Transcript
Okay good morning boker tov welcome back to parsha perspectives for today we've the privilege of learning and reading Parshas Vayechi if you're following inside in the Artscroll Stone Chumash page 268 as always we begin with our attitude of gratitude and thank our dear friends Becky and Adi Katz and family who sponsored our learning in memory of David Grossman should be לעילוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מוניש morning shiur is dedicated anonymously for the refuah sheleimah of רב נתנאל בן מירל should hear please God good news of a complete and speedy refuah sheleimah by Esther and Elliot Kasafsky commemoration of the first yahrzeit of Esther's mother לאה חנה בת ישעיהו may her neshamah have an aliyah and please God for a refuah sheleimah of Eran ben Sarah undergoing a procedure we should hear good news please God should bounce back speedily with a complete refuah sheleimah Parshas Vayechi the curtains come down on Sefer Bereishis this is the end of our formation as a family and it's been a rocky road it's been much of a roller coaster a story of alienation a story of tension a story of sibling rivalry Sefer Bereishis has been replete with challenges of coming together as a family and therefore significantly Parshas Vayechi the curtain coming down and hopefully it seems in some ways we have corrected we repaired a lot of that damage although perhaps not entirely and not completely as we'll talk about and we'll see we continue in other ways to suffer from until today it's not lost on us that notice I didn't say help yourself to coffee or slushie or pastry from Ner Shaya's corner because today's Asara B'Tevet today's a fast day and why are we fasting we're fasting of course Nebuchadnezzar Ezra there's so many reasons associated with this date on the calendar but they revolve around the destruction of the Batei Mikdash the beginning of that siege what began that process that culminated and ended in that destruction and why did it happen why has it not yet been rebuilt because we're still suffering from the original cause of the story we're reading the animosity the enmity the brotherly hate the marginalizing the condemnation the sinas chinam the baseless hate that began it all while the curtain comes down and we've corrected and repaired to some extent we continue to suffer from it and that's why we read the story of the asara harugei malchus both on Yom Kippur in the form of Selichos on Tisha B'Av in the form of Kinos but we recount the story of the ten martyrs they did not live contemporary to one another ten great rabbis who were tortured and killed and the Midrash Eichah the Gemara Gittin tell us that in heaven what happened is that our Roman enemies called for a tribunal a court and they said the brothers they never were accountable they never were punished for the sin of selling Yosef and therefore a trial was held the brothers were found guilty of course they were no longer alive and therefore the ten great rabbis of the generation representing the brothers were put to death and notice nowhere do Chazal say one second that's an inaccurate and an unfair conclusion to the trial why should the brothers be found guilty when in fact when in fact there's a reconciliation Yosef forgives all's well and good the curtain comes down and Kumbaya everybody's in love so why are we saying the story of the asara harugei malchus why were those ten martyrs killed all together so Rabbeinu Bachya addresses this question and he says if you look in our parsha if you see the way the story ends while on the outside there's forgiveness while superficially there's reconciliation internally clearly there's still hurt and there's still pain the brothers after their father spoiler alert in Parshas Vayechi Yaakov dies after Yaakov passes away the brothers suspicious of Yosef come to him and say why what are they worried about Yosef was on his best behavior while their father was alive but they're worried now that Yaakov now that Abba's gone now Yosef's been waiting biding his time now's when he's going to get even so they come and they say by the way Yosef Abba said to tell you that even after he's gone you shouldn't do anything to us and this is devastating to Yosef and why is it devastating to Yosef Yosef knows it's not true and how does Yosef know it's not true because heroically Yosef never told his father what happened Yosef was never alone with his father in all those years they were reunited and why did Yosef avoid being alone with his father so his father would never say to him by the way where were you what happened how'd you disappear twenty-two years why didn't you send a message in order to avoid having to try to answer that question or not he wasn't alone with his father Yosef went to superhuman effort to protect his brothers and they lie to him when they say Dad said to tell you don't do anything to us and Yosef cries and Yosef On the outside he's in. On the outside he's now one of them. But on the inside there's something that's still missing. Rabbeinu Bachaye says that's why that trial happens and that's why we are fasting today, Asara B'Tevis. That's why we're still fasting all these years later because we're still suffering from that malady from that cause called sinas chinam. That's why we'll begin Sefer Shemos next week, when we'll sit down at the Seder soon enough and we'll dip that karpas, and we'll remember why we're dipping karpas, why we're dipping the parsley or why we're dipping the celery, or if you're from Elizabeth, New Jersey, where I just had the privilege to speak in memory of Rabbi Teitz's 30th yahrzeit, you're dipping banana. Whatever you're dipping in the salt water, why are you dipping it? Rabbeinu Manoach in his commentary on the Rambam says the word karpas comes from kesones pasim. We're dipping the coat in the salt water because before we can celebrate leaving Mitzrayim, we have to remember how we got to Mitzrayim. Before we get to the part of the Seder where we celebrate we're free, we've been redeemed, we've been liberated, before we celebrate geula, we have to remember why we were in galus. Why were we in galus? We dip the karpas, the kesones pasim, that multicolored coat in the salt water as if dipping it in the blood, in order to remember how we got there to begin with. And in many ways we're still there. We're living in galus and we're seeing the pain, we're seeing antisemitism. I flew up on Sunday to give that talk, and I was at the gate about to board with my father. Both of us proudly wearing our yarmulkes, and a man walked up—this was wild—no yarmulke, not visibly Jewish at all, and he leaned in and he whispered. He said, \"I'm also Jewish.\" I said, \"Okay, it's nice to meet you.\" He said, \"I see, you know, you wear the kippa in public. How's it been? Are you being attacked for antisemitism?\" And we had a whole discussion about it. Whoever thought in an airport in South Florida Jews would have to whisper, \"I'm Jewish, what's it been like? Are you suffering?