Vayeishev

As mentioned before, my son's yeshiva is based only 3 km from the Lebanese border.  Being so, he was not able to return since the beginning of the war, because it's now a closed military zone.  Last week, during the lull in the fighting, his Rosh Yeshiva received permission to drive there and pick up their things that we left behind, and my son was one of four that was selected to join him.

He told me that it's completely different than how it used to look.  What used to be a quiet village, is now flooded with soldiers, tanks and APCs.  The rooms and beds of the yeshiva now serve as housing for the soldiers and the courtyard is where the weaponry are kept.

When they arrived, they offered to put on tefillin (which they brought with for this reason) to any soldier that wanted, and most in the area took the opportunity.  Afterwards, the soldiers gave them a tour of the immediate area and what they were seeing.  He got to go inside an APC, hold fully loaded weapons, try on different helmets, and (my favourite) use night-vision goggles.  None of this could be photographed of course, since it was completely against the law (anything with an ID number on it cannot be photographed or held by a civilian).  However, one soldier sent me photos of him with a generic helmet in the driver's seat of an unmarked truck (and he received a pair of army socks as a gift, since they are the only things that don't have numbers).

He asked one of the soldiers what they have been doing, since for them, it's a stalemate.  He pointed to a group of soldiers and said, "You see them?  They'll be going out with their drone for a two-week mission later tonight."  So, he got a small taste of a soldiers life, and with that, appreciates their sacrifice even more.

I always knew my kids would have a completely different upbringing than I did, but to this extent?

The Nesivos Shalom writes that this Shabbos is a very special Shabbos, for it contains two different aspects of emunah, faith.

The first aspect is the basis of faith, that there is Hashem and He created and runs the world.  The second aspect is that the Jewish nation was chosen by Hashem and therefore has a personal relationship with him.  Both of these aspects are found at the end of Shema which we say twice a day, "I, Hashem Your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt."

"I, Hashem," is the first aspect.  There is Hashem, and only Hashem, in this world.

"Hashem Your G-d," is the second aspect.  He is OUR G-d who took US out of Egypt, and not some godlike figure that is playing a giant game of "Sim City" with us (20 points, if you understood that).  And even when we were in the spiritual depths of Egypt, Hashem still kept an interest in us and saved us.

On Shabbos, at Kiddush, we say over how Hashem created the world in six days and rested on Shabbos.  This is the basis for Shabbos and the basis for the first aspect of faith.  He, and only He, created and runs the world.

On Chanukkah, we remember the miracles that He performed for us, during those dark times.  Despite the large amount of assimilation into Greek society and the increasing distance that the Jewish nation chose to make between them and Hashem, when a small group decided to make a stand, Hashem "closed the gap" between them, and made them victorious.  He reminded us that He still maintains a relationship with us, despite our flaws.

And now, on Shabbos Chanukkah, we bring both of those aspects together, "completing" our faith in Hashem.

After writing this Dvar Torah, I heard a talk given by Rav Reuven Leuchter, whom I recommend everybody listen to.  He spoke on the war and said that we have learned two things so far (which are connected exactly to what is written above).  First, we learn that there is Hashem in this world.  We are well aware of the greatness of Israeli intelligence.  Yet, Hashem decided to close the eyes and ears of everybody on that day.  The chances of everybody making the same mistake at the same time to allow such a tragedy to occur is ever so slim.  Hashem wanted something big to happen, even though it goes against the regular way of the world, and it happened.  We see clearly Hashem's hand in everything so far.  Second, we see that Hashem has a personal connection with the Jewish nation.  After the attack on October 7th, we saw, starting from October 8th and on, a huge rise in antisemitism around the world.  Even before Israel could think of launching a counter-offensive, people were in the streets protesting the Jews.  And this is what is so frustrating for most Jews.  Hamas launched a horrific offensive and yet so many in the world not only blame the Jews, but many have gone so far to even deny what occurred!  If any other nation was attacked, world sympathy would have been pouring out for them.  However, the Jews, as always, are different.

Even the non-Jews who support Israel, are baffled by the world's reaction.  Even THEY see that the Jewish nation is being treated differently than any other nation.  They don't understand why and it drives them just as crazy.  However, we know that it is because WE have a connection with Hashem that goes well beyond nature.

