Insights into Parshat Vayigash by Mr. Itamar Lustiger of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

“The Main thing, is to keep the main thing the main thing”
-Stephen Covey

The life of a 21st century Jew living in galut is a fascinating and multifaceted existence- exalted and optimistic at times, harrowing and confusing at others. As we strive to truly be a source of light unto the world and Hashem, occasionally negativity seeps in and we find ourselves lost in a dark forest, our lantern flickering precariously in the wind.

As the Kedushat Levi says, whenever one wants to learn about the archetype of a certain event/emotion they should look for the first time it appears in the Torah, and in our Parsha we are met with the first exile, our first galut. The Torah, being the everlasting guide and premier advice book in our lives, offers us a full proof hashkafa one can use throughout the long and sometimes pitch-black galut we find ourselves amidst.

As Yehuda approaches one of the leaders of Egypt, his brother Yosef, he recounts the story, almost verbatim, that occurred up until the present moment. “Adoni Sha’al et avadav lemor ‘Hayesh lachem av o ach.’ Vanomer el adoni ‘Yesh lanu av zaken, veyeld zekunim…’-My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young child of his old age(44:19-20).” Rav Soloveitchik quoted in the name of his beloved childhood rebbe, a Chabadnik, a simple and novel question: Is the formulation of this pasuk not strange? What did Yosef mean when he asked this question? Of course they have a father! Everyone has a father! Yosef should’ve said “Is your father still alive,” if that’s what he was interested in discovering! It is with this question that the Rav address how one lives in galut…

“Hayesh lachem av- Do you have a father,” was not merely a question that searched for an informative answer, it was a question to the very core, the very soul of the brothers. Yosef understood this was the beginning of a long exile, and it warranted the very important question: “Do you have a father?!” Do you live by his ideals? Do you respect his values? Or are you just a “New generation” more advanced and closed to the wisdom of old. Yosef was asking quite simply: Do you remember where you come from?

This question is not only asked in regards to Ya’akov, but in regards to Hashem as well! Do we, have a Father? Are we connected to Him? Do we keep Hashem at the focus of our lives? The “Main Thing?” It is only with this mentality that we, the shevatim can answer affirmatively: “Yesh lanu av zaken-We have an old (wise) father, Veyeled zekunim katan- and a young, vivacious, outgoing, and optimistic brother.” The brothers understood that the only way they could continue to have a future, to have ketanim, is to look back and understand where they came from. It is with this outlook of the shevatim that we, in the year 5774, can approach galut.

This message is eternally true, and is a profoundly significant outlook on life. It is only when we put Hashem at the forefront, when we place our culture, our history at the focal point that we can beat the galut of yavan, the darkness of our time, and roar with passion when our beliefs and traditions are challenged.

Insights into Chanukah of Mr. Tzvi Richter of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

Following the inauguration of the Mishkan Aharon Hakohen was disheartened. Why? All of the Nissi’im brought gifts for The Mishkan as commanded by Hashem but Hashem did not tell Aharon or his Shevet, Levi, to bring a gift for The Mishkan. רשי comments that for this reason the parsha of בהעלתך את הנרות was put next to the inauguration of the Mishkan. Hashem told Aharon in response that his portion was bigger than the Nissi’im because he and his Shevet will have the privilege to light the menorah. With this Aharon was comforted.

The רמב’ן asks twofold. First why was Aharon consoled specifically by being able to light the Menorah, why not that he also offered the ketoret? Secondly why was Aharon upset in the first place? Did he not bring many other korbanot during the inauguration?

The רמב’ן answers that Aharon was comforted by receiving the mitzvah of הדלקת הנרות because it represented much more than the mitzvah of lighting, it also represented that many generations later the Chashmonaem, his descendents, will light the same menorah in the Beit HaMikdash and the Miracle of the oil will happen.

However how does this answer the question? Why was Aharon consoled with the fact that there will be a Chanukah many generation later his descendents will light the menorah? What does the Chanukah story have to do with comforting Aharon?
One can possibly suggest the following idea.

The reason that Aharon was disheartened was that this Mitzvah of the Menorah directly follows the death of Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu which also occurred during the inauguration of the Mishkan. Additionally, The Mishkan is post חטא העגל as well. With these two events, Aharon felt that he was failing in his leadership role to positively affect Klal Yisrael and to be the role model of Avodat Hashem.

ה’ comforted and consoled אהרון by responding that not only will Aharon provide the light of menorah of spirituality to the world in the משכן, but also there will be a time in the future that through Aharon’s children, the Kohanim, יהדות will be saved and rejuvenated.

Rishonim comment that the Menorah that we light on Chanukah today is modelled after the menorah in the Beit HaMikdash. This Chanukah let us continue in the path of Aharon and the Chashmonaem to light the menorah and bring the light of Chanukah to the world.

Insights into Parshat Vayeshev of Mr. Avi Lerer of Yeshivate Sha’alvim by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

In this weeks Parsha the Pasuk says “and they sat down to eat bread and they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead and their camels bore spices and balsam and birthwort” (Perek 37 Pasuk 25)

Rashi comments on this pasuk and explains that the Torah is telling us how Tzadikim are rewarded. Arabs usually carry foul smelling odors on their caravans but Hashem caused this caravan to carry nice smelling spices.

Rabbi Mordechai Porgraminsky points out that Yosef was in a state of worry. He was being taken away from his fathers house and his family. Who cares about the smell of the spices? How can they be significant at all much less a reward for a Tzadik?

What is going in here?

He uses a mashal to explain what is going on here. This scenario is comparable to a person undergoing major surgery. After the operation, his family anxiously awaits his return to consciousness. As soon as his eyes open everyone becomes extremely happy. Though there is still a long way to go the first sign of impending recovery fills the family with encouragement.

The same thing applies to Yosef. He was just at the beginning of a long road to Geulah. Yet this small sign that Hashem had not abandoned him was a source of huge comfort which served to boost up his confidence for the eventual Geulah.

The smallest sign can make the biggest difference.

We can learn a very important lesson from this explanation of Rashi. The Chachamin tell us that there is no reward for mitvzot in this world, the true reward is in Olam Haba. The only so-called ‘reward in this world’ is to sense Hashem’s guiding hand at every turn of the way. This closeness that we have with Hashem in this world is like the smell of sweet smelling spices that give us the strength and motivation to persevere in our chosen paths.

May we all merit to be like Yosef HaTzadik, to take in every small sign and recognize them as Hashem’s guiding hand and use it as encouragement to overcome all of the issues we face to fulfill a greater goal.

Insights into Parshat Vayetze of Mr. Yitzchak Ginsberg of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

The first pasuk in this week’s Parsha says “Ya’akov departed from Be’er-Sheva and went to Ḥaran” (28:10). Rashi explains Ya’akov left for Ḥaran because the daughters of Cana’an were wicked in the eyes of Yitzḥak, his father. Rashi continues that Ya’akov left Be’er Sheva at the end of last week’s Parsha when he was commanded by Yitzḥak. Then last week’s Parsha ends off with Esau taking Yishmael’s daughter for a wife and this week’s Parsha returns to the original story of Ya’akov’s departure.

The Shemen Hatov asks: Why does the Torah have to interrupt the story of Ya’akov’s leaving and tell us that Esau took Yishmael’s daughter for a wife? Ḥazal tell us that Esau is compared to a pig. When you look at a pig at first glance you see his split hooves and think it is kosher; so too when you look at Esau. At first glance he seems good, but once you move past the superficial, you see his true colors. The Shemen Hatov explains that Esau heard what Yitzḥak commanded Ya’akov and went to fulfill that commandment. When we look at what Esau did at face value, it seems like he fulfilled the commandment of not marrying from the daughters of Cana’an. The reality is the commandment wasn’t exclusively against the daughters of Cana’an, rather it was not to marry a wicked girl. Esau really did not understand the commandment and was just trying to live up to his father’s ideals. He perceived the commandment in a shallow manner, and by taking this new wife showed he completely missed the essence of what Yitzḥak was saying.

Esau’s superficial understanding of Yitzḥak’s commandment is similar to the Greeks’ attitude to the Torah at the time of the Ḥanukah story. The Greeks took the Torah and claimed it was an intellectual pursuit just like chemistry, math, physics, etc. They translated it into many other languages and claimed that the Torah was not special or unique. One of the lessons from Ḥanukah is the uniqueness of the Torah and the pedestal it needs to be kept on.

The similarity between Esau and the Greeks is that they took the Torah on a superficial level. We however, must make sure we take the Torah and really understand it at its deepest depths as much as possible.