\" We are deep in the darkness still of this galus, certainly outside of Israel, even in Israel where there's the beginning of geula and the return to our homeland, but when seven countries are waging war on you simultaneously and Israel is still seeking permission to be able to respond to ballistic missiles and a nuclear threat, we're in galus all over the globe, including Israel. And this reminder: why are we here, how did we get here? Just like we got there to begin with. Because of sinas chinam. That's Asara B'Tevis and that is our parsha. So Rabbi Sacks—and I'm reading to you not at the introduction to—so if you're looking at the Rabbi Sacks Chumash, I want to throw you off a little bit. But on page 350, when he's talking about how Yaakov assembles his family around him to give a bracha, Rabbi Sacks writes so beautifully: \"Yaakov blesses his 12 sons. His blessings to the eldest three sons, Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, read more like curses than blessings. There is discernible tension here. Yet, the fact that he's blessing all 12 together in the same room at the same time, we have not seen this before. There is no record of Avraham blessing either Yishmael or Yitzchak.\" So first of all, Rabbi Sacks said in passing something we've spoken about in the past, which is these supposed blessings read more like curses. Yaakov is rebuking his children. \"You're too impetuous. You have no patience. You get angry too easily.\" He's giving feedback and criticism, constructive, but to his children, and the Torah calls that a bracha, a blessing. What kind of blessing is that? He's, so to say, telling off his children. That's a blessing? That's a blessing? The answer is yes. When you care enough to correct, unlike the parenting in our time, the helicopter parenting and the bulldozer parenting and the trophy—participation trophy parenting where every child is perfect, every child is excellent, every child is amazing. I shouldn't say this publicly because I see my mother walked in, but we were talking this past Shabbos with my children. I was remembering what it was like when report cards came and how I rushed to the mail to preempt getting rid of them before my parents got them because you may find it hard to believe, I was not a good student at all. I was not a good student at all. And we're talking about what it was like parent-teacher conference night, and I remember that even though I stayed up late every night and had to fight about my bedtime, I was never, ever, my entire childhood awake once when my parents came home from parent-teacher conferences. Somehow that night I found a way to be fast in a deep sleep before they got home because those were the days when parents came home from parent-teacher conferences and they—perhaps, not my brother or sister, but me—perhaps approached the child to say, \"We've got to talk.\" Today, who's the one who jitters about parent-teacher conference? Not the children, the teachers. Who's the one who wants to avoid the feedback and the rebuke and the... they can't do any wrong. How could it be that my child is not exceeding expectations? How could it be that my child is not a superstar getting straight A's? How could it be my child didn't win the award and the trophy? But when a parent says you're amazing and I love you and Hashem loves you and you have so much worth, worthwhile in you and I want to build up your self-worth and self-esteem, and the way to do that is to tell you what you need to work on. That's what Yaakov teaches us in our parsha because the blessing, the bracha, it is a bracha to have parents who can tell you with love and affection I admire, I love, I appreciate, but here's what you need to work on. I share it with love as a parent who loves you unconditionally and wants what's best for you. That's a bracha. To tell your child they're perfect, they have nothing to work on, everything's the teacher's fault, that's a parent who's a klala. That parent is a curse to the well-being and future of the child. And that's a critically important lesson from our parsha. I just paid a shiva call. A member of our community lost a brother last week, he just got up from shiva, and he was one of fifteen children. His mother from Iraq was one of eighteen children. And I, of course, paid a shiva call wanting to hear about the brother, but I said really tell me about your mother. She raised fifteen children. How? And they're all incredibly close and loving and the older take care of the younger. How? And they shared with me the most remarkable. She grew up in Iraq, at a time women maybe weren't even incredibly educated or literate. She didn't read books or write books on parenting, but she intuited and she knew, a Jewish mama, she knew how to raise her fifteen children. And he described, because she knew and loved everyone and respected and treated as they needed. And she would describe, this brother, this sibling, can't stand fish, so when he came home she didn't make fish, not the smell of it. This one loved liver, always had liver waiting. This one she'd say to the siblings he's in the army, he needs a little extra attention right now, and therefore don't be upset if I'm focusing on him. She communicated the differences and knew what every child needed, ad k'dei kach he told me that the most rowdy of the siblings, who was a smoker, one day they look outside and mama's in the backyard having a cigarette with this sibling. He said ma you don't smoke. She said yeah, he needed to feel connected, to feel vulnerable, I wanted him to feel comfortable, so I had a cigarette. I'm not endorsing, I'm not encouraging, it was a different time, but ad k'dei kach. That's Yaakov Avinu, because that man also told me that his mother told him you, you need to work on your anger. You, you need to improve on your patience. You, she showered with love and affection which gave her license to also say here's what you need to work on. That's Yaakov Avinu. That's our parsha. But Rabbi Sacks continues, there's no record of Avraham blessing either Yishmael or Yitzchak. Yitzchak blesses Esav and Yaakov separately. The mere fact that Yaakov is able to gather his sons together, unprecedented and important. In the next perek, the first of Shmot, the Jewish people for the first time described as a people. It is hard to see how they could live together as a people if they could not first live together as a family. Torah is giving us an unexpected message here: the family is prior to all else. To the land, the nation, politics, economics, the pursuit of power, and the accumulation of wealth. Let me say that again. We have Sefer Bereishis before Sefer Shmot because before we could become a nation and a people, the family comes first. The family is prior to all else. To the land, to the nation, politics, economics, pursuit of power, and the accumulation of wealth. And I'll add, it's when we forget we're a family, when we stop functioning and loving and caring as a family, then we lose all else. The land, the nation, the politics, the economics, the power, the wealth. From an external point of view the impressive story is that Yosef reaches the heights of power in Egypt. The Egyptians themselves mourn the death of his father Yaakov and accompany the family on their way to bury him. So the Canaanites see the entourage and say Egypt is in deep mourning. But that is externality. When we turn the page and begin