Even in the current darkness we see both aspects of faith, Shabbos and Chanukkah, coming together.  Not only does Hashem run the world, but we are both tied very closely together.

Have a wonderful and meaningful Shabbos/Chanukkah.

My wife asked our second-grader if he had homework today.  Instead of a yes/no answer, he began to tell her what he learned this morning from the parsha.  His rebbe explained that there are times, like times of danger or where somebody will damage something else, where one is allowed to tell a lie.  From this, my son answers, we learn that it's okay to lie to her question and say "no," since doing homework causes him "damage"!

I saw his rebbe after maariv and told him what my son is learning in his class.  He shook his head and laughed, clearly impressed by my son's … intellect.

I see a future defense attorney in the making.

"Hashem was with Yosef, and he was a successful man; and he stayed in the house of his Egyptian master." (Bereishis 39: 3).

After a rather rocky start in this week's parsha (being thrown in a pit, sold to merchants, sold to Egypt, etc.) Yosef quickly gets his feet on the ground and begins to see success in his new life.  On the words, "Hashem was with Yosef," Rashi comments "the name of Hashem was a familiar word in his mouth."

From here we learn of one of the "keys to success," something which is easy, yet, not so easy.  We often relegate speaking to Hashem to Shachris, Mincha, and Maariv.  We take care of our daily needs throughout the day and make a mental note on "where we could use some help" and then during davening times, we lay out our supplications.

However, davening … sorry … more like having a relationship with Hashem, isn't just about having a set time.  Nor is it strictly about supplications.

Yosef was successful because he was in constant communication with Hashem.  As long as he continued to speak to Hashem, the "lines of communication" were always kept open.  Hashem went with him wherever he went.

This rule applies to us no less.  We have plenty of time during the day to "be in touch."  Whether we ask for help regarding an upcoming activity or give thanks for something that recently happened.  We have plenty of opportunities to keep Hashem with us without need of a siddur, or Tehillim, or esoteric knowledge.  Our challenge is to be able to remember and recognize that we can do so throughout the day no matter where one finds oneself.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

This past Shabbos, we had our first real rain of the season.  The first in over six months, and always a time of happiness in the Winner household.

It was wonderful!  It started on the way home from shul and continued throughout the night.  We even had some thunder and lightning.  When I got home, I made kiddush on a wine which had a slightly higher alcohol percentage, followed by hot soup, singing, and more rain.  And being that it's a winter Shabbos, Shabbos started early, giving us time to unwind after the meal.  While the kids spoke with my wife about who knows what, I sat on the couch dozing off.  Then, after ordering everybody to get ready for bed, I made a hot tea, and sat outside in my roofed balcony for a few minutes where I drank tea in silence and again started dozing off (when my wife joined me and started to speak about something-or-another).  Finally, I went to bed, got wonderful seven hours of sleep and woke up at 4:35 am for davening.   They say Shabbos is a "taste of the next world."  If so … well, I'd better work hard to earn the real thing.

This week's parsha starts off with two dreams that Yosef had regarding his family.

When learning the parsha, I had a question.  We learn that when Pharoah had to back-to-back dreams that were different, yet the same, that the dreams had the same message.  The reason that they were back-to-back was to tell Pharoah that Hashem had already begun to bring his dreams into reality, so he needs to move quickly to save Egypt.

Yosef too had two dreams back-to-back and both were very similar to each other.   So, what was the point of both of them?

The first dream was: "There we were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf stood up and remained upright; then your sheaves gathered around and bowed low to my sheaf."

And the second dream was: "And this time, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

So, what's going on?

Thankfully, Rav Shimshon Pincus gives us an insight into the two dreams.  He believes that the two dreams represent the two times the brothers will be meeting Yosef in Egypt.  The first time, when they are looking for food, and meet Yosef as the Viceroy of Egypt.  The second time, when they have already learned Yosef's identity, and meet him when they finally move to Egypt.

Rav Pincus learns this from several small differences in the dreams.

The first is that in the first dream, the brothers' sheaves bowed to Yosef's sheaf.  Not to Yosef himself.  That is because they were coming to collect food for their families, and when they met Yosef, they had no idea who he was.  They knew only that this was the Viceroy and he had the power to give food at his whim.  Hence, they were not bowing to Yosef, but rather to his sheaf of wheat.  When they came to him later, like in the second dream, they bowed to Yosef himself, knowing full well who he was.

