Towards the end of the parsha, Yosef Hatzadik finds himself in a hopeless situation, having been in prison for ten years with no prospect of freedom. At that point occurs the incident of the interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s ministers which begins the process of his meteoric
Read more →The Parsha begins with an account of the deterioration of the relationship between Yosef and his brothers. Yosef’s two dreams played a very significant part in the increasing resentment of the brothers towards him. Close analysis of the dreams can provide us with more insight into how they caused
Read more →“And Yosef dreamt a dream, which he told to his brothers, and they hated him even more. And he said to them, ‘please hear the dream that I dreamt: ‘Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, when, behold, my sheaf arose and also stood; then behold,
Read more →Breishit 32 Going Down to Go Up: Yehuda & the Roots of Meshiach (Ch. 38-9) Ask: Who here would like to be meshiach, if they could? (Everyone should raise their hand; if not, prompt them further by asking: who here would like to be the one to fix up
Read more →Yaakov had twelve sons, and they were all righteous. Because of this, his children could be the foundation of the Jewish nation. But two of his sons were greater than the others. Yehuda was the leader of the brothers. His greatness was shown by his ability to
Read more →Breishit 31 The Selling of Yosef (Ch. 37:1-36) One of the proofs that the Torah is really a book from G-d is called the psychological proof. The basis of it is that certain sections of the Torah would not have been written by human beings trying to promote a
Read more →Yaakov’s Shalva Rashi brings the Chazal that Yaakov wanted to sit b’shalva, kafatz alav rugzo shel Yosef. What was the chisaron of Yaakov’s avoda? Surely, all Yaakov desired was the freedom from problems or distractions that would take away from his Avodas Hashem. Why is Kavayachol so
Read more →Introduction to Torah Study I. Life is for pleasure It’s a principle of Jewish understanding that G-d created us because He wanted to give us pleasure.Illustration: All that one wants for his children is that they should live rich and happy lives, filled with joy. At the same
Read more →37:3 Rashi brings from Onkeles that “the child of his old age” meant that Yaakov taught Yosef the Torah he had learnt at the yeshiva of Shem and Ever. Onkelos explains this to answer the difficulty that really Binyamin was the child of Yaakov’s old age and not Yosef. For this reason the brothers were jealous of Yosef. If he had been the real “ben zkoonim” then it
Read more →Based on Rav Noach Weinberg Yaakov achieved the status of prophecy. He therefore must have realized that openly favoring Yosef would lead to jealousy. Why then did he outwardly favor Yosef? Avraham and Yitzchak both favored one of their sons. Why is Yaakov the only one of
Read more →Based on Rav Noah Weinberg The unity and harmony of the Jewish people are central themes in this week’s Torah portion. From it, we learn the important lesson of when and how we should judge our fellow man. In the beginning, we are introduced to Joseph and
Read more →The parsha begins with Yosef revealing himself to his brothers; he informs them that they need not feel guilty for what they had one because Hashem was guiding the course of events that brought them to this incredible situation. “G-d has sent me ahead of you to insure
Read more →Breishit 36 Yehuda & Yosef: A Taste of Judgment Day (44:18—45) Ask: If you could schedule a personal appointment with G-d, would you do it? The only condition is that G-d is going to be completely honest with you—He’ll tell you exactly what you did right and what you
Read more →The Secret of Jewish Survival By Rabbi Bourch Leff Throughout the ages, many have been amazed at the Jewish nation’s survival. Faced with a history of suffering, sorrow, and persecution, Jews have met adversity with strong resilience and fortitude. What is our secret? How have we maintained
Read more →We left Yoseph in Egypt where he was sold into slavery and then was falsely accused of impropriety with Potifore’s wife. He was thrown in jail where he becomes a treasured worker and manager.There he meets and interprets the dreams of two prisoners who Pharaoh had sent
Read more →VaYigash Yehuda The Rosh Yeshiva ZTL would use this pasuk as an example of how we have to learn Chumash with the same depth as we learn Gemara. Yehuda is in the middle of a conversation with Yosef so obviously Yosef hears him. Yet, Yehuda comes closer
Read more →44:18 Rav K. brings the words of Rashi on the verse and asks that the simple idea of the verse – “you are important in my eyes as a king” – and the deeper meaning (the drash) – “if you provoke me, I will kill you and Pharoah” – are in direct
Read more →Based on Rav Noah Weinberg Joseph and his brothers seem to be reconciled at last. But is this true brotherhood? Sadly it is not. Yes, in the past three Torah portions we have seen both sides make great strides, but there is a message in what was
Read more →Introduction to Torah Study I. Life is for pleasure Tell your class: “It is a principle of Jewish understanding that G-d created us because He wanted to give us pleasure. Illustration: When you have children you’ll see, or if you already have children you know that all
Read more →Introduction to Torah Study I. Life is for pleasure Tell your class: “It is a principle of Jewish understanding that G-d created us because He wanted to give us pleasure. Illustration: When you have children you’ll see, or if you already have children you know that all
Read more →Adam and Eve are in a difficult situation. They know they were created to have free will. But free will only comes when you have desires that cause a lack of clarity, which allows you to choose between good and evil. Adam and Eve have their desires
Read more →Adam & Eve: Is Too Much Knowledge a Dangerous Thing? (2:4 – 3:24) In the story of creation, the Torah tells us that G-d created us to give us a gift. So why is life the way it is? Shouldn’t a world created by G-d to give
Read more →Sefer Bereishis culminates with the eternal brachos that Yaakov Avinu bestowed on his sons. Each son received a unique bracho which catered exactly to his talents and needs. At the end of the brachos the Torah states that Yaakov blessed them again. What was this new bracho? Rashi explains that with
Read more →Rabbi Yehoshua Eliyohu Berman Parsha Questions/Riddles – Vayechi 1) From where do we see that one must be realistic in their expectations when making requests of others? In 47:29 it says that Ya’akov Avinu (our forefather) requested of his son Yoseif to ensure that he would be
Read more →Big Tips and Dead Batteries Rabbi Simcha Barnett My car wouldn’t start the other day and I had to call AAA to give me a boost. I was pretty grateful that the car and the battery were fine and I gave the young man a tip for his
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