Why was Yakov expected to know that Dina could have brought Esav to do Teshuva? Why would she succeed where Rivka and Yitzchak had failed? What is the meaning of the mysterious connection between Dina and Yosef? Why is Yosef connected to the city of Shechem?
Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.
You can also find a .doc file of this podcast on my website on the Parsha page.
Showing posts with label ben Yosef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ben Yosef. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Moshiach ben Binyomin?
On the Shabbos before Purim, my rav shared a very interesting thought, which started me thinking.
When Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman, the sages of his time challenged him. They asked why he was putting himself and the Jewish people in danger, and said that we have a precedent from Yakov Avinu - he and all of his family bowed down in front of Esav. Certainly one can bow down in front of Esav's progeny, Haman!
To this Mordechai responded and said that while it was true that all of their ancestors bowed down, his own ancestor, Binyomin, was not yet born and was the only tribe that did not prostrate in front of Esav. Mordechai therefore explained that he had his own precedent to follow.
Another interesting thought that I have seen is that it was Shaul, who was a descendant of Binyomin, who was sent on the mission to destroy Amalek, the grandson of Esav who represents all of the evil in the world. Mordechai, a descendant of Binyomin would be the vehicle for the downfall of Amalek's descendant Haman.
It is also worthy of noting that our sages tell us that Yosef was originally supposed to have twelve tribes, similar to Yakov. However, due to a sin, ten of the twelve were given to Binyomin. Each of Binyomin's ten sons were named after Yosef in some way (as Rashi notes).
Also interesting to note is that just as we find the concept of the connection between Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, there is also a clear connection between Yehuda (מב"ד) and Binyomin (perhaps מב"י?) that is worthy of explanation. In fact, Shaul was supposed to have been the Moshiach ben Yosef for Dovid as Moshiach ben Dovid, if not for the fact that he ended up being unworthy.
I was told that while we do indeed find that Moshiach ben Dovid must be from the physical lineage of Dovid Hamelech, there does not seem to be a source stating that Moshiach ben Yosef must actually be from Yosef. This is actually quite an important point, because there are opinions that the tribes of Ephraim and Menashe were both lost to Klal Yisrael, so if it was necessary for MBY to be from either of those two tribes, we might find ourselves in a quandary. In any event, the tribe of Binyomin still exists as a significant part of Klal Yisrael, as the Jewish people today are composed of what was the kingdom of Judah, which consisted of the tribes of Yehuda, Binyomin and some Leviim and Kohanim.
It is also significant to note that the Beis Hamikdash was located on the border between Yehuda and Binyomin's portions in Eretz Yisroel, indicating a spiritual partnership between the two in being the vehicle for bringing Hashem's Divine Presence into the world.
Something else that comes to mind is that Binyomin was blessed by Yosef with the bracha of חן - grace, which Rebbe Nachman explains is the power of Torah and Tefillah (prayer) that bring about Hashem's response. These are the very tools that Moshiach will use to bring the world to its ultimate rectification.
When Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman, the sages of his time challenged him. They asked why he was putting himself and the Jewish people in danger, and said that we have a precedent from Yakov Avinu - he and all of his family bowed down in front of Esav. Certainly one can bow down in front of Esav's progeny, Haman!
To this Mordechai responded and said that while it was true that all of their ancestors bowed down, his own ancestor, Binyomin, was not yet born and was the only tribe that did not prostrate in front of Esav. Mordechai therefore explained that he had his own precedent to follow.
Another interesting thought that I have seen is that it was Shaul, who was a descendant of Binyomin, who was sent on the mission to destroy Amalek, the grandson of Esav who represents all of the evil in the world. Mordechai, a descendant of Binyomin would be the vehicle for the downfall of Amalek's descendant Haman.
It is also worthy of noting that our sages tell us that Yosef was originally supposed to have twelve tribes, similar to Yakov. However, due to a sin, ten of the twelve were given to Binyomin. Each of Binyomin's ten sons were named after Yosef in some way (as Rashi notes).
Also interesting to note is that just as we find the concept of the connection between Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, there is also a clear connection between Yehuda (מב"ד) and Binyomin (perhaps מב"י?) that is worthy of explanation. In fact, Shaul was supposed to have been the Moshiach ben Yosef for Dovid as Moshiach ben Dovid, if not for the fact that he ended up being unworthy.