the book of Shmot, we discover the position of the Jewish people in Egypt is very vulnerable indeed. And all the power Yosef had centralized in the hands of Pharaoh will eventually be used against them. Bereishis is not about power, it's about family because that's where life together begins. This book then ends on these three important resolutions. First, that grandparents are part of the family and their blessing is important. Second, Yaakov shows it's possible to bless all your children, even if you have a fractured relationship with some of them. And third, Yosef shows it's possible to forgive your siblings even if they've done you great harm. That surprisingly is what Bereishis is about. Not about the creation of the world, which can be described in a single chapter, but about how to handle family conflict. As soon as Avraham's descendants can create strong families, they can move from Bereishis to Shmot and their birth as a nation. That is the essence of what this book is about. How to function as a family, how to stop going and being a dysfunctional family. I say every year: what is the definition of a dysfunctional family? Any family with more than one person in it. And yet, we have to learn how to go from that into being a fully functional family, and we try imperfect. As I said the curtain comes down on Rabbeinu Bechaya, imperfect, but we get closer and only then are we ready for Sefer Shmos. Halekach VeHaliba, Rav Avrum Shor's new sefer Neizer HaParsha on Breishis. Rashi here writes: למה פרשה זו סתומה? Because the way the parsha begins, ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים, let's start. ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים שבע עשרה שנה ויהי ימי יעקב שני חייו שבע שנים וארבעים ומאת שנה. Yaakov lived in Mitzrayim 17 years, the days of Yaakov, the years of his life were 147 years. ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות. It's time, Yaakov anticipates, he feels, he's heading towards his demise. ויקרא לבנו ליוסף ויאמר לו אם נא מצאתי חן בעיניך שים נא ידך תחת ירכי. Swear to me that you'll do chessed v'emes with me, and that you won't bury me in Mitzrayim. Swear to me that you're not going to bring me and lead me to the land of Egypt. So this parsha is Vayechi Yaakov is stuma. This parsha is unique. There's no space between it and the preceding parsha. Ordinarily in the text, if you look in a Torah scroll you'll see that there's a gap, there's a space. Sometimes the line ends, and the new paragraph only begins on the next line. Sometimes the paragraph ends and the new paragraph begins on the same line with a space. Those are called psuchos and stumos. There's a space. Why is there a space? Our rabbis tell us this is when Moshe says to Hashem, I'm processing. I'm thinking, I'm considering what you just said. There's an incredible lesson even in that, a lesson which is lost on our generation and our time. We don't give ourselves that space. We always have noise and activity, we're always engaged, we never just stop and think. We never allow ourselves the space and margin to process, to absorb, to contemplate, to think. Moshe did, that's why those spaces are there, but Parshas Vayechi is unique. There is no extra space between the previous parsha and this. In contrast to the general rule it begins on a new line, here it is stuma. It just continues straight. Why? Says Rashi: למה פרשה זו סתומה? שכיון שנפטר יעקב אבינו נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל מצרת השעבוד שהתחילו לשעבדם. Because once Yaakov Avinu dies, once he leaves this world, the eyes and the hearts of the Jewish people are closed from the pressure and from the persecution of the subjugation in Egypt. Our eyes and our hearts were closed because we began to suffer. Azoi zugt Rashi, that's how Rashi explains why this was stuma. Why is it closed? Because Yaakov Avinu's eyes, when Yaakov left this world, the Jewish people's eyes and hearts became closed. בספר נחמד ונעים quotes Rav Shor, מפרש דברי רש\"י באופן מחודש כי ידוע דברי חז\"ל עין ולב הם תרי סרסרי דעבירה. We know the two ways that the yetzer hara, the methodology of our alter ego is עין רואה ולב חומד, our eye sees and then our heart covets. Our eye sees what our neighbor has, and then our heart gets jealous and envious. Our heart sees something, and then our eye sees something and then our heart desires it. וכל זמן שיעקב אבינו היה קיים הקדושה מגינה על הדור לבל יכשלו בדברים אסורים. As long as Yaakov was alive, Yaakov inspired the aspiration for kedusha. Yaakov modeled and motivated what it means to live a life purity and sanctity and holiness and meaning and purpose. שעיניהם ולבם של בני ישראל סתומים כלום בבחינה של עיני למטה ולבו למעלה, so that our eyes and our hearts were closed, closed in a way of eyes down and heart up. That all of us were living as our rabbis tell us too with our eyes down and our heart up. Our eyes down and our heart up. עיני למטה שלא יראה רק כלל ולבו למעלה מחשבה למעלה מענין העולם הזה, that we don't see bad. Even as we're engaging, even as we're experiencing the physical world, our heart is up. Why? Because we're connecting heaven and earth, we're connecting the physical and the spiritual. We were able to transform and elevate that which is mere material into something, a vehicle of holiness, all in the merit of Yaakov, because he taught us and he modeled it for us and he inspired it. Like the righteous do in every generation. We see the way they engage food and speech and time and everything physical. ופעל יעקב לדור שעוד במצרים אף שם בערוות הארץ יהיה ביכולתם לשמור העין והלב של קדושה. And Yaakov taught and inspired even down there, even in the morally corrupt decadent Mitzrayim, even the place of moral decay the Ervas Ha'aretz, we can still protect our eye and our heart. We can still have a moral compass. We can still regulate ourselves. However, אחר פטירת יעקב אבינו, haysa sakana gedola, שהטומאת מצרים תטמא עיניהם ולבם של כל ישראל. After Yaakov died and we lost his example and we lost his inspiration and we lost his light, we also lost the will and the way how we would continue to behave, to regulate our eyes and our heart, to not be drawn in and after that which would sabotage and that which would destroy us. ועל זה בא צרת השיעבוד, and that's when the shibud came. Because when we assimilated and integrated, when we walked like and talked like an Egyptian, when we acted like, when we were confused and when we became corrupt in understanding truths and axioms, moral boundaries and behaviors, that's when the shibud Mitzrayim, that's when the servitude came. ומפרש סתימה זו למעליותא, שנסתמו עיניהם ולבם לשומרה בטהרה. ויש להסמיך לכאן מה שאמר רבה קדוש מקוצק. The Kotzker Rebbe, lakhasidav of the Kotzker Rebbe would tell his followers, his students and disciples. He said, רצונו מהם הוא שלא יחטאו לא רק מחמת שאסור לחטוא. He said, \"I don't want you to not misbehave only because it's wrong to misbehave. I want you to not misbehave because you have no time and no will to misbehave.