Vayeshev: Chapter 6

"Now Israel loved Joseph"

Synopsis

Using the story of Joseph and his many-colored coat as an analogy, Rabbi Elazar discusses the spiritually privileged position of the children of Israel and the enmity this inspires in idolatrous nations. We learn that Jacob's love for Joseph over his brothers, and the coat that he gave Joseph, was the immediate cause of the Exile itself, which is, in turn, shown to be a parable of human history.

Relevance

The children of Israel are designated as the Chosen People in response to the measure of their internal Vessel - the Desire to Receive - which is more intense than that of other nations. For this reason, they are the channel through which the Light of The Creator emerges into our world. When the Desire to Receive is directed towards the self alone, there is a lack of Light in our world, and this instigates negative repercussions from other nations. These other nations sense the lack of Light, which creates enmity between them and the children of Israel, and is ultimately the cause for the continuing Exile. Thus, Exile is both a personal and an historical occurrence. When the hardships of life reach their extreme, this is a spiritual connection to the Exile of the children of Israel, which exists to this very day. The Exile is also an effect of our failure to direct our desires towards positive and sharing causes. The spiritual forces of liberation present in this passage can hasten both our personal redemption and also the Final Redemption of the entire world.

Chambers Door Israel Joseph Love

74. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a striped coat" (Beresheet 37:3). Rabbi Elazar began the discussion with the verse, "Come, My people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you: hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast" (Yeshayah 26:20). Come and behold, how much did the Holy One, blessed be He, love Yisrael? He had more love for them than for all the other heathen nations. Thus, He warned them and guarded them in their actions.

74. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכָל בָּנָיו כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, לֵךְ עַמִּי בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ וּסְגֹר דְּלָתְךָ בַּעֲדֶךָ חֲבִי כִּמְעַט רֶגַע עַד יַעֲבָר זַעַם. לֵךְ עַמִּי בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָחִים לוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְגִין רְחִימוּתָא דִלְהוֹן, דִּרְחֵים לוֹן עַל כָּל עַמִּין עעכו"ם, אַזְהַר לוֹן, וּבָעֵי לְנַטְרָא לוֹן, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִינוּן עָבְדִין.

Judgment

75. Come and behold, Judgment hovers about the world three times a day. During these times, it behooves a man to take heed and be watchful lest Judgment shall fall on him. This is so at specific times, as has already been explained.

75. תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּלַת זִמְנִין אִית בְּיוֹמָא, דְּדִינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעַלְמָא, וְכַד אָתֵי הַהוּא זִמְנָא, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא, וּלְאִסְתַּמְרָא, דְּלָא יִפְגַע בֵּיהּ הַהוּא דִינָא, וְאִינוּן זִמְנִין יְדִיעָן, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.

Abraham Jacob Judgment Minchah Morning

76. The three times are when morning comes and Abraham is awakened into the world, where he holds on to Judgment, so that he is attached to it. Within the first three hours, Judgment is driven from its place to be awakened within Jacob, until the time is come for Minchah. Then, the lower Judgment is stirred to be attached to the upper Judgment. Then one Judgment joins another, and it behooves us to be on our guard.

76. בְּגִין דְּהָא כַּד סָלֵיק צַפְרָא, אַבְרָהָם אִתְעַר בְּעַלְמָא, וְאָחֵיד לֵיהּ לְדִינָא לְקָשְׁרָא לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּבְשֵׁירוּתָא דִּתְלַת שָׁעֵי קַמַּיְיתָא, נָטֵיל דִּינָא מֵאַתְרֵיהּ, לְאַתְעָרָא בֵּיהּ בְּיַעֲקֹב, עַד דְּאִתְעַר צְלוֹתָא דְמִנְחָה, דְּאַהֲדַר דִּינָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וְאִתְעַר דִּינָא דִלְתַתָּא, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּדִינָא דִלְעֵילָא, דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִתְקַשַּׁר דִּינָא בְּדִינָא, וּבָעֵי לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא.

