Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Ezra HaSofer (5th century BCE) was a great leader of the Jewish people. One of his most significant achievements was the establishment of the exact format in which a Sefer Torah must be written. Our parasha contains an outstanding example of his handiwork. At the beginning of all other parshiot in a Sefer Torah, one can clearly see that a new Torah portion is about to begin. This is not the case in our sidrah (please see image at the end of this d’var Torah), which leads Midrash Bereishit Rabbah and Rashi zatzal (1040-1105) to ask: “lamah parasha zu satumah—why is this Torah portion completely closed?” In his gloss on Rashi’s Torah commentary, Rabbi Shabbeti Bass zatzal (1641-1718) offers this analysis of the midrash’s question:

That is to say, we have a tradition from Ezra the Scribe, may he rest in peace, that Parashat Vayechi [beginning with the word “vayechi” itself] is the beginning of an entirely new section and not conjoined to the preceding parasha [that concludes] with the verse “vayeshev Yisrael…” [Parashat Vayechi, however,] does not follow the standard form of a parasha satumah, since [such a section normally has a blank space in front of it] that equals the size of nine letters, yet, in our case, the entire beginning of the parasha is totally closed without any space whatsoever. (Siftei Chakhamim, Sefer Bereishit 47:28, translation my own)
 
Although Midrash Bereishit Rabbah offers three answers to its question, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz zatzal (1550-1619), summarily rejects each of them and states: “It certainly appears that there is no support whatsoever of the Torah’s text for any of these interpretations; consequently, they are like false prophecies.” (Sefer Kli Yakar, Parashat Vayechi 47:28, this and the following translations my own). This leads him to suggest that even though Parashat Vayechi and Parashat Vayigash are two separate parshiot, it is:

…incontrovertibly the case that Ezra the Scribe’s intention [in writing Parashat Vayechi completely satumah] was to have the verse beginning with vayechi juxtaposed to the preceding verse [from Parashat Vayigash] in order for the two pasukim to be read as: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, and they acquired property in it, and they were prolific and multiplied greatly. And Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years…” as if they were actually one verse. (47:27-28, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, Kli Yakar translations my own)
 
At this juncture, Rav Luntschitz utilizes this “extended verse” concept to revisit and reinterpret the first answer Midrash Bereishit Rabbah provides to the question, “lamah parasha zu satumah?” namely, “when Ya’akov died, shibud Mitzrayim (Egyptian servitude) began.” In so doing, he offers two approaches for understanding the relationship between Ya’akov’s death and the onset of the shibud:

Initially the text states, “And Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years,” and teaches us through the utilization of the word, “vayeshev,” that the Jews at that time dwelt in peace and tranquility, so much so that they were able to acquire significant landholdings in Egypt and greatly expand their population. All of this took place during the time of, “and Ya’akov lived,” for during his lifetime each member of the Jewish community directly benefitted from zechut Ya’akov. From here we may infer that his zechut ceased upon his death, and so, too, all the positive outcomes it had engendered... And, according to this line of thought, Ya’akov’s death precipitated the onset of the Egyptian servitude.
 
In sum, according to this view, Ya’akov’s death ended the golden age described in 47:27-28, when our forebears “dwelt in peace and tranquility.” In addition, the fledgling Jewish people ceased to be landowners and became enslaved to the Egyptians who embittered their lives. As such, Ya’akov’s death precipitated shibud Mitzrayim.
 
The Kli Yakar takes the polar opposite tact in his second analysis of the juxtaposition of the last verse of Parashat Vayigash and the first pasuk of our parasha. In this scenario, rather than Ya’akov’s death triggering shibud Mitzrayim, shibud Mitzrayim led to Ya’akov’s death:
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And it is possible to say exactly the opposite, namely, the beginning of the servitude was the reason for his death, as the Holy One blessed be He shortened the years of his life so that he did not live as long as his fathers in order for him to be spared seeing his children in bondage, for the time had now arrived [as foretold to Avraham] of “and they will enslave and oppress them for four hundred years.” (Sefer Bereishit 15:13) 
 
