VAYIGASH 44:18 - 47:27
The
Parshah opens at 44:18 with Yehuda’s speech to Joseph. It is the longest speech in the Chumash,
lasting for 16 verses. Yehuda says אָבִי “my Father” 14 times. Which "Father" is this?
Whether he knows it or not, Yehuda is doing T’sheuvah. Twenty two years ago, Yehuda was willing to make some money by selling his brother into slavery. Now, he is willing to put himself into slavery for the sake of his Father…a similar set of circumstances, but now with a lofty outcome. He is a changed man and our leader. And as a reasonable consequence we are called the "Yehudi", the Jews.
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At 44:33-34, Why does Joseph want his brothers to say to Pharaoh that they are shepherds, an occupation abhorrent to Egyptians, so that the family may settle in the area called Goshen?
Rabbi Etshalom supplies an answer to this question: He is of the opinion that Joseph has pragmatic foresight. Joseph is thinking that our family and our Tribe have a particularly unique mission, and we are coming into a land that has core values different from us. In the long run it will be advantageous that we are always seen as foreigners, always seen as the “Other” and always seen as separate and worthy of separation.
Living in Goshen
you will be kept foreign and distant from the rest of the population so that
assimilation will be impossible or relatively unlikely.
Today the Land of Israel fulfills that purpose. It does and will continue to do just that.
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MAX’S PARSHAT VAYIGASH & 10th TEVES
FAST QUIZ QUESTIONS
Max has come up with a quiz that relates to the Parshat Vayigash Torah reading and the 10th Day of Teves. Here are his questions. Did you do your best?
Answers appear at the end of this post.
Stay Inside; Stay Safe and Stay
Healthy. Wear your mask.
Shabbat shalom and an easy Fast,
Mick
1-What are the 3-different
meanings of the word Yayigash?
2-What were Judah's 3-Main
objectives in dialogue with Yosef ?
3-When did music and song play a
role in someone living forever?
4-Why did Judah merit the Kingship
of our nation?
5-In what merit did Yosef become
such a great ruler ?
6-Why did HaShem grant Yosef
righteous sons ?
7-How many descendants were born
to Dan׳s deaf son Chushim ?
8-Who was born when Jews came to
Egypt & died when they left ?
9-Which Berachos did Jacob say
when he was reunited with Yosef ?
10-Why don't Torah scholars have
to pay city Taxes for security ?
11-Who was The Greatest
Real-Estate agent in History ?
12-Why did Jacob live 33-years
less than his Father YITZCHAK?
13-Where is Serach BAS Asher today
?
14-Why did the Egyptians worship
Sheep ?
15-How many times were there
Famines throughput the entire world ?
16-What must a city have before a
Torah Scholar can move there?
17-During their dialogue , Yosef
& Judah were compared to what ?
18-Which brother acted like a
Lawyer ?
19-Why did the predicted 7-Year
Famine only lasted 2-Years ?
20-Who was the 71st one to travel
down to Egypt with Jacob ?
21-How did Yosef reveal his secret
identity to his Brothers?
22-Why didn't Yosef want to show
his stronger Brothers to Pharaoh ?
23-Why did Judah have to offer
himself as a slave to the Viceroy ?
24-Which sin caused Yosef Brothers
to Hate Him ?
25-Which people discovered Yosef's
Treasures ?
26-Why do we fast on the 10 of
TEVET ?
27-When is it this year and what
is its duration ?
28-Who is exempt from fasting on
10-TEVET?
29-Which special prayers are
inserted for the Fast Day?
30-What are the other 4-Communal
Fast Days ordained by Chazal ?
-------------------------------------------------
At
46:2, in referring to the Patriarch Jacob by name, Hashem uses both “Israel” and “Jacob”.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַרְאֹת הַלַּיְלָה, וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב יַעֲקֹב; וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּנִי.
“And God said to Israel in visions of the night, and He said, "Jcob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am."
What
is the significance of each name? And
Jacob twice? This is not the 1st
time that Jacob had a vision.
And
is a vision of the night a dream or something else?
What does הִנֵּנִי signify?
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At 46:17 we learn about the children of Asher. His Mother was Zillah. She was Leah’s handmaiden. Asher had a daughter. Her name was Serach, שֶׂ֣רַח. It is unusual for a woman to be mentioned by name in the Chumash. And we know nothing more about her.
However there are many Midrashim praising her
beauty, intelligence and amazing longevity.
She even helped Moses fulfill the obligation to bury Joseph’s bones in
Israel. If you look at Serach’s name, and end it with the open letter Hay, it
resembles the name Sarah. Seal the
letter Hay with the letter Yud, a representation of Hashem and you are back to Serach.
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“Long Live King Mashiach”
There is a custom not to study Torah on Christmas
eve. The custom is called Nittel Nacht.
"Nittel" is Yiddish for Christmas. It is derived from the Latin natalis or maybe the Hebrew nitleh, the hanged one. Considering that Jesus is one of us, the most famous Jew of all time, this custom very popular with Chabad seems inappropriate.
And tongue in cheek: Maybe it is a matter of competition if your
choice for the Messiah is a dead Rebbe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nittel_Nacht?wprov=sfla1
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This Friday is the 10th day of the month of Teves. On this day in the year 588 BCE the forces of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. It is observed as a day of mourning and begins on Friday morning at daybreak.
This is an unusual occurrence, last happening in 2013. During the Mincha afternoon service, a Torah and Haftarah portion is read. In Israel, relatives of victims of the Holocaust whose yahrzeits is unknown, observe the traditional yahrzeit practices for the deceased. These include lighting a memorial candle, learning mishnayot and reciting the kaddish.
