Dvar Torah Parshat VaYeshev 5775 2014

Yosef was sold into slavery in Egypt and we are told: וַיְהִי יְקֹוָק אֶת־יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ, “Hashem was with Yosef, and he became a successful man…” (Gen. 39,2)

There is an interesting way to understand this passage. Yosef was a successful man even though he was in slavery because he maintained his faith in Hashem. Even while he slaved under the difficult conditions, he was productive and flourished because he believed in Hashem. He never felt abandoned and kept his faith at all times.

Many times we face difficult obstacles and feel we are under impossible impediments and hindrances and find it almost impossible to continue. At such times we must put our faith in Hashem and we will gain the strength to continue.

When we confront obstacles and hurdles in life and overcome them, we are strengthened and reinforced in our character and have the fortitude to continue against all difficulties. Faith in Hashem and confidence in ourselves will help us overcome all predicaments.

Dvar Torah Parshat VaYeshev 2012 5773

Yosef was brought down to Egypt as a slave and was bought by Potiphar. Whatever task Yosef performed as a slave was highly successful. When his master saw how diligently Yosef performed his responsibilities he realized he could put him in charge of his entire household.

Yosef found favor in Potiphar’s eyes and: וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּ עַל בֵּיתוֹ וְכָל יֶשׁ לוֹ נָתַן בְּיָדוֹ, “…he appointed him over his household, and whatever he had he placed in his custody.” (Gen. 39,4) We are told in the very next verse that Hashem blessed the Egyptian’s house on Yosef’s account.

This is a phenomenon that repeats itself throughout history. When the Jews are allowed freedom in a country they prosper and help the economy of the country grow. This is true to this very day. We see the economy of countries prosper where Jews are welcome and are offered a free range of activities. Where they are not welcome, this fact is not true.

This is also why individuals and businesses from all over the world are investing in Israel and in its start-up companies. The world does not give credit to Israel’s contribution to the growing technology. Israel also generally does not let it be known that its technology is being used worldwide and that many medical advances of recent years have come from Israel.

In spite of this world attitude Israel continues, with the help of Hashem, to be one of the world’s leading innovators.

Dvar Torah Parshat VaYeshev 5772 2011

Yaakov sends Yosef to Shechem to see how his brothers are faring. The brothers were to be there pasturing their flock. The distance between Chevron, where Yaakov was, and Shechem is over 80 kilometers (close to 50 miles). Why did they have to go so far? Couldn’t they find a place closer to home for their flocks to pasture?

There is a difference between the commentaries about the area of Shechem. Some see it as a dangerous area for Yaakov’s family. This is where Yaakov’s children killed the entire people of Shechem. The surrounding nations would want to take revenge at the first opportunity. That was why Yaakov sent Yosef there to see if his brothers were safe.

Other commentaries regard this location as an area where the inhabitants fear Yaakov’s folks. They saw what two sons could do. How much more can all the brothers pull off together? Hence the brothers went there to demonstrate their ownership of the land, since Yaakov had bought it and they had no fear of the inhabitants. In ancient times grazing cattle on land was an indication of ownership.

When Yosef went to Shechem he did not find his brothers. They had moved on to Datan which was not their property. They grazed in foreign pastures. When Yosef came they sold him and he ended up in Egypt. Their punishment was that they eventually also ended up in Egypt and had to graze in a foreign land in Goshen.

Dvar Torah Parshat Vayeshev 5771 2010

Yosef was sent by his father to inquire about the welfare of his brothers. When he arrived to the place they were scheduled to be, they were not there and he met a man who asked him what he was seeking. Yosef answered: ET ACHAI ANOCHI MEVAKESH, “…I seek my brothers…” (Gen. 37,16)

According to the Midrash Rabbah (Bereshit 84;13) Yosef knew that his brothers despised him and he even knew that they wanted to do him harm. Nevertheless he obeyed his father and did not hesitate to go.

It is clear that when he could not find them where he was told to go he could have rightfully returned to his father. Yet we are told he continued to seek them. Why? The reason becomes obvious when we see how he responded to the man who met him.

Yosef said, “I seek my brothers.” Although he was aware of their feelings to him he wanted to make peace with them. Even facing danger he wanted to win them over and make Shalom in the family. Yosef knew what Jews in all later generations felt. A Jew should seek out his brethren. We are one big family and we should stand up for each other.

More than any other people in the world, Jews are always seeking the welfare of their own people. We are always concerned about the well-being of other Jews and try to assist whenever possible.

Dvar Torah Parshat Vayeshev 5770 2009

Joseph is asked to interpret the dreams of the two fellow prisoners who were with him. First Pharaoh’s cupbearer discloses his dream. He saw a vine with three branches that brought forth grapes. He was holding Pharaoh’s cup in his hand and was squeezing the grapes into the cup and handed it to Pharaoh. Joseph’s interpretation was that in three days he would be restored to his position.

