Editor's Note:
Dear Friend,
With Chanukah quickly receding into the past, it’s easy to feel a little down. Somehow, no matter how carefully we plan and how many “perfect” pictures we take, time marches ruthlessly on.
But yesterday’s menorah lighting is not gone. Every mitzvah done brings a bit more light into the world, and that keeps on aggregating—just like the Chanukah flames—until there is enough light in the world to finally tip the scales for good.
The Chabad.org Editorial Team
P.S.: This Shabbat is 5 Tevet, celebrated in Chabad communities all over as a day dedicated to Jewish books. Now is an appropriate time to purchase a new Torah book or two for your home. It will make your home that much holier. And who knows? You may even learn something . . .
Do you have a favorite Torah-related book? Please share it with us in the comments section.
Wash Your Clothes and Change
Who are you? Can you change who you are?
On the outside lie your thoughts, the words you speak, and the things you do. Those are the ways you dress yourself, your interface with the world.
On the inside lies a certain way of perceiving the world, and the emotions and feelings that flow out of that perception. Those are you yourself.
Real change can only come when that internal perception changes. But we are not masters over that place. We cannot command ourselves to perceive that which is beyond us, to feel differently than we feel, or to understand that which we cannot understand.
So here is a strategy that works: Just as we can wash our clothes and bathe our skin, so we can focus our thoughts, guide our words and clean up our act. Ignore, for the time being, that a messy storm rages within. Once scrubbed enough to let light pass through, eventually your inner self will awaken to that light.
This is what Moses told his people on their last day together: “The hidden things are up to G‑d. But the outer things are for us and our children forever, to do what needs to be done.”[Tanya, chapter 6. Hayom Yom, 5 Sivan.]
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This Week's Features:
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I’m writing this to alert you that there’s a leak in the system. By the time you read this, it may already be stopped. That’s what happened last year, and the year before, and every other year since this phenomenon began. This year, we’re hoping the leak never gets plugged. In fact, it needs to get a whole lot bigger. A massive leak.
Originally, the system was built fairly leak-proof. But a little over two thousand years ago, a couple of tough Jewish warriors punched a hole right through its wall. Ever since then, every year when we light our Chanukah menorahs, light from beyond the system leaks in through those flames. Infinite light.
The infinite light of the seven days of creation.
You may have heard of that light. It happened when that “When G‑d was about to create the heavens and the earth, the earth being amazingly empty with darkness over the surface of deepness and a divine wind sweeping over the surface of the water” and He said, “Hold on. What’s this all about? Why am I creating heaven and earth?” And that’s when He said, “It should be light.”
The meaning of everything is to shine with meaning.
As to say: The meaning of everything about to be created is to shine with meaning. And G‑d looked at that light-idea, and He said, “That’s good. But I don’t want the meaning of each thing to be out there in the open. I want the beings I’m about to create to discover it on their own. So I’m hiding it.”
And He ripped out that Infinite light and hid it outside the system.
The system. That’s made of seven days. Because it’s a closed system, a finite box. A box has six sides, plus its internal space, and that makes seven.
Which is why the universe was created in seven days. Which is why a week has seven days. Which is why the menorah that Moses made, and that stood in King Solomon’s Temple, and in the second Temple as well, had seven branches with seven lamps. Because the light that shone from there was a light that belongs within the cosmic system.
But the menorah you light on Chanukah has eight lamps. Eight is beyond the system. For eight days, the hidden light shines.
That also explains a few more anomalies of your Chanukah menorah. The Temple menorah was lit during the day—an hour and a quarter before dark. Yours is lit at night.
The Temple menorah was lit in a holy place, a place where only the kohanim of the Temple tread, and only at permitted times. From there it shone out to the entire world. Your menorah is lit in your house, on the street, in a shopping mall—wherever people are there to see those lights and be made aware of the miracle of Chanukah. Your menorah light doesn’t have to reach out to the world—it’s out there in the world already.
The Temple menorah was lit as long as the Temple stood. Your menorah has shone through close to two thousand years since the Temple was destroyed, in every circumstance imaginable and unimaginable, in the face of every form of persecution. It never goes out.
Because it is infinite light. It knows no bounds. It belongs everywhere, inside and outside. Light and dark is all the same when you’re infinite.
Infinite Critics
“Hold on!” you’ll say. “Are you telling me that King Solomon’s temple was a natural, inside-the-box place? What’s the point of a holy temple if it’s just another chunk of the finite cosmic system?”
When you entered the Temple courtyard, you were beyond space, beyond time, beyond world.
Truth be told, the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was a very out-of-this-world place. The crowd would be packed together like sardines, and when it came time for them to prostrate themselves, suddenly there was room for everybody. People came there and saw the divine, the infinite light. It was an experience beyond anything that could be perceived through prophecy. Because when you entered the Temple courtyard, the whole world disappeared for you. You were beyond space, beyond time, beyond world. You didn’t even feel your own existence. You felt that there was nothing, nothing else but the One Isness of All That Is. And you took that light home with you for the whole year.
That light shone out to the entire world. In the days of King Solomon’s Temple there was peace—everywhere. Because that light shone everywhere. The sparks of holiness throughout the world were touched and pulled in by the great magnet of the Menorah and the Ark of Covenant in the Temple. It was as though the world’s very existence melted away before that light.
How do you get more infinite than that?
Deep question. Needs a deep parable. This one is from Reb Berel Wolf Kozovnikov, who was the chief rabbi of Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine (now known as Dnepropetrovsk) until 1908.
Three people are sitting on a bench in an art gallery, staring at the same painting.
Okay, let’s bring this up to date: Three movies critics are sitting at Starbucks after screening a new movie.
One critic is all excited. “What a great story! What powerful drama! And the eye-candy was out of this world! Everything fit together so exquisitely, you could tell it could only have been written, produced and directed by a single person.”
The second critic brews with aggravation. “Listen, I know the writer-producer-director personally. I see him daily. He’s a deep person. A wise person. ‘Genius’’ would be an insult for him. I don’t get what he’s doing wasting his time with a story like this. For such a great mind, the whole thing is nonsense!”
The third sits deep in thought. And then he responds, “I also know the producer. Yes, a deep, profoundly deep person. And that’s what amazes me—how he managed to invest all that depth into a simple storyline with ordinary characters.”
There is everything. And in everything, there is nothing but Him.
The first critic is Abraham. He looked at the world, perceived its magnificent harmony and wonder, and realized what should have been obvious to all: This entire universe could only have behind it all a single Writer-Producer-Director.
The second critic is that Jew standing in the Temple courtyard. He comes face-to-face with the Divine Presence. Nothing else exists. Everything but this experience is vanity of vanities.
The third critic is us, as we will be soon standing in the messianic era. The world exists. Every detail of it is real. Because its every detail is nothing more than another way of packaging infinite light in a finite form. Such an infinite light, it has no problem with being discovered within any form of finite existence it so pleases.
Maimonides writes it at the very opening of his Book of Knowledge: “Whatever exists, from heaven to earth and everything in between, only exists out of the reality of His existence.”
There is everything. And in everything, there is nothing but Him.
We get an inkling of that every Chanukah, with a menorah that isn’t stuck inside a holy place, but belongs everywhere, and makes even darkness shine.
Get this: The light of Chanukah is such a great light that it doesn’t shine on Passover, or on Rosh Hashanah or even on Yom Kippur. And yet, those days are holy days. Chanukah days are weekdays.
Because for this light, there is holiness everywhere, at all times. Because G‑d is everywhere.
Infinite Elephants
How did those Maccabees go about punching that hole in the system?
By taking on armored elephants.
Tell me, if you’re a rational, normal person, and there’s an army of thousands of well-trained soldiers coming at you and a handful of your brothers, with elephants to boot, which direction do you run? Go say some Psalms in a cave somewhere! Why are you running to battle?
But this was not a reasonable battle. The Maccabees didn’t go into battle thinking, “Maybe we will win, maybe we will die, but at least we’ll show them we have something to stand for.” No, that would be too reasonable. The Maccabees were unreasonable.
Their reaction was the same as David, as a young man, when he went to slay Goliath. David’s older brothers scoffed at him, “The guy’s a giant! A monster! He’ll just step on you and crush you like an ant!”
And all young David had to say was, “He’s insulting the G‑d of Israel! I’m taking him on!”
David couldn’t understand why he should fear a giant. The Maccabees didn’t see why they should fear elephants. There is only one true reality, and everything else can only express that reality. One expression of that reality might be rain from heaven, another a Temple in Jerusalem, another an armored elephant. Nothing could possibly oppose its own essential meaning, not even a Greek elephant.
That is the truly amazing thing about this world in which we live: That the meaning of each thing far transcends its finite boundaries.
That is the truly amazing thing about this world in which we live: That the meaning of each thing far transcends its finite boundaries. Nothing is what it appears to be.
That’s what those Maccabees saw when they went to battle. The elephants were real, the warriors and their swords and arrows were facts on the ground—only that in those elephants and in those opponents they saw a reality far beyond the neat, reasonable cosmic box their Hellenist opponents so much adored. They saw a meaning that was not to be feared, but embraced. And so from there they drew light—light for which there is no darkness; light that made elephants into mice and mighty armies into cowards. An eternal light that can never be opposed.
How To Do Infinite
Getting practical: There’s two ways to live out your mission here on earth. The Temple Menorah method, and the Chanukah Menorah method.
The Temple Menorah method relies on a maxim of our sages, “Everything you do should be for a higher purpose.”
In practical terms, that means that when you sit down to eat, you shouldn’t just eat because you’re hungry and “Hey, what do you expect a living organism to do when it’s hungry and there’s food in the fridge?”
No, you have to attach a higher purpose to this eating. What’s your higher purpose? Studying Torah. Doing mitzvahs. Reading long and overly complex essays such as these at Chabad.org.
And in order to do those things, being a living organism, you need caloric intake, which means you have to eat. Now you’re eating with a higher purpose.
