Vayechi 5776

s"xc PROJECT OF THE KOLLEL WEEKLY TORAH OF HOUSTON TORAH CENTER PUBLICATION Vol. 2 No.7 December 26, 2015 u”ga, ,cy s”h Vayechi Parshas Vayechi (Kiddushin 40a): Rav Huna said: Once were only redeemed from Egypt because Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe of TORCH a person transgresses and repeats [the they did not alter their “language, dress and rabbiwolbe.com transgression], it becomes as if it is per- and names”. There is a direct corollary “And Pharaoh said, ‘Go up and bury mitted to him. A person may indeed have between the enslavement and its undo- your father as he made you swear’.” a strong determination not to sin, but if ing. The resistance to complete assimila- (Genesis 50, 6) he commits that sin twice, indeed even tion to the Egyptian way of life ensured The Talmud (Sotah 36b) recounts a once - the likelihood he will sin again that Children of Israel will ultimately seemingly bizarre dialogue that took increases dramatically. As it is taught “A be saved. sin begets a sin” (Pirkei Avos 4:2). place between Joseph and Pharaoh These principles provide valuable lessons leading up to Pharaoh’s acquiescence. Pharaoh recognized this danger and to us. We tend to underestimate the del- Initially Pharaoh urged Joseph to re- therefore allowed him to bury his father eterious effects that exposure to sin, un- nege upon his oath and bury Jacob in Israel “as he made you swear”. refined character, undignified language in Egypt. Joseph responded that if he and heretical beliefs have on our Jewish A parallel idea can be drawn from the broke the oath that he made to Jacob outlook, life and practice. We may be first Rashi in this week’s parsha: “Why to bury him in Israel he will also break righteous and unfalteringly averse to sin is this parsha “closed” (i.e. there is no the oath he made to Pharaoh many like Joseph and be complacently assured break between Vayigash and Vayechi in years prior that he would not reveal that things will never change. In truth, a Torah scroll), because once Jacob died that Pharaoh did not speak Hebrew we ought never to be secure in our spiri- the eyes and hearts of Israel “closed” and was thus ineligible to be king. After this apparent threat Pharaoh relented saying, ‘Go up and bury your Exposure to a secular environment that denigrates father as he made you swear’. “ Joseph’s threat to publicly shame Pha- Torah, can negatively influence our outlook ” raoh if he forces him to bury Jacob in Egypt is puzzling. After all, Joseph was tual standing until the day that we die. only second in command to the king from the suffering of the slavery.” Rashi All it takes is dipping our toe once or and subservient to him. It is highly in- points to the death of Jacob as the start- twice into those forbidden waters and appropriate to lobby a king with intim- ing point of the slavery. Many of the we descend down the slippery slope to- idation. What is the meaning behind commentaries note a contradiction with wards losing that sensitivity. Moreover, this interaction? Rashi in Exodus (6, 15) where he writes being exposed to a secular environment that the death of Levi marked the begin- The Steipler Gaon explains that Joseph that denigrates Torah values and mor- ning of slavery. A widely accepted an- was in fact not intimidating Pharaoh als can negatively influence our outlook swer is that the servitude in Egypt was that he would reveal that Pharaoh did and priorities. not speak Hebrew. Rather, Joseph ex- twofold: a spiritual subservience that plained to Pharaoh that he is a man of began with the passing of Jacob and a One of the greatest challenges of mod- truth, and is unaccustomed to break- physical subjugation that only started ern Jewish life is the harmful exposure ing promises. However if he were to with the death of Levi. to secular society and its impact on our way of living. It is exceedingly difficult breach his commitment even once it Though they were not yet physically en- to live in an environment that is in con- would become likely that he will do slaved, after the death of Jacob the Jews flict with the Jewish value system and so again. If Pharaoh compelled him to began to feel the impact that exposure to be shielded entirely from any conse- break his promise to Jacob he would to their Egyptian neighbors was having quences. To live in the United States and lose a bit of his sensitivity to the sever- on their outlook, life perspective and be- yet not be subjected to the American va- ity and importance of always staying haviors. Attitudes, ideologies and man- riety of spiritual enslavement is almost true to one’s words and begin to slide nerisms that are anathema to the Jew- an impossibility. However, by combating down the spiritual slippery slope, and ish way of life began to permeate their total acculturation and mitigating the eventually he would expose Pharaoh’s world. The clutches of spiritual enslave- damage, we too are contributing to the secret in violation of his other promise. ment began to ensnare them. redemption from all kinds of servitude, This principle is found in the Talmud Interestingly, we are told that the Jews may it come speedily in our days. KOLLEL OF HOUSTON TORAH CENTER 7823 LUDINGTON DR, HOUSTON, TX 77071 • 713.330.6424 • KOLLELHOUSTON.ORG.

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