I believe the Kli Yakar is suggesting something quite fascinating regarding Ya’akov Avinu’s persona. Our standard perception of Ya’akov is an ish tam yosheiv ohelim (Sefer Bereishit 25:27) who represented the highest heights of truth, as we find in the celebrated verse: “Tetane emet l’Ya’akov-You shall give the truth of Ya’akov, the loving-kindness of Avraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore.” (Sefer Michah 7:20) Little wonder, then, that we often overlook the emotional sensitivities with which Ya’akov was infused. The Kli Yakar, however, fully embraces this idea and teaches us that Ya’akov was simply incapable of seeing his children suffer in abject slavery. As a result, the Master of the Universe mercifully allowed him to die before his time in order to spare him the pain of such heart-wrenching scenes. In a very real sense, we can now understand why Ya’akov was the perfect husband for Rachale, for they were united in their empathy for the Jewish people. As the pasuk states: “So says Hashem: ‘A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter cries, Rachale, weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are no more.’” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 31:14, translation with my emendations)
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when Rachale will no longer weep for her beloved children, and Ya’akov will no longer fear for our physical and spiritual welfare. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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.
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Our parasha begins with the dramatic encounter between Yehudah and Yosef: “Vayigash aluv—then Yehudah approached him [Yosef]...” Like many verses in Tanach, these words conceal far more than they reveal. At this moment, Yehudah is the spokesman for his family, whereas Yosef, unbeknownst to his brothers, is the second-in-command of Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. This asymmetrical power dynamic, however, undergoes a radical shift in the succeeding millennia of Jewish history, since it is Yehudah’s descendants that are destined to be the kings of Israel, rather than Yosef’s.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, notes that “Joseph wanted to be king, to combine political and economic power with spiritual leadership. He dreamt of sheaves and he also dreamt of stars.” In contrast, “Judah was not a dreamer. Yet, apparently there was something in his personality which commanded respect and obedience…And now Judah is in the forefront; he is the one who argues with Joseph…He was a very strong and powerful personality who radiated authority.” (This and the following quotations, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses, David Shatz, Joel B. Wolowelsky, and Reuven Ziegler editors, page 40)
 
Why did Hashem choose Yehudah over Yosef to lead the Jewish people? After all, Yosef would seem to have been the “natural choice,” since he, rather than Yehudah, was well-practiced in all aspects of social and political leadership. According to the Rav, in order to better understand Hashem’s choice, we must analyze the dual nature of the covenantal community, and the vast differences that obtained between Leah and Rachel:

The covenantal community that God established with Abraham displayed two characteristic moral streaks, two tendencies which prima facie are contradictory and mutually exclusive. First, the covenantal community does not shrink from power…Without power one cannot be majestic and dignified. Majesty and dignity are not sinful, they are moral virtues.
 
The pursuit of power in the service of majesty and dignity is counterbalanced by the second constitutive element of the covenantal community, namely, sacrificial action:

…the covenantal community displays another trait as well: sacrificial action, the ability to give away and to renounce basic inalienable rights for the sake of a great vision, an ideal, or for the benefit of another human being or community…Covenantal man knows when to act like a warrior—majestic, dignified and proud—and when to part with everything he has. (Pages 41-42)
 
In the Rav’s estimation, these two essential qualities of the covenantal community were embodied by Leah and Rachel:

Leah and Rachel were not merely people. Leah was the personification of middat ha-gevurah, of dignity and majesty…She symbolized the strength of Jewish character and the unshakable will of the Jew throughout the ages and millennia. It is because of that persistence, that stubbornness and tenacity, that we still remain a living people after thirty-five hundred years of persecution and massacres. (Page 43)
 
While Leah exemplified dignity and majesty, Rachel epitomized great sacrificial action:

Rachel is the opposite of Leah. She is the tragic heroine who lives for others and not for herself. She gave up her most precious possessions and her elementary rights in order to make it possible for others to find the happiness denied them…She helped her sister take Jacob away from herself. She brushed aside all her own hopes and cherished wishes because her sister was also entitled to the same happiness which Providence had showered upon her, but denied to her sister. (Page 44)
 