Or you have to go to work. Why? Because you went to work yesterday. Because if you don’t, a lot of people are going to be really upset. Because you have a career—I mean, everyone has to have a career, don’t they?
No, no, no! You’re going to work so you can earn money to pay for your kids’ tuition at the local Hebrew Day School. So you can put out a nice spread for all your guests at the Shabbat meal. So you can contribute to worthy causes and help out those who aren’t blessed with a job that pays real money as does yours.
That’s called a higher purpose. It’s a meaningful way of life. But it has its limitations. Because it leaves anything that isn’t directly a mitzvah on the outside. A mitzvah, a Torah teaching, an act of kindness, those have meaning in and of their own. Eating, working, sleeping, playing, shopping and everything else—if you could do without it, all the better.
Fundamentally: You’re getting light out there, shining through those activities. But the thing itself, that remains essentially dark and outside.
So there’s another method, driven by the maxim found in Proverbs, “Know Him in all your ways.”
The Baal Shem Tov would say, “Everything you see or hear is a lesson in how you connect to your Maker.”
You’re eating. That’s a way of knowing G‑d. You’re making an honest living. Another way of knowing G‑d. Software engineering, creative accounting, playing music, playing with your kids or with friends—there’s meaning there. As the Baal Shem Tov would say, “Everything you see or hear is a lesson in how you connect to your Maker.” Because the Infinite Light is everywhere. It only awaits you to expose it.
As the world is now, exposing that light everywhere is much more difficult than it sounds. It only really works when we immerse ourselves in Torah wisdom every evening and first thing in the day. And when even during the day, we would rather be in that spiritual, divine place. In that mode of being, that’s when we start seeing sparks of light everywhere.
But soon, the light of Chanukah will be everywhere, always. “The entire occupation of the world will be only to know G‑d.”
Because that’s what this whole system was about from the beginning: That all of it, every detail of it, should be light.
Like it says, “And G‑d saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
Based on the Maamar L’havin Inyan Ner Chanukah 5726. See also Tanu Rabanan Mitzvah Ner Chanukah 5738
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Chanukah
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Parshah
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“Why do my kids ruin everything?”
Okay, I confess: I’ve emitted that exasperated cry at least once or twice. Maybe even once a week. Like the time my two-year-old dumped all her toys in the toilet and flushed. (The neighbors were none too pleased.) Or the time my very tech-savvy ten-year-old figured out the password to my laptop and somehow deleted my entire hard drive. Or all the times they’ve emptied my drawers, myWhy do my kids ruin everything? refrigerator, my closets, my shelves, and created glorious messes. Need I go on? But in the midst of the chaos and aggravation, there is a little phrase I hold on to that helps me keep my sanity. “Bread according to the young.” In this week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, we read of Joseph generously supporting his brothers and their families during a famine, after they settled in Egypt: “And Joseph sustained his father and his brothers and his father's entire household [with] bread according to the young children.”1 Rashi interprets the words “bread according to the young” to mean that Joseph provided enough to meet the needs of every family member.2 The Midrash explains that Joseph actually provided more than their needs, because children naturally “crumble up more than they eat.”3 In other words, it’s part of the package. Children will crumble up their food. They will make messes. They will waste half of whatever you give them. They will get into your things and wreck them. That wastage has to be factored into the family budget. Joseph provided for his siblings in such an exemplary fashion that we ask G‑d Himself to take note: “O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, He Who leads Joseph like a flock of sheep.”4 On this verse, Rashi comments, “All Israel are called by the name Joseph because he sustained and supported them in time of famine.” The Midrash interprets the verse as a plea to G‑d, to “lead us as Joseph led his sheep”: Joseph saved during the years of plenty for the years of hunger; so, too, save for us from this world for the world to come. Joseph provided for his brothers according to their deeds, as it says, “bread according to the young”; so, too, provide for us according to our deeds. Rabbi Menachem said in the name of Rabbi Avin: “Joseph’s brothers dealt him evil and he repaid them with good; we, too, have dealt You evil but [ask that You] repay us with good.”5 By providing for his brothers in Egypt, Joseph granted them more than their survival during the years of hunger. He bequeathed to his brothers and all their descendants the strength to show forbearance, to repay evil with good, to overlook flaws and forgive mistakes. And just as Joseph dealt with his brothers, so do we want G‑d to deal with us. We are G‑d’s children and He generously provides us with all our needs, material and spiritual. But we are children and we don’t appreciate half of what we are given. We squander G‑d’s gifts; we mess up. Even when we do mitzvahs, we don’t fully grasp their value. We do them when our mind is elsewhere, we do them with ulterior motives. Of the Torah that we do study, we only remember and internalize a small fraction.6 Yet G‑d graciously gives us again, and yet again, “bread according to the young.” As Joseph did for his brothers. And from Joseph we learn how to reach out to those whose grasp of spiritual concepts is on the level of a child. We provide for them “bread according to the young”; we break down the concepts again and again, until they are mere “crumbs” of the original thought, until we’ve presented it in a format and style that they can appreciate and absorb.7 Even when we do mitzvahs, we don’t fully grasp their valueOn Shabbat Parshat Vayigash, 1988, the Lubavitcher Rebbe introduced a Jewish book campaign. He encouraged parents to buy seforim (sacred books) for their children, such as asiddur, Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya. The books should be kept in the child’s bedroom, to transform it into a miniature Holy Temple. The Rebbe noted: “Surely [the parents] will explain to the children that they should not be afraid to use the seforim frequently, lest they be ruined or torn, since they promise to buy new and nicer books than these when they get worn out.”8 Although there are a great many Jewish laws regarding how to treat sacred books with respect, we still do not refrain from providing children with their own copies. In His great love for Jewish children, G‑d views their play as a sign of love and “overlooks” any inadvertent desecration of His sacred writings.9 G‑d knows that our essential desire is to be close to Him and to fulfill His will. Although in our spiritual immaturity our actions may not always reflect this inner will, we ask G‑d to “provide for us according to our deeds”—to take into account the true spiritual value of our mitzvahs, even when our thoughts and intentions are less than perfect. We ask Him to overlook our imperfections, forgive our messes, and focus on our inner worth—just as Joseph did for his brothers. (Based on an address of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Likutei Sichot, vol. 5, pp. 239-250.)
Chaya Shuchat is a mother of eight and the author of many popular articles on the interface between chassidic philosophy and modern life. She holds a master’s degree in pediatric nursing from Columbia University and works as a nurse practitioner, specializing in asthma and allergy.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Parshah
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I've often reflected on the lack of tact that some people demonstrate when visiting a house of mourning. Of course, nobody means to be insensitive. No one consciously sets out to further hurt the feelings of the newly bereaved, and I'm positive that if people just thought a bit deeper about what they were going to say, they'd never make such obvious errors of tact.
Some things are obvious: Don't stride in and announce to all present the latest mazal tov in your family. Don't sit on the side, ignoring the mourner while chatting and giggling with a friend. Don't spend your visit minimizing the mourner’s loss byOf course, nobody means to be insensitive comparing this family tragedy with the losses you've personally suffered in the past. Instead, let the mourner guide you to his or her specific needs. It’s okay to be quiet; your comforting presence is all that is needed. The only thing you need to say is the traditional line of “Hamakom yenachem etchem betoch shaar avelay Tziyon v’Yerushayaim” (May the Omnipresence comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem). Think carefully before making statements like "G‑d never sends you a trial that you don't have the strength to overcome," "Only the good die young," "You're lucky that he died so suddenly and didn't suffer for long," or "She's in a better place now." There's nothing necessarily wrong with any of these statements, and some people might find them comforting, but the mourner may be hurt by the assumption. There is one line of reasoning, however, that I don't think anyone has the right to voice. The Talmud and various books of faith often address the concept that G‑d might cause a person to suffer for the person's own good. Overcoming adversity can be ennobling, and greatness can be forged out of the crucible of distress. It's a powerful concept, yet one that should never be applied towards the pain of another. It is noble for a person to accept his own suffering with equanimity, yet G‑d forbid we make our peace or make excuses for G‑d when confronted with the sight of someone else in pain. When Joseph finally met his beloved brother, Benjamin, after decades of forced separation, “he fell on his brother Benjamin's shoulders and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.”1 The Talmud explains why Joseph wept on Benjamin's shoulders (plural), while Benjamin wept on only one of Joseph's shoulders: Joseph foresaw the eventual destruction of the two temples that were situated in Benjamin's portion of the Land of Israel, while Benjamin was mourning the future loss of the Tabernacle of Shiloh that was to be situated in Joseph's region.2 Joseph foresaw the eventual destructionThough this explains the inconsistency in the text, you might wonder why each brother was concentrating on the other's suffering, rather than his own. Why not cry about their own eventual loss? Obviously, the brothers were able to make their peace and rationalize away their own suffering, accepting the decree with love and yielding to the will of the Alm-ghty, while quietly resolving to do what they could to better the situation. However, when it comes to the suffering of another, there is no such equanimity of spirit. No matter how full of faith you personally may feel, when you see your brother in pain, you cry out. The time for justification and rationalization is when dealing with your own pain—not the pain of another.
Rabbi Elisha Greenbaum is spiritual leader of Moorabbin Hebrew Congregation and co-director of L’Chaim Chabad in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia.
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Parshat Vayigash In-Depth
Genesis 44:18-47:27
Parshah Summary
The twenty-two year contest between Joseph and his brothers is now approaching its climax: Judah approaches Joseph -- whom he knows only as Tzaphnat Paaneach, viceroy of Egypt -- to plead, argue and threaten for the release of Benjamin. The viceroy's magic goblet had been discovered in Benjamin's sack; "He shall be my slave," declared the Egyptian ruler in the closing verse of last week's Parshah, "and you go up in peace to your father."
But the brothers won't go in peace. Judah, their spokesman and leader, and the one who assumed personal responsibility to Jacob for Benjamin's safe return, pleads: "How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?" Benjamin is the only surviving child of our father's most beloved wife, his older brother having disappeared many years ago; our father's very life is bound with Benjamin's life. "When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants shall bring down the white head of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave."
