"And Israel saw Joseph's sons"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak begins this discussion by explaining the title verse. We learn that through the Holy Spirit, the righteous Israel was able to see that Joseph's sons would one day worship idols. We also learn that all the generations of the world stand in the presence of God before they are born into the world.

Relevance

The strength and wisdom to free oneself from idol - worshipping is bestowed upon the reader through the righteousness of Israel. Idol-worshipping refers to any form of egocentric behavior where pleasure is derived from external sources as opposed to true contentment that is generated internally in our souls. Before a soul enters this world, all the secrets of the Torah are revealed to it. The soul promises The Creator that during physical existence, it will pursue the path of Torah and spiritual growth. Prior to the moment of birth, the wisdom of the Torah is then forgotten, along with our promise, and thus begins the true work of "remembering" our commitment and "reacquiring" our spiritual knowledge. This passage helps us to remain true to our promise to walk the path of the Light, and it regenerates the seeds of mystical wisdom implanted within our soul prior to our birth.

Eyes Golden Calves Idolatry Israel Jeroboam Joseph

366. "And Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?'" (Beresheet 48:8). Rabbi Yitzchak said, This verse is difficult to understand. It is written, "And Israel saw" (Ibid. 10), yet also "And the eyes of Israel were dim from age, so that he could not see." If he cannot see, how come then, "And Israel saw?" HE ANSWERS, "AND ISRAEL SAW" MEANS that he saw through the Holy Spirit Joseph's descendants, Jeroboam and his fraternity, the same Jeroboam who made the two golden calves, and said, "These are your Elohim, Yisrael" (I Melachim 12:28). Hence he said, "Who are these?" Who is he that will say, "These are your Elohim," about idol? It is therefore written, "And Israel saw Joseph's sons."

366. וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אֵלֶּה, אֲמַר ר' יִצְחָק, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְתִיב וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזּוֹקֶן לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת, אִי לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת, מַהוּ וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא דְּחָמָא בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, אִינוּן בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף, דְּאִינוּן יָרָבְעָם וַחֲבֵירָיו, דְּיָרָבְעָם עֲבַד תְּרֵין עֶגְלֵי זָהָב, וַאֲמַר אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, מִי אֵלֶּה, מַאן הוּא דְּזַמִּין לְמֵימַר אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְטַעֲוָון אָחֳרָן, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף.

Crowns Deeds Righteous

367. מִכָּאן, דְּצַדִּיקַיָיא חָמָאן עוֹבָדָא לְמֵרָחוֹק, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְעַטֵּר לוֹן בְּעִטְרָא דִילֵיהּ, מַה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָמֵי לְמֵרָחוֹק, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָמָא כָּל עוֹבָדִין, עַד לָא יַעֲבֵד לוֹן, וְכֻלְּהוּ אַעֲבָרוּ קַמֵּיהּ.

Creation Jeremiah Soul, The Universe

368. In the same manner, all the generations of the world from one world's end to the other stand before Him before coming into the world. This is written in the verse, "He who calls the generations from the beginning" (Yeshayah 41:4), NAMELY before the universe was created, for all the souls that descend into the world stand before the Holy One, blessed be He, before going into it, assuming their worldly shape and names. It is written, "He calls them all by names" (Yirmeyah 40:26).

368. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, כָּל דָּרִין דְּעַלְמָא, מִסְּיָיפֵי עַלְמָא, עַד סְיָיפֵי עַלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְעַתָּדוּ וְקָיְימוּ קַמֵּיהּ עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעַלְמָא, קוֹרֵא הַדּוֹרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ, עַד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי עַלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּכָל נִשְׁמָתִין דְּנָחֲתִין לְעַלְמָא, עַד לָא יֵיחֲתוּן, כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בִּדְיוֹקְנָא דְּקָיְימֵי בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, וְאִקְרוּן בִּשְׁמָהָן, דִּכְתִיב לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא.

Adam Book of the Generations of Adam Moses Prophets Righteous

369. The righteous too are shown by the Holy One, blessed be He, all the generations of the world, before they come into it. Whence do we know that? From Adam, who was the first to be shown by the Holy One, blessed be He, the generations before they came, as it is written, "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Beresheet 5:1). We learned that He showed him all the generations destined to come into the world. Moses too was shown, as it is written, "And Hashem showed him all the land" (Devarim 34:1), WHICH MEANS THAT the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the generations of the world and all its leaders and prophets before they were born.

369. אוֹף הָכֵי צַדִּיקַיָּיא, קוּדְשָׁא ב"ה אַחְמֵי לוֹן כָּל דָּרִין דְּעַלְמָא, עַד לָא יֵיתוּן וְיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בְּעַלְמָא. מ"ל מֵאָדָם דַּהֲוָה קַדְמָאָה. דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ כָּל אִינוּן דָּרִין עַד לָא יֵיתוּן, כְּדִכְתִיב זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת, דְּתָנִינָן, אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ, כָּל אִינוּן דָּרִין דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיתֵי לְעַלְמָא. וְכֵן לְמֹשֶׁה, דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְאֵהוּ ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ, כָּל דָּרִין דְּעַלְמָא, וְכָל אִינוּן מַנְהִיגֵי עַלְמָא, וְכָל שְׁאָר נְבִיאֵי, עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעַלְמָא.

Ephraim Gods Idolatry Israel Jeroboam Joseph Menashe, King of Judah

370. Here too, "And Israel saw Joseph's sons" means that he saw far off, THAT THEY WILL WORSHIP IDOLS, and he trembled and said, "Who are these?" The verse refers both to this, JEROBOAM WHO SAID, "THESE ARE YOUR ELOHIM, YISRAEL" and to ITS SIMPLE MEANING ABOUT EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH THEMSELVES. Joseph answered it by saying, 'They are my sons, whom Elohim had given me in this place.' TO WIT, THEY ARE GOOD, YET HE DID NOT ANSWER HIM IN RELATION TO JEROBOAM AND HIS FRIENDS. How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him through the Holy Spirit ABOUT JEROBOAM AND HIS FRIENDS? From the verse, "And, lo, Elohim has shown me also your children" (Beresheet 48:11), "also" alludes to THE GENERATIONS that will issue from him, as we said.

370. אוֹף הָכָא, וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף, חָמָא לְמֵרָחוֹק, וְאִזְדַּעְזַע, וַאֲמַר מִי אֵלֶּה, וְהַאי קְרָא אַשְׁלֵים לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, לְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא. וְע"ד אָתֵיב יוֹסֵף וַאֲמַר, בָּנַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה. וּמנ"ל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ בְּרוּחָא דְקוּדְשָׁא. דִּכְתִיב וְהִנֵּה הֶרְאָה אֹתִי אֱלֹקִים גַּם אֶת זַרְעֶךָ. גַּם, לְאַסְגָּאָה אִינוּן דְּנָפְקִין מִנֵּיהּ כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.