Then Pharaoh’s chief baker related his dream. He saw three baskets of bread on his head. In the uppermost basket were all manners of baked goods for Pharaoh. The birds were eating from the upper basket. Joseph’s interpretation was that he would not be restored to his former position but would be executed in three days. Why did Joseph interpret two dreams, almost identical in nature, in two extremely different ways?

If we analyze the dreams carefully we see a major difference in the manor that the two men reacted in their dreams. The cupbearer pressed the grapes and was performing his duty. The baker stood by idly and allowed the birds to eat of the bread. The former acted. The later was inactive like a dead person. That gave Joseph his clue.

A person who has life in him is active. He is doing. He is performing. Not sitting hopelessly without functioning. A person who is not active and is not doing, is really not living.

Dvar Torah Parshat Vayeshev 2008 5769 דבר תורה פרשת וישב

Two chamberlains or attendance of Pharaoh were cast into the prison where Yosef was. The Torah calls them SAR HAMASHKIM and SAR HA’OFIM. It is interesting that they are given the title of SAR which in Hebrew means a prince or a minister. Obviously they were in the lowly employ of the king and would not have been the bearers of such a lofty title.

This emphasizes that words change their meanings in the passage of time. The term SAR clearly had a different connotation in Egypt at that time in history.

A SAR today in Israel is the title given to ministers who are entrusted with specific tasks that they are to perform for the benefit of the people in Israel. Many, indeed, do carry out their mandate and function in accordance with the mandate they are given. Unfortunately, there are some who do not and much to our regret there are too many who don’t.

Those who do not are merely regressing to the connotation that the title SAR had in the days of Pharaoh. The servants bearing this title were lowly people who acted in their own interest whenever they could succeed to do so.

Dvar Torah VaYeshev 2007 – 5768 דבר תורה וישב

Yosef is in Mitzraim and is in charge of the household of Potifar. The Torah testifies: VAYEHI HASHEM ET YOSEF VAYEHI ISH MATZLIACH, “And Hashem was with Yosef and he was a prosperous man.”

The Chafetz Chaim makes a very interesting observation. When we say the prayer for the new month we repeat one particular phrase. Twice we ask for YIRAT SHAMAYIM, fear of Heaven. No other request is repeated. His explanation for this is that in between these two times we have a request for OSHER VEKAVOD, wealth and honor.

He makes the observation that it is often the nature of people who attain the position of wealth or honor to draw away from his closeness to Hashem. We, therefore, ask again for YIRAT SHAMAYIM implying that even if our prayer for wealth and honor be granted we still want Hashem to help us maintain our close contact with Him.

This is what the Torah testifies about Yosef. Even though he was MATZLIACH, Hashem was still with him. He never lost his YIRAT SHAMAYIM.

Dvar Torah VaYeshev 2006 – 5766 דבר תורה וישב

VAYESHEV YAAKOV BE’ERETZ MEGUREY AVIV, “Yaakov dwelt in the land where his father had resided”. (Gen. 37,1) We find many places where we are told with the same expression VAYESHEV that the Jews dwelled in different places. We find it in Egypt, “…and Israel dwelt in Egypt.” (Gen. 47,27) We find the expression with reference to Yosef that he dwelled in Egypt. (Gen. 50,24) We read that Moshe dwelt in Midyan. (Ex. 2,15) We are told that the nation dwelt in Kadesh. (Num. 20,1) We read that the nation dwelt in all the cities of Emori after capturing them. (Num. 21, 25) Time and again the term VAYESHIV appears in the Torah and in TANACH.

Yet there is a vast difference between what we find in our Sidra and what we find elsewhere. Here we are told he “…dwelt in the land where his father resided.” This is the land that was promised to his father Yitzhak and to his grandfather Avraham. This is the land that belonged to him and was not like all the other places where the Jew was a stranger. He belonged in the land promised to his ancestors and to him by Hashem.

Rashi who quotes the Midrash tells us that Yaakov wanted to live peacefully in the land but could not. This is the story of the Jewish people’s claim to the land. Almost never in history did the Jews live here peacefully. Except for the time of King Solomon, there were always others who claimed the land. History repeats itself. Our time is no different.

Chazal tell us the Land of Israel was given through suffering. (Ber.5a) It is unfortunate, but the implication is that we must deserve it and must be ready to sacrifice for it. We know the expression that we must always be ready to defend our liberty.

Dvar Torah VaYeshev 2005 – 5765 דבר תורה וישב

A very interesting story is told about Rabbi Simcha Bunim that is related to this week’s portion. When the Chasidic movement first started in the city of Pshische where Rabbi Bunim lived, there were rumors in Lublin that the Chasidim were not behaving according to the established customs of Chasidism. The Chasidic Rabbis of Lublin sent one of their distinguished men to Pshische for Shabbat to check it out.