As in so much of the Rav’s writing, Leah and Rachel are presented as nearly pure archetypes. Within this conceptual construct, Leah is gevurah and Rachel is tzimtzum (withdrawal) and sacrificial action. Fascinatingly for the Rav, each mother endows their respective sons (in this instance, Yehudah and Yosef) with their most powerful personality trait: “Leah represented gevurah, and Judah was a son of Leah. Judah’s personality radiated power, authority, and prestige…Judah is self-asserting, valiant, and fearless; he personifies dignity and majesty.” In stark contrast:

Joseph was the son of Rachel, to whom was assigned a mission to sacrifice, to retreat from positions won with blood and tears…He retreated many times, thus sacrificing himself, but his real sacrifice was the way he treated his brothers when they were at his mercy: “Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here” (Sefer Bereishit 45:5)  He was not the least bit vindictive.
 
The Rav now explains how Yosef could have acted in a way that was “mevatel et atzmo,” that is, he all but nullified himself before his brothers:

Only a son of Rachel could have done that. Only the son of Rachel, who had sacrificed her love for Leah’s sake, could down-grade his own self and offer friendship and kindness to his brothers who were responsible for all the misery and agony he had experienced. Joseph was the representative of hesed (kindness) and kedushah (holiness, page 45).
 
We are now ready to ask our question once again, “Why did Hashem choose Yehudah over Yosef to lead the Jewish people?” The Rav formulated this question, and its answer, in the following manner:
​
Who then should be the king: the representative of gevurah or the representative of hesed and kedushah? The problem was submitted to the Almighty, and He decided in favor of gevurah. The king is the trustee and the leader of the people; he must possess all facets of gevurah: the ability to acquire, to defend, to possess and to protect. Sacrificial life is good as far as the individual is concerned. But the king cannot be a sacrificial type at the expense of the nation. (Page 45)
 
Based upon the Rav’s trenchant analysis, we are in a much better position to understand Hashem’s choice of the tribe of Yehudah for kingship, and ultimately, messianic leadership. Yehudah, like his mother Leah, is gevurah, whereas Yosef, like his mother Rachel, is tzimtzum, hesed, and kedushah. Our kings must represent the highest aspects of gevurah if they are to lead and protect; and only Yehudah could fulfill this role.
 
May the time come soon and, in our days, when we will witness the return of our nation’s kingship in the person of the Mashiach, and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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.

​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Who was Yosef? While some reinterpret the direct meaning of the text and teach us that Yosef was always Yosef HaTzaddik (Yosef the Righteous), a straightforward analysis of the beginning of Parashat Vayashev simply does not support this interpretation. Rashi (1040-1105) quotes the Midrash Bereishit Rabbah (84:7) on Bereishit 37:2 on the words: “v’hu na’ar—and he was a young boy” and says: “that he [Yosef] practiced babyish actions such as primping his hair and using eye shadow in order to beautify himself.” As the Midrash notes, these certainly were not the actions of a 17-year-old young man. Instead, they were the behaviors of a vain and self-indulgent individual. Clearly, at this point in the Torah’s narrative, Yosef is someone other than a tzaddik.
 
Subsequently, our parasha reveals Yosef’s authentic self, and the basis for his descriptive name, Yosef HaTzaddik. Pharaoh had two very disturbing dreams that defied interpretation. He was beside himself with anxiety and mental anguish. Out of abject desperation, Pharaoh retold his dreams to his confidants and magicians whose analyses failed to comfort him. In a moment of high drama, his cupbearer declared that he remembered a dream interpreter who had been in prison with him who accurately explained dreams. He described him as a “na’ar,” an “ivri,” and an “eved”— a mere youth, a stranger and a slave. In short, Yosef was on the lowest rung of Egyptian society and hardly worth mentioning. Yet, as Hippocrates (460-370 BCE) said so long ago: “desperate times call for desperate measures,” and the cupbearer nonetheless shared this information. His goal, of course, was to curry favor in Pharaoh’s eyes. Little did he know, however, that he would begin the great chain of events that would eventuate in Ya’akov and his sons coming to Egypt, Yetziat Mitzraim, Kabbalat HaTorah, and, ultimately, the fulfillment of Judaism’s messianic vision.
 
