Parashat Yitro 5782, 2022:
 
To Know Hashem
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Yitro is preeminently the parasha of the Asseret Hadibrot (The Ten Commandments). The first of these statements begins with the famous words, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha (I am the L-rd your G-d), Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (This and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Nearly all the monei hamitzvot (categorizers of the mitzvot) follow the opinion of the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-204) and include this as the first of the 248 Positive Commandments. As the Rambam maintains in his Sefer HaMitzvot:

The first mitzvah that we are commanded is to know the nature of G‑d’s existence, that is, to know (sh’naida) that He is the Original cause and Source of existence Who brings all creations into being. The source of this commandment is G‑d’s statement (exalted be He), “I am the L-rd your G-d.” (Translation, Rabbi Berel Bell, with my emendations)
 
In his prologue to Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, the Rambam reiterates that “lei’da sh’yaish sham Elokah—to know that there is G-d,” is a mitzvah, and presents the following textual amplification:

The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know (lei’da) that there is a Primary Being who brought into being all existence. All the beings of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them came into existence only from the truth of His being. (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
What does the Rambam mean when he asserts that in order to fulfill this mitzvah we must know “there is a Primary Being who brought into being all existence.” Is knowing in this context a synonym for understanding? My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his followers and disciples, clearly thinks otherwise:

I do not agree with those who interpret “to know” as meaning “to understand,” indicating that each and every Jew would have to philosophize and investigate for himself all that is relevant to the existence of God…We cannot “understand” the Almighty; His quality is hidden and unfathomable, and in this Maimonides concurred with the Kabbalists who asserted that: “No intellect can apprehend Him.” (On Repentance in the Thought and Oral Discourses of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, translated and edited from the Yiddish, Professor Pinchas HaKohen Peli, page 145.)
 
Since, as the Rav notes, “we cannot ‘understand’ the Almighty; His quality is hidden and unfathomable,” what does “lei’da sh’yaish sham Elokah” connote in practice? Fortunately, the Rav provides a clear analysis of this phrase:

I would say that “to know” (lei’da) means that our conviction of the existence of God should become a constant and continuous awareness of the reality of God, a level of consciousness never marred by inattention…God should become a living reality that one cannot forget even for a minute. This keen awareness of the existence of God should constitute the foundation of our thoughts, ideas, and emotions in every kind of situation and under all conditions. (Pages 145-146)
 
I believe that the Rav’s explanation of lei’da in reference to the existence of the Almighty is reminiscent of the pasuk we recite at the conclusion of the first paragraph of the Aleinu: “And you shall know (v’ya’da’ta) this day and consider it in your heart, that the L-rd He is G-d in Heaven above, and upon the earth below; there is none other.” (Sefer Devarim 4:39)  With Hashem’s help, and our fervent desire, may this verse be our watchword as we strive to know Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains the sole instance of the word “chamushim” in the Five Books of the Torah: “So G-d led the people around [by] way of the desert [to] the Red Sea, and the children of Israel went up chamushim from the land of Egypt.” (Sefer Shemot 13:18, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emendations) Midrash Mechilta on our pasuk suggests two peshat-level interpretations of our term:

Chamushim can only mean armed (mezuyanim). So, too does the text state: “…and you, all the warriors, shall cross over chamushim (armed) before your brothers, and you shall help them.” (Sefer Yehoshua 1:14)  Another interpretation: Chamushim can only mean zealous (mezurazin). As the text states: “And the children of Reuven, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Menashe, passed over chamushim (in a zealous manner) before b’nai Yisrael, as Moshe had spoken to them.” (Sefer Yehoshua 4:12)
 
In addition, the Mechilta notes that chamushim is written without a vav (shurook) following the Hebrew letter mem, which allows it to be midrashically viewed as a variant of chamisha (five), chamishim (fifty) or chamash maot (five hundred):

Another explanation: One [Jew] out of five, and there are those that say one [Jew] out of fifty, and there are others who say one [Jew] out of five hundred [left Egypt] … Rabbi Nehorai said, “I hereby take an oath based on the holiness of the Korbanot service in the Beit HaMikdash as my witness, that not even one out of five hundred [left Egypt]! Instead, uncountable numbers of Jews died in Egypt, and when did they die? They died during the three days of the Plague of Darkness… (Translations my own)
 
On measure, this grim passage leaves us wondering what occurred in Egypt to lead to this disastrous outcome. Midrash Tanchuma addresses this concern in its discussion of the Plague of Darkness:

What is the reason for the Plague of Darkness? … [The Plague of Darkness took place] because there were those within the Jewish people who had patrons among the Egyptians. They had great honor and wealth and did not wish to leave Egypt. The Holy One blessed be He said to Himself, “if I bring a plague upon them that everyone can witness and they die, then the Egyptians will say, ‘just like this happened to us, so, too, did this happen to them.’” Therefore, He brought the Plague of Darkness on the Egyptians for three days, “They did not see each other, and no one rose from his place for three days …” (Sefer Shemot 10:23, Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Va’era section 14, translation my own)
 