Another difference is, the first time they came, it was just the brothers who bowed to him (only the brothers' sheaves are mentioned).  The second time they bowed to him, they (the eleven stars) were with Yaakov and his wife (the sun and the moon).

Yet another difference is, in the first dream, the sheaves of the brothers "gathered around" Yaakov.  They bowed together only in fear, knowing that this man in front of them had the power of giving them food.  Yet, in the second dream, there was no mention of this "gathering."  At the second meeting, each one bowed in respect to Yosef, because each individual had a desire to show personal respect to him.

And from here we learn the meaning of Yosef's two dreams.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Somebody from work sent me a clip of some Jewish singers singing a Chanukah song dressed up as Star Wars characters acting out the movies.  I don’t know…maybe it’s being in Israel for so long, but honestly, I didn’t like it at all.  I thought it was a completely inappropriate thing to do, and it left a real sour taste in my mouth.  To take something that is holy and to denigrate it in such a way?  Honestly?  I think Star Wars needs to be treated with more respect.

For the last few years, every morning I try to learn a little Navi (Prophets).  I figured that if I want to understand my davening more, I need to understand Tehillim.  And to understand Tehillim, I need to understand Dovid HaMelech.  And to understand Dovid HaMelech, I need to actually learn about him and all that led to his kingdom.

We see that Dovid started off as a mere shepherd.  He was promoted to general-in-chief under Shaul and was later chased out of Shaul’s home.  He slowly built himself up, collecting followers on the way.  Eventually he became king over the tribe of Yehudah and then all of Israel.  After securing the borders, he captured Yerushaliyim and brought the Aron up, and then prepared to start the building of the Beis HaMikdash.  After informing Nosson (the prophet at the time) of his intentions, Hashem says to Nosson to quickly run and tell Dovid that he will not be the one to build the Beis HaMikdash.  Rashi quotes Rebbe Chanina bar Pappa, who said that Hashem said, “This person (Dovid) is a very quick person.  Perhaps he will start hiring workers to do the work, so quickly run and tell him not to build the Beis HaMikdash."

This is that praise and the “fear” that Hashem has for Dovid.  Dovid HaMelech is very quick to act in regards to mitzvos.  He does not push things off, but immediately goes to work when he has the opportunity to do so.  In fact, we see this in action shortly after.  After being told that it will be his son who will build the Beis HaMikdash, Dovid does not sit and take a break, but immediately goes out and takes the offensive against the bordering enemy nations, in order to properly secure Israel.

This is a character trait that we all could use a little bit of work on: taking the opportunities when they come our way as soon as we can.  Even more so, to create such opportunities of growth as well.  I have yet to meet a lazy Ben Torah in life, because it’s simply impossible to become a Ben Torah if you are lazy.  If a person does his (spiritual) job with zealousness, he will grow to unprecedented heights.

Have a great Shabbos and a wonderful Chanukkah!

• After Trump’s announcement regarding Yerushaliyim (finally, four of my five children will have officially been born in Israel, according to the US), I’ve been trying to figure out who the world hates more: Trump or Jews.

Russia announced their recognition of Yerushaliyim six months ago.  Congress has voted on it a few times.  And Israel has been using it for seventy years.  Now Trump makes it official, and everybody, including many liberal Jews, are appalled.  He “killed” the “peace-process”! He’s starting World War III!  Now the Arabs will go on a rampage and avenge themselves!!! (which is a very racist thing to say, that the Arabs cannot control their behavior).

What he did, I think, was morally correct.  Will it be worth it?  That’s a legitimate question, on which I see both sides.  Does it make a big deal in my life?  Not really . . . and I hope it doesn’t negatively affect us.

But, my number one question, and I fear I know the answer, is: If Obama did this . . . how would everybody have reacted?

So . . . maybe the world DOES hate somebody more than they hate the Jews.

Okay, on to more important things.

There’s a Midrash quoted by Rashi (Bereishis 37:1) that Yaakov, after surviving everything that he had gone through, wished to settle down and live in peace.  But, Hashem said, “Is it not enough for tzaddikim that they are destined to enjoy bliss in the Next World, that they seek to be tranquil on earth as well?”  At that point, the episode of Yosef occurred, and Yaakov was left to suffer for 22 years, thinking that his son was killed.