"I beg you," concludes Judah, "let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers... Lest I see the evil that shall befall my father."
Reunion
And Joseph could not restrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, "Order every man to go out from me." And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
And he wept aloud; and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
And Joseph said to his brothers: "I am Joseph; is my father still alive?" And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him.
And Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, I entreat you." And they came near. And he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt."
The brothers are beside themselves with shame and remorse, and it is Joseph who comforts them. "It was not you who sent me here," he says to them, "but G-d." It has all been ordained from Above: because you sold me into slavery, we will all be saved from the hunger which has stricken the entire region these last two years, and which is destined to continue for another five.
"Hasten, and go up to my father, and say to him: Thus says your son Joseph: G-d has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay... and you shall be near me...and there will I sustain you."
Pharaoh sends wagons to bring Jacob and his entire family to Egypt, and declares: "The bounty of the entire land of Egypt is yours."
The Divine Promise
And they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and told him, saying: "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
And Israel said: "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive; I will go and see him before I die."
On the way to Egypt, at the oasis of Be'er Sheba, G-d appears to Jacob. "I am G-d, the G-d of your father; fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again."
The Seventy Souls
And these are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons...
And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
And the sons of Shimon: Yemu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yachin, and Zohar; and Shaul the son of the Canaanite woman.
And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.
And the sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, and Peretz and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Peretz were Hezron and Hamul.
And the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvvah, Yov and Shimron.
And the sons of Zebulum: Sered, Elon and Yachle'el...
[Jacob's] daughter Dinah...
And the sons of Gad: Zifyon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Ar'eli.
And the sons of Asher: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, Beri'ah, and Serach their sister. And the sons of Beri'ah were Hever and Malki'el...
And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Menasseh and Ephraim...
And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman, Achi, Rosh, Muppim, Chuppim, and Ard...
And the sons of Dan: Hushim.
And the sons of Naftali: Yachze'el, Guni, Yezer, and Shillem....
All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.
The Jews in Egypt
Jacob sends Judah ahead to Egypt, "to show the way before him."
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen...
And he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph: "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."
Pharaoh grants Jacob's family the country of Goshen, a place suitable for their vocation as shepherds. Joseph presents his father and brothers to Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the years of your life?"
And Jacob said to Pharaoh: "The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings."
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Joseph gathers the wealth of Egypt and the surrounding countries, as all the money and valuables are expended in the purchase of food during the famine. Joseph then "nationalizes" all the land in Egypt, transferring its population and decreeing that a fifth of its produce must be given to Pharaoh in return for its use; only the priests are exempted from this tax.
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the country of Goshen; and they took possession of it, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
From Our Sages
And Judah approached him... (Genesis 44:18)
Said Rabbi Judah: The verb "he approached" (vayigash) implies an approach to battle, as in the verse (II Samuel 10:13), "So Joab and the people that were with him approached unto battle."
Rabbi Nechemiah said: The verb "he approached" implies a coming near for conciliation, as in the verse (Joshua 14:6), "Then the children of Judah approached Joshua."
The Sages said: It implies coming near for prayer, as in the verse (I Kings, 18:36), "And it came to pass at the time of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet approached..."
Rabbi Eleazar combined all these views: Judah approached Joseph for all three, saying: If it be war, I approach for war; if it be conciliation, I approach for conciliation; if it be for entreaty, I approach to entreat.
(Midrash Rabbah)
More
Your servant our father (44:24, et al)
Ten times Joseph heard his brothers refer to his father as "your servant" and he did not protest. Because of this, his life was shortened by ten years. (Joseph lived 110 years.)
(Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 39)
"Let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord." (44:33)
[Said Judah to Joseph:] I am more useful than him in every regard: in strength, as a warrior, or as a servant.
(Rashi)
G-d deals with man measure for measure: because Judah had sold Joseph into slavery, he was now compelled to offer himself to Joseph as a slave.
(Abarbanel)
And Joseph could not restrain himself (45:1)
The confrontation between Joseph and Judah -- to what was this comparable? To an ox who was running about and all animals were fleeing from it, for it was kicking the one and butting the other, until the lion appeared, and the ox retreated. (In Genesis 49, the sons of Jacob are compared to different animals--Naphtali is a gazelle, Dan a serpent, Benjamin a wolf, etc.; Joseph is likened to an ox, and Judah, to a lion).
(Midrash Tanchuma)
Regarding the encounter between Judah and Joseph it is said: "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5). This may be compared to a deep well full of cold and excellent water, yet none could drink of it. Then came one who tied cord to cord and thread to thread, drew up its water and drank, whereupon all drew water thus and drank thereof. In the same way Judah did not cease from answering Joseph word for word until he penetrated to his very heart.
(Midrash Rabbah)
More
And he cried, "Order every man to go out from me." And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers (45:1)
Rabbi Chama bar Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani discussed this. Rabbi Chama said: Joseph did not act prudently, for had one of them kicked him, he would have died on the spot. Rabbi Samuel said: He acted rightly and prudently. He knew the righteousness of his brethren and reasoned: Heaven forfend! My brothers are not to be suspected of bloodshed.
(Midrash Rabbah)
And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him (45:3)
When Rabbi Eleazar would come to this verse, he would weep: "Now if the rebuke of flesh and blood be such, how much more so the rebuke of the Holy One, blessed be He!"
(Talmud, Chaggigah 4b)
Behold, your eyes see... that it is my mouth that speaks to you (45:12)
He showed them that he was circumcised, and that he speaks the Holy Tongue.
(Rashi)
And [Jacob's] heart fainted, for he believed them not (45:26)
Such is the liar's fate: even when he speaks the truth he is not believed. At first the sons of Jacob lied to their father when they dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a goat, and he believed them; but then when they told him the truth, he did not believe them.
(Avot d'Rabbi Nathan, ch. 30)
And they told [Jacob] all the words of Joseph... And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father was revived (45:27)
Joseph gave his brothers a sign to relay to their father: that at the time that Joseph had parted from Jacob, they had been studying the laws of Eglah Arufah ("The Beheaded Heifer," Deuteronomy 21). Thus, although it was Pharaoh who had sent the wagons, the verse says, "And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent" -- for the "wagons" (agalot) of which the verse speaks is a reference to the Eglah Arufah.
(Rashi)
When Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers, he accompanied him on the way. Said Joseph: "Father, turn back, so that I should not be punished for troubling you." Said Jacob to him: "My son, in this very matter my descendents will blunder, when they do not arrange a proper escort for a traveler and he is killed, and they will have to bring an Eglah Arufah and proclaim: 'Our hand did not spill this blood.'"
(Jerusalem Talmud)
The principle behind the law of Eglah Arufah is that a person is responsible also for what occurs outside of his domain -- outside of the areas where he is fully in control. When a murdered traveler is found "out in the field," the elders of the nearest city must go out there and bring the Eglah Arufah to atone for the crime, although it occurred outside of their jurisdiction; for it was nevertheless their responsibility to send the traveler off with adequate provision and protection.
This is the deeper significance of the message which Joseph sent to Jacob. Father, he was saying, I have not forgotten the law of Eglah Arufah. I have been exiled from the sacred environment of your home, but I have not allowed my soul to travel to the spiritual no-man's-land of Egypt without provision; I have not abandoned it to a spiritual death with the justification that "This is outside of my element; I have no way of dealing with this." After 22 years of slavery, imprisonment and political power in the most depraved society on the face of the earth, I am the same Joseph who left your home on the day that we studied the laws of Eglah Arufah.
This was the message that "revived the spirit of Jacob their father."
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Be'er-Sheba (46:1)
Why did he go there? Said Rabbi Nachman: He went to cut down the cedars which his grandfather Abraham had planted in Be'er-Sheba. These cedars were then taken along when the Children of Israel left Egypt, and were used for the construction of the Sanctuary in the desert.
(Midrash Rabbah)
For all the years that the children of Israel were in Egypt, Jacob's cedars served as a link to their past and a promise of their future. "This is not your home," the growing trees said. "You, like us, hail from a loftier, holier place. And soon you will leave this depraved land, to be reclaimed by G-d as His people. You will then uproot us from this foreign land and carry us triumphantly to Sinai, where you will construct out of us a dwelling for the Divine presence in your midst."
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
"I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again" (46:4)
Come and see how beloved are Israel in the sight of G-d! To every place to which they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt and the Divine Presence was with them; they were exiled to Babylon, and the Divine Presence was with them; and when they will be redeemed in the future, the Divine Presence will be with them.
(Talmud, Megillah 29a)
And Serach their sister (46:17)
When Jacob's sons returned from Egypt with the news that Joseph is alive, they said: If we tell him straightaway, his soul will fly from his body. So they told Serach to play on her harp and sing, "Joseph lives, Joseph lives, and he is the ruler of Egypt," so that he should absorb the message slowly.
Said Jacob to her: "The mouth that informed me that Joseph lives shall not taste death." Serach was among those who came out of Egypt and among those who entered the Land; She was the "wise woman" who handed over Sheva ben Bichri to Joab (II Samuel 20); in the end, she entered paradise alive.
(Sefer HaYashar; Tzror HaMor)
And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman, Achi, Rosh, Muppim, Chuppim and Ard (46:21)
When Benjamin was brought before Joseph, Joseph questioned him: "Have you a brother?"
"I had a brother, but I do not know where he has gone."
"Have you a wife?"
"I have a wife and ten sons."
"What are their names?"
"I named them all after my brother," said Benjamin. "Bela -- he was swallowed up from me; Becher -- he was his mother's firstborn; Ashbel -- he was taken away captive; Gera -- he became a stranger in a strange country; Naaman -- his deeds were seemly and pleasant; Achi -- he was my brother; Rosh -- he was my superior; Muppim -- he was exceedingly beautiful; Chuppim -- I did not see his chupah (marriage canopy) and he did not see mine; Ard -- he was like a rose-bloom."