\" שלא יהא להם פנאי בלב לחטוא, וזה עניין של צרת השיעבוד, שלא יהא להם פנאי לחטוא. So now we understand as well, says Rav Schorr, another question the Beis Yisrael addresses, which is: Why? Why here and why now? Why here and why now? If this all happened and kicked in after Yaakov dies, why does Rashi begin the parsha with this idea and lesson, with this insight? Offer it after Yaakov dies, that after Yaakov dies tell us שנסתמו עיניהם של ישראל. Why does it appear here at the beginning of the parsha? And here the Beis Yisrael and others, Rav Schorr elaborates, develops the idea. You know why? Because the 17 years they had Yaakov in Mitzrayim, when you have mochin degadlus, moments of inspiration, bottle it, package it, capture it, so that you could continue to draw from it. We spoke about this two weeks ago, Yosef's great insight, Parshas Miketz, when he interprets Paro's dreams. What was true physically, in the seven fat years you have to set aside so you can continue live off of it in the thin years, is also true spiritually. In the moments of spiritual inspiration, bottle it, capture it so that you can draw from it even when you feel down and out, even when you feel uninspired, even when you feel disconnected. When you have what I'll call high-speed moments, bottle it, capture it so that when you're later buffering and trying to connect, you're still able to find the inspiration. And that's why it appears at the beginning of the parsha and not later into it. The Meshech Chochma wonders, ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים שבע עשרה שנה. Yaakov lived in Mitzrayim 17 years. מדוע טורחת התורה להדגיש יעקב חי אותן שנים בארץ מצרים. Why? We know Yaakov came down. That's where he was headed, that's where he was going, that's where he was. The end of last week's parsha he's already communicating with Paro and Mitzrayim. They've set up camp in Goshen. They opened a Beis Medrash. Yaakov is there with his whole family. So why do we have to be reminded where he lived out his last 17 years? We know where it is, and where is it? Mitzrayim. The Torah doesn't have extra words. Why does it tell us Vayechi Yaakov, he lived those 17 years where? Be'eretz Mitzrayim. Why do I need to be told that? So and what is the Meshech Chochma asking? Interestingly, in the last pasuk of Parshas Vayigash, where does it tell us that Yaakov lived? Let's go back one page. וישב ישראל בארץ מצרים בארץ גושן. So the last pasuk of last week's parsha is Yaakov's living in Goshen. We begin this week's parsha with: He lived out the last 17 years of his life where? In Mitzrayim. Why the shift? Why the change? Number one. Or possibly the Meshech Chochma was bothered by, maybe the second way to understand it is, we know that it could have said Vayechi Yaakov bi'Mitzrayim. Why the word Eretz? After all, in a moment he's going to say, don't bury me in Mitzrayim, unasasani mi'Mitzrayim. Why do we have the extra word of Eretz? Says the Meshech Chochma, העניין שאדם יש אחד שחי לעצמו. There are people who live for themselves. The only influence, the only impact, the only legacy they leave is about themselves. Yesh shekhai le'iro. And there are other people who they leave a legacy. In their city, in their town, they're synonymous with all the good things that happen there. That person didn't just live for themselves, but their legacy is the community, the town, in which they lived. ויש חי לכל העולם. And there are people who had a national, an international, a cosmic influence. ועל זה נאמר צדיק יסוד עולם. That the tzaddik is the foundation of the whole world. שגם בין עובדי השם אמיתיים ניתן להבחין בהבדל מהותי המתבטא ברמת השפעתם סביבותם. וככל שדרגתו הרוחנית של אדם גבוהה ומרוממת יותר, כך פעולותיו עושות למו כנפיים ומטביעות חותמן על אנשים רבים יותר. The greater a person is, man or woman, the more impact, the broader an impact and influence they have. So there are people they live virtuous lives for themselves, private and modest, and they live for themselves, and they're virtuous, and they're righteous. And the Meshech Chochma writes even about them, gam zeh tov. That's also good. Someone who lives a meaningful, purposeful, virtuous life for themselves—also good, also wonderful, also a worthy legacy. But a little bit higher is the person who impacts their community, who transforms their city, their town. And then there are people who even bigger than that, leave a bigger and a broader, a more powerful legacy. As I said, I just had the privilege of speaking about Rabbi Teitz on his 30th yahrzeit. He was such a person. And in that talk, I talked not only retrospectively, passed away 30 years ago about his legacy back then, but prospectively, as a charge: what does it mean for rabbanim, community leaders today? What can and should we emulate? What is our mission and what are our responsibility? And how can we walk in his footsteps? And he was someone who wasn't satisfied just with himself or with his community, but who had a much bigger and broader impact. V'Yaakov Avinu, says the Meshech Chochma, לא בעירו לבד היה חי. He didn't just live for his city, ולא בארץ גושן לבד רק בכל ארץ מצרים. He impacted the entire Egyptian empire. שפסק הרעב ממצרים. The famine ended in his merit. אבל כביד זה למצרים ולא בארץ גושן בלבד. It wasn't just Goshen. When he died, ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים. At his levaya, the hespedim, the eulogies at his funeral, talked about that Yaakov left a legacy and an impact. Princes and princesses and prime ministers and presidents and mere citizens of Mitzrayim knew that any blessing that they had came because of Yaakov who lived in their midst. ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים, says the Meshech Chochma, that's why eretz Mitzrayim, because that was Yaakov's impact. Okay. We're going to skip ahead. I want to make my way towards the second half of the parsha. Yaakov is sick. He calls in his children. And he calls Yosef, Menashe, and Ephraim. You know we have the story, the episode. He's blessing davka through them. פרק מח פסוק טז. Top of page 272. What's the bracha? ויברך את יוסף ויאמר הא-להים אשר התהלכו אבותי לפניו. He gives a bracha to Yosef and he says, המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע יברך את הנערים ויקרא בהם שמי ושם אבותי אברהם ויצחק וידגו לרב בקרב הארץ. The angel who redeems me from all evil, bless the lads; may my name be declared upon them, the names of my forefathers Avraham and Yitzchak; may they proliferate abundantly like fish within the land. We said this last year, so I won't repeat it, but vayivarekh et Yosef. On the one hand, there's a promise—I think we said this last year. If we didn't, I'm not repeating it. But vayivarekh et Yosef. He's giving a bracha to Yosef, but we don't see the bracha to Yosef. Who is Yaakov talking to? Menashe and Ephraim. So why does the pasuk express it as vayivarekh et Yosef if the bracha is to Menashe and Ephraim? So we said last year, I believe, because: what's the greatest bracha you could give a parent? That their children be blessed. It's not mutually exclusive. It's not a failure to bless Yosef; the biggest blessing to Yosef is to give a bracha to his children. And what is that blessing? Hamalach—we're familiar. I won't sing it, because some of you are struggling to stay awake as it is. So I'm not going to sing Hamalach and further put you to sleep. וידגו לרב בקרב הארץ, says the Tiferes Shlomo. It's going to be a heavy Tiferes Shlomo day. Says Rav Shmuel Bornstein, still making our way