The obvious questions raised by many commentators is, what exactly is wrong with Yaakov’s wish?  What is wrong with desiring peace of mind and tranquility from the world, in order to pursue spiritual endeavors?

Rav Yerucham Levovitz states that we learn from here that this world was created for people to struggle in so that they might perfect themselves.  Many wrongly believe that spirituality means sitting on top of a mountain with a big beard, meditating day and night.  But it’s not true!  A person (specifically men), for example, is commanded to get married and have children.  Not only that, and much to the dismay of most men, he has to stay around and actually partake in raising of his children (crazy, I know).  According to Torah, raising children, taking them to their different appointments, dealing with their schools, their health, their interpersonal relations, etc., this is all under the umbrella of spirituality!

Spirituality does not mean tranquility from everything.  We are to engage in the world, according to our mission(s) in life.  And we are to try to find tranquility WITHIN that world.  It’s very easy to sit in India and meditate.  It’s much more difficult to deal with work, family, etc., and keep a tranquil mind and heart.  But in the end, THAT is what we have been put on earth for.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Michael Winner

I had an interesting morning yesterday.

As I was walking to shul, a lady came running up to me yelling, “The shul’s on fire!” I asked her to repeat herself, just to make sure I heard correctly. Thankfully, another person was also going to shul and was right behind me. So, he called the fire department and together we ran towards the shul. As usual, we were the first people to arrive (we like the concept of "early") and saw that the entrance room to the shul was filled with smoke and fire. Since it was past the stage of "raging fire" and it was threatening to crawl up another bookshelf, he and I got to work quickly, taking buckets of water and dousing the bookshelf (with siddurim and chumashim) and the source of the fire itself. I checked the main beis medrash, which was empty of people and fire, but was thick with smoke, and we were able to put out the fire in time for the fire department to come to "save the day."

I came home after davening (in a different location, obviously) smelling of smoke, with a chest-full of smoke, and black hands and face. I changed, ate, and went back to the temporary beis medrash set up in the basement.

In the end, they believe there was an issue with the electricity that started it. I received several “Ah! The hero of the shul!”s from people, for not doing anything so heroic (so, I told them that I found an old lady and her cat on the shul floor and after ripping off my shirt, I carried them to safety). Thankfully, the fire damage was limited to the complete destruction of the front room, but the main shul smells like smoke, and all the books that were in the other room took smoke damage (that’s a couple thousand books). B”H, nobody was hurt and the shul is still standing. The big winner, though? My son. He got to go to cheder and tell all his friends about how Abba ran into a room full of fire and smoke and put it out and got to speak to the police and got to speak to the firemen, and blah, blah, blah . . .

Okay, on to Torah!
“Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s sojourning, in the land of Canaan . . . .”

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 106a) writes, “Rebbe Yochanan says, ‘Wherever it says ‘Vayeishev’ (he sat, he settled), it’s only a language of upcoming troubles, as it says, ‘And Israel settled in Shittim and the nation began to do immoral things with the daughters of Moav’, and ‘Yaakov settled in the land . . .’ which turned to the sale of Yosef, etc.”

The lesson here is quite simple. Our goal isn’t to “settle down” and be comfortable with life. We are to be on the constant move, constantly growing and pushing ourselves. I saw recently in one of Rav Pincus’s sfarim that Hashem sends us "incidences" in our lives in order to prod us to daven to him and to grow. However, one can "take away Hashem’s excuse" to send us lessons, by constantly being "on the move." When we are causing our own "growing pains," we are constantly keeping ourselves close to Hashem, and Hashem has little to no reason to send us reminders that He is around.

I’m sure I’ve brought this up before, but I’m a firm believer that General George Patton’s speech to the Third Army is probably one of the best American speeches out there. However, it’s extremely . . . colorful . . . and well . . . shouldn’t be read in front of company. However, his points are very applicable to life in general. One particular line of his always stands out in my mind:

“I don't want any messages saying 'I'm holding my position.' We're not holding a thing. We're advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding anything except the enemy! . . . Our plan of operation is to advance and keep on advancing.”

Personally, I think this makes a great life motto.