(Midrash Rabbah)
All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy (46:27)
But if you count them, you find only sixty-nine; the seventieth is Jocheved the daughter of Levi, who was born between the boundary walls as they entered Egypt.
(Talmud, Bava Batra 123a)
When they reached the border of Egypt, they added up to sixty-six; together with Joseph and his two sons, they were one less than seventy. What did G-d do? He entered into the count with them, in fulfillment of what is written, "I will go down with you into Egypt."
(Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 39)
And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen (46:28)
The word lehorot ("to show the way") also means, "to teach"; Jacob sent Judah to prepare a beit midrash (house of study) for him there where he would teach Torah and where the sons of Jacob would read the Torah.
(Midrash Rabbah; Rashi)
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And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father... and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck (46:29)
But Jacob did not embrace Joseph and did not kiss him; our sages tell us that he was reading the Shema.
(Rashi)
Why did Jacob choose that particular moment to read the Shema? Because Jacob knew that never in his life would his love be aroused as it was at that moment, the moment of reunion with his most beloved son after twenty-two years of anguish and loss. So he chose to utilize this tremendous welling of emotion to serve His Creator, channeling it to fuel his love for G-d.
(The Chassidic Masters)
And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the years of your life?" (47:8)
Og (the King of Bashan) was there. So they said to him: "Did you not say that Abraham is a sterile mule who cannot beget children? Here is his grandson with seventy descendants!" Said Og: "This is Abraham himself." He thought that Jacob was Abraham, since Jacob's face was identical to Abraham's. Thus Pharaoh began asking Jacob questions, saying to him: "How many are the years of your life?"
(Midrash Rabbah)
And Jacob said to Pharaoh: "The days of the years of my sojournings a hundred and thirty years; few and bad have the days of the years of my life been, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the lives of my fathers" (47:9)
Most of us are satisfied with reasonable aspirations: develop your mind, make ends meet, live in peace with your neighbors. But then there are those special individuals who derive no satisfaction from personal achievements. For it is total, universal perfection they seek -- as long as they inhabit a world where evil and want still exist, they perceive their own selves as deficient and wanting.
Such a man was Jacob. Of the three founding fathers of the Jewish nation, only Jacob's names ("Jacob" and "Israel") are synonymous with "The Jewish People." For Jacob lived not an individual's life. His earthly life and deeds were but the beginnings of the 35-century mission of Israel to perfect G-d's creation.
So Jacob, though he had already surpassed the Divinely-ordained human lifespan of "one hundred and twenty years," describes his 130 achievement-filled years as "few and bad." Though formidable in number, they are wanting in content, for their efforts still await realization. "They have not attained the days of the lives of my fathers," said Jacob. My grandfather Abraham "grew old, he came with his days" -- at the close of his life his days were full, ripe with the fruit of his labors. Isaac, too, lived a fulfilled life, the life of a "perfect offering." But unlike my fathers, who closed a cycle of achievement in their physical lifetimes, mine is but an opening chapter in a process that spans history.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
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And Jacob blessed Pharaoh (47:10)
He blessed him that the Nile should rise at his feet and water the land; thus the famine ended after two years (instead of seven).
(Midrash Tanchuma; Rashi)
Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh; behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land (47:23)
Until Jacob came down to Egypt, there was famine in the land; after Jacob came, what is written? "Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land."
(Tosefta, Sotah ch. 10)
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the country of Goshen; and they took possession of it (47:27)
The Hebrew word vayei'achazu ("and they took possession of it") literally means "and they took hold of it," but also translates, "and they were held by it." Both interpretations are cited by our sages: Rashi translates vayei'achazu as related to the word achuzah, "land holding" and "homestead"; the Midrash interprets it to imply that, "The land held them and grasped them... like a man who is forcefully held."
This duality defines the Jew's attitude toward galut (exile). On the one hand, we know that no matter how hospitable our host-country may be, and no matter how we may flourish, materially and spiritually, on foreign soil, galut is a prison in that it dims our spiritual vision, hinders our national mission and compromises our connection with G-d. For only as a nation dwelling on our land with the Holy Temple as the Divine abode in our midst can we perceive the Divine presence in the world, fully realize our role as "a light unto the nations," and fully implement all the mitzvot of the Torah-the lifeblood of our relationship with G-d.
But we also know that we are in galut for a purpose. We know that we have been dispersed throughout the world in order to reach and influence the whole of humanity. We know that it is only through the wanderings and tribulations of galut that we access and redeem the "sparks of holiness" -- the pinpoints of Divine potential which lie scattered in the most forsaken corners of the globe.
So Galut is an achuzah in both senses of the word: a "holding" to develop and a "holding pen" we must perpetually seek to escape.
Indeed, it can only be the one if it is also the other. If we relate to galut solely as a prison, we will fail to properly utilize the tremendous opportunities it holds. But if we grow comfortable in this alien environment, we risk becoming part of it; and if we become part of the galut reality, G-d forbid, we could no more succeed in our efforts to develop and elevate it than the person who tries to lift himself up by pulling upwards on the hairs atop his own head.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
____________________________
Genesis 44:18-47:27
Parshah Summary
The twenty-two year contest between Joseph and his brothers is now approaching its climax: Judah approaches Joseph -- whom he knows only as Tzaphnat Paaneach, viceroy of Egypt -- to plead, argue and threaten for the release of Benjamin. The viceroy's magic goblet had been discovered in Benjamin's sack; "He shall be my slave," declared the Egyptian ruler in the closing verse of last week's Parshah, "and you go up in peace to your father."
But the brothers won't go in peace. Judah, their spokesman and leader, and the one who assumed personal responsibility to Jacob for Benjamin's safe return, pleads: "How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me?" Benjamin is the only surviving child of our father's most beloved wife, his older brother having disappeared many years ago; our father's very life is bound with Benjamin's life. "When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants shall bring down the white head of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave."
"I beg you," concludes Judah, "let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers... Lest I see the evil that shall befall my father."
Reunion
And Joseph could not restrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, "Order every man to go out from me." And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
And he wept aloud; and Egypt heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
And Joseph said to his brothers: "I am Joseph; is my father still alive?" And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him.
And Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, I entreat you." And they came near. And he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt."
The brothers are beside themselves with shame and remorse, and it is Joseph who comforts them. "It was not you who sent me here," he says to them, "but G-d." It has all been ordained from Above: because you sold me into slavery, we will all be saved from the hunger which has stricken the entire region these last two years, and which is destined to continue for another five.
"Hasten, and go up to my father, and say to him: Thus says your son Joseph: G-d has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay... and you shall be near me...and there will I sustain you."
Pharaoh sends wagons to bring Jacob and his entire family to Egypt, and declares: "The bounty of the entire land of Egypt is yours."
The Divine Promise
And they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and told him, saying: "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
And Israel said: "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive; I will go and see him before I die."
On the way to Egypt, at the oasis of Be'er Sheba, G-d appears to Jacob. "I am G-d, the G-d of your father; fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again."
The Seventy Souls
And these are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons...
And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
And the sons of Shimon: Yemu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yachin, and Zohar; and Shaul the son of the Canaanite woman.
And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.
And the sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, and Peretz and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Peretz were Hezron and Hamul.
And the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvvah, Yov and Shimron.
And the sons of Zebulum: Sered, Elon and Yachle'el...
[Jacob's] daughter Dinah...
And the sons of Gad: Zifyon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Ar'eli.
And the sons of Asher: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, Beri'ah, and Serach their sister. And the sons of Beri'ah were Hever and Malki'el...
And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Menasseh and Ephraim...
And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman, Achi, Rosh, Muppim, Chuppim, and Ard...
And the sons of Dan: Hushim.
And the sons of Naftali: Yachze'el, Guni, Yezer, and Shillem....
All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.
The Jews in Egypt
Jacob sends Judah ahead to Egypt, "to show the way before him."
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen...
And he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph: "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."
Pharaoh grants Jacob's family the country of Goshen, a place suitable for their vocation as shepherds. Joseph presents his father and brothers to Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the years of your life?"
And Jacob said to Pharaoh: "The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings."
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Joseph gathers the wealth of Egypt and the surrounding countries, as all the money and valuables are expended in the purchase of food during the famine. Joseph then "nationalizes" all the land in Egypt, transferring its population and decreeing that a fifth of its produce must be given to Pharaoh in return for its use; only the priests are exempted from this tax.
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the country of Goshen; and they took possession of it, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
From Our Sages
And Judah approached him... (Genesis 44:18)
Said Rabbi Judah: The verb "he approached" (vayigash) implies an approach to battle, as in the verse (II Samuel 10:13), "So Joab and the people that were with him approached unto battle."
Rabbi Nechemiah said: The verb "he approached" implies a coming near for conciliation, as in the verse (Joshua 14:6), "Then the children of Judah approached Joshua."
The Sages said: It implies coming near for prayer, as in the verse (I Kings, 18:36), "And it came to pass at the time of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet approached..."
Rabbi Eleazar combined all these views: Judah approached Joseph for all three, saying: If it be war, I approach for war; if it be conciliation, I approach for conciliation; if it be for entreaty, I approach to entreat.
(Midrash Rabbah)
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Your servant our father (44:24, et al)
Ten times Joseph heard his brothers refer to his father as "your servant" and he did not protest. Because of this, his life was shortened by ten years. (Joseph lived 110 years.)
(Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 39)
"Let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord." (44:33)
[Said Judah to Joseph:] I am more useful than him in every regard: in strength, as a warrior, or as a servant.
(Rashi)
G-d deals with man measure for measure: because Judah had sold Joseph into slavery, he was now compelled to offer himself to Joseph as a slave.
(Abarbanel)
And Joseph could not restrain himself (45:1)
The confrontation between Joseph and Judah -- to what was this comparable? To an ox who was running about and all animals were fleeing from it, for it was kicking the one and butting the other, until the lion appeared, and the ox retreated. (In Genesis 49, the sons of Jacob are compared to different animals--Naphtali is a gazelle, Dan a serpent, Benjamin a wolf, etc.; Joseph is likened to an ox, and Judah, to a lion).