Yosef was summoned from his pit and prison of despair. He shaved, changed his clothes and came before Pharaoh, the most powerful man on the planet. Pharaoh told Yosef that he had heard he was capable of accurate dream analysis. Let us think for a moment as to how most of us would have responded to the all-powerful ruler at this time. We probably would have said: “Yes, I can interpret dreams very well. In fact, your majesty, I haven’t been wrong yet. I have a gift that is at your service. What did Pharaoh dream? Allow me to interpret its meaning.” Instead, in perhaps his finest moment, Yosef was transformed into “Yosef HaTzaddik” and declared to Pharaoh: “Bil’adai, Elokim ya’aneh et shalom Pharaoh—it is not through my wisdom [Onkelos] that I shall interpret your dreams; God will provide an answer that will bring peace to Pharaoh.” In one fell swoop, Yosef was transformed into one of the greatest figures in Jewish history. Instead of responding to Pharaoh in an arrogant and self-serving manner, he presented himself as the humble servant of the Ribono shel Olam and the mere conduit through whom Hashem’s dream interpretations flowed. Yosef’s humility proved him to be a true son of Ya’akov Avinu, and one who was worthy of the mantle of leadership that would soon be placed upon his shoulders.
 
I believe that Yosef’s behavior informs us how we can best serve Hashem. Moreover, and much later on in Jewish history, the ethical underpinning of these actions was given powerful voice by the Michah the Prophet when he famously declared: “He has told you, O’ man, what is good, and what Hashem demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Sefer Michah 6:8, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) With the Almighty’s help, may we ever strive to emulate Yosef’s humility and declare as one, “Bil’adai!”
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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.
 

 













Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Al HaNissim is recited in the Shemoneh Esrai and Birkat Hamazon on the two rabbinically-enacted chagim of Chanukah and Purim. Chanukah’s version contains the expression “am’echa Yisrael—Your people, Israel.” We are no strangers to this term, since it is found in Tefilat Minchah for Shabbat: “Atah echad v’shimchah echad, u’mi k’am’echa Yisrael, You are one and Your essence is one, and who may be compared to Your people Israel?” Yet, what does it really mean to be Hashem’s people?”
 
We are fortunate that my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, analyzed our expression in a public lecture delivered in Boston on December 18, 1971. (The following quotes are based upon my partial transcription of the shiur.) The Rav notes that am’echa Yisrael first and foremost means “we belong to Thee, even when we go astray, [and that] we are still committed to Thee even when we are guilty of certain offenses and certain sins.”
 
The Rav continues the theme of the inextricable link that eternally joins our people to the Master of the Universe by noting, “in am’echa what comes to expression is the old idea, ‘Yisrael af al pi sh’chata Yisrael hu’—A Jew, even when he sins, remains a Jew.” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 44a) The Rav analyzes it by first asking, “What did Chazal want to express through this expression?” His answer helps us understand the genuine meaning of “am’echa Yisrael:”

It means that there is an eternal commitment in the Jew to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Sometimes it is a conscious commitment, sometimes it is a non-conscious commitment, but there is a commitment…[and] that commitment is like a load resting upon the frail shoulders of every Jew…He might fight this commitment, he might hate this commitment —but there is a commitment on the part of every Jew.
 
For the Rav, am’echa Yisrael means that there is “compulsory belonging on the part of the Jew to God—willy-nilly he belongs to Him.” At this juncture, the Rav notes that we learn from the writings of Chabad that “the Jew has a natural love for God, an ahavah tevayit— whether he wants to love God, or does not want to love God.” This is based on “an instinctual drive, an urge to find God that is in the Jew.” As the founder of Chabad Chasidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi zatzal (1745-1812) states in Tanya, I:19, “There is an “ahavah tevayit of the divine soul that is found in all Jews, the intrinsic desire and will to be attached to its origin and source in the light of the Ein Sof (He who is without end).” For the Rav, the Jewish people’s natural love of, and search for, Hashem reflects the very essence of our being and thereby represents what it ultimately means to be am’echa Yisrael.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we be zocheh to ever express our ahavah tevayit for Him as we continue our life-long journey to stand before His holy presence. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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.