Torah Thoughts, Stories, and Inspiration on the weekly Parsha
In this week’s Parsha (42:8), Yosef ascends to great power becoming the viceroy over all of Egypt. In this role, he encounters his brothers who come to Egypt during the famine looking for food. As they stand facing their long-lost brother, they have no idea it is him. They do not recognize Yosef. I heard…
In this week’s Parsha (Bereishes 37:35) Yaakov is grieving intensely over the purported loss of his dear son Yosef. He’s inconsolable. His children attempt to comfort him and to console him. The pasuk says that all of Yaakov’s children arose to comfort him. However, vayema’ein lehisnachem – Yaakov refused to be consoled. The Torah does not reveal to…
“You should love your fellow Jew as yourself …” (Vayikra 19:18) In this week’s Parsha, the Torah bids us: “You should love your fellow Jew as yourself”. This is a very challenging and difficult task. How are we supposed to accomplish something so lofty? Hashem gave us role models of two brothers, Moshe Rabbeinu, and…
“Thus, Israel settled in the land of Egypt in the region of Goshen…” (47:27) In Darash Moshe, Rav Moshe Feinstein asks: Why does the Torah state here that Yisroel settled in Egypt when we know from the preceding verses that Goshen was a region in Egypt? He answers that perhaps the Torah is teaching us…
“And Yosef said to his brothers, I am Joseph…” (45:3) The two most dramatic words ever recited were, “Ani Yosef – I am Yosef!” Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlita explains: These two words shocked and shook Yosef’s brothers to the core of their beings. Their entire worldview was suddenly turned inside out. The brothers’ accusation, fear, vendetta, and…
“And it was the end of two years …” (41:1) The opening verse in this week’s Parsha Vayehi Mikeitz Shenasayim Yamim literally means, “And it was the end of two years.” However, according to the R’ Shraga Yair of Bialovzeg, it can also mean: Mikeitz, at the end of days, Shenasayim, years, Yomim, will turn…