(Midrash Tanchuma)
Regarding the encounter between Judah and Joseph it is said: "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5). This may be compared to a deep well full of cold and excellent water, yet none could drink of it. Then came one who tied cord to cord and thread to thread, drew up its water and drank, whereupon all drew water thus and drank thereof. In the same way Judah did not cease from answering Joseph word for word until he penetrated to his very heart.
(Midrash Rabbah)
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And he cried, "Order every man to go out from me." And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers (45:1)
Rabbi Chama bar Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani discussed this. Rabbi Chama said: Joseph did not act prudently, for had one of them kicked him, he would have died on the spot. Rabbi Samuel said: He acted rightly and prudently. He knew the righteousness of his brethren and reasoned: Heaven forfend! My brothers are not to be suspected of bloodshed.
(Midrash Rabbah)
And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him (45:3)
When Rabbi Eleazar would come to this verse, he would weep: "Now if the rebuke of flesh and blood be such, how much more so the rebuke of the Holy One, blessed be He!"
(Talmud, Chaggigah 4b)
Behold, your eyes see... that it is my mouth that speaks to you (45:12)
He showed them that he was circumcised, and that he speaks the Holy Tongue.
(Rashi)
And [Jacob's] heart fainted, for he believed them not (45:26)
Such is the liar's fate: even when he speaks the truth he is not believed. At first the sons of Jacob lied to their father when they dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a goat, and he believed them; but then when they told him the truth, he did not believe them.
(Avot d'Rabbi Nathan, ch. 30)
And they told [Jacob] all the words of Joseph... And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father was revived (45:27)
Joseph gave his brothers a sign to relay to their father: that at the time that Joseph had parted from Jacob, they had been studying the laws of Eglah Arufah ("The Beheaded Heifer," Deuteronomy 21). Thus, although it was Pharaoh who had sent the wagons, the verse says, "And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent" -- for the "wagons" (agalot) of which the verse speaks is a reference to the Eglah Arufah.
(Rashi)
When Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers, he accompanied him on the way. Said Joseph: "Father, turn back, so that I should not be punished for troubling you." Said Jacob to him: "My son, in this very matter my descendents will blunder, when they do not arrange a proper escort for a traveler and he is killed, and they will have to bring an Eglah Arufah and proclaim: 'Our hand did not spill this blood.'"
(Jerusalem Talmud)
The principle behind the law of Eglah Arufah is that a person is responsible also for what occurs outside of his domain -- outside of the areas where he is fully in control. When a murdered traveler is found "out in the field," the elders of the nearest city must go out there and bring the Eglah Arufah to atone for the crime, although it occurred outside of their jurisdiction; for it was nevertheless their responsibility to send the traveler off with adequate provision and protection.
This is the deeper significance of the message which Joseph sent to Jacob. Father, he was saying, I have not forgotten the law of Eglah Arufah. I have been exiled from the sacred environment of your home, but I have not allowed my soul to travel to the spiritual no-man's-land of Egypt without provision; I have not abandoned it to a spiritual death with the justification that "This is outside of my element; I have no way of dealing with this." After 22 years of slavery, imprisonment and political power in the most depraved society on the face of the earth, I am the same Joseph who left your home on the day that we studied the laws of Eglah Arufah.
This was the message that "revived the spirit of Jacob their father."
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Be'er-Sheba (46:1)
Why did he go there? Said Rabbi Nachman: He went to cut down the cedars which his grandfather Abraham had planted in Be'er-Sheba. These cedars were then taken along when the Children of Israel left Egypt, and were used for the construction of the Sanctuary in the desert.
(Midrash Rabbah)
For all the years that the children of Israel were in Egypt, Jacob's cedars served as a link to their past and a promise of their future. "This is not your home," the growing trees said. "You, like us, hail from a loftier, holier place. And soon you will leave this depraved land, to be reclaimed by G-d as His people. You will then uproot us from this foreign land and carry us triumphantly to Sinai, where you will construct out of us a dwelling for the Divine presence in your midst."
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
"I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again" (46:4)
Come and see how beloved are Israel in the sight of G-d! To every place to which they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt and the Divine Presence was with them; they were exiled to Babylon, and the Divine Presence was with them; and when they will be redeemed in the future, the Divine Presence will be with them.
(Talmud, Megillah 29a)
And Serach their sister (46:17)
When Jacob's sons returned from Egypt with the news that Joseph is alive, they said: If we tell him straightaway, his soul will fly from his body. So they told Serach to play on her harp and sing, "Joseph lives, Joseph lives, and he is the ruler of Egypt," so that he should absorb the message slowly.
Said Jacob to her: "The mouth that informed me that Joseph lives shall not taste death." Serach was among those who came out of Egypt and among those who entered the Land; She was the "wise woman" who handed over Sheva ben Bichri to Joab (II Samuel 20); in the end, she entered paradise alive.
(Sefer HaYashar; Tzror HaMor)
And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman, Achi, Rosh, Muppim, Chuppim and Ard (46:21)
When Benjamin was brought before Joseph, Joseph questioned him: "Have you a brother?"
"I had a brother, but I do not know where he has gone."
"Have you a wife?"
"I have a wife and ten sons."
"What are their names?"
"I named them all after my brother," said Benjamin. "Bela -- he was swallowed up from me; Becher -- he was his mother's firstborn; Ashbel -- he was taken away captive; Gera -- he became a stranger in a strange country; Naaman -- his deeds were seemly and pleasant; Achi -- he was my brother; Rosh -- he was my superior; Muppim -- he was exceedingly beautiful; Chuppim -- I did not see his chupah (marriage canopy) and he did not see mine; Ard -- he was like a rose-bloom."
(Midrash Rabbah)
All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy (46:27)
But if you count them, you find only sixty-nine; the seventieth is Jocheved the daughter of Levi, who was born between the boundary walls as they entered Egypt.
(Talmud, Bava Batra 123a)
When they reached the border of Egypt, they added up to sixty-six; together with Joseph and his two sons, they were one less than seventy. What did G-d do? He entered into the count with them, in fulfillment of what is written, "I will go down with you into Egypt."
(Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 39)
And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen (46:28)
The word lehorot ("to show the way") also means, "to teach"; Jacob sent Judah to prepare a beit midrash (house of study) for him there where he would teach Torah and where the sons of Jacob would read the Torah.
(Midrash Rabbah; Rashi)
More
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father... and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck (46:29)
But Jacob did not embrace Joseph and did not kiss him; our sages tell us that he was reading the Shema.
(Rashi)
Why did Jacob choose that particular moment to read the Shema? Because Jacob knew that never in his life would his love be aroused as it was at that moment, the moment of reunion with his most beloved son after twenty-two years of anguish and loss. So he chose to utilize this tremendous welling of emotion to serve His Creator, channeling it to fuel his love for G-d.
(The Chassidic Masters)
And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the years of your life?" (47:8)
Og (the King of Bashan) was there. So they said to him: "Did you not say that Abraham is a sterile mule who cannot beget children? Here is his grandson with seventy descendants!" Said Og: "This is Abraham himself." He thought that Jacob was Abraham, since Jacob's face was identical to Abraham's. Thus Pharaoh began asking Jacob questions, saying to him: "How many are the years of your life?"
(Midrash Rabbah)
And Jacob said to Pharaoh: "The days of the years of my sojournings a hundred and thirty years; few and bad have the days of the years of my life been, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the lives of my fathers" (47:9)
Most of us are satisfied with reasonable aspirations: develop your mind, make ends meet, live in peace with your neighbors. But then there are those special individuals who derive no satisfaction from personal achievements. For it is total, universal perfection they seek -- as long as they inhabit a world where evil and want still exist, they perceive their own selves as deficient and wanting.
Such a man was Jacob. Of the three founding fathers of the Jewish nation, only Jacob's names ("Jacob" and "Israel") are synonymous with "The Jewish People." For Jacob lived not an individual's life. His earthly life and deeds were but the beginnings of the 35-century mission of Israel to perfect G-d's creation.
So Jacob, though he had already surpassed the Divinely-ordained human lifespan of "one hundred and twenty years," describes his 130 achievement-filled years as "few and bad." Though formidable in number, they are wanting in content, for their efforts still await realization. "They have not attained the days of the lives of my fathers," said Jacob. My grandfather Abraham "grew old, he came with his days" -- at the close of his life his days were full, ripe with the fruit of his labors. Isaac, too, lived a fulfilled life, the life of a "perfect offering." But unlike my fathers, who closed a cycle of achievement in their physical lifetimes, mine is but an opening chapter in a process that spans history.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
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And Jacob blessed Pharaoh (47:10)
He blessed him that the Nile should rise at his feet and water the land; thus the famine ended after two years (instead of seven).
(Midrash Tanchuma; Rashi)
Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh; behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land (47:23)
Until Jacob came down to Egypt, there was famine in the land; after Jacob came, what is written? "Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land."
(Tosefta, Sotah ch. 10)
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the country of Goshen; and they took possession of it (47:27)
The Hebrew word vayei'achazu ("and they took possession of it") literally means "and they took hold of it," but also translates, "and they were held by it." Both interpretations are cited by our sages: Rashi translates vayei'achazu as related to the word achuzah, "land holding" and "homestead"; the Midrash interprets it to imply that, "The land held them and grasped them... like a man who is forcefully held."
This duality defines the Jew's attitude toward galut (exile). On the one hand, we know that no matter how hospitable our host-country may be, and no matter how we may flourish, materially and spiritually, on foreign soil, galut is a prison in that it dims our spiritual vision, hinders our national mission and compromises our connection with G-d. For only as a nation dwelling on our land with the Holy Temple as the Divine abode in our midst can we perceive the Divine presence in the world, fully realize our role as "a light unto the nations," and fully implement all the mitzvot of the Torah-the lifeblood of our relationship with G-d.