Keep on moving, keep on advancing. That is our job in life. Any laziness or desire to simply relax and take it easy, will only invite trials and tribulations.

With that, I wish you all a great Shabbos!

Michael Winner

I’m in an Israeli kollel. While there are others there who have American parents, my chavrusa and I are the only red-blooded Americans. Being that, I’m having ample opportunity to work on my conversational Hebrew. Thankfully, they have recognize my horrific language skills, so they generally slow down and use simpler words. It also gives them the opportunity to learn new things from me, due to social differences. The head of the kollel, for example, is from Bnei Brak, which is well known for their stringencies in life in general. He happens to be a ben Torah with a caring personality and fits in perfectly here. I had a question for him in the gemara, and the best example I could think of dealt with Pearl Harbor. Of course, he gave me a strange look when I mentioned Pearl Harbor, and I had to explain to the best of my abilities what it is. He listened, nodded his head, and repeating “Peerrrrll Harrrrbor?” We have a long bridge to cross.

On the other hand, it gives them the opportunity to practice their (often non-existent) English. Many times, they like to use the few words they know, and are happy with it. One of those times occurred yesterday. Each one of the kollel members carries a card they need to swipe every time they go in or leave. As we were leaving, the machine gave somebody a load beep, so he replied “SHUT UP!” and turned and smiled at me, asking how his “English” was. I smiled back but had to explain that “SHUT UP!” does not necessarily translate to “sheket”. He got a good laugh at his mistake and now I’m eagerly awaiting his next trick.

Okay, on to Torah!
In this week’s parsha, Yosef, after being sold to traders, is en route to Egypt. The Torah goes out of its way to mention that these particular traders are carrying spices. The commentators explain that usually such traders carry more foul smelling materials, yet Hashem chose to send Yosef down to Egypt in a more “pleasant” way.

My Rosh Yeshiva asks, “Do you really think it makes a difference how he travelled? He was ripped away from his family and everything he knew and loved, and is now very much alone, heading who knows where. Do you really think his travelling condition alleviates his situation in anyway?”

He continued and explained the following.

Hashem was sending a clear message to him and to us: No matter what situation we are in, no matter how dire or how dark, Hashem is looking over us and is giving us what we need to go through. He’s not simply “throwing us to the dogs”, but every aspect in our lives is being looked out for. Yosef needed to go down to Egypt. However, he did not need to go down in such a foul manner. Since Yosef did not need that, Hashem arranged it so it should not happen. Just as Yosef was going down to Egypt, Hashem made it known, that He was going with him.

Throughout the story of Yosef’s travels, we don’t see him getting depressed or complaining to others of his lot. We see him going through trials and tribulations, but he always cleaves to Hashem.

What is Chanukah? It’s where we celebrate the shining of a little light in the world of spiritual darkness in which we were engulfed in. It’s not a coincidence that it takes place during the time of the year where night last longer than the day. It occurred when the Jewish people were assimilating all over and Eretz Yisroel was under a non-Torah and non-Jewish government. It was not a good time for the Jews.

Nonetheless, a minority of them struggled on despite the odds and were successful in achieving their goals.

The Rambam, in the end of Hilchos Chanukah, says that it is a great mitzvah to recollect and to praise Hashem for the goodness he did for us during those times.

How do we accomplish that? By recognizing that Hashem was with us during those times of darkness and continues to be with us during any of our times of darkness. By thanking Hashem and not complaining for any darkness we might have in our lives, we acknowledge not only His presence, but also His guidance throughout such times. By attuning ourselves to His role in our lives, down to minute details, we continually grow more and more aware of Him. With that awareness, we can properly thank Him for everything.

Every erev Shabbos, I go to the mikvah. It’s a 15-20 minute walk from here and usually I listen to a shiur that my Rosh Yeshiva gave the night before in Jerusalem. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t find my mp3 player, so I was “on my own”. I decided to do the mental exercise of seeing what things I have in my life to be grateful for. I had no problem filling up those 15 minutes with a whole list of things.

Thank G-d, we all have many things to be thankful for and when we look into them, we can see Divine Providence. We should see it so clearer that this Chanukah could be used properly with proper praise of Hashem for all the miracles He has done for us throughout all our dark times, whether they be national or personal.