In sum, the Plague of Darkness took place so that when the assimilationists among the Jews in Egypt refused to be redeemed, their death could not be witnessed by the Egyptians. This ensured that the latter would recognize the contrast between how the Almighty treated them and how he treated us. As the Midrash Mechilta continues and states: “They [the non-assimilationist Jews] buried their dead and thanked and gave praise to the Holy One blessed be He that their enemies did not see [the many burials] and rejoice in their downfall.” (Brackets my own)
 
A very different, and uplifting, approach to the term “chamushim” is offered by a number of the early Chasidic rebbes. Like the Mechilta, they recognize that chamushim written without a vav enables it to be read as chamishim (fifty). Yet, unlike the Mechilta that focuses on the Jews who were excluded from the Exodus, these thinkers suggest that chamishim refers to the chamishim sha’arei binah, the 50 Gates of Understanding discussed in the Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 21b and Nedarim 38a, and various passages in the Zohar. One of the clearest explanations of this position is presented by Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef of Polonne zatzal (1710-1784) in his Torah commentary, Tzafnat Paneach:

And b’nai Yisrael went up from the Land of Egypt through binah, the 50th gate of kedushah (holiness) and chasidut (piety). [In so doing,] they left behind the 50 Gates of Tumah (Impurity) [of Egypt] and moved toward the 50 Gates of Holiness; and this is the freedom [that is symbolized] through the order [and intrinsic meaning] of the [Four] Cups [of Wine] on the first night of Pesach… (Parashat Beshalach, translation and brackets my own)
 
As we find in many other sources, Rav Ya’akov Yosef views Egypt as the preeminent place of tumah in the ancient world. As such, he reads, “the children of Israel went up chamushim from the land of Egypt,” as referring to the existential and spiritual transformation that took place when our forebears left the 50 Gates of Tumah behind and embraced binah, the 50th gate of kedushah and chasidut. At long last, we were on our way to the ultimate freedom we would experience upon receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai—50 days later.
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may we also guide ourselves by the pure light of binah, kedushah and chasidut that are the hallmarks of our holy Torah. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The first pasuk of our parasha continues the narrative of the Ten Plagues and serves as a prologue to the Plague of Locusts: “Hashem said to Moshe: ‘Bo (Come) to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst.’” (Sefer Shemot 10: 1, all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
This verse presents us with an exegetical challenge. Why did the Torah write “bo,” instead of the much more commonly found, “lech (go)?” This question has long intrigued Torah commentators, as demonstrated by its presence in the 12th or 13th century midrashic compilation, Midrash Aggadah: “Why does the Torah state regarding this plague, ‘bo to Pharoah,’ when it [bo] is found by no other plague; for in every other instance we find, ‘lech to Pharoah.’” (Solomon Buber edition, Parashat Bo, 10:1, translation my own) 
 
As one might expect, Chazal have suggested many answers to this question. One of my favorite responses is offered by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstern of Kotzk zatzal (the Kotzker rebbe, 1787-1859):

“Lech to Pharoah” is not written here; instead, we find, “bo to Pharoah.” The reason for this linguistic change is that one can never walk away from before the Holy One blessed be He; moreover, it is impossible to distance yourself from Him. This is the case since He is found everywhere. [As the prophet Yeshayahu said:] “And one [Angel] called to the other and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the L-rd of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (6:3)  Therefore, it is written, bo,” [in our verse] connoting the notion that [Hashem is telling Moshe,] “Bo with Me, for behold, I am with you wherever you shall go.” (Rabbi Ya’akov Greenberg, Itturei Torah, page 78, translation and brackets my own)
 
Quoting Yeshayahu’s celebrated verse, the Kotzker rebbe focuses on Hashem’s omnipresence in the world emphasizing the notion that the Almighty was ever with Moshe. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his followers and disciples, presents a strikingly parallel analysis in his posthumous work, Festival of Freedom:

When God chose Moses, he was very reluctant to accept the mission…Moses said to God: Who am I [mi anochi], that I should go to Pharoah, and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt? (3:11)—who am I, that I am worthy of becoming the redeemer? God answered him, For I will be with you [ki eyeh imach] (3:12). God promised Moses that he would never desert him; He would participate in the implementation of the mission, and together they would enter Pharoah’s chambers. Therefore, when God instructed Moses to appear before Pharoah, He used the imperative bo instead of lech. When Moses addresses Pharoah, God will be present; when he raises the staff, God will be with him. In effect, God says, bo imadi el paroah, Come along with me to Pharoah. (Pages 149-150 underlining and brackets my own)  
 
Moshe’s question, “mi anochi, who am I?” is something many of us ask ourselves when facing life’s challenges. Like Moshe Rabbeinu, we can take comfort in Hashem’s assurance, “ki eyeh imach, I will be with you.” We are never alone. As the Kotzker rebbe and the Rav teach us, Hashem is ever-present in our lives and whispers to each of us, “bo imadi, come with Me.” May we be zocheh to feel His grace as we walk upon the path of life. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

Parashat Va’era 5782, 2022:
 
To Be Hashem’s People
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains four terms that presage yetziat mitzrayim:

Therefore, say to the children of Israel, “I am the L-rd, and I will take you out (v’hotzati) from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you (v’hitzalti) from their labor, and I will redeem you (v’ga’alti) with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. And I will take you (v’lakachti) to Me as a people, and I will be G-d to you, and you will know that I am the L-rd your G-d, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Sefer Shemot, 6:6-7, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Rashi (1040-1105), Rashbam (1085-1158), and the Ba’alei Tosafot (12-14th centuries), among others, labeled v’hotzati, v’hitzalti, v’ga’alti, and v’lakachti the “four expressions of redemption” (“arba’ah leshonei geulah,” Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 99b). The first three are relatively easy to understand, as they speak directly to Hashem’s impending actions to redeem our ancestors from 210 years of Egyptian servitude. V’lakachti, however, is more problematic regarding its relationship to the Exodus, and, hence, raises exegetical challenges.
 
According to Rabbeinu Ibn Ezra (1092-11670, the Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) and Rabbeinu Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340), v’lakachti does not speak to the physical salvation from Egyptian slavery; rather, it references spiritual redemption through Kabbalat haTorah (receiving the Torah). As such, in his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, the Ramban interprets “I will take you to Me as a people” as: “When you will come to Mount Sinai and you will receive the Torah [then you will become My people.]” (Translation and brackets my own). A contrasting approach is offered by Rabbi Yosef ben Yitzchak (12th century) in his classic Torah commentary, Bechor Shor, wherein he emphasizes the practical sense of what it means to be Hashem’s people:

“I will take you to Me as a people:” And you will be My servants, as it is better for you to be My servants than to be Pharoah’s slaves. “And I will be G-d to you:” I will be your master, and not Pharoah. “And you will know that I am the L-rd your G-d, Who has brought you out:” And you will volitionally serve me, for you will say: “It is better to serve the great King, than to serve this commoner Pharoah.” (Translation my own)
 
In Rav Yosef ben Yitzchak’s view, “I will take you to Me as a people” portrays our essential obligation toward the Almighty, namely, to recognize Him as our sole master, whom we willingly serve.
 
In his exegetical work Be’er Mayim Chaim, the Chasidic rebbe, Rabbi Chaim of Czernowitz (1760-1816), takes a different tack that focuses, instead, on Hashem’s role in the covenantal relationship:

“I will take you to Me as a people and I will be G-d to you:” That is to say, I [Hashem] will do two things for you [the Jewish people]: Firstly, the indescribable good that I will do for you is the very act of My taking you to be my people, a people [that henceforth] will be beloved and pleasant to Me, for whom I will bring forth all manner of good and worthy things. Secondly, I will be unto you Elokim, that is, the Judge and Master of Judgment Who will remove from before you all that is necessary [for your well-being], punish your enemies, and do unto those that hate you according to your will. (Translations and brackets my own)
 
According to Rav Chaim, being Hashem’s people is the greatest good we can acquire, as this status confers His love upon us. Moreover, in His role as Elokim, He will forever be our Shomer Yisrael, our eternal protector. In Rav Chaim’s estimation, Hashem’s love and protection enable us to apprehend His presence in our lives, as the continuation of our pasuk states:

And in so doing [all of the aforementioned], “you will know that I am the L-rd your G-d,” for it will no longer be necessary to acquire a [theological] expert’s knowledge level of emunah (belief) to believe in Me, rather, you [the Jewish people] will know with complete understanding that I am the L-rd your G-d and will thereby comprehend My sense of perfect and total unity. As such, I am complete (shalame) in every regard and there is none other besides Me… [We see, therefore,] two opposites [regarding our relationship with Hashem and the way He encounters us:] chesed (kindness) and din (judgment). Chesed for the Jewish people, and din for the nations of the world [who seek to do us harm]. In sum, I am Hashem, and it is I [alone] who does all this.
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will recognize and feel Hashem’s chesed for us, and witness His din against all those who desire to destroy us. As the navi Ovadiah so famously said: “And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Eisav, and the kingdom shall be Hashem’s. (1:21)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains the famous incident of Moshe striking and killing the Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Jewish slave: “He turned this way and that way (vayifen koh va’koh), and he saw that there was no man (vayare ki ain ish); so, he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Sefer Bereishit 2:11-12, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Rashi (1040-1105) presents two glosses on this verse:

vayifen koh va’koh: He saw what he [the Egyptian] had done to him [the Jew] in the house and what he had done to him in the field (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 1:28). But according to its simple interpretation, it is to be understood according to its apparent meaning, that is, he looked and saw no man.
 
vayare ki ain ish: [That is, he saw that] there was no person destined to be descended from him [the Egyptian] who would become a convert. [Based on Midrash Shemot Rabbah 1:29]
 
Rashi views vayifen koh va’koh from the perspectives of peshat and drash, namely, Moshe ascertained that there were no witnesses present before killing the Egyptian and, with ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration), he saw what had transpired in the Jew’s house prior to observing his life-threatening beating. Rashi does not, however, present a peshat-level analysis of vayare ki ain ish. Instead, he focuses solely on its midrashically-suffused interpretation, that this vicious Egyptian would not be the forebear of any converts to Judaism. Given the universal acceptance of Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah, these explications have become the primary lens through which our pasuk is viewed.
 
