THE PATH to FOLLOW Vayigash • No 369 a Hevrat Pinto Publication Under the Direction of Rabbi David H
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE PATH TO FOLLOW Vayigash • no 369 A Hevrat Pinto Publication Under the Direction of Rabbi David H. Pinto Shlita www.hevratpinto.org | [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Hanania Soussan Teveth 4th, 5771 • December 11th 2010 32 rue du Plateau 75019 Paris, France • Tel: +331 48 03 53 89 • Fax: +331 42 06 00 33 THE POWER OF THE TZADDIKIM ’S INFLUENCE (by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita) is written, “When Pharaoh leaders, and Pharaoh will distance you why does Pharaoh go on to say: “Make summons you and says, ‘What is from him.” them officers over my livestock” (v.6)? your occupation?’ then you shall This is surprising, for if shepherds were say: ‘Your servants have been Hashem Made Them Fertile abhorrent to the Egyptians, why would cattlemen from our youth until Why did Joseph not want his brothers in Pharaoh have appointed them over his now, both we and our forefathers,’ so that the Egyptian army? It was because he own flocks? you may settle in the land of Goshen, for knew that the Children of Israel would all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians” remain in Egypt for hundreds of years, and He Had Repented (Bereshith 46:33-34). that if they were to live in Egyptian cities, Our Sages say, “When the tzaddik is in the they would learn from their wicked deeds. city, he is its brilliance, its majesty, and its The Midrash asks why Joseph only took Hence Joseph advised his brothers to glory. When he leaves it, its brilliance, its “some of his brothers” (Bereshith 47:2) say things that would prompt Pharaoh to majesty, and its glory depart” (Bereshith to meet Pharaoh. It was to teach us that distance them from him. Rabba 68:6). This teaches us that when they were not very strong. Why did Joseph the tzaddik is in the city, its residents learn take five of his brothers? It was because Likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want the Children of Israel to assimilate his ways. When he does good deeds he knew which ones were stronger than and studies Torah, they do the same. the rest, and he chose wisely. He said, “If I among the nations and learn from their ways. In fact as long as Jacob and his The Sages have also said, “What is good present the strongest ones to Pharaoh, he for the tzaddik is good for his neighbor” sons were in Canaan, they numbered will want to put them into his army.” (Sukkah 56b). but 70 people. Yet when they descended I find this absolutely amazing! How can we into Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, We have learned that when people see a possibly say that Pharaoh did not know made them fertile, with each woman giving tzaddik improving himself, they will also that Joseph’s brothers were strong and birth to six children at a time. Such was improve themselves. When Jacob and his had killed the inhabitants of Shechem? not the case beforehand, and if they had sons descended into Egypt, the Egyptians Furthermore, our Sages have said: “Judah given birth in this way while in Canaan, also learned from their good deeds and then screamed with a powerful voice, and maybe not all the Children of Israel would stopped worshipping rams. This is why all the walls of Egypt fell, all the animals have descended into Egypt. Some may Pharaoh told Joseph, “Make them officers lost the young they were carrying, Joseph have remained in Canaan and assimilated over my livestock,” which teaches us that fell from his throne, Pharaoh fell from his among the nations, which is why Hashem he had repented and no longer worshipped throne, both of them fell, and the faces limited their fertility until they descended rams. of all the brave warriors standing around into Egypt with Jacob. At that point, the When did they return to this idolatry? It was Joseph turned back, remaining that way tzaddik being with them, they would not when Pharaoh died, as it is written: “A new until the day of their death” (Tanchuma, learn from the deeds of the other peoples. king arose over Egypt, who had not known Vayigash 5). Furthermore, when Jacob and his sons Joseph” (Shemot 1:8). As a result, how can we say that Pharaoh descended into Egypt, the Egyptians How do we know that the Egyptians was not aware of his brothers’ strength? stopped worshipping rams. In fact we themselves stopped worshipping rams? How could Joseph have thought of read, “He took some of his brothers, five It is because it is written, “Joseph said, deceiving Pharaoh? men, and presented them before Pharaoh” ‘Bring your livestock and I will provide for Joseph told his brothers, “If I tell Pharaoh (Bereshith 47:2). From what is stated you in return for your livestock if the money that you are shepherds and that you earlier (“for all shepherds are abhorrent to is gone.’ So they brought their livestock brought your flocks with you from Egyptians”), it follows that there were no to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread Canaan, he will not make you officers in shepherds in Egypt. This is because the in return for the horses, for the flocks of the Egyptian army, even if you are very Egyptians worshipped rams, meaning that sheep, for the herds of cattle, and for the strong. The Egyptians worship rams, and no one had the right to graze and lead their donkeys. Thus he provided them with shepherds are an abomination to them. god. Shepherds had therefore dispersed They are made neither into kings nor throughout the land. That being the case, Continuation Page 2 bread for all their livestock during that year” (Bereshith 47:16- We may logically infer that since the wicked in Egypt learned from 17). How did they have flocks? If they worshipped them as gods, the good deeds of Jacob and his sons, stopping their practice of does this mean that they sold their gods? Rather, from here we idolatry as a result, how much more should we learn from the learn that when Jacob and his sons descended into Egypt, the deeds of the tzaddikim! Furthermore, when they reprimand us, Egyptians observed their deeds and learned from them. how much more should we listen to them! I often see people Since Pharaoh had appointed them over his own flocks, falling asleep as a Rav is giving a lecture, none of which they end Jacob’s sons began to fear that they would assimilate among up hearing. Of such people we read, “He turns away his ear from the Egyptians. Hence they decided to limit themselves in certain hearing the Torah” (Mishlei 28:9). There is no greater opportunity areas so as to avoid that possibility. They took it upon themselves to repent than when a Rav delivers a lecture and makes his to be very careful in regards to their customs and not to change reprimands heard, as the Sages have said: “When the Sage is their names, their language, and their way of dress (Lekach Tov, teaching, I forgive and atone for the sins of the Children of Israel” Shemot 6:6). By the merit of these things, they were saved. (Midrash Mishlei 10). CURRENT ISSUES UNDER THE SIGN OF CAPRI C ORN The month of Tevet has witnessed three disasters that took place wicked one [Nebuchadnezzar] with the confederate kings came to one after the other, from the eighth to the tenth of the month. Jerusalem, they thought they were going to conquer her in short Hence the Sages have instituted fasts on these days for all the time. However the Holy One, blessed be He, strengthened the generations. The fasts of the eighth and ninth of Tevet are called people of Jerusalem until the third year, in the hopes that they would Ta’aniot Tzaddikim, fasts which only exceptional people observe. repent. In Jerusalem, there were giants of great strength who slew However a public fast takes place on the tenth, which everyone many of the Chaldeans. When the enemy propelled large stones observes. to break down the walls of Jerusalem, one of these giants – Avika Transformed into a Joyous Occasion ben Gabtari by name – would catch them in his hands and fling them back upon the besiegers, and thus he slew many of them. The fast of the tenth of Tevet is one of the four fasts that Sephardim Sin, however, brought a wind that blew him from the wall, and he announce in synagogue on the preceding Shabbat, after the Haftarah: “Our brothers, House of Israel, hear: The fast of the fell to his death. At that point Jerusalem was breached, and the tenth shall be the [day of week]. May the Holy One, blessed be Chaldeans entered it” (Yalkut Shimoni, Eicha 1). He, transform it into joy and happiness, as it is written: ‘So says The Meaning of a Fast Hashem, Master of hosts: The fast of the fourth [month] and the fast In his book Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah, Rabbi Alexander Ziskind of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall Zatzal indicates that on each fast day, we must stir our hearts to be for the House of Judah for joy and happiness and for festive tears by reciting selichot. It is the responsibility of every person to holidays. Love truth and peace.’ ” lament and bitterly regret all the things that have brought so much The fast of the tzaddikim on the eighth of Tevet recalls the actions of pain, as it were, to the Creator and such misery to His children, as King Ptolemy and the early Sages.