Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And they sat to eat bread. They did not consider all that had transpired to be a mishap or obstacle worthy of disrupting their eating schedule. The proper reaction of taddikim such as themselves should have been like that of others who had caused misfortune. For example, the behavior of Israel after they killed the tribe of Benjamin, as is written: "And they sat until evening before the Lord and raised their voices and wept bitterly...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And she took off her widow's garb and covered herself With a veil and wrapped herself and sat by petach Enaim which is on the road to timna (Bereishit 38:14)   (The meaning of "Petach Enayim" is not clear. "Petach" means opening or entrance. "Ayin", singular of "Enaim" may mean "eye" or "spring". 'Ayin' appears in many Hebrew idioms; its exact meaning is contextually determined and therefore subject to varying interpretations – Translator).   She sat...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons,  because he was a son of his old age; and he made him a fine woolen coat. (Bereishit 37:3)   and he made him a k'tonet passim – It was an excellent garment, as in the verse ukhtonet tashbetz (Shemot 28:4), and his brothers were envious because of it. The Sages expounded upon this: "One should never favor one of his...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev These lamps are holy and we are not permitted to make use of them but rather only to see them   And we are not permitted to make use of them, but rather only to see them, etc. And it says that the commandment is to see the Hanukkah lamp. This means that the Hanukkah lamps give light for each Israelite soul so that it will be able to see itself in the manner of self-seeing...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And he again dreamed another dream, and he related it to his brothers, and he said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating themselves to me." (Bereishit 37:9)   We are told that the relationship began with kina – envy, then sina – hatred came to it. They hated him because they believed that they could recognize his thoughts and plans out of his dreams. But...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev SO JOSEPH'S MASTER TOOK HIM AND PUT HIM INTO PRISON, THE PLACE WHERE THE KING'S PRISONERS WERE IMPRISONED, AND HE WAS THERE IN THE PRISON. (Bereishit 39:20)     Beit Hasohar Linguists explain sohar as an arched chamber, similar in expression to agan hasohar (Song of Songs 7:3). In my opinion it is an underground house having a small opening above ground, through...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev FOR THE SOURCE OF LIFE IS WITH YOU; IN YOUR LIGHT WE WILL SEE LIGHT. (Psalms 36:10)   You shall charge the Israelites that they shall take to you – Israel said: Master of the Universe! In your light we see light, yet you command us to light lamps before you!? Rabbi Yitzhak said a house full of lanterns. The master of the house tells his servant,...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev WHEN JOSEPH CAME UP TO HIS BROTHERS, THEY STRIPPED JOSEPH OF HIS TUNIC, HIS ORNAMENTED TUNIC THAT HE WAS WEARING. (Bereishit 37:23)   Come and see the work of God, who is held in awe by men for his acts (Psalms 66:5)… and regarding Joseph it says his brothers saw that he was loved by his father – by the purple swath from which was made the ornamented tunic . Four...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev NOW ISRAEL LOVED JOSEPH BEST OF ALL HIS SONS, FOR HE WAS THE CHILD OF HIS OLD AGE; AND HE MADE HIM A COAT OF MANY COLORS.  (Bereishit 37:3)     Discrimination Brings Jealousy, Hatred, and Violence And he made him a coat of many colors – Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Elazar ben Azaryah: A person should not discriminate between his children, since the coat of many colors which our...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, AND HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL MAN. HE REMAINED IN THE HOUSE OF HIS EGYPTIAN MASTER; AND WHEN HIS MASTER SAW THAT THE LORD WAS WITH HIM AND THAT THE LORD LENT SUCCESS TO EVERYTHING HE UNDERTOOK… AND FROM THE TIME THAT THE EGYPTIAN PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF HIS HOUSEHOLD AND OF ALL THAT HE OWNED, THE LORD BLESSED HIS HOUSE FOR JACOB'S SAKE, SO THAT THE BLESSING OF THE LORD...