Have a great Shabbos!

The rain season in Israel begins shortly after Sukkos. Since that time, we have seen one small shower three weeks ago on Shabbos night. That was the only rain we have seen since April.

Unfortunately, that means we’re in a drought.

More seriously though, is the fact that while other nations have a malach (angel) looking over them, Eretz Yisroel is under the direct supervision of Hashem Himself, and as we read in Shema every day, He withholds the rains when we don’t follow the Torah.

More seriously than that is the fact that all bracha that comes to this world, flows through Eretz Yisroel first. So, if there’s a clog here, that affects everybody else.

These are the times when we need to take a serious accounting of ourselves and see what we can do to improve the situation.
Rabbeinu Bachya says that from a simple reading of the parsha, it seems that the brothers were not involved in the actual sale of Yosef. It seems that the Midyanim simply took Yosef out of the pit, sold him to the Yishmeilim, who then in turn sold him to Potifar in Egypt.

So, we have two questions. First, Yosef himself testifies that his brothers sold him, and even more so, Hashem testifies this during the Roman occupation, when the ten martyrs were killed as a retribution for the sale the ten brothers made.

Rabbeinu Bachya answers that since the brothers began the chain of events, they are held liable for the actions that follow. He continues and adds that Yosef himself is liable as well, for acting improperly towards his brothers which caused them to foster animosity towards him.

Reuven did not approve of his brothers actions towards Yosef and tried to save him. Binyamin was not involved at all in the incident. Therefore, then ten martyrs represents nine of the brothers and Yosef himself.

We see here, adds Rabbi Bruckheimer, the power that our influence has over other people and eventually ourselves.

The brothers were not punished for the sale itself, but rather for starting the incident. Our actions, when viewed by others, can have positive or negative effects which we can be held accountable for.

This week, six people so far, have been arrested by the Israeli police. They are being accused of setting up a forgery scheme where they made up fake IDs to use in their yeshivos to get more money out of the government.

I heard that Rav Eliashiv, one of the leading rabbeim of Ashkanazi Jewry in Israel, if not the world, supposedly said that if they are indeed guilty of such crimes that "the ganavim (thieves) have the status of a rodef (somebody who is out to kill another person)", for not only did they steal, but they will be held accountable for the serious damage done to the reputation, and subsequently the ability of yeshivas to gain proper finances, of all the yeshivos that do follow the law.

This would make a lot of sense. True, if they stole, they did a very big aveira, but it seems that the chillul Hashem they caused and the difficulties they have now created for the rest of the religious world is something that they will have to pay for eventually as well.

We need to be careful on how we conduct ourselves. On one hand, we can be held reliable for things we never intended or knew to happen because of our actions. On the other hand, when people are inspired by our actions, behaviours, and attitudes, we also get credit, whether we know of the results or not.

Have a great Shabbos!

My wife had to take my daughter with her shopping the other day in the not-so-religious area of the neighborhood. During that time, Rochel Leah was getting hungry, so my wife decided to treat her to a slice of pizza in the local pizza shop.

As she’s setting there, a man rolls in on a wheelchair with a shaved head and baseball cap, not dressed in the typical religious garb of the city. After he receives his pizza, he “sits” down by another table and says slowly, in a booming voice, “BARUCH ATA…” and goes on to complete the bracha before eating. At the completion of his bracha everybody in the store, including the teenagers without kipas let out a big “AMEN!”

He turns to my wife and tells her that no matter where he goes, when he makes a bracha, he wants people to know that Hashem is here.

ONLY in Eretz Yisroel!

On to Torah!
"And he [Yaakov] said to him [Yosef], go see about the welfare of your brothers and about the welfare of the sheep" (Bereishis 37:14)

Rav Noson Tzvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, commented that Yaakov was not only concerned about his sons, but also on the welfare of the sheep.

This, says Rav Finkel, is because a righteous person emulates Hashem. Just as Hashem is compassionate to all of creation, so too should we be compassionate to all of creation.

Rav Zelig Pliskin wrote that once, while a student in Telz Yeshiva, was walking with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Gifter. It was late at night and raining lightly. Both of them noticed an object that fell on the street, along with the car that was coming down that same street. Rav Gifter stepped into the street and signaled the car to stop. As the car stopped, Rav Gifter bent down and said, "Shoo, frog, shoo", until the frog hopped back on the sidewalk.