A fascinating and very different explanation of our verse, however, is offered by the Chasidic master, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein zatzal (1751-1823) in his classic work Ma’or VaShemesh:

vayifen koh va’koh vayare ki ain ish and he struck the Egyptian: This means he turned this way and that way (that is, he analyzed the situation before him) and saw that the Egyptian was obligated in the death penalty on two levels: Firstly, he was a rodef [one who pursues another for the avowed purpose of murdering the one pursued] and secondly, Moshe determined that the principle of, “haba l’horgecha hashkam l’horgo, if someone comes to murder you, rise up early and kill him first,” was operable. (See Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 21:4 and Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Pinchas, 3, this, and the following translation, my own)
 
Based on these two halachic principles, Rav Epstein maintains that Moshe Rabbeinu “looked and did not see a man present [before him], since one who comes to murder another is as if he is already dead (ain lo damim), and is, in essence, like a corpse.” Moreover, Moshe realized:

... there was no one else to save the one pursued from the hands of the rodef; he, therefore, ruled on his own: “In an instance where there are no other people present, one must endeavor to be the individual who will save the pursued, [even if it entails] killing the pursuer.” [Therefore, the verse writes:] “And he struck [and killed] the Egyptian.”
 
In relatively few words, Rav Epstein provides us with a novel way (chiddush) to interpret our pasuk. Rather than focusing on peshat and drash, he urges us to view our verse from the perspective of halachic principles. In so doing, he helps us understand the legitimacy of Moshe’s actions. As the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) rules:

When, however, a person is pursuing his fellow with the intention of killing him [that is, the rodef]…every Jewish person is commanded to try to save the person being pursued, even if it is necessary to kill the pursuer…If there is no way to be precise in one’s aim and save the person being pursued without killing the rodef, one should kill him, even though he has not yet killed his victim. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Rotzeach u’Shmirat HaNefesh 1:6-7, this and all Mishneh Torah translations, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
The Torah obligates us to protect ourselves, as we find in the well-known phrase, “u’shmor nafshecha m’ode (and you should take every effort to guard your life).” (Sefer Devarim 4:9)  This, in turn, leads to the corollary statement quoted by Rav Epstein, “haba l’horgecha hashkam l’horgo.” In our pasuk, the Jewish man being beaten was unable to rise and protect himself, leaving Moshe, alone, to champion his cause by applying the halachic principle cited by Rav Epstein and supported by the Rambam: “In an instance where there are no other people present, one must endeavor to be the individual who will save the pursued, [even if it entails] killing the pursuer.”
 
Fortunately, most of us are rarely faced with the challenge of protecting individuals who are in mortal danger. Yet, based upon the well-known Rabbinic dictum, “kol yisrael aravim zeh l’zeh (all of the Jewish people are responsible for the welfare of their fellow Jews),” we are obligated to aid our brethren in their hour of need. This concept is given voice through the practice of gemilut chasadim, acts of lovingkindness that emulate Hashem’s actions. As Chazal state:

Just as Hashem clothed the naked [in the case of Adam and Chava] … so, too, should you clothe the naked. Just as Hashem visited the sick [in the case of Avraham after his brit milah] … so, too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy One Blessed be He comforted the mourners [in the case of Yitzchak after Avraham’s passing] … so, too, should you comfort the mourners. Just as the Holy One blessed be He buried the dead [in the case of Moshe] … so, too, should you bury the dead” (Talmud Bavli Sotah 14a, translation my own).
This Talmudic passage provides the basis for the Rambam’s famous halachic ruling that defines many of the essentials of Jewish communal life:

It is a positive commandment of Rabbinic origin to visit the sick, comfort mourners, prepare for a funeral, prepare a bride, accompany guests, attend to all the needs of a burial, carry a corpse on one’s shoulders, walk before the bier, mourn, dig a grave and bury the dead, and bring joy to a bride and groom as well as to help them with all their needs. These are deeds of lovingkindness that one carries out with his person that have no limit. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avel 14:1).

After noting the Rabbinic basis of these ma’asim (actions), the Rambam asserts that the performance of each one is a kiyyum (fulfillment) of v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha, a Torah-based mitzvah:

Although all these mitzvot are of Rabbinic origin, they are included in the Torah commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That charge suggests that whatever you would like other people to do for you, you should do for your fellow in Torah and mitzvot.
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may our efforts to live by the maxim, “kol yisrael aravim zeh l’zeh,” lead us to acts of gemilut chasadim and, thereby, the fulfillment of the mitzvah of v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Torah contains two instances of the phrase, hatachat Elokim, the first, in Parashat Vayatze (30:2), and the second, in our parasha (50:19): “But Yosef said to them [his brothers], ‘Don't be afraid, ki hatachat Elokim ani, for am I instead of Hashem?’” (This and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests this interpretation of our phrase: “Am I perhaps in His [Hashem’s] place? [A statement] of wonder. [For even] if I wanted to harm you, would I be able? Did not all of you plan evil against me? The Holy One, blessed be He, however, designed it for good. So how can I alone harm you?”
 