through. Why וידגו לרב בקרב הארץ? What is the bracha? May you multiply and proliferate like fish within the land. Why fish? Says Rashi: כדגים הללו שפרים ורבים ואין עין הרע שולטת בהם. Because fish live in the water, fish live beyond what we see with the naked eye, and because they are protected from and avoid ayin hara, that's why they successfully promulgate proliferate, that's why they m multiply in multitudes and therefore the bracha to Menashe and Efraim, the bracha that we give our children and grandchildren, that we ask for for ourselves is to both be protected from ayin hara. You see from here that ayin hara is not a modern concept, it's not just a new-age concept, there is a there is a indisputable concept of ayin hara. What does it mean? Not what we ordinarily think. And one thing I know that won't protect you from it is a red string around your wrist. That's just idolatry. That's darchei haEmori. Red string around the wrist is an excellent good luck charm, you know for whom? The woman on the steps down to the Kotel who sells it to you. It's a tremendous segula for her. For you it does nothing. The Tosefta the Tosefta calls a red string around the wrist darchei haEmori. It's idolatrous, it's foreign, it's not what we do, it's not what we believe, it's not how we behave. And so we don't believe in it, but we do believe there's a concept of ayin hara that comes up in halacha, maybe we'll talk more about it another time, not for now. But Rashi here says that the fish are the example of the blessing because they live beneath the water, therefore they're not exposed to ayin hara. Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, Ita beMasechet Brachot, the Gemara in Berachot tells us, אמרו ליה רבנן לא קא מסתפי מר מעינא בישא אמר להו אנא מזרעא דיוסף קאתינא דלא שלטה ביה עינא בישא. So the rabbanan say, you're you're not vulnerable to ayin hara? So he answers, I am from, I descend from Yosef. And Yosef, no ayin hara can touch him. דכתיב בן פורת יוסף בן פורת עלי עין אמר רב אבהו אל תקרי עלי עין אלא עולי עין. Rabbi Yose bar Chanina amar mehacha וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ מה דגים שבים מים מכסים עליהם just like the fish in the sea, the water covers them, ואין עין הרע שולטת בהם אף זרעו של יוסף אין עין הרע שולטת בהם. When we identify with, when we act like Yosef, just like Yosef was protected from ayin hara, so too are we. ואיבעית אימא עין שלא רצתה לזון ממה שאינו שלו אין עין הרע שולטת בו. Yosef whose eye did not crave or look at or pursue what did not belong to him, so so too no one else's ayin eye can rule over us. Rashi says עולי עין מסולקים מן העין שאינה שולטת בהם שלא רצה לזון ולהנות מאשת אדוניו. Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, הטעם שזכה יוסף שלא ישלוט בו עין הרע מדה כנגד מדה ששמר עיניו מליהנות מראיות אסורות. Yosef did not look at what he was not supposed to look at. Yosef was filtered. Yosef was shomer einayim. לפיכך הוא נשמר ממי שמסתכל עליו בעין הרע. If you're careful what you look at, you'll be protected from people who shouldn't be looking at you. ועיין מסכת יומא אמרו עליו על יוסף הצדיק בכל יום ויום הייתה אשת פוטיפר משתדלתו בדברים בבגדים שלבשה בשחרית לא לבשה בערבית בבגדים שלבשה בערבית לא לבשה בשחרית. The wife of Potiphar was consistently and ruthlessly pursuing and and propositioning Yosef. Endlessly. She was constantly changing her wardrobe to be provocative, to catch his attention, throwing herself at him and on him. ועם כל זה אמרו בגמרא ברכות עין שלא רצתה לזון ממה שאינו שלו. And with all that, despite the endless wardrobe changes of Eshet Potiphar, like someone at a Pesach program, despite her changing but a Pesach program appropriately, dressed appropriately. I'm just saying the number of wardrobe changes like someone at a Pesach program with a child in shidduchim. That amount of wardrobe changes was the amount that Eshet Potiphar did, only she wasn't wearing appropriately, not for a Pesach program, not for anywhere or anything. And yet despite her ruthless, perpetual, promiscuous propositioning of Yosef, Yosef didn't look, he didn't touch, he didn't take, he wasn't tempted by that which was not his. שלא רק שלא עבר עבירה, it's not just that he didn't violate the aveira, אפילו לא הסתכל בה. He would turn his eyes down, he would look away, he wouldn't even gaze, he wouldn't even give a moment of a glimpse of that which was not his. ונמצא שמי שרוצה להינצל מעין הרע, so you want the segula to be safe from ayin hara, says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, it ain't no red bendel around your wrist. That's easy. How many people wear the red bendel around their wrist, come late to shul, talk all davening, look at inappropriate things on the internet, gossip lashon hara, have ruthless business practices, and they think, well, I spent five shekel, now my wrist is protected. No. If you want to be protected from ayin hara ישמור עיניו מראיות אסורות ומידה כנגד מידה יזכה לשמירה מעין הרע. Don't look at what's not yours. Don't look at images and ideas, don't look at what's in someone else's driveway or pocket, don't look at the people in their home, don't look with jealousy and envy at others, don't look at things you shouldn't be looking at. And when we can protect what we look at, then Hashem protects us from those who might otherwise look at us. You see this with Bilam HaRasha. וישא בלעם את עיניו וירא את ישראל. Bilam lifted his eyes and he saw the Jewish people. ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים. Rashi says, he lifted his eyes, ביקש להכניס בהם עין הרע. Bilam stood on the mountain and how was he going to bring down the Jewish people? Because he was going to bestow upon them ayin hara, the evil eye. He would look with jealousy and envy, he would invoke divine judgment. הרי יש לך ג' מידות של עין רע. And that's one of the three qualities of Bilam, to look with an ayin ra. But when he saw that shochein lishvatav, when he saw that כל שבט ושבט שוכן לעצמו ואינו מעורבים, he saw that the Jewish people, everyone encamps on their own. They're not intermingled and they're not mixed. They're protected and they're living lives of kedusha and tahara. And more than that, מה טובו אהליך יעקב, he saw our tents don't even face one another, so no one can give a peek. Nobody's a creep, nobody's looking into one another's bedroom or through the window. When Bilam saw that we were a people who were careful where we look, how we gaze, how we live, then he was unsuccessful in giving his ayin hara to us. So you see from our parsha, you're looking how to be protected from ayin hara, here's how. When we're careful what we look at and how we look, then we are protected from how others want to and seek to look at us. Back to the Neizer HaParsha. Number two, וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, will multiply like fish b'kerev ha'aretz. Rashi says, k'dagim elalu, excuse me, like these fish, sheparo v'ravu, who multiply and the ayin hara doesn't affect them. Why are we compared to fish? 