The driver of the car asked if he needed a ride to which Rav Gifter responded, "No thank you. You almost ran over a frog. It would have been tzaar baalei chayim (causing pain to animals)"

We see two lessons here. The first is obvious; we have an obligation to tend to the animals and to treat them properly. Parents who allow their boys to 'hunt' animals with sticks and rocks are teaching their children to go against the Torah.

Another lesson is that being a Ben Torah isn't just about sitting around learning Torah all day. His every action and every thought is according to the Torah. Even something so 'small' as worrying about animals.

Have a great Shabbos!

In this week's parsha, Yosef's brothers decided that Yosef 'had to go'. We're not going to go into details on why they came to this conclusion. Perhaps next year we'll tackle that.

When the oldest brother Reuven saw that the others were going to go through with their plans, he decided that he would do his best to save Yosef. So, how did he go around accomplishing this? Instead of killing him outright, he decided that they should throw him into a pit, that according to the Midrash, was full of snakes, scorpions, and vermin, oh my...

Talk about out of the pan and into the fire.

How could Reuven possibly call this saving? Instead of dying by the hands of his brothers, he's going to die through snakes and scorpions!

Reuven knew that Yosef wasn't some "Joe" off the street. Yosef was a man who had emunah. He knew that once Yosef was placed in the pit, he would cry out to Hashem and be saved.

Rav Nosson of Breslov explains (Likutei Halachos, Birkas HaShachar 5) that Hashem designed the universe in such a way that prayer can effect a change in nature, such as the case of the Red Sea.

However, Reuven was worried that had Yosef been left at the mercy of his brothers, instead of crying to Hashem, would cry out to his brothers, who were not true source of his problems.

Perhaps, if Yosef were to rely on his brothers to rescue him, his faith in Hashem would diminish and in the end, he would not be saved. Even though the two possibilities, the hands of his brothers or the pit, seem identical, we see there is really a large difference between the two, and Reuven saw this difference.

Our trials and tribulations come from either ‘nature’ or from people. While they might seem to be two separate sources, they are in reality coming from the same source. If Hashem decides that you need some trouble in life for your own good, and he sends it via a messenger, remember: instead of groping and begging the messenger, go straight to the source.

Have a great Shabbos and an enlightened Chanukah!

My mother-in-law made an interesting comment. X-Mas is coming. And whats better is that I had absolutely no clue of it. I know that Chanukah begins this Sunday night, but I honestly didn't think about X-Mas. I haven't heard a single carol, nor seen a single Santa Claus. All I know that starting Sunday night, every single household in my community will have at least one menorah lit in their windows. Life in Israel...
"Behold, a caravan of Yishmaelim was coming from Gilead, their camels bearing spices, balsam, and lotus..." (37:25)

One of the many stories this week's parsha contains is that of Yosef being sold by his brother to Egypt. As we know, they didn't sell him directly to Egypt, but rather to several caravans. One of these caravans was run by Yishmaelim who were carrying sweet-smelling spices. So the big question that needs to be asked is, "Who cares?" Why does the Torah specifically mention what the Yishmaelim were carrying?

Rashi answers that Hashem intervened on Yosef's behalf. Usually, the Yishmaelim carry foul-smelling cargo, however, Hashem decided that if Yosef is going to be sold to Egypt, then he should go "in style". So this brings upon another question. Here we have Yosef. His entire life is falling apart. He's been sold by his brothers to a land where he has never been, without any support, and Hashem is going to do this "favour" and let him travel to Egypt comfortably?? Who cares how he travels? That's certainly not one of his priorities at this time of his life!

Answers Rav Mordechai Pogremonsky, that this is comparable to a sick man who has undergone a very dangerous surgery. Shortly after his surgery, everybody gathers around his bed and waits for some sign that it was a success. Suddenly, he opens his eyes and everybody is elated! Why are they all elated? Just because he opened his eyes, it doesn't mean that the surgery was a success! Rav Pogremonsky says that this initial alertness is a sign of hope that the patient will recover.

