RABBI DAVID ETENGOFF: PARASHAT HASHAVUAH
  • Blog: Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat HaShavuah
  • Sefer Bereishit 5784&5785
  • Sefer Shemot 5784&5785
  • Sefer Vayikra 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5784 &5785
  • Sefer Devarim 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bereishit 5782&5783
  • Sefer Shemot 5782&5783
  • Sefer Vayikra 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5782&5783
  • Sefer Devarim 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bereishit 5780& 5781
  • Sefer Shemot 5780&5781
  • Sefer Vayikra 5780&5781
  • Sefer Bamidbar 578&5781
  • Sefer Devarim 578&5781
  • Sefer Bereishit 5778&5779
  • Sefer Shemot 5778&5779
  • Sefer Vayikra 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5778&5779
  • Sefer Devarim 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bereishit 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bereishit 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bereishit 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bereishit 5771&5770
  • Sefer Shemot 5776&5777
  • Sefer Shemot 5774&5775
  • Sefer Shemot 5772&5773
  • Sefer Shemot 5771&5770
  • Sefer Vayikra 5776&5777
  • Sefer Vayikra 5774&5775
  • Sefer Vayikra 5772&5773
  • Sefer Vayikra 5771&5770
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5771&5770
  • Sefer Devarim 5776&5777
  • Sefer Devarim 5774&5775
  • Sefer Devarim 5772&5773
  • Sefer Devarim 5771&5770

12/4/2017

Parashat Vayashev 5778, 2017: "To Live to Serve Hashem"

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina and Chaya Mindel bat Leah Basha, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha begins with the pasuk (verse): “Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan.” (Sefer Bereishit 37:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) At first glance, it appears to be redundant, since two chapters earlier, the Torah presented a number of pasukim that clearly indicate that Jacob was, indeed, “in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan.” For example:

And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan that is Beth E-l, he and all the people who were with him. (35:6)
 
And it came to pass when Israel dwelt in that land… (35:22)
 
And Jacob came to his father Isaac, to Mamre, Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac dwelt. (35:27)
 
One of the meta-principles of classic Torah exegesis is the singular import of every letter, word and pasuk. Therefore, each verse is deemed vitally necessary – even when its significance initially eludes us. As such, it is incumbent upon us to ask, “Why does the Torah tell us once again: ‘Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan?’”
 
As in many matters of this nature, Rashi (1040-1105) offers us deep insights into “the story behind the story.” In one of his Midrashically-based comments on the second verse of our parasha, Rashi refers to the word “dwelt” from our verse, and helps us understand its inclusion in the Torah:

It is further expounded upon [as follows]: “Dwelt” When Jacob sought to dwell in tranquility, the troubles of Joseph sprang upon him. The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “What is prepared for the righteous in the world to come [i.e. great reward] is not sufficient for them! They seek [as well] to dwell in tranquility in this world!” (Brackets my own)
 
Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi (1450-1526), known as “the Mizrachi,” reminds us in his explication of Rashi’s gloss that there were a number of other desperate scenarios that Jacob faced prior to Joseph’s tragic sale by his brothers: his wrenching time with Laban, the trials and tribulations of his physical journey from Haran, his visceral fear of Laban and Esau, his abject consternation for Dinah following Schechem’s outrageous act, and his depth-level trepidation that the nations surrounding the town of Shechem would launch an attack against his family in retribution for Simeon and Levi’s sacking of the town and the murder of its male inhabitants. Beyond a doubt, rather than finding the tranquility he sought, Jacob encountered trial after trial.
 
Rabbi Moses Sofer (1762-1839), known as “the Chatam Sofer,” asks a very straightforward question regarding Rashi’s comment:

Is it not the case that the Holy One is good and seeks to bring about good (tov u’mativ) [to His creations?] If so, why would He be so strongly opposed (literally, “hate”) to righteous individuals benefitting from both worlds [i.e. this world and the world to come]? (Torat Moshe, Parashat Vayashev, translation and brackets my own)
 
While the Chatam Sofer offers a variety of responses to his question, I believe his son, Rabbi Abraham Samuel Benjamin Sofer (1815-1871), known as “the Katav Sofer,” provides one of the best approaches to answering his father’s question. He begins by noting that Rashi changed the text of Midrash Rabbah, Bereshit 64:1. Therein, it was Satan (i.e. the evil inclination), and not Hashem as in Rashi’s text, who declares: “What is prepared for the righteous in the world to come [i.e. great reward] is not sufficient for them! They seek [as well] to dwell in tranquility in this world!” In addition, the Katav Sofer emphasizes that the Midrash, unlike Rashi’s version, includes two references to dwelling in tranquility: “When the righteous dwell in tranquility (sh’yoshvim b’shalvah), and seek to continue to dwell in serenity (u’mevakshim leishav b’shalvah) in this world (b’olam hazeh) …”
 
