This week's parsha
Unless otherwise noted, "This week's Parsha" comprises articles taken from contributors to the Chabad.org website. We show the original author's name here, so that proper attribution is given. For the sake of brevity, footnotes cited in the original author's writings are omitted from this website. If you need to see the citations, please refer to the original articles on the Chabad.org website.
Joseph, my son, still lives
This week's parshah relates how Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and was reunited with them.
It is stated in last week's parshah that when the brothers had first come to Egypt and had met Joseph, "Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him." Why did the brothers fail to recognize Joseph? The simple explanation is that many years had elapsed since they had last seen him. They had left him an unbearded young man, and now he was a fully-bearded adult.
Chassidism offers a different interpretation of the verse. The sons of Jacob had all chosen to be shepherds -- a quiet and peaceful occupation. Out in the fields, tending their flocks, they had little contact with the social life of the country and were undisturbed in their service of G-d, in their worship and study. The brothers of Joseph felt it necessary to select an occupation which would facilitate their leading a G-d-fearing life. They did not wish to live in an environment that would place temptations in their chosen path.
It is stated in last week's parshah that when the brothers had first come to Egypt and had met Joseph, "Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him." Why did the brothers fail to recognize Joseph? The simple explanation is that many years had elapsed since they had last seen him. They had left him an unbearded young man, and now he was a fully-bearded adult.
Chassidism offers a different interpretation of the verse. The sons of Jacob had all chosen to be shepherds -- a quiet and peaceful occupation. Out in the fields, tending their flocks, they had little contact with the social life of the country and were undisturbed in their service of G-d, in their worship and study. The brothers of Joseph felt it necessary to select an occupation which would facilitate their leading a G-d-fearing life. They did not wish to live in an environment that would place temptations in their chosen path.
Responsibility for the World
A situation which has occurred many times in the history of the Jewish people: the non-Jewish ruling power appoints a wise Jew to a senior position as advisor or administrator. This week's Torah reading, Mikeitz, tells of the appointment of Joseph as Viceroy of Egypt, in charge of storing and distributing grain.
Later in the Bible, the Book of Daniel tells of a plan by the ruler of Babylon to have a group of Jewish children brought up in the palace. His idea was that they would become a group of Jewish advisors helping him to run the country. Daniel himself was the foremost of this group.
Jews often held such positions in medieval Spain. One example among many is "Samuel the Prince," who was aide to the ruler of Granada in the l1th century. Samuel was a general of an army, and also wrote an introduction to the method of the Talmud, which is printed in the standard edition.
Later in the Bible, the Book of Daniel tells of a plan by the ruler of Babylon to have a group of Jewish children brought up in the palace. His idea was that they would become a group of Jewish advisors helping him to run the country. Daniel himself was the foremost of this group.
Jews often held such positions in medieval Spain. One example among many is "Samuel the Prince," who was aide to the ruler of Granada in the l1th century. Samuel was a general of an army, and also wrote an introduction to the method of the Talmud, which is printed in the standard edition.
Up The Mountain
In the Parshah of Vayeishev we read how Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, was informed that Judah was about to come to the town of Timna to shear his sheep. In the words of the Torah: "And it was related to Tamar saying: 'Behold, your father-in-law is coming up to Timna to shear his flocks.'"
The Torah does not detail the nature of a person's going and coming if not absolutely germane to the content of the narrative. For example, though Abraham was taking his son Isaac up a mountain (in the story of the Akeda) the verse simply says "And he went to the place etc." and again "And he came to the place." Why then, does the verse specify the ascent, " ...is coming up to Timna..." in the story of Tamar?
The Torah does not detail the nature of a person's going and coming if not absolutely germane to the content of the narrative. For example, though Abraham was taking his son Isaac up a mountain (in the story of the Akeda) the verse simply says "And he went to the place etc." and again "And he came to the place." Why then, does the verse specify the ascent, " ...is coming up to Timna..." in the story of Tamar?
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