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Toronto Torah Beit Midrash Zichron Dov בס“ד Toronto Torah Beit Midrash Zichron Dov Parshat Vayigash 4 Tevet 5771/December 11, 2010 Vol.2 Num. 15 Truth, Justice and Peace Dovid Zirkind Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel taught motivation that propels them is selfish. the guilty because they see themselves (Derech Eretz Zuta: Perek Hashalom), While Dovid Hamelech hides from Shaul as exceptional or justified in their “The world is supported by three (Shemuel I 21:10), he finds himself in the actions, and deserving of the law‟s values: justice, truth and peace.” Rav protection of Achimelech the Kohen. Not protections. Muna added that these are in fact three knowing of Dovid‟s poor relationship with Judaism believes that its legal system is of the same, because justice leads to the king, Achimelech offers to help not intended to be merely a selfish peace and truth; this is why Zechariah Dovid, and he provides Dovid with food prevention of chaos; rather, its lists them all in one verse, “Truth and and weapons. Doeg HaAdomi witnesses judgments reflect a higher authority. peaceful justice you shall practice in Achimelech‟s kindness and reports this The sanhedrin is not charged with a your gates” (Zechariah 8:16). seeming act of betrayal to Shaul. responsibility of prevention or At face value, Rav Muna‟s observation is Achimelech admits to helping Dovid, deterrence; just the opposite, a court troubling. Justice is often not peaceful, pleading that he had known of no reason must always be open to the possibility of and there are times when we must bend to decline Dovid‟s request, but his innocence, removing their personal the truth or withhold it completely in appeals go unheard. Shaul consequently values or fears from interfering with true order to preserve peace. How, then, orders Doeg to oversee the murder of justice. asks Rav Moshe Feinstein, do these Achimelech and Nov, the city of Kohanim. Justice and truth can instigate great three values coexist? Doeg‟s statement was true, but this harm when used for personal gain, and Similarly, Rav Feinstein noted the remained a terrible act of self-serving the same is true of the third element in emphasis in the last mishnah of vengeance. Achimelech was in no way Rav Muna‟s triumvirate. Peace can be a Mesechet Uktzin (3:12) on shalom: “G-d consciously rebellious, and his actions means of self-servingly avoiding what has found no better vessel of blessing were of a truly generous nature, yet when needs to be done or saying what must for Israel than peace.” Yet, we find that announced at the wrong time they be said, but from Pinchas we learn that law may require us to put peace aside constituted a death sentence. An entire the Torah‟s ideal of shalom is an for the sake of justice. How are we to city was wiped out, all from a pure impartial goal. Pinchas stands firm balance these complex and critical statement of facts. This is not the “truth” during a terrible period for the Jews of values? of Rabban Shimon be Gamliel. the desert, while their relationships with Justice, truth and peace, said Rabbi Justice has two permutations as well. A the women of Midian runs rampant. Feinstein, are all important moral ideals legal system can be structured based on When Zimri, a leader of the tribe of when used appropriately, but their the selfish necessities of the citizens or Shimon, flaunts his relationship with a ethical value is not absolute. Each of the based on a higher moral standard. If the Midianit woman for the entire people to three can be extremely harmful if the former, the law is not well-received by see, the nation is frozen in shock. Only Pinchas avenges the anger of G-d and kills Zimri and Kasbi for their actions. Parshah Questions R’ Meir Lipschitz His reward from G-d ias a covenant of Shalom, even though his actions may not Answers are provided on the back page. have been easily interpreted as “peaceful”. Which of his brothers did Yosef bring before Pharaoh? (Rashi and Baal haTurim to Bereishit 47:2 and Rashi to Devarim 33:18) Truth, Justice and Peace are most What lessons are learned from the Torah‟s mention of Shaul ben haKena’anit valuable when practiced independent of among the descendants of Shimon? the personal gain we can derive from (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Radak, Mizrachi, Chizkuni, Gur Aryeh, Maskil leDovid and them. The world stands, according to R‟ S.R. Hirsch to Bereishit 46:10) Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel, on our selfless acts of morality: Our ability to Why were the Egyptians happy to hear about Yosef‟s family? be truthful, peaceful and law-abiding in (Ramban, Radak, Seforno, Ohr HaChaim, and Netziv to Bereishit 45:16) a