the reader with a broad spectrum of traditional Torah
commentary -- classical, recent and "obscure" -- as well as with
aspects of Jewish history and thought.
The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study
and discussion of Torah topics ("lehagdil Torah u'leha'adirah"), and
your letters are appreciated. Unfortunately, they lack the time to
respond to lengthy questions."
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