Torah Thoughts, Stories, and Inspiration on the weekly Parsha
“And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt…” (47:28) This week’s Parsha says that Yaakov lived 147 years. Yaakov should have really lived much longer but Hashem punished because of a lapse in Emunah. During their very first encounter. Pharaoh asked Yaakov a very personal question. As the pasuk says (Bereishis 47:8), “Vayomer Pharaoh el…
“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…
Shabbos Chanukah typically falls out on Parshas Miketz. In Miketz we read about Pharaoh’s dream of the weakly, thin cows that devour the strong, healthy cows. Yet, astoundingly, the weak cows didn’t look different. They didn’t gain any physical weight. This unique phenomenon is symbolic of Chanukah. Rav Yitzchok Fingerer explains that the “weak” Jews…
“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…
What is Chanukah? The Rabbanim learned… (Shabbos 21b) Although there are many lessons learned from the miracles that occurred on Chanukah, the Sefer Torah Tavlin Al HaMoadim quotes the Nesivos Shalom, Rav Shalom Berezovsky zt”l, who writes that the essence of Chanukah is simchah (happiness). He notes that it is customary for Jews to wish…