Angels Ark Death Death and the Afterlife Judgment Noah

77. Moreover, when Judgment is upon the world and death is in the marketplace, no man should walk alone in a public place, as has been explained elsewhere. Man should shut himself in and never venture out, as Noah did when he shut himself in the ark to avoid being found in the presence of the Angel of Destruction.

77. תוּ, כַּד דִּינָא אִתְעַר בְּעַלְמָא, וּמוֹתָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּמָתָא, לָא לִיבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵיהַךְ יְחִידָאי בְּשׁוּקָא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי, אֶלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַסְגָּרָא גַּרְמֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִפּוֹק לְבַר, כְּמָה דְאוֹקְמוּהָ בְּנֹחַ, דְּאַסְגַּר גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּתֵיבוּתָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּכַּח קַמֵי מְחַבְּלָא.

Angels Chambers Door House Judgment

78. Therefore, "Come, My people, enter you into your chambers ..." (Yeshayah 26:20) MEANS shut yourself inside YOUR HOUSE, "and shut your doors about you," so as not to be seen by the Destroying Angel. "Hide yourself for a little moment, until the anger be overpast," because after the Judgment has passed, the Angel of Destruction has no permission to harm you.

78. וְעַל דָּא, לֵךְ עַמִּי בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ, אַסְגַּר גַּרְמָךְ. וּסְגֹר דְּלָתְךָ בַּעֲדֶךָ, דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קַמֵּיהּ דִּמְחַבְּלָא. חֲבִי כִּמְעַט רֶגַע עַד יַעֲבָר זַעַם, דְּבָתַר דְּאַעֲבַר דִּינָא לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לִמְחַבְּלָא לְחַבָּלָא.

Hatred

79. Come and behold, it is the affection that the Holy One, blessed be He, harbors for Yisrael and His drawing them near Him THAT CAUSES the other heathen nations to hate Yisrael. For they are kept away from the Holy One, blessed be He, while Yisrael is near.

79. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִין רְחִימוּתָא דְּאִיהוּ רָחֵים לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְקָרֵיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, כָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין עכו"ם שָׂנְאִין לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מִתְרַחֲקִין, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קְרֵיבִין.

Hatred Idolatry Jacob Joseph Love

80. Come and behold, as a result of the exceptional love Jacob had for Joseph, his brothers "conspired against him to slay him" (Beresheet 37:18). How much more do the idolatrous nations HATE Yisrael BECAUSE OF THE LOVE THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, HAS FOR YISRAEL ABOVE THEM!

80. וְתָא חֲזֵי, בְּגִין רְחִימוּתָא דִּרְחֵים יַעֲקֹב לְיוֹסֵף יַתִּיר מֵאֲחוֹי, אַף עַל גָּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ לֵיהּ אַחִין, מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Exile Hatred Jacob Joseph Love Shechinah Tribes

81. Come and behold what this love, which Jacob had for Joseph OVER HIS BROTHERS, caused. JOSEPH was exiled from his father, who then joined him. By this action, he brought exile upon the tribes and the Shechinah. Although it was decreed IN THE COVENANT BETWEEN THE PIECES, THE REASON FOR THIS, NEVERTHELESS, WAS THAT HE LOVED HIM BETTER THAN HIS BROTHERS. It has been explained that all this happened because of the many-colored coat he made him, as it is written, "And when his brethren saw ...THEY HATED HIM, AND COULD NOT SPEAK PEACEABLY TO HIM" (Beresheet 37:4).

81. תָּא חֲזֵי כַּמָּה גָּרֵים לֵיהּ הַהוּא רְחִימוּתָא דִּרְחֵים לֵיהּ יַתִּיר, דְּגָרַם לֵיהּ דְּאִתְגְּלֵי מֵאֲבוֹי, וְאִתְגְּלֵי אֲבוֹי בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְגָרַם לְהוֹ גָלוּתָא, וְלִשְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִתְגַּלְּיָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְאַף עַל גָּב דְּאִתְגְּזֵירַת גְּזֵרָה, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ דִּבְגִין כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים דַּעֲבַד לֵיהּ יַתִּיר, מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּרְאוּ אֶחָיו.

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