way that ensures G-d‟s values are For children: How do we know that Yosef performed the mitzvah of kibud av? brought to fruition in our community. (Rashi Bereishit 46:29) [email protected] [email protected] .whose Yahrtzeit was on Rosh Chodesh Tevet ,נפתלי בן מענדל This week‟s Toronto Torah is sponsored n memory of Hakarat Hatov to the YU Kollel! The Human Blind Spot David Teller Why couldn‟t the brothers recognize brothers return to Egypt and Yosef Denial, says Rabbi Twerski, is one of Yosef? True, 22 years had elapsed arranges them around a banquet table the strongest mental defence since their last infamous encounter. according to their mothers and mechanisms. “To defend a person The final image in their collective according to their age. All of Leah‟s from distress, denial renders the memories of Yosef was that of a weak children are told to sit on one side of person essentially blind to what is boy, pleading for mercy as they the table, all of the children of Zilpah on right before his eyes and he is no more decided his fate. The brothers never the others side and so on. This shocks capable of seeing it than a blind could have imagined that this same the brothers, “Vayitmihu ha‟anashim person is capable of seeing a child would one day ascend to the ish el re‟eyhu,” the brothers were rainbow.” This, explains Rabbi second-highest position in the astonished, and yet that does not Twerski, can help us explain the Egyptian empire. decrease their surprise factor when brothers‟ inability to recognize Yosef. On the other hand, several psukim and Yosef finally reveals himself. The brothers understand their role in midrashim suggest that Yosef‟s big How could the brothers not recognize Jewish history; they know that they are secret should have been easier to Yosef? Is it like the Or Chaim‟s being entrusted to move the Jewish crack. Chazal tell us that Yosef bore a suggestion that they should have been story forward. But then Yosef starts striking resemblance to his father able to do so, but Yosef‟s exalted dreaming about the family bowing Yaakov. Why couldn‟t the brothers position blinded them to this down to him. He makes a distinction recognize him? Rashi averts this conclusion? Or is something deeper in between himself and the rest of Beit difficulty by citing a midrash that Yosef play here? Yaakov. The story sounds familiar; had grown a beard during their time In his article, “The Lessons of the Yosef they remember that their great- apart, but is that really enough to Epic,” Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski grandfather, Avraham, had a Yishmael, conceal one‟s identity? suggests that we see in this story the and that their grandfather Yitzchak, Additionally, did it not seem strange to ability of the human mind to blind us had an Eisav. Is it not possible, they the brothers that this Egyptian asked from the reality in front of our eyes. reason, that our father, Yaakov, also so many personal questions about When one drives a car, despite the rear has a child who is not following in his their father and family? When Yaakov view and side mirrors there is still a footsteps? They decide that they are scolds the brothers for revealing to “blind spot” - an area that cannot be meant to become a modern Sarah and Yosef that they have another brother, seen unless one turns his head. So, too, banish a modern Yishmael from their they respond, “The man persistently the brain produces “human blind midst. asked about us and our relatives spots” - certain facts, memories and The brothers build their entire saying, „Is your father still alive? Have details become invisible to protect our ideology on their certainty that it is you a brother?‟” (Berishit 43:7) And emotional and psychological needs. Yosef versus them. They justify nearly nobody questions why this Egyptian is Unless we “turn our heads”, exerting murdering Yosef, and they rationalize so interested in their family. special effort and attention to observe their father‟s twenty-two years of And finally, to top it all off, the these areas, we remain blind to them. suffering, as by-products of protecting Jewish destiny. Rabbi Twerski concludes that it is not that the brothers don’t see Yosef; it is 613 Mitzvot: Mitzvah 69-71 that they can’t see Yosef. If this is Cursing Judges and Political Leaders; Blasphemy Yosef, then everything they have believed in, all of the sacrifices they have made, have been for nothing. Beyond the general prohibitions judge is part of an overall approach They need to deny that this is Yosef, against attacking others, the Torah which protects our judiciary from and so they produce a blind spot to prohibits cursing a judge or a fear of the population they serve.
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