'Cause the fish in the sea is covered, so too are we. But more than that, the Gemara continues: keivan she'olu l'yabasha. What happens to a fish that flops onto the land? A fish that finds itself on the dry land, what happens? Miyad meisim, dies immediately. Where's its natural habitat? Where does, what's the environment it needs to be in in order to live? The water. אף בני אדם כיון שפורשין מדברי תורה ומן המצוות מיד מתים. Where's our natural habitat? Where's our environment that sustains us? Torah. We need to be immersed in Torah. Just like the fish when it goes from the sea to dry land, it'll die immediately, a yid, if it went from the sea of Torah, the sea of Talmud, and it lived in a dry land, dry, absent of Torah, or outside of the environment we need to live, miyad meisim. ונראה שיש בברכה זו חיזוק גדול לבני ישראל בהיותם בגלות, says Rav Shore, this was the appropriate bracha Yaakov was giving specifically in galus. בהקדים דברי השפתי צדיק. Because the Sifsei Tzaddik says, the fish live in the sea, in the water. Mikol makom, a fish in the water, Chazal tells us, the Midrash Bereishis Rabbah. What happens when it rains? You can see it, go to the Lago lake, go to the Captiva lake. When it rains, even though the fish are already in the water, what do they do? They swim to the surface, they stick out their mouth and they try to catch a drop. כשיורד טיפת גשם פותחין פיהם כאילו לא טעמו מים. They lift their face, they open their mouth, and they're trying to catch the drops of rain even though they're in the water. זה סימן לחביבות יקרות תורת הקדושה. And that is the way we're meant to live, that even though we're immersed in the sea of Torah and Talmud, but nevertheless, when it rains Torah, we should be so eager to collect it, we're sticking out our mouth. ולכך שם בקרב הארץ, אף שהם טרודים בענייני העולם הזה, mikol makom, עיקר חיותם במי תורה הקדושה. Where is it? v'yidgu larov, where? b'kerev ha'aretz. Aretz, whenever you see the word aretz, it's a hint and an allusion to the idea of artziyus. What's artziyus? Material, physical, the base, mundane. Even when we're living b'kerev ha'aretz, you have to go to work, and we have to go to the supermarket, and we have to go to the mall, and we have to wait on line, and we have to eat, and we have to sleep, and we're mere mortals, material and physical, and engaging the limits of this world, nevertheless v'yidgu larov, we could stick our head and our mouth out. Nevertheless, we could drink up every drop of Torah that's falling. Even when we're b'kerev ha'aretz. This bracha is given specifically in galus, b'kerev ha'aretz, b'kerev ha'aretz. The bracha b'kerev ha'aretz is gematria sheker. B'kerev ha'aretz is the same numerical value as sheker. אותם שהם צריכים להסתובב ב of distortions and untruths. It's a world of lies. It's harder and harder to tolerate, to not have our hearts be broken in living and navigating this world of lies. הברכה שיוכלו לחיות חיים וקיימים ולא יהיו נופלים למטה בנסיונות הקשים. And that's why it's a bracha to be like dagim bekerev ha'aretz. לא דגים שמתים מיד רק שיהיה ביכול לחיות גם בקרב הארץ. Not like fish who die immediately, but the fish who can live bekerev ha'aretz. They live even bekerev ha'aretz, even while we're living in that place, we can still drink and live Torah. That's our natural habitat and environment. That's where we can still live even while we are there, azoi zogt the Nezer HaParsha. Okay, פרק מ\"ח פסוק י\"ט, same page. Vayima'en aviv. So what happens? Now it's time for Menashe and Efraim to get the bracha, and Yosef lines them up correctly. Menashe is the older one on the right, the more prominent spot. Efraim is the younger one on the left, the less prominent spot. What does his father do? The old switcheroo. He switches his hands. וימאן אביו ויאמר ידעתי בני ידעתי גם הוא יהיה לעם וגם הוא יגדל ואולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו וזרעו יהיה מלא הגוים. And Yaakov switches his hands. Why doesn't he switch where Menashe and Efraim are standing? Why does he switch his hands? Switch where they're standing. There's a big lesson about parenting there, but not for now. And he and Yosef have a difference of opinion. Yosef protests. He says, Abba, Tatti, respectfully, but you got it wrong. Menashe's older. And what does Yaakov respond? Yada'ati beni yada'ati. I may be old, but I'm not stupid. I know. I know Menashe's older, but and Menashe's also going to be le'am. Gam hu yigdal. He'll also be great. But ואולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו. His younger brother is going to be a rabbi and a doctor. וזרעו יהיה מלא הגוים. And his offspring are going to fill the nations. His offspring are going to be even greater and fill the nations. What are they debating? I don't want to take the time now, we've spoken about it in the past, cosmic debate between Yosef and Yaakov about Menashe and Efraim. Who's in the position of prominence? Who's higher? Who goes first? Slonimer Rebbe and others see it as a debate between which is more important, sur meira or asei tov? מנשה כי נשני אלוקים is sur meira. Efraim ki hifrani is asei tov. Which is more important, to leave the bad or to start doing the good? Do we first eliminate our shortcomings and mistakes or take on more positive practice and virtuous behavior? Sur meira or asei tov, what's the order? Many ways of interpreting and many ways of understanding. But says the Tiferes Shmuel, says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, תמו הרי יעקב אבינו היה בצער משך כ\"ב שנים ממכירת יוסף. He asks a great question here. And I think, frankly, his question's even better than his answer, but I want to pose his question to you. Yaakov was in horrific pain for 22 years. Chronic pain, inconsolable mourning. Why? Alienated from Yosef. Yosef disappeared. Yosef was nowhere to be found. How did that happen? What started it? Favoritism. Favoritism because Yaakov favored Yosef and he gave him that coat. So now after 22 years of separation, Yaakov's in Mitzrayim, and 17 years, which were the best years of his life. Some ask, how could his best years of his life be davka in Mitzrayim in golus, not in Kena'an? That's a question again for another time. The best years of his life, and now he stands to potentially ruin it all again. He's about to repeat the same mistake. He favored Yosef over his brothers, that's what began it all, and his 22 years of suffering. And now he's giving a bracha to Menashe and Efraim, and instead of following the natural birth order, he says, no, no, no. Efraim, ooh-wah, he's special. He's going to be great. Menashe, he's good, he's good. He's going to be accomplished, he's going to do his thing. He's good. But Efraim, ooh-wah. Efraim, that's my true pride and joy. Efraim's my geshmaka nachas. Efraim, wow, is he going to be a gadol, is he going to be great. Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, what is going on here? Didn't Yaakov learn his lesson? You're not supposed to show favorites. There was an article in New York, the article last week in the paper we don't say in shul in front of an aron kodesh or even outside of it. Someone forwarded me the article. God forbid I don't pay for it and I wouldn't give it clicks, but someone sent me the article. And the article was about research on favoritism from parents. Fascinating. You know how all parents when asked by their children \"Do you have a favorite?