Rav kook Institute
PARASHAT HASHAVUA
*VAYIGASH*
Out of Jacob's twelve sons, it appears that Joseph was the first to die. 'Joseph died, and [then] his brothers and all that generation' (Ex. 1:6). Why was Joseph's life shorter than that of his brothers?
We all have limited amounts of time and energy, and must learn how to apportion these resources wisely. In particular, we need to find a balance between activities that are directed inwardly, for our own personal development, and those directed outwardly, for the benefit of others.
The very first exile of the Jewish people, the exile to Egypt, began as Jacob and his family left the Land of Israel. They intended to spend a short stay in Egypt until the famine passed.
The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Hosea 528) makes a startling observation:
"Jacob should have gone down to Egypt in chains. Yet God said, 'Jacob, My first-born, how could I banish him in disgrace? Rather, I will send his son to go down before him.'" |
What did Jacob do to deserve
being exiled in iron chains?
Fourth-century scholar Rabbi Zeira once found his teacher Rabbi Yehudah in an unusually good mood. Realizing that it was a propitious time to ask whatever he wanted, Rabbi Zeira posed the following question:
"Why is it that the goats always stride in front of the herd, to be followed by the sheep?" |
Perhaps the last thing we would expect Rabbi Zeira to ask would be a mundane fact of animal husbandry. Rabbi Yehudah, however, was not fazed. Good-humoredly, he explained that this phenomenon reflects the order of creation
DID YOU KNOW?!
1804 - 1881 BENJAMIN DISRAELI
(Earl of Beaconsfeld) (England)
Despite his father's conversion to the Anglican faith and his own baptism at the age of thirteen, he never lost his pride in being part of the Jewish people. He was elected as a conservative member of Parliament in 1837. Soon after, he founded the Young England movement with other young Tories. He was a favorite of Queen Victoria and became Prime Minister of England, leading the Tory Party in 1868. In 1875, he helped England acquire the Suez Canal and had Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India. In two of his novels, Alroy and Tancred, he described the Jewish desire for independence in their own land.
Parshat Vayigash: Joseph's Family Reunion
On this Article
Joseph's Intermarriage
there are a lot to be
discussed / for or against
Q:What should be said when a child brings home a
soulmate from another faith tradition?
Interfaith marriage may be a hot topic today, but it's been around since the Bible days. See how Joseph's family dealt with it after their reunion in Egypt. MORE>
- Summaries Of This Portion - Vayigash
From Different Sources
from Torah Topics for Today
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from American Jewish University
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from Canfei Nesharim
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from CLAL
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from Orthodox Union
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from Hillel
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from AJWS
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from KOLEL
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Kobi Peretz, * SHEMA ISRAEL * clip
Ezekiel 37:15-28
Ezekiel promises: The divided kingdoms
of Judah and Israel will one day be united.
At the climax of Parashat Vayigash, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers who had sold him into slavery 17 years earlier. Through kisses and tears, the children of Israel become one family again.
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