Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat vaYigash Volume VII/Number 11 (298) 9 Tevet 5753/January 2, 1992 R' Shabtai haKohen (the "Shach") writes that Yaakov never set foot in Egypt. Although to all appearances, he was in Egypt, in fact, Eretz Yisrael went with him, and he never left the Holy Land. How are we to understand this, asks R' Yoel Teitelbaum (the "Satmar Rav"), zatzal (1887-1979)? Do countries really travel?! Some early commentaries ask: How does the oath which our ancestors took at Har Sinai (when they accepted the Torah) bind us? We were not there. The "Shlah haKodesh" explains that our souls were there, and even though the Mitzvot apply to the body as well as to the soul, the soul can bind that body because it is the body's life-force. We see, says the Satmar Rav, that wherever the essence of something is found, it is as if the entire thing is there. Eretz Yisrael is a holy land because it has a holy "soul." Egypt is impure because it has an impure "soul." Physically, Yaakov did settle in Egypt, but the soul of Eretz Yisrael (which only he and his righteous sons could discern) went with him. Effectively, then, he never left the Holy Land. (vaYoel Moshe p.340-41) ************************************ "For who is like you, like Pharaoh?" (45:18) Rashi explains: Yehuda said to Yosef, "Just as you do not keep your word (for you promised that once we brought Binyamin before you, you would leave us alone), so Pharaoh does not keep his word." Did it really serve Yehuda's interests to insult Pharaoh, the ultimate authority to whom he would have to appeal Yosef's cruelty? asks R' Moshe Feinstein, zatzal (1895-1986). Rather, we must understand Yehuda's words as a warning: "If you persist in this behavior, people will assume that just as you do not keep your word, so Pharaoh does not. You, Yosef are the one who is causing insult to the king." Just as a king's subjects reflect the king's values, so students are a reflection of their teachers, and children, of their parents. Our own deeds can bring honor or dishonor upon our parents and teachers; this must be a guide for our behavior. (Darash Moshe) ************************************ "G-d has made me [Yosef] the master over all of Egypt." (42:9) Did Yosef think that Yaakov -- a person completely devoted to serving Hashem -- would care what position Yosef had achieved? Says R' Yaakov Naiman, zatzal (died 1983): What Yosef meant to emphasize was, "G-d has made me the master..." After all of these years away from you (Yaakov), I have not forgotten who is the source of all accomplishments. (Darchei Mussar p.90) ************************************ The Gemara (Shabbat 10b) says, "One should never show favoritism among his sons, for because Yaakov gave Yosef a silken garment, all of the Jews were enslaved in Egypt." Commentaries ask: Was this the cause of their enslavement? Didn't Hashem decree hundreds of years earlier, and even tell Avraham, that the Jews would be exiled? R' Yehoshua Segal Deutsch, zatzal (1910-1990) explains that the exile could have taken place within Eretz Yisrael. In fact, Chazal say that the 400 years of the exile began with the birth of Yitzchak, and he never left Eretz Yisrael. Exile is in the eye of the beholder. For Yitzchak, living in an Eretz Yisrael that was ruled by a non-Jewish king was exile. However, Yaakov's favoritism towards Yosef led the Jews to go to Egypt, and there they fell in stature until only actual enslavement could be considered exile. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Kol Yeshuah p.132) ************************************ "And Yaakov traveled, and he came to Be'er Sheva, and he brought sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak." (46:1) Be'er Sheva was the place where our Patriarchs went when they were in need of consolation, writes R' Yaakov Kamenecki, zatzal (died 1986). The Midrash says that Avraham planted trees there which would eventually be used in the construction of the Mishkan, and his son and grandson therefore went there to be reminded that all of their troubles and exiles would eventually end, and a "House" would be built among their descendants where Hashem would reside (i.e. the Mishkan). Yitzchak, for example, went to Be'er Sheva after he was chased out of Gerar. Yaakov, as our verse says, stopped in Be'er Sheva on his way to Egypt. In fact, the Midrash says that Yaakov chopped down the trees which Avraham had planted and took them with him to Egypt. His purpose in doing so was to give his descendants a tangible reminder of Eretz Yisrael, and also to remind them of the Mishkan which they would eventually build. The Gemara (Megilah 31b) relates that Avraham asked Hashem, "What will happen to Bnei Yisrael when there is no Bet haMikdash?" Hashem answered, "Let them read about the sacrifices." The simple meaning of this exchange is that Avraham wondered how his descendants would achieve atonement, for the Bet haMikdash is not standing, and Hashem responded that they would be forgiven when they study the laws of the sacrifices. However, we may also say, in light of the above, that Avraham wondered what would keep the Jews from disappearing among the nations. To this Hashem responded: They will read about the sacrifices. This will maintain their yearning for the rebuilding of the Bet haMikdash and their belief that Bet haMikdash will indeed be rebuilt. (Emet l'Yaakov) ************************************ An American Rabbi relates that as a young man (in 1962) he was traveling home from two years' study in Israel, when he stopped to visit friends in London for two weeks. Hearing that R' Shalom Schwadron (the "Maggid of Yerushalayim"), shlita, would be speaking in one of the local Shuls on the student's first Friday night there, the young man went to hear him. The Maggid spoke about that week's Parasha, which was vaYigash, and told of another son, in another era, who (like this student in the audience) was on his way to meet his father. We can barely imagine the longing that Yaakov and Yosef each felt as their meeting approached. In describing the occasion, Rashi writes, "Yosef appeared before his father." Why does Rashi state the obvious? Yosef's primary intent was not to gratify his enormous person yearning to see Yaakov again. Rather, his wish was to give Yaakov the joy of seeing his son again. His first concern was honoring his father, and this is what Rashi is emphasizing. It was as if the Maggid was speaking to this student. Surely his parents could not have been thrilled with his little side trip. Reacting to this "Drashah" (lecture), he flew home on Sunday morning. (The Maggid Speaks p.25) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Niddah 5:6-7 O.C. 537: 7-9 Ketubot 67 Yerushalmi - Berachot 31 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: The Rutstein family in memory of father and grandfather, Nachman ben Asher haLevi A"H ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible