Yosef and Yishmael

n the Ninth of Av, we read the kinah Arzei Halevanon (#21) about the Ten Martyrs Mrs. Bracha Rutner Oand their deaths at the hands of the Assistant Principal, Yeshiva University High School Romans. More detail is provided for Girls in the Eleh Ezkerah prayer recited during the chazan’s repetition of on . Both Arzei the sacrifices in the Beit Hamikdash. Ten Martyrs? Let us first examine his Halevanon and Eleh Ezkerah are based Tisha B’Av by contrast is not a day of history. on versions of the “Asarah Harugei atonement, but a day of mourning. If The earliest story about Rabbi Malkhut” (The Ten Martyrs) account the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash Yishmael is recounted in the in Midrash Asarah Harugei Malkhut requires mourning, it is incumbent Jerusalem Talmud, Horayot 3:4: and other later midrashim.1 These upon the Jewish people to recount on מעשה בי רבי יהושע שעלה לרומי אמרו על prayers provide detailed descriptions Tisha B’Av all the major catastrophes תינוק אחד ירושלמי שהיה אדמוני עם יפה of the torture and martyrdom of and disasters that have befallen them.2 עינים וטוב רואי וקצוותיו מסודרות לו תלתלים the Ten in the period after Why do we read kinot? Kinot are a והוא עומד בקלון והלך רבי יהושע לבודקו ;the Second Temple’s destruction profound response to Jewish tragedy. כיון שהגיע לפתחו נענה ר' יהושע ואמר לו the rabbis include Raban Shimon In the modern era, it is difficult for מי נתן למשימה יעקב וישראל לבודדים הלא b. Gamliel, R. Yishmael the Kohen many to lament the loss of a building ה' )ישעיהו מב:כד( נענה התינוק ואמר לו זו .Gadol, R. Haninah b. Teradion, R that we never utilized, of a lifestyle חטאנו לו ולא אבו בדרכיו הלוך ולא שמעו Hutzpit the Meturgeman, R. Elazar that we never lived. The kinot are בתורתו מיד זלגו עיניו דמעות ואמר מעיד אני .b. Shamua, R. Hanina b. Hakinai, R read to enable us feel the sadness, עלי את השמים ואת הארץ שאיני זז מיכן עד .Yesheivav the Scribe, R. Yehudah b stir emotion in us and reflect on שאפדנו ופדאו בממון הרבה ושילחו לארץ Dama, and R. Yehudah b. Baba. They our past.3 Reading about the galut, ישראל וקרא עליו הפסוק הזה בני ציון היקרים are executed by the Roman emperor mothers eating their children and וגו' )איכה ד:ה(. as “punishment” for Joseph’s sale by gedolim having their skin flayed, may his ten brothers (Genesis 37). An incident is told of Rabbi Yehoshua help us focus on the tragedies of the who went to Rome. There he was told The focus of the two tefillot is day. Each kinah has its own unique about a child from Jerusalem with a different; the kinah is recited while we message; focuses on Eleh Ezkerah ruddy complexion, beautiful eyes, a are sitting on the floor, lamenting the individuals who died for the sake of handsome face and curly locks of hair, destruction of the Beit Hamikdash the community at large. who was imprisoned in a slave jail. and the loss of our sages, while the I believe that there may be another Rabbi Yehoshua went to examine him. tefillah on Yom Kippur is said to motivation for including the martyrs As he reached the entrance, he recited: remind us about the essence of the in the service of Tisha B’Av. One of “Who gave up Jacob to the spoiler, and day, our request to God to forgive our the Ten Martyrs was Rabbi Yishmael, Israel to the robbers? Surely the Lord?” sins. In addition, the purposes and Ishmael b. Elisha hakohen, a tannah (Isaiah 42:24). The child answered and objectives for the recital of the story who lived during the first and second said: “Against Him we have sinned, He on Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur are centuries. He is known for his famous in whose ways they would not walk, and different. On Yom Kippur, the story thirteen hermeneutical principles that whose law they would not obey.” (Isaiah of the Ten Martyrs is recited because many recite before Pesukei D’Zimra 42:24). Thereupon Rabbi Yehoshua’s our sages tell us (Moed Katan 18a) each morning.4 Who was Rabbi eyes filled with tears, and he said: “I call that the death of the righteous serves Yishmael and why was he one of the heaven and earth as my witnesses that as a kapara, an atonement, as did

15 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF To-Go Series • Tisha B’av 5777 I shall not budge from this spot until I Galilee (this does seem to contradict Why does he judge his family so have redeemed this child!” He redeemed the Talmud in Horayot). However harshly? If they were in fact kohanim, him for a prodigious sum of money prestigious his family was as kohanim, they would be the leaders of their and sent him to the land of Israel. And he levels a harsh indictment against community. Leaders are held to a concerning him, the Torah has said: “The them for their actions. higher standard because they are supposed to set the example and אמר ר' ישמעאל: מבעלי בתים שבגליל העליון precious sons of Zion, worth their weight .be the moral guides for the nation היו בית אבא, ומפני מה חרבו? שהיו מרעין in fine gold. How they are reckoned Rabbi Yishmael understood this and בחורשין, ודנין דיני ממונות ביחיד, ואע"פ as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s so recognized the leadership failings שהיו להם חורשים סמוך לבתיהם, שדה קטנה .(hands.” (Lamentations 4:2 of his family. And yet, he himself did היתה ומעבירין דרך עליה. The Talmud Bavli,Gittin 58a, has a more concise version of this story and not succumb to their failures and Rabbi Yishmael said: My father’s house specifically identifies the child as R. survived. But his survival mandated in Galil was destroyed because they used Yishmael. There are many details we time in jail. to graze small animals in forests and learn about Rabbi Yishmael from this judge monetary cases alone (without a Rabbi Yishmael had a deep affinity for story. It is interesting to note that the Beit Din of three). Even though they had logic and for grounding every concept Talmud describes in detail his beauty; forests near their houses, someone else and idea in the Written Torah. He his complexion and his hair stand out owned a small field on the way to the believed that the Torah contains its as unique. Not many sages have their forest. own logical underpinnings, and thus looks described in detail in this way. He blames their destruction on we must study it using our powers of He is in jail in Rome as a child, for reasoning. If it were possible to reach their violation of halakha. In Baba what reason we are not told, although a particular conclusion by means of we can assume he was imprisoned Kamma 81, the Talmud describes the institution of Yehoshua, who forbade human logic, then there would be no because he was Jewish. We learn reason for the Torah to bother stating that from a young age, he was well the grazing of animals in the fields so that the land would instead be built the law. He also was of the opinion educated, knowledgeable and had that the Torah should be interpreted incredible insight into the Torah. and settled. But for the purposes of animal husbandry, the grazing was using everyday language and that Rabbi Yishmael is a kohen, clearly Torah learning should be accessible permitted. While Rabbi Yishmael’s 6 coming from a prestigious family. family observed this edict by taking to all. He had a deep understanding According to the Gemara in Baba their animals to graze in the forest, of the Torah and a unique insight, Kamma 80a, he was from the upper they earned Rabbi Yishmael’s censure which he wanted to make accessible to for infringing on the rights of their all those who wanted to learn Torah. neighbors by passing through the Logic, insight and understanding are the traits attributed to him, and so R. Akiva’s Insight small field on their way to the forest.5 his death is peculiarly painful. It is וכשנהרגו רבי שמעון ורבי ישמעאל, In Sanhendrin 5a, the Talmud lists described in detail in Eleh Ezkerah: several cases in which a single אמר להם רבי עקיבא לתלמידיו. התקינו מַה מְ אד בָכָה עָלָיו בַחֲרָדָ ה/בַת בְלִיַעַל לְ קֹול individual would be permitted to עצמכם לפורענות, שאלו טובה עתידה בְכִיָתֹו שֶל רַ בִ י יִשְמָעֵ אל עָמְדָ ה/ אַ ת ריָפְיֹו בְלִבָ ּה rule on financial matters — if one לבא בדורנו, לא היו מקבלים אותה אלא חָמְדָ ה/וְשָאֲ לָה מֵאֵת אָבִיהָחַ יָתֹו לְהַעֲמִידָ ה/ were an expert, or if one received רבי שמעון ורבי ישמעאל. נִאֵץ בְלִיַעַל דָבָ ר זֶה לַעֲ שֹותֹו/לְהַפְשִ יט עֹורֹו When R. Shimon and express permission from the exilarch. מֵעַ ל ָ ּפנָיו שָאֲ לָה מֵאִ תֹו/וְלא עִכֵב דָבָ ר זֶה R. Yishmael were killed, Rabbi Yishmael blames his family לַעֲ שֹותֹו/ּוכְשֶהִ גִיעַ לִמְקֹום תְ פִלִין חצָרַ בְקֹול מַ ר R. Akiva said to his students, for adjudicating financial matters לְ ריֹוצֵ נִשְמָ תֹו. “Prepare yourselves for suffering, independently without judicial because if our generation was license. This is not a clear biblical How very much he trembled as he wept! meant to have positive experiences, prohibition, yet Rabbi Yishmael The daughter of the wicked one was the beneficiaries would have been considers this to be one the reasons silenced by the voice of Rabbi Yishmael’s R. Shimon and R. Yishmael. his family’s home was destroyed. crying. She coveted his physical beauty Mechilta to Shemot 22:22 and begged her father to let him live. The

16 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Tisha B’av 5777 wicked one refused to grant her request! Yosef.7 How can we understand this to have the coat made for him, but She then asked him to flay Rabbi connection? Yosef also does nothing to improve Yishmael’s face and he did not refrain We must first examine the history of the situation or to improve the from doing so. When the executioner Yosef. When we first meet Yosef, we relationship with his family. reached the place of the , Rabbi are told in Parshat Vayeshev, (37:2), The Torah proceeds to tell us about Yishmael yelled out a bitter scream to his that he is “ro’eh et echav” — a shepherd Yosef’s dream. A dream he chooses creator. of his brothers, and he is “na’ar et to share with his brothers, practically While his beauty did not impact him bnei Bilha v’et bnei Zilpah” — a lad begging them to hear the dream in life, it did play a significant role in of his brothers. He shared with his out — shimu na hachalom hazeh, his death. There is another individual brothers a common profession, but please, listen to this dream (37:6). in the Torah who was also known was separate from them as implied Many commentators say he shared for his beauty: Yosef Hatzaddik. In by the use of the word “et” in place of this dream to show his brothers that Sefer Breishit, chapter 39 verse 6 it is the classic word im — with. He spoke he wanted to rule over them, but it written: negatively about his brothers to his is possible that this na’ar, this young father and his brothers hate him, as we child, just wanted some attention and ... ויהי יוסף יפה תאר ויפה מראה. are told in verses that follow. wanted to know what his brothers … Behold Yosef was an attractive man. Why do they hate him so? The real think. If we look at the details, we see Rabbi Yishmael was martyred a boy desperate to have a closeness because of the sale of Yosef reason is because he is beloved by his father who shows his favoritism for to his brothers. According to Rav Hatzaddik, and there seem to be Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, Yosef was many parallels between the two men. Yosef by bestowing upon him a special coat (37:3). Yosef didn’t choose to saying that in his dream, he and his In fact according to kabbalah, Rabbi brothers are not divided but united Yishmael is the reincarnation of be the beloved son, he didn’t choose NOWHERE BUT HERE

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17 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Tisha B’av 5777 When we think of a tzaddik we often think of Pharaoh declares that there is no man with more binah or chachma than a perfect person. Why did Yosef warrant to be Yosef (41:39). called tzaddik? Because he was not perfect — What are binah and chachmah? Chachmah is intelligence and tzaddikim aren’t born, they develop over time. knowledge. Binah is insight and intuition — the ability to assess a situation in its entirety and deduce the and work together. When he tried to they are troubled, Yosef asks: madua appropriate next steps. These are the bring his sheaf to join the group, it p’neichem ra’im hayom — why are you traits that Yosef now embodies. stood up by itself and then everyone’s sad? (40:7) His ability to read the It is interesting to note that in Sefer 8 sheaves bowed down to his. situation and appropriately respond Devarim, chapter 1, verse 13, when Yosef may not have known what to it is improving, as he is able to tease Moshe describes the traits of a judge, the dream meant, but the brothers out their dreams. he says the two most important immediately viewed this as a threat What is interesting here is that traits are chachmah and bina. What — their younger brother wanted to despite Yosef’s assistance, the butler does a judge do? He ensures that rule over them, to be their master. forgets about Yosef’s request to help there is tzedek, righteousness, among And his brothers hated him for that. him. Why? Because in the midst Am Yisrael. Only someone with Seeing their disdain for him, Yosef of interpreting the dreams, Yosef chachmah and binah can truly be had a choice: would he try to bridge specifically asks the butler to save him called a righteous person, a tzaddik. this growing gap with them or push and voices a complaint that he had The Yosef we now know clearly them further apart? Yosef makes a been wrongfully imprisoned and was embodies chachmah — this is the choice and tells over his second dream completely innocent. This complaint trait that enabled him to interpret to the brothers, again pushing the was ill timed and ill conceived, and, dreams. As for binah, the ability to vision of him ruling over his family. most important, reflective of his old assess a situation and understand what This cemented his brothers’ hatred tendency to be self-absorbed. was needed? It took him many trials and tribulations but he eventually and jealousy of him (37:8). While his In the final act of Yosef’s redemption, achieved this state, which enabled him father rebuked Yosef, his brothers go we see the last stage of his evolution to save Mitzrayim and reconcile with their own way by moving to Shechem, and growth when Pharaoh summons his family. ironically the site of the last recorded him to interpret his dreams.10 Here, dissension between the united we see a deeply intuitive, empathetic This is the story of Yosef; the trials and brothers and Yaakov. man emerge. The Torah painstakingly tribulations that he had to encounter Yosef’s choice to alienate his brothers describes Yosef’s preparation for this and endure in order to rise up and and his failure to recognize their meeting — how he shaves, changes become Yosef the righteous. antipathy led to his brothers selling his clothes and heads out to Pharaoh While there are many differences him into slavery, and eventually, (41:14). Rav Hirsch explains that the between them, there are striking 9 taken to Egypt. At this juncture, a Torah goes into such detail to show similarities between Yosef and Rabbi change comes over Yosef after he is us Yosef’s understanding of what he Yishmael. They both came from thrown in jail. There, he gains the was facing and what he needed to prominent families who had their trust of the chieftain and is placed in do in order to properly approach the challenges. They had to separate from 11 charge of two prominent prisoners: situation. their families to become the leaders Pharaoh’s prince of butlers, the sar After interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, they were destined to be. Both of them hamashkim, and prince of bakers, sar Yosef tells him that he should were beautiful, although this beauty . The Torah, often devoid of ha’ofim appoint an ish navon v’chacham — impacted them in different ways. It expressions of emotions, tells us of a an individual with deep knowledge was their time in jail that enabled their conversation between Yosef and these and understanding (41:33). At the rise to prominence: Yosef because two prisoners. Sensing one day that conclusion of his interpretation, of his understanding of dreams

18 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Tisha B’av 5777 and Rabbi Yishmael because of his The message to us, therefore, is that Endnotes understanding of the Torah and its we can all strive to be tzaddikim real-world applications. It is said that — people who have insight and 1 See Levine, Nachman “‘Eleh Ezkerah’: Re-reading the Asarah Harugei Malkhut,” Rabbi Yishmael too had chachmah and understanding of people, who develop available at http://www.hakirah.org/ binah and wanted to make the Torah over time as did Yosef Hatzaddik. Vol13Levine.pdf. accessible to all, and that is what This is perhaps why Rabbi Yishmael 2 Soloveitchik, Rabbi JB., e. Posner, S. The motivated his interpretations of the in particular is singled out as one of Koren Mesorat Harav Kinot: The Lookstein 12 Torah. Both men also had a strong the Ten Martyrs, and why we say the edition, OU Press, Koren Publishers, sense of justice. Yosef knew that his kinah of Eleh Ezkerah. While the kinah Jerusalem. p. 418 – 423. brothers had sinned by enabling him is a source of sadness, perhaps it can 3 ibid, p. xxx – xxxi. to be sold into slavery, and that the also serve as a source of inspiration 4 Tosefta, Sanhedrin 7:5. only way for them to really repent for and hope. Each of the individuals who their sin was to experience a similar died had much to teach us about life, 5 Lau, B. The Sages: Character, Content & Creativity. Maggid Books, Jerusalem. p.212, situation and act differently. This was not only about death. As individuals v.2 accomplished when they refused to we can strive to be tzaddikim like let Yosef take Binyamin into custody Yosef and make the world a better 6 ibid, p.219. (40:18). Rabbi Yishmael had the same place through our deep love of and 7 R. Chaim Vital, Sha’ar Hagilgulim ch. sense of justice.13 commitment to Torah, and our 34. English translation available at http:// www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/ kindness to and understanding of Are the parallels mere coincidence? aid/1722984/jewish/Rabbi-Yishmael-the- those around us. And hopefully in that Or could it be that the kinah is High-Priest-345c.htm. merit, we will herald the coming of reminding us of not just the story of 8 Hirsch, R. S.R. The Pentateuch, Isaac Levy Yosef, but of Yosef himself. When we the Mashiach and the building of the Publishing, England 1959. vol. 1 p. 542. Beit Hamikdash and no longer sing think of a tzaddik we often think of a 9 Breishit, chapters 37, 38. the kinot out of sadness but only as a perfect person. Why did Yosef warrant 10 Breishit 31:14. to be called tzaddik? Because he was source of inspiration. not perfect — tzaddikim aren’t born, A thank you to Rabbi Elie Weissman for 11 Hirsch, R.S. The Pentateuch, Isaac Levy Publishing, England 1959. vol 1. p. 576 they develop over time. inspiring this article. 12 Lau, B. 13 ibid.

19 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Tisha B’av 5777