It was Shabbat of VaYeshev. Rabbi Simcha Bunim referred to the Pasuk where Yaakov sends Yosef to his brothers: LECH NA RE’EH ET SHLOM ACHECHA VE’ET SHLOM HATZON VEHASHIVENI DAVAR, “…go now, look into the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word”. (Gen. 37,14)

Because Yosef often reported about his brother’s bad actions (see Gen. 37,2), Yaakov instructed him to go “NA”. The word means now but is often translated as “please”. Yaakov said to him to please go and see “SHLOM”. This word usually means peace but also means “wholeness”. He pleaded with him to go see the wholeness, the good that they were doing and not the bad.

He continued and asked that he bring back “word”, even one word. Even if he can find only one good thing to report, he is to bring that back. Obviously, Rabbi Bunim was referring to the messenger that Lublin had sent.

Human nature is such that we often see the wrong, the bad and overlook the good. We must train ourselves to seek out the good in our family members and our friends and in different situations. That is similar to the Pasuk: UR’EH BETUV YERUSHALYIM, “see the good in Yerushalayim”. Sure there are things wrong in this holy city, but the good overshadows these shortcomings.

Dvar Torah Vayeshev 2004 – 5764 דבר תורה וישב

Towards the end of the Portion the Torah tells us that Yosef prospered in Egypt in whatever he did. First it says: VAYEHI ISH MATZLI’ACH, “he was a successful person”. In the next verse it says: HASHEM MATZLI’ACH BEYADO, “Hashem succeeds his hand”. The Torah again repeats the same thought and says: VAYEVARECH HASHEM ET BET HAMITZRI BIGLAL YOSEF, “and Hashem blessed the house of the Egyptian because of Yosef”. (Gen. 39:2-3,5) Three times in such close order the Torah emphasizes the same theme.

Each one of these verses signifies a different idea with regard to success. The first tells us that Hashem made Yosef to prosper. There are some people who are fortunate and are granted blessings from Hashem even if they do not work for it and even if they do not deserve them. Such people are lucky but they do not deserve any credit for their fortune.

Others may work for their success and may then be blessed and prosper. They deserve credit for their efforts. If they use their success for their own benefit only then their prosperity is selfish and does not affect others.

A third type of success is when a person uses his prosperity to help others. This, of course, is the highest ethical behavior. He shares his blessings and does not keep them selfishly for himself.

The Torah tells us that Yosef was successful for Hashem blessed him. However, it was not merely a gift to him, but he actually worked for it. Finally, the Torah says that he did not use ability only for himself but he helped the household to prosper.

Dvar Torah Vayeshev 2003 – 5763 דבר תורה וישב

We read this week about the dreams Yosef had. Next week we read about the dreams that Pharaoh had. Both had two dreams. These dreams, however, were of different types. Yosef dreamt first about earthly matters. He dreamt about the sheaths of wheat. His second dream was about the heavens, the sun, the moon and the stars.

Pharaoh, on the other hand, also had two dreams, but both were about earthly matters. He dreamt about the cows and about the ears of corn. Josef dreamt about mundane matters but also about sacred and spiritual values. Pharaoh’s concerns were only about material interests.

We all have dreams about the future. The reference is not to the dreams we have when we sleep. Rather, the intention ius to the dreams we have during the day, the dreams we have about the future. We think about what we would like to do or what we would like to happen to us. We dream about our aspirations, what we would like to be and how we would like to see our lives developing.

The dreams we have during the day should not be only about our material well-being but should also include our spiritual welfare. We should be concerned about our intellectual growth, about our moral development and our social considerations. We should try to imitate the dreams of Yosef rather then those of Pharaoh.

Dvar Torah Vayeshev 2002 – 5762 דבר תורה וישב

The opening words of the Sidra are VAYESHEV YAAKOV, and Yaakov dwelled in the land where his father had lived (Gen. 37:1). The Torah had previously told us in great detail how Yaakov had returned to Israel. Why then repeat it here and tell us where Yaakov dwelled? In answer to this question Chazal tell us, “Yaakov wanted to dwell peacefully, instead the trouble with Yosef came up”. He wanted to dwell peacefully in his father’s land but he could not.

Yaakov had a problem with his brother and had to flee from his home. He was deceived by his uncle Lavan and had to work hard to please him. When coming back to Israel he encountered difficulties at Shechem. Now he had to face the loss of his dear son Yosef. In spite of all the troubles that Yaakov had in his lifetime, he remained true to his beliefs.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim referred to the Mishnah in Avot, which admonishes us not to say, “When I am free and have time I will study, for maybe you will never have time”. (Avot 2:5) He said there are some who complain that they have too many troubles that disturb them and prevent them from serving Hashem properly. The Rabbi said maybe Hashem wants him to specifically serve even though he has all these troubles. Do not say when I am rid of my problems I will then worship Hashem properly. Maybe you will not get rid of your problems.

Just as Yaakov underwent all the trials and tribulations and, nevertheless, worshipped Hashem properly so too should every Jew do the same.