But we also know that we are in galut for a purpose. We know that we have been dispersed throughout the world in order to reach and influence the whole of humanity. We know that it is only through the wanderings and tribulations of galut that we access and redeem the "sparks of holiness" -- the pinpoints of Divine potential which lie scattered in the most forsaken corners of the globe.
So Galut is an achuzah in both senses of the word: a "holding" to develop and a "holding pen" we must perpetually seek to escape.
Indeed, it can only be the one if it is also the other. If we relate to galut solely as a prison, we will fail to properly utilize the tremendous opportunities it holds. But if we grow comfortable in this alien environment, we risk becoming part of it; and if we become part of the galut reality, G-d forbid, we could no more succeed in our efforts to develop and elevate it than the person who tries to lift himself up by pulling upwards on the hairs atop his own head.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Women
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Ellen“Spiritual journey”—it's a cliché, but I don't know a better way to describe my quest over the past two years. There are three things that spurred me to embark on this trip, and two of them have to do with my daughter Jenna.The first reason I decided to plunge into learning about Judaism stemmed from feelings that emerged while doing yoga. I found that practicing yoga touched a place deep within me and made me more aware of myself in relationship to the world. I walked out of each yoga class feeling more connected to myself and others, and with a more positive outlook. I wanted to attain more of that feeling in my life off the mat, and turned to my own religion for inspiration. Jenna acquired a thirst for Jewish knowledge in collegeThe second reason is that Jenna acquired a thirst for Jewish knowledge in college and has become spiritually connected in a way I never expected. I watched her incorporate Judaism into her life more and more, and while at first I was skeptical, over time I was drawn in, wanting to understand and be a part of something that had become so important to her. In fact, joining her Jewish journey on a parallel path has turned out to be one of the most beautiful and special parts of our relationship. We eagerly share Jewish books and class content, talk about different rituals we’ve experienced and joyfully spend Jewish holidays together. The third reason I embarked on my spiritual journey had to do with an emotional outburst that Jenna had in the car coming back from a weekend yoga retreat two years ago. It was an incident that I will never forget, because it hurt so deeply and, ultimately, became a catalyst for a self-development program that I have followed with a great deal of passion. While I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details, during that car ride, Jenna expressed some criticisms of my parenting and character. After recovering from the hurt, I came to the conclusion that I could do nothing to change the past, but I could become a better person in the future—someone who Jenna would admire and want to emulate. My New Year’s resolutions that year consisted of a list of self-development intentions, and my strategy was to use spiritual work and religion as the pathway to behavior change. It has been a spectacular journey so far: I attend a weekly Torah class at a local Chabad House, light candles every Shabbat, incorporate prayer in my morning ritual, give to others in my community, and have become a voracious reader of Kabbalistic books. I have learned and experienced so much so far and have made some marked improvements in the way I view the world and interact with those I love. Importantly, I am committed to staying on this journey for the long haul, as I know Jenna is too. JennaAs a child, I never really contemplated the idea of spirituality. My mom raised me to be logical; she is very bright and is the first to admit that her brain naturally functions in a rational, skeptical way – if something is true, show her the proof. This definitely rubbed off on me as a kid, and I think I developed a similar mentality. But once I left the house and became exposed to different ways of living and thinking, I began to have questions.While on a trip to Israel in college, I realized that while I knew the Jewish cultural and holiday traditions, I had never learned the “why’s” behind them. After learning more about Jewish history, rituals and customs on that trip, I came home intrigued and have been reading books and going to lectures ever since. At first, I remember my mom’s apprehension when I began to form my own beliefs; she was surprised by my newfound interest in Judaism and quick to defend her opinions about religion. But over time, she began exploring Judaism for herself and has become equally interested in learning more about the spiritual world and meaning behind our traditions. I came home intriguedIt’s been fascinating to watch both my mom and myself explore these concepts over time, especially since many Jewish concepts were so foreign to us just a few years ago. As I continued learning with a study partner in Washington, D.C. and my mom attended local Chabad Torah classes in New Jersey, we often shared things we were learning and swapped Jewish books. On my latest trip to Israel this summer, more and more of my questions were answered and I became committed to living an observant Jewish life. I could sense my mom’s uneasiness once again, but she was also intrigued and constantly asked me to share what I was learning. I will never forget when I received an e-mail from her asking me if I was interested in joining her Chabad group on a trip to the Ohel, the Rebbe’s grave. My first thought was “Who is the Rebbe?!” and then I declined. But after thinking a bit more, I realized that was a huge mistake! It was the perfect opportunity to share a meaningful Jewish experience with my mom and show her how much I support her involvement with Chabad. In the end, I went on the trip, and it was a really meaningful and moving day. I realized that the more I share Judaism with my mom, the more inspired I become myself to keep growing. We have taken our separate paths, and yet we connected in the end with very similar Jewish practices. We still struggle with our individual beliefs about G‑d and prefer different kinds of prayer services, but at the end of the day, we both agree that learning about Judaism has helped us develop into better women and lead more meaningful lives. Our relationship was not always as good as it is today. We have spent a lot of time looking deeply within ourselves, using Judaism as a way to become better mothers, daughters, friends and community members. Looking back, I think we were able to work through many past issues by harnessing lessons we learned through our spiritual endeavors.
Ellen Resnick and Jenna Gebel are co-authors of a blog called My Mother, My Daughter, My Friend where they examine different aspects of their mother-daughter relationship and celebrate their love for each other.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Story
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Some 300 years ago, there lived an affluent man named Avigdor. He once brought a large sum of money to Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the chassidic movement, to be distributed on his behalf to the poor.
Accepting the contribution graciously, the Baal Shem Tov (literally, “Master of a Good Name”) inquired if perhaps Avigdor would like a blessing in return. After all, the Baal Shem Tov was renowned not only as a great Torah scholar, but also as a righteous individual who had the power to give blessings. I am very wealthy"No thanks!" replied Avigdor arrogantly. "I am very wealthy, I own many properties, I have servants, plenty of delicacies and everything else I want. I have more than I need!" "You are very fortunate," replied the Baal Shem Tov. "Perhaps you would like a blessing for your family?" "I have a large and healthy family of which I am very proud; it is a credit to my success. I don’t need—or want—anything." "Well, then, perhaps you can help me. May I request one thing of you?" inquired Rabbi Israel. "Can you please deliver a letter to the head of the charity committee in Brody?" "Certainly," responded Avigdor. "I live in Brody, and would be happy to assist you in this matter." The Baal Shem Tov took out a pen and paper, wrote a letter, sealed it in an envelope and gave it to Avigdor. Avigdor took the letter, placed it in his jacket pocket, and returned home. But he had so many projects on his mind that by the time he arrived in Brody, he had completely forgotten about the entire encounter with Rabbi Israel. Sixteen years passed, and the wheel of fortune suddenly turned. All of Avigdor's assets and properties were lost or destroyed. Floods ruined his fields of crops; fires destroyed his forests. Calamity after calamity. He was left penniless. Creditors took his house and everything he owned. He was forced to sell even his clothing to feed his children. One day, while cleaning out the pockets of an old jacket he planned to sell, he found a letter—the letter that he had received from the Baal Shem Tov 16 years prior! In a flash, he recalled his visit and his haughtiness when he thought he had everything. With tears in his eyes, he rushed to finally fulfill his mission and deliver the letter. The envelope was addressed to a Mr. Tzaddok, chairman of the charity committee of Brody. He ran into the street and encountered one of his friends. Grabbing his arm, he said, "Where can I find Mr. Tzaddok?" "Mr. Tzaddok? You mean Mr. Tzaddok, the chairman of the charity committee?" "Yes, I must see him immediately!" replied Avigdor. "He is in the synagogue," said Avigdor's friend. "I was there only a few minutes ago. Mr. Tzaddok is indeed a lucky man. Just this morning he was elected chairman of the charity committee." "Tell me more about Mr. Tzaddok," insisted Avigdor. Willing to oblige, Avigdor's friend continued, "Mr. Tzaddok was born and raised here in Brody. A tailor by profession, he was always down on his luck, never able to make a decent living. He was hardly able to support his family, and they always lived in abject poverty. He sat in the back of the synagogue, and no one ever took notice of him. Despite working many hours, he never earned much; it was hard to scrape together even enough money for a loaf of bread for his family. He did not forget his former poverty"Recently, however, the tide changed. Mr. Tzaddok was introduced to a local nobleman, and he made uniforms for all his servants. The nobleman was very satisfied with Mr. Tzaddok's craftsmanship, and his business started to pick up. He even received an order for 5,000 uniforms for the army. He became a rich man, and gained respect in the eyes of the community. He did not forget his former poverty, and gave generously to many, taking an active role in communal affairs. Just this morning, he was unanimously elected chairman of the charity committee." Hearing this story, Avigdor hurried to the synagogue, and found Mr. Tzaddok busy perusing the many requests for financial assistance. He handed Mr. Tzaddok the letter. Together they read the words of the Baal Shem Tov, penned 16 years earlier: Dear Mr. Tzaddok,They had hardly concluded reading the letter, when someone burst into the synagogue and exclaimed, "Mazel tov, Mr. Tzaddok! Your wife just had a baby boy!" Thanks to the Baal Shem Tov's foresight, Avigdor once again became very affluent, remained humble, and was admired by all.
Shaul Wertheimer is the director of Chabad of Queens College. He has a degree in philosophy from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and graduated from the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, N.J. He lives in Queens with his wife and children.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Story
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There were six of us in the car, two parents and four children. Night had just fallen, and we were on our way to visit a seniors' residence north of Chicago. Our friends at Lubavitch Chabad of Skokie had supplied us with a box of chocolate coins, a tin menorah and some colorful Chanukah-shaped cookies.