The Haftorah portion for Parshat Vayigash is from
the Prophet Ezekiel (יְחֶזְקֵאל ) 37:15-28. In it Hashem
commands Ezekiel to take two wooden sticks and write on one some words that
signify the Kingdom of Judah, and on the other some words that represent the
Northern Kingdom. He is then to join the two sticks together, in an
meaningful symbolic gesture once more uniting the entire nation of
Israel.
The symbolism is meaningful. Ezekiel prophesied shortly before the fall of the First Temple, probably around 598 BCE. From the preceding verses he was staunchly anti-Egyptian. At the time of his writing the Northern Kingdom was no more, and the Kingdom of Judah was in imminent danger of being destroyed.
First of all: why use wood? What
inferences may be drawn from using wooden sticks?
Wood is a readily handy material, somewhat durable. Unlike clay or metal or stone, wood requires little preparation and is more durable than papyrus or parchment. Alternatively: Hashem knows what he is doing.
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MAX’S PARSHAT VAYIGASH & 10th TEVES FAST
QUIZ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
BS”D
Olim:
Max has come up with a quiz that relates
to the Parshat Vayigash Torah reading and the 10th Day of Teves. Here are his questions and answers. How did you do?
Stay Inside; Stay Safe and Stay
Healthy. Wear your mask.
Shabbat shalom and an easy Fast,
Mick
1-What are the 3-different
meanings of the word Vayigash?
1-Judgement, 2-Reconciliation,
3-War
> 2-What were Judah's 3-Main
objectives in dialogue with Yosef ?
1-Assuage Yosef anger in words
2-Demand his rights on a Legal
Basis
3-Take BINYAMIN back by Force
> 3-When did music and song
play a role in someone living forever?
Serach, Asher's daughter, singing
to Jacob that Yosef was still alive
> 4-Why did Judah merit the
Kingship of our nation?
Judah was willing to fight for the
benefit of others
> 5-In what merit did Yosef
become such a great ruler ?
Yosef kept the Mitzvots &
guarded his Brit Milah
> 6-Why did HaShem grant Yosef
righteous sons ?
As a proof of Yosef's Kedushah,
HaShem granted him righteous sons
> 7-How many descendants were
born to Dan׳s
deaf son Chushim ?
Astonishing 64,400 descendants
came out from Dan's deaf son
> 8-Who was born when Jews came
to Egypt & died when they left ?
Iyov was born when Jews went into
Egypt & died 210 years later, Exodus
> 9-Which Berachos did Jacob
say when he was reunited with Yosef ?
Shehechianu, Mechayei Hameisim,
Hatov V'Hameitiv
> 10-Why don't Torah scholars
have to pay city Taxes for security ?
It is really in their Merit that
protect everyone else
> 11-Who was The Greatest
Real-Estate agent in History ?
Yosef managed all the land in the
World
> 12-Why did Jacob live
33-years less than his Father YITZCHAK?
Jacob sounded pessimistic using
33-Words to explain his life to Pharaoh
> 13-Where is Serach BAS Asher
today ?
Serach eventually went into Gan
Eden Alive, from Jacob blessing
> 14-Why did the Egyptians
worship Sheep ?
Many stars formed the shape of a
sheep, they assumed it was godly
> 15-How many times were there
Famines throughput the entire world ?
Ten times there were hungers
throughout the entire world, historical fact
> 16-What must a city have
before a Torah Scholar can move there?
Yeshiva, Teacher, Beis Din,
Shochet, Mohel, Sofer, Gabbai, Doctor
> 17-During their dialogue ,
Yosef & Judah were compared to what ?
Judah to a Lion , and Yosef to a
Bull
> 18-Which brother acted like a
Lawyer ?
Judah passionately defended all of
BINYAMIN Rights
> 19-Why did the predicted
7-Year Famine only lasted 2-Years ?
When Jacob came down to Egypt, the
Hunger stopped in his Merit
> 20-Who was the 71st one to
travel down to Egypt with Jacob ?
YOCHEVED, OR HASHEM
> 21-How did Yosef reveal his
secret identity to his Brothers?
Yosef spoke Lashone HaKodesh, and
showed them his Brit Milah
> 22-Why didn't Yosef want to
show his stronger Brothers to Pharaoh ?
Yosef did not want Pharaoh to
draft his brothers into the Military
> 23-Why did Judah have to
offer himself as a slave to the Viceroy ?
He was the one responsible for
BINYAMIN safety to Jacob
> 24-Which sin caused Yosef
Brothers to Hate Him ?
Lashon Hara that caused the
Brothers hate against Yosef
> 25-Which people discovered
Yosef's Treasures ?
1st-By Korach, 2nd -By Antonius
Ben Asvirus, 3rd-Will be by Mashiach
> 26-Why do we fast on the 10
of TEVET ?
The day upon which Nebuchadnezzar
initiated the siege around Jerusalem
> 27-When is it this year and
what is its duration ?
This year the Fast is on Friday ,
December 25th, from Sunrise to Sunset
> 28-Who is exempt from fasting
on 10-TEVET?
Pregnant Mothers, nursing Mothers,
the ill , and the Elderly
> 29-Which special prayers are
inserted for the Fast Day?
Torah is read morning &
Afternoon, Aneinu is added to Shema Koleinu
> 30-What are the other
4-Communal Fast Days ordained by Chazal ?
3-Tishrei, 17-Tamuz, 9-AV, 13-Adar
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