Rashi’s analysis is analogous to a passage in the 11th century work, Midrash Bereishit Rabbati:

hatachat Elokim ani: Rabbi Yona the father of Rabbi Moneh explained: “Yosef said to his brothers: ‘Who can change the order of the world? There are 12 hours during the day, and 12 hours at night. There are 12 major constellations, 12 months and 12 stones that in the future will be placed upon Aharon’s heart [in the choshen mishpat]. And what is the purpose of all of these [that focus upon the number 12]? None other than to highlight the [eternal] significance of the number of the [12] tribes of the Jewish people. And am I Hashem, that is, am I able to alter the order of the world?’” (Parashat Vayechi, beginning on page 225, translation and brackets my own)
 
The similarity between this midrash and Rashi’s gloss is quite notable. Both focus on the idea that Yosef declared to his brothers that only Hashem can change the order of the world, and as such, he, alone, cannot harm them.
 
In his Commentary on the Torah on our verse, the Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel Wisser, 1809-1879) focuses on Yosef’s recognition of Hashem’s hashgacha (divine providence) as the lens through which to view our phrase:

This means that after I [Yosef] have seen that this matter [my sale as a slave and rise to second-in-command in Egypt] was completely under Hashem’s hashgacha, how can I possibly question it, since it was done by Almighty? For am I instead of Him and in His place to do the opposite of His action? In addition, the core of this hashgacha was for me to help and support you; if so, how can I change the will of the Almighty and all that He has done through His hashgacha? Moreover, since you [my brothers] did not do evil to me in actuality—as Hashem changed your actions toward me for the good—I am unable to repay you in an evil manner like you initially did to me, as that was transformed into good. This is the case, since I am not in Hashem’s place, and I cannot know that good will [ultimately] result from an evil action I might seek to do against you. [It is therefore impossible for me to do evil to you my brothers]. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, the Malbim suggests that when Yosef utters the phrase, “ki hatachat Elokim ani,” he acknowledges that hashgachat Hashem is the driving force behind all the trials and tribulations he has faced, as well as his rise to mishneh l’melech (second-in-command of Egypt). Hashem, he asserts, changed the brothers’ actions toward “or the good.” Consequently, he maintains, he can neither question Hashem’s actions nor counter His will.
 
On measure, in their examination of the phrase, “ki hatachat Elokim ani,” Midrash Bereishit Rabbati, Rashi and the Malbim, unhesitatingly proclaim the primacy of Hashem’s hashgacha in the world. I believe this is the message Yosef is teaching his brothers, and by extension, the entire Jewish people for all time. Little wonder, then, that a powerful allusion to this idea is found in the paragraph following the recitation of the private Shemoneh Esrai: “As for all those who design evil against me, speedily nullify their counsel and disrupt their design…let Your right hand save and respond to me.” (The Complete ArtScroll Siddur, page 119)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Like many other parshiot, our parasha received its name based upon the first word in the initial phrase of the introductory pasuk: “Vayigash aluv Yehudah,” “And Yehudah drew near to him [Yosef].” (Sefer Bereishit 44:18)  The word, vayigash, is found in three other verses in Sefer Bereishit. In each case, it signals a major shift in the narrative and a fundamental change in the pre-existing paradigm.
 
The first time we encounter vayigash is in the context of Hashem’s plans to destroy S’dom: “Vayigash Avraham (and Avraham drew near) and said, ‘Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked? … Far be it from You to do a thing such as this, to put to death the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be like the wicked. Far be it from You! Will the Judge of the entire earth not perform justice?’” (Sefer Bereishit 18:23, 25, this, and all Torah translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  These verses suggest a fundamental shift in the encounter between Hashem and humankind. For the first time, we were true partners in the I-Thou relationship. As such, Avraham approached Hashem with the conviction that his plea on behalf of S’dom would certainly be heard. He understood, as well, that both the Almighty and humankind are subject to the same Torah-based elements of justice.
 
The second instance of vayigash is found in the quiet battle for the future of the Jewish people, fought in the privacy of two desert tents: “And Yitzchak loved Eisav... but Rivka loved Ya’akov.” (Sefer Bereishit 25:28)  Rivka sought to ensure that the bracha Yitzhak intended to bestow upon Eisav would go to Ya’akov:

And Rivka said to Ya’akov her son, saying, “Behold I have heard your father speaking to Eisav your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game and make me tasty foods, and I will eat, and I will bless you before the L-rd before my death.’ And now my son, hearken to my voice to what I am commanding you.” (Sefer Bereishit 27:6-8)
 
Once again, vayigash signaled a singular transition that guaranteed the spiritual future of Ya’akov and his descendants:

Vayigash Ya’akov (and Ya’akov drew near) to Yitzchak his father, and he felt him, and he said, “The voice is the voice of Ya’akov, but the hands are the hands of Eisav.” … “And may the L-rd give you of the dew of the heavens and [of] the fatness of the earth and an abundance of grain and wine. Nations shall serve you and kingdoms shall bow down to you; you shall be a master over your brothers, and your mother's sons shall bow down to you. Those who curse you shall be cursed, and those who bless you shall be blessed.” (27:22, 28-29)
 
Clearly the power of vayigash could not be more manifest.
 