As we drove, we discussed what we would do that night. “If someone wants to hug you, what do you do?” (Correct answer: You can either allow them to or tell them you are not comfortable with it.) “Who knows a Chanukah song we can sing?” (Incorrect answer: Me and my friends made up lots of funny songs in school.) My wife and I wondered aloud whether or not any of the elderly people would enjoy the Yiddish songs our children had learned in school. When we were kids, there were bound to be Holocaust survivors or Americans who grew up in Yiddish-speaking homes, but that was in the last millennium. Arriving 10 minutes early, we piled out of the van. The youngest two sat in the stroller; the older ones skipped excitedly along. The facility was elegantly appointed, with an ice-cream shop, fitness club, library and other amenities dotted around the main floor. The woman at the front desk handed us a list of Jewish residents (there were 12), and we were off. As we walked to the elevator, I was pleased to see that the children whispered respectfully. Our first visit was with Michael. He didn’t appear old, but from the way he returned my greeting, I could tell that he was blind. We wished him a “Happy Chanukah!” My 3-year-old gingerly placed a sack of chocolate coins on his lap, but after I explained to her that Michael could not see, she carefully took the coins and placed them in his hand. 
The 5-year-old helps one resident with the Chanukah lights.
At one point, we met a nice woman with her grandson. He called her “Bubbs;” so we did, too. And then magic happened. We took out the menorah and lit it. After some more chatting, and, of course, some Chanukah gelt, we left them to spend time together in the candles’ glow. Strolling down the hall, we remembered that we’d forgotten to give out cookies. So from then on, our 3-year-old gave out coins and our 4-year-old gave out cookies—allowing the residents to choose which color, of course. Not to be outdone, our 5-year-old carried the candles. A Song and a SmileAfter we finished visiting all the rooms on our list, we made our way to the dining halls since some people were out eating dinner. There, we met two Jewish gentlemen sharing a table. One of them was sitting with his son and eating a kosher meal. And yes, he spoke Yiddish (his son spoke to him in English, but he replied in Yiddish). Happily, our kids sang “latkele, latkele; hop, hop, hop; hop arien in mein top … ”Our last stop was the main-floor dining room, where the most mobile residents ate together. The kids gave out cookies and coins to everyone, and my son gladly “lit” the menorah. The waitress was afraid of allowing real fire in the room, so he just recited the blessings (omitting G‑d’s name) and pretended to light the candles. We gave our last two sacks of coins to the receptionist and the parking attendant, then piled back into the car. As we drove home for our own menorah-lighting and dinner, I wondered if the residents were still thinking about us. What I knew for certain was that we were still thinking about them. 
The 3-year-old gives out bags of gelt.
The 4-year-old offers colorful cookies.
In the dining hall, seniors and youngsters enjoy each other's company.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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5 Tevet: Celebrating Jewish Books
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No, we don’t mean you’ll need a ladder. We mean spiritually higher. We mean, fill your home with books that lift you higher. That lift your whole home higher. Even if you never read them—they’re there and their presence has an effect on you and your home.
Of course, we won’t protest if you peek inside one now and again...
Text by Tzvi Freeman. Art by Pilar Newton of PilarToons
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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5 Tevet: Celebrating Jewish Books
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We have a children's library in our home. Our children are grown and now it's our grandchildren who enjoy it. Typically, last Chanukah as our family was sharing a festive evening of traditional song and holiday food, one ten-year-old granddaughter was conspicuously absent from the fun and games. I found her curled up and engrossed in a book. I told her mother to suggest to her that she might want to join the others when she finishes the chapter. I must admit though, that I thoroughly enjoyed the sight of her reading, oblivious to the world.
I'd love to wax poetic about all the wondrous benefits of teaching our children to learn to read for pleasure, but it's all been written before and much better than I can express it. It has been said that to teach a child to enjoy books is to open a window to a world of wonder; to the past and to the imagined future. It is to give a child a lifelong gift. At the earliest stages it means sitting an infant on your lap and flipping the pages of a picture bookI want to briefly discuss the virtues of reading out loud to our children. All of us can do it and we can be enriched by the process. Here is why. Some of the questions I am regularly asked by parents relate to encouraging and facilitating the learning process, others relate to developing healthy relationships. The common thread among them is universal, the desire to be effective parents. Young parents find out quickly that children don't come with an instruction book and that good parenting is hard work. Your school officials, local shrink, your nosy friends, neighbors and your parents all want to share their sure-fire way to make you a better parent. I'd like to simply share an idea and not a new one at that. I believe that parents need to spend time reading to their children. It is a wonderful experience for the children; it does wonders for the parent-child relationship and it is a heart warming experience for the parent/reader. At the earliest stages it means sitting an infant on your lap and flipping the pages of a picture book. The parent can tell, or ask the child to explore the page. Regardless, for the child it is a time for special attention and a one-to-one quality experience with the parent. As a child grows he will learn to equate the pleasure of reading with the pleasure of the special attention he receives from the parent. This pleasurable "transfer" experience is one the child will recall even much later in life. As a child grows and is able to read, the experience may be done in reverse as well. Having a child read aloud with feeling and inflection, to the parent, will also become a cherished pleasurable experience. It can also be a wonderful family experience. I recall walking into the house of a close friend to find his family reading and acting out the recorded experiences of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneerson, while he was in a Communist Russian jail. The eyes of the older children were brimming with tears as the younger ones sat open mouthed, taking it all in. I remember being so impressed by the uniqueness of the special moment. The first message the child receives when he sits down in an easy chair with a relaxed mother or father is that he matters; he is important. Mommy/Daddy is setting all else aside to be with me. The parent, in turn will cherish the few focused minutes of pleasure with an attentive, receptive child. It's not only the child who will be making memories, it's the parent too. Let me share a few helpful hints for reading to a younger child. Relax. The child must experience a relaxed and interested parent. He must sense that all other concerns have been set aside and the parent is fully focused on him. Your body language will tell the child more than you can verbalize; a hug and a smile go a long way to conveying that he has your full and undivided attention. Sit somewhere you won't be interrupted for the ten minutes you will spend together. A hug and a smile convey that he has your full and undivided attentionKeep it focused. Both of you will enjoy it more if you keep focused on the book or story. This should not become an all encompassing, sharing quality time; it should rather focus on the reading experience. Depending on the child's age you may either read or tell the story from the pictures. Let the child follow your reading if he's already reading, let him ask or tell what he thinks will happen next. Encourage him to get fully involved in the story. Make a regular schedule. Do it every Sunday afternoon or free up some time in the regular workweek. A great time which works for many parents is a before bedtime (difficult though, if you have a brood). Let the child learn to look forward to the special time you have together. Never use the reading time as a hostage to good behavior and deny it as a punishment. This time is sacrosanct. For older children: Relax. It's just as important for the older child to be impressed with your attention and to feel special. The responsiveness and the involvement of a child of, say, nine years of age can be much more stimulating to a parent than that of a preschooler. But the child needs to feel that he has the whole you in order to give you the whole him. Let the child lead. Let him indicate if he wants to listen to you read, to read to you, to discuss what you have previously read, or for that matter to dramatize a passage. Nothing will sour this special time more quickly that a statement like "If you're not interested in listening, I have better things to do." A family reading time is also a good idea. Mother, father, older and younger siblings, can enjoy reading out loud. Encourage dramatization and creativity and make sure everyone gets a chance. You may find that an introverted child may at first be reticent; don't push too hard. When he is more comfortable he'll contribute what he wants to the mix as well. A stimulating passage will not only capture the magic of the page it will also capture the magic of the family.
Rabbi Nochum Kaplan serves as the Director of the Merkos Office of Education.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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What kind of a house do you have? Whatever it’s full of, that’s what your house will be. Our house is full of Jewish books. Four thousand years worth of Jewish books. So it’s a 4,000 year old house. A house that’s built to last forever.
MULTIMEDIA
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| • RetroPhone (By Tzvi Freeman) <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=2755959&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span> | ||
Lifestyle
Jewish Penicillin | ||
Between the flu and strep, it feels like everyone I know is sick these days, which means it’s time for a nice big pot of Jewish penicillin. Chicken soup!
 No two pots of chicken soup are exactly alike, in my experience, and I don’t claim to have the very best chicken soup recipe in Jewish history. But it’s rich and healthy, and I’d love to share it with you. You’ll need chicken, carrots, onion, celery, sweet potato, zucchini, fresh garlic, salt and, of course, water. Peel the carrots, sweet potato and onion. It’s best to leave the peel on the zucchini, or else it completely disintegrates in the soup. Cut the vegetables into chunks, not too small.  Put all the ingredients into the pot (it’s okay if the chicken is frozen) and bring to a rapid boil. Skim the surface and remove all floating scum. Turn down to a very low simmer, and cook for 4–6 hours. (The longer it simmers, the better the soup will be. You can even cook it longer.) Let the soup cool and refrigerate it overnight. The fat will rise to the top and harden, making it easy to remove (see picture). Scoop off the fat and bring the soup back to a boil. Simmer until you’re ready to serve.  You can eat it plain, with matzah balls, or with the chicken and vegetables from the pot. I’ll be sharing a number of different matzah ball recipes and techniques in a separate post. Stay tuned! Tip: For a very clear broth, pour it through a cheesecloth.  Ingredients
Directions
Serves 8-10 (the longer it simmers, the more it will reduce)  Do you have any unusual chicken soup ingredients or tips? Share them in the comment section below.
Miriam Szokovski is the author of historical novel Exiled Down Under, and a member of the Chabad.org editorial team. She enjoys tinkering with recipes, and teaches cooking classes to young children. Miriam shares her love of cooking, baking and food photography on Chabad.org’s food blog, Cook It Kosher and in the N'shei Chabad Newsletter.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Lifestyle
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Acrylic & Ink on Canvas
Raised by former hippies, Yitzchok Moully was exposed to far more color than one would expect in the rigorously orthodox Chassidic community. Moully’s art contrasts strong Judaic and Chassidic images with vibrant bold colors to create a startling combination which he describes as “Chassidic Pop Art”. Moully’s art reveals that the essence of Chassidic thought is far from black and white. Moully is the Youth Rabbi at the Chabad Jewish Center in Basking Ridge, NJ, where he resides together with his wife Batsheva and five children, a Rabbi by day and an artist by night.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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As the first Chanukah lights were kindled on Tuesday evening, Dec. 16, the world gradually gained an enormous dose of physical and spiritual light throughout the globe, from east to west.