\" say no? Well, the research showed that most are lying. And that even if they claim, and even if in their heart they don't believe they have a favorite, in practice, often, frequently... How could he why would he supposedly get it wrong again? I'm interested to hear what you have to say. Perek Mem Chet Pasuk Kaf, bottom of page 272. I've got to leave you with something some homework to do. ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמר so Yaakov gives them the bracha that they say בך יברך ישראל לאמר ישמך אלהים כאפרים וכמנשה וישם את אפרים לפני מנשה so so he blessed them that day saying by you shall Israel bless saying may God make you like Efrayim and Menashe and he put Efrayim before Menashe and famously everybody asks of all the people because we do this every Friday night we give our children our grandchildren brachos. It's a very beautiful practice to have whether they're in front of us and today we can do it virtually. Every Friday Baruch Hashem around the world in Hollywood Florida in New Jersey in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh on the gift of technology with video I put my hand to the camera and screen and I give my children my grandchildren brachos every week. I get bracha Baruch Hashem no matter what age it's still wonderful to receive. And we bless to give like Efrayim and Menashe why not Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov? Why not David and Shlomo? Why not so many of the other great leaders that we've had? Efrayim and Menashe are relatively obscure personalities. Other than blessing our children in their name how much do we even know about them? Ask the average person what do we know? So why Efrayim and Menashe? This too we've discussed in the past maybe because they're the first generation that there's no sibling rivalry. Until now from the beginning of Bereishis the creation of the world, Kayin and Hevel, Yitzchak and Yishmael, Yaakov and Esav, Yosef and his brothers. Menashe and Efrayim not only did they get along but even the reaction when Efrayim is favored over Menashe the older brother he doesn't say woe is me and why me and how could you and how dare you. He says okay I agree if that's the way it's meant to be no problem and therefore their love and mutual respect that sense of brotherhood and achdus that's the bracha we give our children. We give our children let you have no sibling rivalry you should have no sibling rivalry you shouldn't fight. Not my favorite with my less favorite I'm just joking none of you are my favorite you're all my favorite by the way that is the secret. When we interviewed the singer Akiva who may come back this year just drop that here right now might have another concert. Akiva Turgeman the great singer in Israel who's one of and I don't want to get this wrong 11 or 12 or 13 I don't remember I don't remember and I asked him in the conversation the interview you could watch it behind the bimah which by the way is back and better than ever. So I asked him how was it he has very special parents I know because Akiva's sister married my cousin. How is it your parents raised such a beautiful family incredible children and you have such a special energy to your family he said listen to this carefully. He said my parents treated each of us as if we were their only child. They had 12 I don't remember the number 13 only children. It's possible to parent that you could have 13 only children three only children seven only children. So that's the bracha KeMenashe Ve'Efrayim. Have that sibling love instead of sibling rivalry others say Menashe and Efrayim are the first to be raised in golus. Everyone else is raised at the feet of Yaakov, Yaakov at the feet of Yitzchak, Yitzchak at the feet of Avraham. Where are Menashe and Efrayim raised? In Mitzrayim and they didn't lose an identity. They didn't lose an iota of their identity. And that's the bracha for our children who are navigating their galus to not lose an iota of their identity. Many explanations why Ephraim and Menashe. Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, Perek Mem-Ches, we're on Pasuk Chof. And he says the following. לכן צריך להבין מאחר שיעקב אמר אולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו למה אמר שדורות יתברכו בכם כאפרים וכמנשה מברך מברך בעין יפה ובכיוון שיש בכלל מאתיים מנה יברך הבנים יראו כאפרים שגדול יותר. If Ephraim's going to surpass Menashe, then why give a bracha to be like Menashe? If I say two hundred, a hundred's included in two hundred. If I say Ephraim, Menashe's included in an Ephraim. So why also give the bracha to be like Ephraim and Menashe? Says Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, שכל אדם יש תפקיד מיוחד וכוחות מיוחדים בעבודת השם, because everyone's different. Everyone's unique. Ephraim may not objectively be as great as Menashe, but each person has their own assignment, their own purpose, their own mission, their own mandate, to be the greatest they can for themselves. And that's the bracha we're also giving our children, whether you're an Ephraim or whether you're Menashe, whether you're Menashe, whether you're an Ephraim, be the best version of yourself. Don't be the best version of someone else. Don't compete and compare or try to keep up with anyone else, be the best version of yourself. And that's the bracha of, that's the bracha of k'Menashe v'Ephraim, even though Ephraim should be in theory included in Menashe. That is the Tiferes Shmuel. The Divrei Yisrael, the holy Modzitzer Rebbe. Sorry, different Divrei Yisrael. The different, there's a Divrei Yisrael that's the Modzitzer Rebbe, this is the Divrei Yisrael, Reb Hezekiah of Kozmir. He says b'cha yivarech Yisrael, lo amar bachem, ela b'cha. Even though he's speaking to Menashe and Ephraim, multiple, he's speaking to two, he doesn't use the plural bachem, he uses the singular b'cha, b'cha. The Jewish people will bless you, the singular, even though we're going to bless to be like the plural Menashe and Ephraim. Why? כי כאיש אחד באחדות אין הבדל מי קודם למי ולפיכך וישם את אפרים לפני מנשה כי מנשה לא יקנא באפרים ששניהם הם אחד. Menashe's not jealous of Ephraim, because when there's achdus, when there's unity, when there's love, when there's respect, then there isn't jealousy, there isn't envy, there isn't animosity, and therefore we're able to all get along one with the other. The Amas Tohoiras the great Rachmistrivka Rebbe, quotes Rav Moshe Leib Sossov. The great Sossover Moshe Leib Sossov writes: ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמור. Another interpretation. I love this. ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמור. ויברכם ביום שברכם יעקב אבינו. What was the bracha he gave them? The bracha was bayom hahu. May you live every day. Don't have anxiety and worry about tomorrow. Don't get lost in the future that's not yet here. May you be blessed to live bayom hahu. שברכם יעקב אבינו שלא ידאגו דאגת מחר v'zehu vayivarchaim. Mah hu habracha? Bayom hahu. שיזכו לבוא למידת הביטחון שיחשבו רק מה שנוגע ליום ההוא. All I have to know is now I am where I'm meant to be, embrace your place, live that moment. Don't fear the future. Don't worry what will be. Don't have anxiety and angst, but rather live hayom. V'zehu leimor, שרק מה שנוגע להיות היום ראוי לאמור ולדבר בו. ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמור. Only talk about today. Okay, plan for of course, build a beautiful future, but without fear, without worry, because Hakadosh Baruch Hu takes care of us wherever we are. And that's the same thing: ואתחנן אל ה' בעת ההיא לאמור שראוי לבקש מה' יתברך על מידת הביטחון. That ba'eis hahu, bayom hahu is the idea that we can be mindful and intentional, we can be present, we can receive the gift of that moment, lean in and be present. What was the bracha vayivarchaim? Bayom hahu. The bracha we give our children, the bracha we ask for for ourselves, is to embrace the moment, to be present, to live then and not live with worry and fear about a future. And then the Torah tells us that Yaakov starts to give his brachas, פרק מח פסוק כב. He gives his bracha, Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda. פרק מח פסוק כב we're going all the way to verse 22. בן פורת יוסף עלי עין בנות צעדה עלי שור. Sorry that is not where I wanted to go. becharbi u'v'kashti. Perek Chof-Bais, Mem-Ches Chof-Bais, go back. Still in the bracha before he turns to Reuven, I apologize. ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך. He tells, Yaakov tells Yosef: I've given you Shechem, echad al achecha, one portion more than your brothers. What happened to Rav Shmuel Berenbaum's vort? Haven't we seen this movie before? He's giving him one more than his brothers. How'd that turn out? How'd that work out? Why is he doing it again? It's a very compelling question. Why is he doing it again? I can't wait to hear your answers. And why does he have Shechem? Where is Yosef buried? Shechem. And halevai we should protect it and enable us to go visit Yosef Hatzadik there even though our cousins don't let us come. And says Yaakov, how did I get Shechem to be able to give it to you, Yosef? How did I get it? Becharbi u-vekashti, with my sword and with my bow. Is that in fact how Yaakov got Shechem? No. Who got Shechem? Levi and Shimon when they attacked after their sister Dinah was violated and they created this ruse and they eliminated Shechem, Chamor and Shechem. And now Yaakov, who was critical of them then, is now taking the credit now? Becharbi u-vekashti. Put on my uniform, I took my M-16, I took my rifle, I had my knife. Becharbi u-vekashti, with my sword and with my bow, I conquered Shechem and Yosef here now I'm giving it to you. Zogt Rashi, Onkelos: Betsalusi u-ve-ba'usi. With my tefillah, with my prayer, with my heartfelt prayer. Says Yaakov, you know why we were successful? You know why we conquered Shechem? You know why we won that war? Yes, Levi and Shimon heroically were on the front lines. Yes, it was the courage of your brothers, but they wouldn't have been successful without my prayers. Behind them my tefillah. And why is tefillah called a sword and a bow? Says the Rachme Shifka quoting the Rebbe of Lublin: שיש להבין למה נמשלה התפילה לקשת דרך הקשת הוא דכל מה שמותח אותו אדם יותר קרוב לעצמו למטה אז יורה בתוקף יותר ויעלה החץ יותר למעלה. How does a bow work? The closer, the tighter you pull the string to yourself, the farther, the further the arrow will travel. The straighter, the faster, the farther the arrow will travel. What do you have to do? You have to pull the bow closer to you. סמלי כמו כן בתפילה. What do you have to do? You have to pull the closer the tefillah is to your heart. The more authentic, the more raw, the more real it is, the closer you pull it to her, then the further, the farther, the faster, the straighter the tefillah will travel to where it's meant to go, to where it's meant to penetrate, to how it's meant to have its impact. פרק מ\"ט פסוק א', 49:1. ויקרא יעקב אל בניו. Yaakov calls his sons and he says gather around me, I want to tell you achris hayamim. I want to tell you what's going to happen at the end of days. Says the Rachme Shifka, we're still in the Amoros Tehoros: He'asvu ve-agida lachem. He quotes from the Rebbe of Ruzhin: אשר יקרה אתכם באחרית הימים שבבאחרית הימים העיקר להיות באחדות ובהתחברות. The word He'asvu and asifa, what does it mean? Gather and unite. I want to tell you what's going to happen achris hayamim, says the holy Ruzhiner, what it means is if you want to bring about the end of days, if you want to bring Moshiach, what do you have to do? He'asvu. You have to gather, you have to unite, you need achdus. Stop fighting, stop the sinas chinam, stop the name-calling, stop critical, stop condemning, stop marginalizing. We need achdus. We need to unite, we need to find common ground, we need to care about one another. He'asvu ve-agida lachem. When is it achris hayamim? Only when He'asvu, when we can gather, when we will be united, when we will be one. Says Rabbi Sacks, He'asvu ve-agida lachem. Yaakov summons his children wishing to bless them. Gather. The two verses seem to be saying the same thing twice, with one difference. These two pesukim, 49:1 and 2. He'asvu ve-agida lachem, hikavtzu ve-shimu. Gather so I can tell you, gather and listen. In the first there's a reference to what will happen in the end of days, achris hayamim. It's missing from the second. Rashi following Gemara says Yaakov wished to reveal what would happen in the end, but the divine presence was removed from him. He tried to foresee the future, but found he could not. This is no minor detail, writes Rabbi Sacks. It is a fundamental feature of Jewish spirituality. We believe we cannot predict the future when it comes to human beings. We make the future by our choices. We cannot obtain the script. The future is radically open. We do not believe the future is written—sorry, we do not believe that the future is written. There is no fate we cannot change, no prediction we cannot defy. We are not predestined to fail. Neither are we preordained to succeed. We do not predict the future because we make the future by our choices, our willpower, our persistence and our determination. The proof is the Jewish people itself. First reference to Israel outside of Tanakh is engraved on I'm going to mispronounce this, the Merneptah Stele, inscribed around the year 1225 before the common era by Paroh Merneptah, Ramses the second's successor. It reads, quote, \"Israel is laid waste, her seed is no more.\" It is in short an obituary. Jewish people have been written off many times by their enemies but they remain after almost four millennia, still young and strong. That is why when Yakov wants to tell his children what will happen in the future, the divine spirit is taken away. Our children continue to surprise us as we continue to surprise others. Made in the image of Hashem, we are free, sustained by the blessing of Hashem, we can become greater than anyone even ourselves could foresee. So Achris Hayamim, Yakov's eyes were closed, he couldn't see the future. You know why? says Rabbi Sacks, because we don't, the future is not set, the future is not written. Our choices, our autonomy, our Bechira Chofshis. We have responsibility, we're empowered and we have responsibility to impact and influence to shape and mold that future through the choices we make. We'll end here wishing everyone a meaningful and in addition to an easy Asara B'Teves. Let us learn the lesson of Sinas Chinam to reverse it only to Ahavas Chinam to celebrate the Geulah Sheleimah together. May you stay happy, stay healthy, and stay holy.