I was told that while we do indeed find that Moshiach ben Dovid must be from the physical lineage of Dovid Hamelech, there does not seem to be a source stating that Moshiach ben Yosef must actually be from Yosef. This is actually quite an important point, because there are opinions that the tribes of Ephraim and Menashe were both lost to Klal Yisrael, so if it was necessary for MBY to be from either of those two tribes, we might find ourselves in a quandary. In any event, the tribe of Binyomin still exists as a significant part of Klal Yisrael, as the Jewish people today are composed of what was the kingdom of Judah, which consisted of the tribes of Yehuda, Binyomin and some Leviim and Kohanim.
It is also significant to note that the Beis Hamikdash was located on the border between Yehuda and Binyomin's portions in Eretz Yisroel, indicating a spiritual partnership between the two in being the vehicle for bringing Hashem's Divine Presence into the world.
Something else that comes to mind is that Binyomin was blessed by Yosef with the bracha of חן - grace, which Rebbe Nachman explains is the power of Torah and Tefillah (prayer) that bring about Hashem's response. These are the very tools that Moshiach will use to bring the world to its ultimate rectification.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Obama, the economy, and the prelude to Moshiach
Why is the economic situation connected to Moshiach’s arrival? Why does it seem that the current mode of dealing with the problem will not yield bona fide results?
I think that our hearts tell us that both of the aforementioned questions are valid. While this that we sense may be affected by what we’ve read from the autistic messages, the truth is that there is more depth to this notion then we might otherwise have thought.
There are numerous sources in relation to Moshiach that clearly indicate that economics are associated with his arrival. The strongest source is one I have quoted previously, which is Rebbe Nachman’s story “The master of prayer.” Rebbe Nachman stresses from the onset of the story how the desire for wealth is one of the most difficult mistaken life approaches to correct. He tells how the Master of prayer, who represents Moshiach ben Dovid, tries to get through to the people who have fallen into this trap. They have so fallen into their mistake that they can not even begin to fathom that the true purpose of life is to come close to Hashem, nor that they might possibly be mistaken in their approach to life. He then describes how the Mighty Warrior, who represents Moshiach ben Yosef, is involved in bringing the leaders of the land of wealth on the only path to rectification – the path of war. Profoundly, this very path that they travel in order to rectify the leaders of the land of wealth, eventually brings to the reunification of all of the different characters in the story, which signifies the advent of the era of Moshiach.
The clear indication is that the rectification of the mistake of the land of wealth, i.e. the worship of money, is a precursor to Moshiach’s arrival.
The question is, why?
The answer is that as long as we believe that money is the main purpose of our lives, we are completely drawn away from what life is really about – spritual attainments. Even more finely stated, the more we put our faith in money, the less we are connected to Hashem, and the less we depend on Him. This misplaced faith and mistaken goal in life must be corrected before Moshiach can come, where all of days will be spent in constant devotion to growth in our Avodas Hashem.
Another point which is a direct outcrop of this is that the worship of wealth is truly an extension of the worship of self. It is the belief that my extravagant lifestyle is the center of the purpose of my existence, and I will do whatever is necessary to obtain it. Anyone that will stand in my way will fall.
Ultimately it is simply an immature self-centered goal that is all about pride. That pride is what must fall before the days of Moshiach when our lives will be centered completely outside of ourselves – all will join together just to propel each other ever higher in our service of Hashem - ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם – They will join together in a single unit to do Your will with a full heart.
Coming back to the current crisis, there is a tremendous fundamental mistake that is being made by those who are trying to help the situation. Most people will acknowledge that the main problem in this whole crisis is the lack of trust. Markets and investments were mismanaged and misled by those whose whole interest was none other than number 1 – themselves. This self-centeredness ultimately blew up in everyone’s face and continues to plague us with a loss of faith that does not seem to have an end in sight. To work at the root of this, it would be necessary to go back to the source, recognizing that there is a lack of faithfullness that is creating the lack of faith. Instead, there is only hacking at the leaves of the problem. To my eye, this is simply because the leaders themselves (read: Obama) so totally believe that they are the center of the world, and the answer to all the world’s problems that they do not understand the fundamental problem – the lack of character. Their personal deficit in character will continue to fuel the problem, rather than solving it.
All the money in the world will not replace the faith that was lost and continues to remain weak. Only a real investment in what is lacking – an investment in trustworthiness and in simple goodness and honesty – will return people’s faith. Sadly, however, the drive to return the economy to its ‘former glory’ is completely based in pride, whether it is the pride of an Obama, seeking to make an eternal legacy for himself, or the pride of those who were making millions and now find themselves owing the same. As long as pride is the motivating factor, the point will be missed and the lesson unlearned, and the rectification distant.