The third usage of our term appears within the context of Ya’akov’s first encounter with Rachel. This dramatic moment serves as a pivotal point in Jewish history, as all Jews are ultimately descended from Ya’akov, Rachel, and Leah: “And it came to pass, when Ya’akov saw Rachel, the daughter of Lavan, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Lavan his mother’s brother, vayigash Ya’akov (and Ya’akov drew near) and rolled the rock off the mouth of the well, and he watered the sheep of Lavan, his mother’s brother.” (Sefer Bereishit 29:10)  This eventuated in Ya’akov meeting Lavan, marrying Rachel and Leah, and eventually fathering the 12 Tribes of Israel.
 
The fourth case our term is found at the beginning of our parasha: “Vayigash aluv Yehudah (and Yehudah drew near to Yosef) and said, ‘Please, my lord, let now your servant speak something into my lord’s ears, and let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.’” (Sefer Bereishit 44:18)  These well-known words are a crucial link in the great chain of events that resulted in the descent of Ya’akov and his family to Egypt, their survival of the worldwide famine, the years of Egyptian servitude, the Exodus from Egypt, the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and all subsequent Jewish history until our present moment. Once again, the verbal fulcrum for these history-changing events is the deceptively simple word “vayigash.”
 
Rabbi Nissan Alpert zatzal (1927-1986) was one of the great roshei yeshivah of Yeshivat Rabbi Yitzhak Elhanan. In Limudei Nissan, his posthumous work of Torah analysis, he notes that Yosef revealed himself to his brothers only once they had physically and psychologically drawn close to him. Moreover, he suggests “… it was at that time that it was revealed before them how much they all truly loved one another and that any separation between them should vanish and be replaced by deep and abiding love for one another.” Rav Alpert concludes that: “When all of the Jewish people will dwell together in deep affection and draw near to one another on the profoundest level, and reject division, this closeness we will bring the Geulah (the ultimate redemption, translations my own).” May this time come soon and in our days, v’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) begins Hilchot Chanukkah with a historical precis of its story:

In [the era of] the Second Temple, the Greek kingdom issued decrees against the Jewish people, [attempting to] nullify their faith and refusing to allow them to observe the Torah and its commandments. They extended their hands against their property and their daughters; they entered the Sanctuary, wrought havoc within, and made the sacraments impure. The Jews suffered great difficulties from them, for they oppressed them greatly until the G-d of our ancestors had mercy upon them, delivered them from their hand, and saved them. The sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame [them], slew them, and saved the Jews from their hand. They appointed a king from the priests, and sovereignty returned to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple. (3:1, this and all Mishneh Torah translations, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
This type of introduction is highly unusual in the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, since we find nothing of the kind when it comes to Hilchot Pesach and Hilchot Purim, two chagim with the same kind of complex narratives as Chanukkah. In his posthumous work, Days of Deliverance: Essays on Purim and Chanukkah, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, analyzes why the Rambam singles out Chanukkah for this unique treatment:

Those [Pesach and Purim] are biblical narratives. Hanukkah, however, is a post-biblical holiday. When its events occurred, the canon was closed, and prophecy was a thing of the past. The story of Chanukkah was told by the Torah she-be’al peh, the Oral Torah. Hence, Maimonides found it necessary to repeat the tale in his Code, which is a summary of the Oral Law. (Eli D. Clark, Joel B. Wolowelsky and Reuven Ziegler editors, page 168, brackets my own)
 
Why was it necessary for the Rambam “to repeat the tale in his Code?” The Rav’s answer is clear: “Knowledge of the events is indispensable halakhically for the perfect fulfillment of the mitzvot of Chanukkah.” This is the case, since the Rambam stresses that the act of hadlakat nerot Chanukkah (lighting the candles of Chanukkah) is based upon the concept of hallel ve-hoda’ah, praise and thanksgiving: “The mitzvah of kindling Chanukkah lights is very dear. A person should be very careful in its observance to publicize the miracle and thus increase our praise (shevach) of G-d and our expression of thanks (hodayah) for the miracles which He wrought on our behalf.” (Hilchot Channukkah 4:12)  How is it that these ideas lead us to “the perfect fulfillment of the mitzvot of Chanukkah?” The Rav explains:
The technical performance, the ma’aseh hadlakah, consists of lighting a candle. The kiyyum ha-mitzvah, the genuine fulfillment, expresses itself in an expression of gratitude, which manifests itself in a physical act.  If we are indeed to experience gratitude, it is necessary to know for what we are grateful, for what we extol the Almighty. Therefore, knowledge of the story is essential.
 