The Katav Sofer now asks two questions regarding the original text of the Midrash: “What is the difference between the terms ‘sh’yoshvim b’shalvah’ and ‘u’mevakshim leishav b’shalvah,’ and why is the obvious phrase, ‘b’olam hazeh,’ used. After all, where else could it be?” (All translations my own)  He suggests that the reason why tzadikim desire to live in peace and harmony is to avoid the misery associated with poverty. Additionally:

This is in order [to give them the freedom to live life in a normal fashion] so that they will not be prevented from preparing themselves for life in the World to Come. As our Sages stated in Pirkei Avot: “If there is no flour [sufficient food,] there can be no Torah.” (3:17) This concept is found, as well, in the words of King David, peace be upon him, who said: “May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the L-rd forever more.” (Sefer Tehillim 23:6)
 
Seeking this level of parnasah is totally acceptable and exemplifies the idea of “dwelling in tranquility.” According to the Katav Sofer, however, if tzadikim have achieved this status and then u’mevakshim leishav b’shalvah, i.e. seek even greater pleasures in this world, there is a serious problem, for the pursuit of mere self-gratification leads one “to legitimately fear that as a result of the bounty that a tzadik has received he will, G-d forbid, [ultimately] reject Hashem.” As the Torah testifies: “And Jeshurun (i.e. the Jewish people) became fat (rich) and rebelled; you grew fat, thick and rotund; [Israel] forsook the G-d Who made them, and spurned the [Mighty] Rock of their salvation.” (Sefer Devarim 32:15)
 
At this juncture, the Katav Sofer recapitulates his thoughts and, in so doing, explicates the inherent meaning of the original Midrashic text:

In sum: “When the righteous dwell in tranquility and seek to continue to dwell in serenity in this world (b’olam hazeh) …,” for the purpose of this world (olam hazeh), rather than to perfect their souls in the World to Come, then the Satan will, indeed, come and criticize them by proclaiming: “What is prepared for the righteous in the world to come is not sufficient for them! Therefore, they desire to dwell in tranquility in this world for the wrong reasons! Instead of preparing themselves for the World to Come, they pursue hedonistic pleasures in this world – solely for the sake of this world!”
 
In sum, if tzadikim pursue hedonistic goals in this world, they will be unable to sufficiently focus their energies on perfecting their spiritual being.
 
The Katav Sofer’s words are clearly focused upon the tzadikim of the world. I believe, however, that they are deeply relevant for us all. Long ago King Solomon declared: “Whoever loves silver will not be sated with silver…” (Sefer Kohelet 5:9)  Our Sages followed his lead and proclaimed:
​
Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot. As is stated: “If you eat of the toil of your hands, fortunate are you, and good is it to you;” “fortunate are you” in this world, “and good is it to you” in the World to Come.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1, translation, Rabbi Yosef Marcus)
 
With Hashem’s great kindness, may we be zocheh (merit) to live lives that reflect the wisdom of King Solomon and the powerful insight of our Sages, so that we, too, may live in tranquility in this world as dedicated servants of the Almighty. 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 of 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 for Women 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.

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Author

    Talmid of Rabbi Soloveitchik zatzal

    Categories

    All
    Parashat Hashavuah

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog: Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat HaShavuah
  • Sefer Bereishit 5784&5785
  • Sefer Shemot 5784&5785
  • Sefer Vayikra 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5784 &5785
  • Sefer Devarim 5784&5785
  • Sefer Bereishit 5782&5783
  • Sefer Shemot 5782&5783
  • Sefer Vayikra 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5782&5783
  • Sefer Devarim 5782&5783
  • Sefer Bereishit 5780& 5781
  • Sefer Shemot 5780&5781
  • Sefer Vayikra 5780&5781
  • Sefer Bamidbar 578&5781
  • Sefer Devarim 578&5781
  • Sefer Bereishit 5778&5779
  • Sefer Shemot 5778&5779
  • Sefer Vayikra 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5778&5779
  • Sefer Devarim 5778&5779
  • Sefer Bereishit 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bereishit 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bereishit 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bereishit 5771&5770
  • Sefer Shemot 5776&5777
  • Sefer Shemot 5774&5775
  • Sefer Shemot 5772&5773
  • Sefer Shemot 5771&5770
  • Sefer Vayikra 5776&5777
  • Sefer Vayikra 5774&5775
  • Sefer Vayikra 5772&5773
  • Sefer Vayikra 5771&5770
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5776&5777
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5774&5775
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5772&5773
  • Sefer Bamidbar 5771&5770
  • Sefer Devarim 5776&5777
  • Sefer Devarim 5774&5775
  • Sefer Devarim 5772&5773
  • Sefer Devarim 5771&5770