To me, this is what Rebbe Nachman hinted to in his story when he told us about the people of the land of wealth who would not be convinced of the error of their ways. The sad result is that the only rectification for them is the path to war. Nevertheless, this path ultimately brings about the ultimate rectification.
In the end all, the message for us must be that we must strengthen our own commitment to raising our level of Avodas Hashem, and our own trust in Hashem. What happens to our faith when times get tough? Will we crack under the pressure, or will we strengthen our trust in Hashem, knowing that just as He helped us in the past, he will continue to help in the future? Ultimately, every experience we have in our lives is from Hashem, and is designed to bring out who we really are - צדיקים ילכו בם, ופושעים יכשלו בם - the righteous walk in them, and the wanton ones stumble in them. The tests reveal who we really are, and whether we have true trust.
There is always the multi-millionare who says, "All my wealth is from Hashem!" Whether he continues to say this when he has lost his money will be a real indicator of his faith in Hashem.
חזק חזק - we must stay strong through these trying times. This strength will be what we have to rest upon. There is only One that is our unwavering Support. It is our Rock - Stalwart and Omnipresent. He sheds tears along with our own, and triumphs with us in our true spiritual victories. Let us keep praying for that day when we will all say together זה ה' קוינו לו, נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו - This is Hashem Who I hoped for - let us rejoice and exult in His salvation!
I think that our hearts tell us that both of the aforementioned questions are valid. While this that we sense may be affected by what we’ve read from the autistic messages, the truth is that there is more depth to this notion then we might otherwise have thought.
There are numerous sources in relation to Moshiach that clearly indicate that economics are associated with his arrival. The strongest source is one I have quoted previously, which is Rebbe Nachman’s story “The master of prayer.” Rebbe Nachman stresses from the onset of the story how the desire for wealth is one of the most difficult mistaken life approaches to correct. He tells how the Master of prayer, who represents Moshiach ben Dovid, tries to get through to the people who have fallen into this trap. They have so fallen into their mistake that they can not even begin to fathom that the true purpose of life is to come close to Hashem, nor that they might possibly be mistaken in their approach to life. He then describes how the Mighty Warrior, who represents Moshiach ben Yosef, is involved in bringing the leaders of the land of wealth on the only path to rectification – the path of war. Profoundly, this very path that they travel in order to rectify the leaders of the land of wealth, eventually brings to the reunification of all of the different characters in the story, which signifies the advent of the era of Moshiach.
The clear indication is that the rectification of the mistake of the land of wealth, i.e. the worship of money, is a precursor to Moshiach’s arrival.
The question is, why?
The answer is that as long as we believe that money is the main purpose of our lives, we are completely drawn away from what life is really about – spritual attainments. Even more finely stated, the more we put our faith in money, the less we are connected to Hashem, and the less we depend on Him. This misplaced faith and mistaken goal in life must be corrected before Moshiach can come, where all of days will be spent in constant devotion to growth in our Avodas Hashem.
Another point which is a direct outcrop of this is that the worship of wealth is truly an extension of the worship of self. It is the belief that my extravagant lifestyle is the center of the purpose of my existence, and I will do whatever is necessary to obtain it. Anyone that will stand in my way will fall.
Ultimately it is simply an immature self-centered goal that is all about pride. That pride is what must fall before the days of Moshiach when our lives will be centered completely outside of ourselves – all will join together just to propel each other ever higher in our service of Hashem - ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם – They will join together in a single unit to do Your will with a full heart.
Coming back to the current crisis, there is a tremendous fundamental mistake that is being made by those who are trying to help the situation. Most people will acknowledge that the main problem in this whole crisis is the lack of trust. Markets and investments were mismanaged and misled by those whose whole interest was none other than number 1 – themselves. This self-centeredness ultimately blew up in everyone’s face and continues to plague us with a loss of faith that does not seem to have an end in sight. To work at the root of this, it would be necessary to go back to the source, recognizing that there is a lack of faithfullness that is creating the lack of faith. Instead, there is only hacking at the leaves of the problem. To my eye, this is simply because the leaders themselves (read: Obama) so totally believe that they are the center of the world, and the answer to all the world’s problems that they do not understand the fundamental problem – the lack of character. Their personal deficit in character will continue to fuel the problem, rather than solving it.
All the money in the world will not replace the faith that was lost and continues to remain weak. Only a real investment in what is lacking – an investment in trustworthiness and in simple goodness and honesty – will return people’s faith. Sadly, however, the drive to return the economy to its ‘former glory’ is completely based in pride, whether it is the pride of an Obama, seeking to make an eternal legacy for himself, or the pride of those who were making millions and now find themselves owing the same. As long as pride is the motivating factor, the point will be missed and the lesson unlearned, and the rectification distant.