The distinction that obtains between ma’aseh ha-mitzvah and kiyyum ha-mitzvah is a constitutive element of the Brisker (Soloveitchik family) conceptual lexicon. As such, the Rav revisits and elaborates upon these terms throughout his public lectures and shiurim. One notable instance is found in his collection of teshuvah drashot, “On Repentance:”

But there are other precepts whose performance and fulfillment are not identical, for example when the performance of the precept is through specific action of some kind, or through a verbal utterance, but its fulfillment is up to the heart. The precept, is, in fact performed by means of an external act, but fulfillment is dependent on attaining a certain degree of spiritual awareness. (On Repentance in the Thought and Oral Discourses of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, translated and edited from the Yiddish, Professor Pinchas HaKohen Peli, page 80)
 
Hadlakat Nerot Chanukkah is an ideal illustration of a mitzvah “whose performance and fulfillment are not identical,” since the ma’aseh ha-mitzvah is accomplished through the simple act of lighting the candles, whereas the kiyyum ha-mitzvah “is dependent on attaining a certain degree of spiritual awareness.” Moreover, as the Rambam stresses in Hilchot Chanukkah, manifest feelings of hallel ve-hoda’ah are crucial elements that enable this spiritual awareness to engender the total fulfillment of this mitzvah. Hence, the Rav concludes: “If we are indeed to experience gratitude, it is necessary to know for what we are grateful, for what we extol the Almighty. Therefore, knowledge of the story is essential.”
 
Each weekday Shemoneh Esrai includes the bracha of birkat binah: “You graciously endow man with wisdom and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and discernment. Blessed are You, Hashem, gracious Giver of wisdom.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)  On this Chanukkah, may Hashem bless us with the wisdom, insight and discernment to imbue our observance of these holy days with the spiritual awareness that will empower us to fulfill mitzvat hadlakat nerot Chanukkah from the depths of our very being. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Torah contains eleven instances of the phrase, “aleh toldot,” seven of which appear with the letter “vav” prefixed to “aleh.” Except for Sefer Bereishit 2:4, wherein aleh toldot may be translated as “these are the chronicles,” all other cases of this phrase refer to the generations, or descendants, of a particular individual. As such, we find in Parashat Bamidbar: “These are the descendants (v’aleh toldot) of Aharon and Moshe on the day that the L-rd spoke to Moshe at Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aharon: Nadav the firstborn, Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar.” (Sefer Bamidbar 3:1-2, this, and all Torah and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  It is crucial to note that in nearly every case we have a complete listing of the children’s names when aleh toldot conveys this meaning.
 
Our parasha contains a glaring exception to the previous observation: “These are the generations (aleh toldot) of Ya’akov: when Yosef was seventeen years old, being a shepherd, he was with his brothers with the flocks, and he was a lad, [and was] with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives…” (37:2)  At this juncture, all twelve of Ya’akov’s sons and his daughter, Dinah, have been born, yet, only Yosef’s name is cited. Moreover, his name is mentioned in the context of a new Torah narrative that eventuates in his sale and transport to Egypt and our forebears’ descent to Egypt, rather than as Ya’akov’s child per se. As we might expect, these issues have been addressed by the meforshim in a variety of ways. In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) presents a two-pronged approach that reflects both peshat (direct meaning) and midrashic analysis:

“These are the generations of Ya’akov:” And these are those of the generations of Ya’akov. These are their settlements and their wanderings until they came to settle. The first cause [of their wanderings]: when Yosef was seventeen years old, etc. Through this [the events that unfolded], they wandered and descended to Egypt. This is according to the plain explanation of the verse, putting everything in its proper perspective.
 
Herein, Rashi interprets toldot as “settlements and wanderings.” He presents a very different explanation, however, in his midrashically-suffused statement: “…whatever happened to Ya’akov happened to Yosef. This one (Ya’akov) was hated, and that one (Yosef) was hated. This one, his brother (Eisav) sought to kill him, and that one, his brothers sought to kill him; and likewise many [other similarities related] in Bereishit Rabbah [84:6].” In this portion of his gloss, Rashi maintains that toldot connotes occurrences. In both sections, however, he deviates from the standard meaning of aleh toldot. Significantly, the Ibn Ezra (1092-1167), in his Commentary on the Torah, also follows the midrash’s path in interpreting this phrase.
 
The Ramban (1194-1270), in his Commentary on the Torah, rejects Rashi’s peshat-level explication of aleh toldot, as he maintains “the term ‘toldot’ has nothing to do with the notion of settlement.” He also rebuffs the exposition of the Ibn Ezra, stating: “a person does not bring about those things that happen to them, and it is only to days can one attribute such things.” Alternatively, the Ramban suggests the following line of reasoning:

The correct interpretation in my opinion is as follows: “These are the generations of Ya’akov: Yosef and his brothers, whom the Torah will mention further on.” The Torah here adopts a concise approach to their names since it already mentioned them above. [35:23-26] But the intent of the verse is to say that these are the generations of Yosef and his brothers to whom the following happened. (Ramban, Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Bereishit 37:2, translation, Rabbi Dr. Charles B. Chavel, underlining my own)
 
In this gloss, the Ramban is pursuing what can be characterized as “fundamental peshat.” In his view, on the etymological level, toldot equals generations and descendants, and any attempt to recast this word in some other manner is unacceptable. In this instance, and unbeknownst to him, he is espousing the methodology of Rashi’s grandson, Rabbeinu Shmuel ben Meir (Rashbam, 1085-1158), who is universally recognized today as the greatest proponent of peshat-level exegesis:

And now, wise ones, look how earlier commentators [that is, Rashi and the Ibn Ezra] analyzed the phrase, “aleh toldot Ya’akov,” namely: “These are the events which happened to him, and the occurrences which befell him.” Behold this [explanation] is utter nonsense! This is the case, since all instances of toldot that appear in Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim signify either an individual’s children or, in many pasukim, the grandchildren of a particular person. (Perush HaRashbam HaShalame al HaTorah, David Rosen edition, Sefer Bereishit, Parashat Vayeshev, 37:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
The range of opinions of these gedolei Torah regarding the meaning of aleh toldot Ya’akov reflects the dynamism and creativity that are the hallmarks of true Torah study. As Chazal declared long ago: “Shivim panim baTorah — there are 70 approaches to the study of the Torah.” (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 13:16)  Each day we proclaim in our tefilot: “Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu u’mah nayim goraleinu … (“Joyous are we in the goodliness of our [Torah] portion! And how pleasing is our lot [to study Torah]! …)  May we ever recognize the beauty of our Torah inheritance — u’mah yafah yerushateinu! V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Vayishlach begins with the well-known words, “Ya’akov sent messengers (malachim) ahead of him (lifanuv) to his brother Eisav, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.” In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) champions the opinion of the Rabbanan in Midrash Bereishit Rabbah (75:4) and explains the word, “malachim,” as “actual angels.” (All Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  According to the midrash, if Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, and Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, had visions of malachim, all the more so should Ya’akov have had intense contact with them. As such, we should not be surprised that the malachim went so far as to encounter Eisav on Ya’akov’s behalf.
 
As is often the case in Torah analysis, the near-universal acceptance of Rashi’s commentary sets the tone of future exegetical discussion. As such, if Rashi did not comment upon a word or a phrase, most meforshim will refrain from so doing as well. This is the case concerning the word in our pasuk “lifanuv,” even though it appears to be an unnecessary addition. The Torah could have written, “Ya’akov sent messengers to his brother Eisav, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom,” without changing the verse’s essential meaning. Therefore, the presence of lifanuv should have generated a significant number of analyses by classical commentators; yet, as a result of Rashi’s silence, this is not the case.
 
The Apter Rav zatzal (Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, 1748-1825) is one of the few meforshim that spends significant time exploring the meaning of lifanuv. He begins by noting that its inclusion in our pasuk is “aino muvan,” in the sense that it is not easily understood. Subsequently, he presents a penetrating examination as to why lifanuv is found in our verse:

Ya’akov Avinu is the root and basis of Kenesset Yisrael (the entire Jewish people) and all generations that descend from him. [Consequently,] all his actions and endeavors that are written in the Torah, everything he said to Eisav, including his words of reconciliation and appeasement, the submissive stance he adopted toward him, the messengers that he sent, and the precise words he commanded them to say, without question, have ramifications far beyond Ya’akov’s personal and immediate needs, and those of the Twelve Tribes: Ya’akov’s intention was to establish [the correct way of responding to our adversaries] for all future generations to come, up to and including the arrival of the Mashiach. (Torat Emet, Sefer Bereishit, Parashat Vayishlach, this and the following translation my own)
 
At this juncture, the Apter Rav expands upon the essence of Ya’akov’s objective:

The way he [Ya’akov] sent messengers to Eisav, and how he attempted to mollify and reconcile with him through his gift giving, is efficacious for all time — whenever nations will intensify their efforts against us and embitter our lives. During those periods, the messengers that Ya’akov sent will rise once again on our behalf. This refers to actual angels …. They will placate and silence Eisav and remove all accusers from upon us.
 
The Apter Rav explains that not only did Ya’akov Avinu model the exact behaviors we should follow to deal with the many Eisavs we would encounter throughout Jewish history, he guaranteed that we will never be alone, as “the messengers [he] sent will rise once again on our behalf:”

Ya’akov charged the angels with the permanent mission to encounter Eisav whenever “he” will desire to wreck misery upon the Jewish people. Ya’akov had this ability, as they [the Jewish people] are ever intertwined with his spiritual power, since all Kenesset Yisrael descends from him. This is the case even though the Jewish people were not yet extant and only existed in potential, nonetheless, he was able to [protect his future descendants through the agency of the malachim]. This, then, is why the Torah wrote, “lifanuv,” with the connotation of lifnei hadavar hahu (before the matter had come to pass), for even though the Jewish people did not yet exist, Ya’akov provided the us with the refuah to respond, and put an end, to all accusers that would rise against us.
 
I believe that the Apter Rav’s analysis of lifanuv is an exegetical tour de force that can provide hope and light during the dark moments when our enemies contrive against us. As Ya’akov’s spiritual heirs, we are certain that he will ever watch over us and send forth malachim to protect us.
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will no longer have to contend with those who seek our very destruction. For on that day, “Hashem will be one, and His Name one.” (Sefer Zechariah 14:9)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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