This can be applied to Yosef as well. Despite the turmoil in his life, Yosef was able to notice the subtle change in nature. This change was not simply to make Yosef think, "Well, at least I'm traveling well!” rather, he was able to see that Hashem is giving him a sign of hope. Hashem was making a point, "Despite everything, I'm still with you and I will follow you down to Egypt". By looking carefully at our lives during hard times, we too can see rays of hope and signs that Hashem is looking over our shoulders.

Have a great Shabbos!

When you live in Chicago, the one thing you constantly see is air traffic. Jerusalem happens to be clear of civilian aircraft practically all the time. Every once in a while, you might see a civilian-type helicopter flying around, but those are few and far between. Of course, that means every time you hear something flying in the air, it’s either F-15/16s, Apache Attack Choppers, Blackhawks, or some other assortment of fun military toys. Any guy who sees this, automatically responds with: “Woah. Cool.” But then, you begin to realize something: there’s a real good chance that some bad guy will be dying very shortly, which in turn, brings on another, “Woah. Cool.”, and perhaps a little smile on your face.

It’s a strange feeling. Once, when I was a kid, I saw an F-18 Hornet leave from Glenview’s, now defunct, naval air station. You didn’t think much of it, since they were training. But, when, on some nights you can stand outside your building and see the flare and explosion lights from Ramallah, you have a better sense in what military power is for, and a better appreciation for those who serve to protect you.

"And Yaakov settled in the land of his father's sojournings" (37:1)

The terms "settled" and "sojournings" are somewhat contradictory. To be settled is a more permanent state, where as sojourning is temporary. Chazal tell us that Yaakov wanted to settle down in peace. Hashem responded, "Are the righteous not satisfied with what awaits them in Olam Haba (the Next World) that they expect to live at ease in Olam HaZeh (this World)?"

This is a rather interesting response that Hashem gives to Yaakov. Let's take a brief look into Yaakov's life. He had to deal with getting the bracha from Eisav; running away from Eisav, who was trying to kill him; dealing with his father-in-law, Lavan; losing his wife Rochel; the incident with his daughter Dina; and starting this parsha, nearly losing his sons Yosef, Shimon, and Binyamin. All, in all, it doesn't look like Yaakov was living such a comfortable life. If anything, one would think that out of all the people in the world, he would have the right to want to settle down in peace. Now comes Hashem and chides him for wanting to enjoy the fruits of this world.

We also know that Hashem created this world for us to enjoy. There is nothing wrong with going out and partaking in the goods that He created, as long as we use it in its proper manner. So, again, why would Yaakov be reprimanded for doing such a thing? We see no cause to worry that he might misuse this world, so what's the problem?

Rav Elchanan Sorotzkin, zt'l, observes that there is enough Olam HaZeh for everybody to enjoy. Just because a person is a great tzaddik, it doesn't mean he has no use for this world. When we look in the Torah we see the Yaakov's grandfather and father, Avraham and Yitzchak, both were quite wealthy. Wherever they traveled they enjoyed great material success. Yet, we see something interesting in the language used for both of them. Avraham and Yitzchak not only traveled the land, but they also settled down for longer periods of time in certain areas. Yet, in these cases, the Torah uses the language of 'sojourning', even if they were 'settling' in a certain area for a few years.

This is where it seems that Yaakov might have deviated from his families traditions. We have seen that Yaakov underwent tremendous amount of pain and anguish in his life. Yet, what he wanted to do was 'settle' down in one place, live peacefully, and enjoy his physical possessions. For Avraham and Yitzchak, their possessions were only used as conduits for the spiritual world. They did not use them simply for their enjoyment; they used them to elevate themselves. It could be inferred by the above pasuk, that Yaakov might have wanted to 'settle down' with his physical world, simply for its own pleasure. The physical world that G-d created was created for our own usage. But, we are to use it in its proper ways. When we use it to improve ourselves, then we gain from it; yet, when we use it simply because it's there, then nothing is gained.

Adds the Michael Winner with his own little thought. We are put on this world to work. We are only mere visitors for 120 years on this planet of ours. In reality we are only sojourners. When we consider ourselves 'settled' in this world, then we are saying that we are happy where we are. We no longer have any need to improve ourselves, and we begin a spiritual decline. However, when we realize that we are only short-term visitors, we understand that we have to constantly move to better and better places. With this mindset, we will always be moving upwards. On that note, have a great Shabbos!