To me, this is what Rebbe Nachman hinted to in his story when he told us about the people of the land of wealth who would not be convinced of the error of their ways. The sad result is that the only rectification for them is the path to war. Nevertheless, this path ultimately brings about the ultimate rectification.
In the end all, the message for us must be that we must strengthen our own commitment to raising our level of Avodas Hashem, and our own trust in Hashem. What happens to our faith when times get tough? Will we crack under the pressure, or will we strengthen our trust in Hashem, knowing that just as He helped us in the past, he will continue to help in the future? Ultimately, every experience we have in our lives is from Hashem, and is designed to bring out who we really are - צדיקים ילכו בם, ופושעים יכשלו בם - the righteous walk in them, and the wanton ones stumble in them. The tests reveal who we really are, and whether we have true trust.
There is always the multi-millionare who says, "All my wealth is from Hashem!" Whether he continues to say this when he has lost his money will be a real indicator of his faith in Hashem.
חזק חזק - we must stay strong through these trying times. This strength will be what we have to rest upon. There is only One that is our unwavering Support. It is our Rock - Stalwart and Omnipresent. He sheds tears along with our own, and triumphs with us in our true spiritual victories. Let us keep praying for that day when we will all say together זה ה' קוינו לו, נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו - This is Hashem Who I hoped for - let us rejoice and exult in His salvation!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Yosef and the wealth of redemption
My wife recently read the book "Let My Nation Descend" by Yosef Deutsch, which details the account of the sale of Yosef, culminating with the young nation of Israel journeying to Egypt. She shared a remarkable part of the story with me that I thought was both interesting and thought provoking.
On page 214, he brings down that during the years of famine, Yosef amassed an unbelievable amount of wealth from all of the different nations that came to him for food. According to Rav Aryeh Kaplan's assessment in his translation of the Yalkut Me'am Loez, in present day value, it would surpass the value of billions of dollars.
What did Yosef do with the money?
R' Deutsch brings down that half of the money was stored in the secure royal treasury. The second half was subdivided into three parts which were stored in different secret places. Hashem's promise to Avraham would be fulfilled with this wealth - the Jews would leave Egypt with fabulous riches.
Interestingly, he says that the three caches of money came from three different sources - Egyptian idol worshippers, criminals, and those who observed the Noachide commandments (lehavdil). When the Jews would leave Egypt many years later, Korach found one of the three sets of treasure, and that wealth was lost when Korach was swallowed by the ground after his rebellion. The second treasure would later be found by Antoninus of Rome, and the third treasure is reserved for the tzadikim in the times of Moshiach.
What is most remarkable to me in this whole description is that Yosef himself was the one who collected all of the money that the Jews left Egypt with at Yetzias Mitrayim, as well as the money that would be given to the righteous after the final Geulah. There is clearly something more to this than a cute side note to history.
It seems to me be'H, that here is another example of the role of Moshiach ben Yosef, and most interestingly, it is being performed by Yosef himself. One of the roles of Moshiach ben Yosef is that he is in charge of the physical welfare of the Jewish people, and he is also involved in the final rectification of wealth (see again Rebbe Nachman's story "The Master of Prayer").
What does this mean? I believe it is as follows.
To understand, we need to ask another question. Why is it important for the Jewish people to leave Egypt with tremendous wealth? Also, why is it important for the righteous to have this great wealth in the times of Moshiach?
I think the answer starts with the Rambam at the end of hilchos Melachim. There he says that the prophets and sages did not desire the days of Moshiach so that we would rule over the world and no longer be beholden to the other nations. Rather, it was so we could spend our time completely involved in the study of Torah, with no other worries or distractions.
What is the number one distraction from learning Torah (besides for the internet)? It is when a person lacks for his livelihood. When all a person's physical needs are taken care of, then he can completely focus on his service of Hashem and his Torah learning.
Similar to the times of Moshiach when our sole occupation will be learning Torah, when the Jews left Mitzrayim, they were headed toward forty years of Torah learning - nonstop! This would only be possible if they would have no worries in regards to their livelihood. Of course they would experience the miracle of the Mon falling, but that was something that they didn't 'have in the bag.' The fact that their 'safety deposit box' was full was what perhaps could give them the reassurance that there was nothing to worry about. All their needs were guaranteed by the wealth they Providentially left Mitzrayim with. This allowed them the peace of mind to focus all their efforts on their learning for the ensuing forty years.
It is no coincidence that this wealth was collected by Yosef, and set aside by him as well, for the Jewish people's redemption from Egypt, as well as the Jewish people's ultimate redemption. His job was to provide for the physical welfare of his people, so they could focus their undivided efforts on spiritual pursuits.
On page 214, he brings down that during the years of famine, Yosef amassed an unbelievable amount of wealth from all of the different nations that came to him for food. According to Rav Aryeh Kaplan's assessment in his translation of the Yalkut Me'am Loez, in present day value, it would surpass the value of billions of dollars.
What did Yosef do with the money?
R' Deutsch brings down that half of the money was stored in the secure royal treasury. The second half was subdivided into three parts which were stored in different secret places. Hashem's promise to Avraham would be fulfilled with this wealth - the Jews would leave Egypt with fabulous riches.
Interestingly, he says that the three caches of money came from three different sources - Egyptian idol worshippers, criminals, and those who observed the Noachide commandments (lehavdil). When the Jews would leave Egypt many years later, Korach found one of the three sets of treasure, and that wealth was lost when Korach was swallowed by the ground after his rebellion. The second treasure would later be found by Antoninus of Rome, and the third treasure is reserved for the tzadikim in the times of Moshiach.
What is most remarkable to me in this whole description is that Yosef himself was the one who collected all of the money that the Jews left Egypt with at Yetzias Mitrayim, as well as the money that would be given to the righteous after the final Geulah. There is clearly something more to this than a cute side note to history.
It seems to me be'H, that here is another example of the role of Moshiach ben Yosef, and most interestingly, it is being performed by Yosef himself. One of the roles of Moshiach ben Yosef is that he is in charge of the physical welfare of the Jewish people, and he is also involved in the final rectification of wealth (see again Rebbe Nachman's story "The Master of Prayer").
What does this mean? I believe it is as follows.
To understand, we need to ask another question. Why is it important for the Jewish people to leave Egypt with tremendous wealth? Also, why is it important for the righteous to have this great wealth in the times of Moshiach?
I think the answer starts with the Rambam at the end of hilchos Melachim. There he says that the prophets and sages did not desire the days of Moshiach so that we would rule over the world and no longer be beholden to the other nations. Rather, it was so we could spend our time completely involved in the study of Torah, with no other worries or distractions.
What is the number one distraction from learning Torah (besides for the internet)? It is when a person lacks for his livelihood. When all a person's physical needs are taken care of, then he can completely focus on his service of Hashem and his Torah learning.
Similar to the times of Moshiach when our sole occupation will be learning Torah, when the Jews left Mitzrayim, they were headed toward forty years of Torah learning - nonstop! This would only be possible if they would have no worries in regards to their livelihood. Of course they would experience the miracle of the Mon falling, but that was something that they didn't 'have in the bag.' The fact that their 'safety deposit box' was full was what perhaps could give them the reassurance that there was nothing to worry about. All their needs were guaranteed by the wealth they Providentially left Mitzrayim with. This allowed them the peace of mind to focus all their efforts on their learning for the ensuing forty years.
It is no coincidence that this wealth was collected by Yosef, and set aside by him as well, for the Jewish people's redemption from Egypt, as well as the Jewish people's ultimate redemption. His job was to provide for the physical welfare of his people, so they could focus their undivided efforts on spiritual pursuits.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Vayeshev - Moshiach ben Yosef
Why did Yosef have two dreams?
Why does the Torah call the second dream a חלום אחר - a different dream, whereas by Paroh it says he dreamt the dream a second time?
What do stars look like when they bow down? Why should we care?
Why is the story of Yehudah and Tamar sliced into the story of Yosef?
Why is Yosef called to task for asking the Sar Hamashkim to remember him?
What is the character of Moshiach ben Yosef?
How is it reflected in Yosef himself?
Why is Yosef the one who will ultimately destroy Esav before Moshiach?
DON'T MISS this weeks Parsha Pocast!
Why does the Torah call the second dream a חלום אחר - a different dream, whereas by Paroh it says he dreamt the dream a second time?
What do stars look like when they bow down? Why should we care?
Why is the story of Yehudah and Tamar sliced into the story of Yosef?
Why is Yosef called to task for asking the Sar Hamashkim to remember him?
What is the character of Moshiach ben Yosef?
How is it reflected in Yosef himself?
Why is Yosef the one who will ultimately destroy Esav before Moshiach?
DON'T MISS this weeks Parsha Pocast!
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