Here are highlights from menorah-lightings worldwide: Auckland, New Zealand Possibly the first public menorah-lighting of the year was held in New Zealand, where Chabad joined with the Jewish Federation of New Zealand to host a community-wide outdoor celebration in Auckland dubbed “Chanukah in the Park.” (Photo: Jewish Federation of New Zealand)Tel Aviv, Israel Chanukah celebrations take on a deeper meaning in Israel, where the miracle unfolded more than two millennia ago. The hundreds of celebrants in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square sang and cheered as the menorah was lit by Geoffrey Anisman of the U.S. Embassy and Israeli Minister of Agriculture Yair Shamir.Budapest, Hungary Right in front of the Budapest-Nyugati Railway Terminal, the city’s Jewish community gathered for what has become an annual Hungarian-Jewish tradition. The lighting was followed by spirited dancing, capped with a stirring rendition of “Szol a Kakas Mar,” a Chassidic melody that blends Hebrew and Hungarian words poetically to tell the story of the Jewish exile.London, England Further to the west, Trafalgar Square was filled with some 7,500 revelers, who came together to celebrate the Festival of Lights with Chabad Lubavitch UK and the London Jewish Forum. Those assembled were greeted London Mayor Boris Johnson, in addition to other dignitaries and guests. (Photo: Sam Kaye)Aruba Down in Aruba, Holocaust survivor Sam Bradin kindled the first light of the menorah in front of 200 local residents and tourists at a Chanukah celebration held at the Ritz Carleton and sponsored by the newly established Chabad center there, co-directed by Rabbi Ahron and Chaya Blasberg. The plan is to light the menorah somewhere different every night, culminating with a family Chanukah party with Prime Minister Mike Eman in attendance.New York, N.Y. Perhaps one of the best-known lightings is that of the “World’s Largest Menorah” in Grand Army Plaza—at Central Park South and Fifth Avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel in Midtown Manhattan—which adds a special sparkle to the “city that never sleeps.” The first lamp atop the 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound menorah was lit by New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, accompanied by Rabbi Shmuel Butman of Lubavitch Youth Organization.Regina, Canada Enjoying the “balmy” weather of minus-10 degrees centigrade, a crowd of 250 came out to witness the lighting of a giant 25-foot menorah outside of the Saskatchewan legislature. Premier Brad Wall and Mayor Michael Fougere were in attendance.West Hills, Calif. For two Sundays before Chanukah, the CTeen youth group of Chabad of West Hills in California—co-directed by Rabbi Avi and Dena Rabin, shown here—collected as many as 3,000 cans and packages of dry goods to be donated to the homeless. On Tuesday night, they used a portion of the cans to make a giant “canorah,” which they proudly lit before they disassembled it and put all the items into seven giant donation barrels.Sacramento, Calif. Not far away in California’s capital, even driving rain couldn’t keep people away from watching the 20th-annual lighting of the giant menorah outside the Capitol building.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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What do Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and a Jewish teen from Siberia have in common? Both of their Chanukah pictures have been shared under the hashtag #sharethelights.
The core of the idea is simple: People take pictures of themselves with their menorahs, and then share them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #sharethelights, encouraging others to do the same. But it’s sophisticated as well, in that so many Jewish people are reached in a way that’s accessible and appealing. Levi Margolin, who directs the social-media side of the operation, says the campaign has caught on like wildfire since Chanukah began on Tuesday night. “It’s impossible to track exactly how far this has reached,” he says, “but from our own social-media channels alone, the campaign has reached more than 750,000 people. The hashtag has been used and shared by thousands on various platforms, creating a blaze of Chanukah light that continues to grow every hour.”  “For all its novelty, the concept is deeply rooted in tradition,” explains Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, which is orchestrating the campaign. “The Chanukah lights are there to spread awareness of the miracle of the eight-day holiday, and its enduring message of religious freedom. Harnessing social media to get the Chanukah message out there is just the natural extension of the mitzvah.“While Chabad emissaries have embraced this tool,” adds Kotlarsky, “we are most excited by the sheer volume of Jewish people everywhere who’ve taken the opportunity to share their Chanukah excitement, and to encourage their friends and family to do the same.” Browsing sharethelights.org, visitors can see the evening march across the globe from east to west in real time as pictures pour in from Australia, then the Far East, followed by Israel and Europe, and finally North America. According to tagboard.com, another post with #sharethelights is currently appearing approximately once every minute. In addition to social media, the hashtag has been popping up on giant public menorahs, car-top menorahs and even big screens at professional sporting events.  Organizers are planning a number of surprise raffles for anyone who posts a picture with the hashtag. For example, one lucky winner will be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to spend Shabbat with the Chabad emissary couple of his or her choice anywhere in the world.“But, of course, the most important thing is to encourage more people to celebrate Chanukah,” concludes Margolin. “I firmly believe that G‑d gifted us social media so we can spread Torah. And this campaign is doing just that.” The public is encouraged to participate by posting their Chanukah pictures with the hashtag #sharethelights for the duration of the Chanukah holiday.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—It was late 1984, and Argentina’s brutal military junta had fallen barely a year earlier. Yet as Chanukah approached, Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt was determined to erect his country’s first public menorah.
Over the course of its seven-year stretch of power, the junta had spearheaded a campaign of terror against its opponents known as the “Dirty War.” At its height, thousands of dissidents and others had disappeared, kidnapped off the streets during the day or arrested as part of midnight raids in their homes. Today, the precise fate of thousands of victims remains unknown. While the junta fell following its lopsided loss during the Falklands War, it had successfully instilled a culture of fear in Argentina. And now that Grunblatt wanted to construct a large Chanukah display in the center of Buenos Aires, many in the Jewish community were anxious and concerned about possible repercussions. “People were very afraid during that time,” remembers Grunblatt, an Argentine who returned with his American-born wife, Shterna, in 1978 to direct Chabad Lubavitch of Argentina. “They said there was no way it would not bring anti-Semitism. There was one influential Jewish-community board member who said if it stands for 24 hours, he would put on tefillin.” Leaning back in his chair, Grunblatt closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, recalling how the scenario played out. He opens his eyes and smiles. “He didn’t keep his promise.” “There was one man who supported me, the late Mr. David Goldberg,who was the president of DAIA”—an acronym for Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas, Argentine Jewry’s umbrella organization—“at the time. He told me not to listen to anyone, and that we should do it.” 
Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt at this year's menorah-lighting, marking 30 years of public menorahs in Buenos Aires, which he initiated back in 1984.
The lighting ceremony itself wound up drawing thousands of participants, with greetings read from President of the Republic Raúl Alfnosin. Press coverage beamed images of the historic event to hundreds of thousands of more people around the country, and an editorial in La Nación—one of the country’s largest daily newspapers—hailed the menorah-lighting as a sign that the era of fear Argentina had just experienced was finally coming to an end. “People were shocked,” says Grunblatt. “The menorah was like a revolution here. They had never seen such an open display of Yiddishkeit before. The next year, in 1985, the community embraced it with open arms, and that’s how it’s been ever since.” ‘Chanukah on the Map’While among American Jews Chanukah has long been one of the most observed holidays, Grunblatt explains that until recently, the holiday was hardly known by large segments of Argentina’s Jews largely due to its child-centric nature. And being that the country lies in the Southern Hemisphere, it falls over the summer, when families are out and about, and kids at camps or away from home.
David Goldberg, president of Argentine Jewry's umbrella organization DAIA, and Ephraim Tari, who became the Israeli ambassador to Argentina in 1985.
Grunblatt credits the campaign started by the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—to spread awareness and the message of Chanukah with bringing holiday observance back to Argentina. “Today, all of the [Jewish] institutions have a menorah, and they all do Chanukah events. Because of Chabad, Chanukah here is on the map.” Armando Reler, who served as executive director of Maccabi in Argentina for more than 20 years, agrees with Grunblatt’s assessment. “Chanukah for a lot of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires was playing football at Maccabi,” he explains. “Once in a while, someone might pull out a menorah and light it, but not much more than that. Later, when Chabad began lighting a menorah at the largest football stadium here, it was the Jews who were the most surprised! “People were also afraid to show their Jewishness in public. Because of what Chabad has been doing, people realized that it’s possible to not only be Jewish, but to be Jewish publicly.” 
The decorated menorah in 1986
Honoring the 30th AnniversaryThe event was scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, but as the 8 p.m. starting time approached, rain started falling in buckets on Buenos Aires.“We all thought it would have to be postponed to the next night because of the rain,” says Rabbi Mendy Gurevitch, director of the Wolfsohn-Tabacinic Jewish Day School and Community in the city’s Belgrano neighborhood. “It poured hard for 15 to 20 minutes, and then it suddenly stopped. People came from everywhere; it was a beautiful event.” Under dark yet clearing skies, the menorah-lighting once again took place at La Plaza Republica Oriental del Uruguay on Buenos Aires’ central Libretador Avenue. As usual, the event was joined by dignitaries: The chief of cabinet ministers of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta was on hand, and Israel’s ambassador to Argentina, Dorit Shavit, kindled the menorah. “The menorah-lighting has become a central part of Chanukah for the Buenos Aires Jewish community at large, and 2,000 people attend regularly,” explains Rabbi Levi Silberstein, one of the event’s organizers. “This year, there was a big campaign to honor the 30th anniversary, and the crowd was double the size.” 
Argentine dignitaries watch the public menorah-lighting in 1986.
Why does Grunblatt feel it so important to mark this milestone? “Sometimes, an organization can make a successful event once and then let it become a part of the past,” he explains. “To do something on this scale every year—not for any political or financial reason, but simply to mark a Jewish holiday—is something that should be celebrated. This menorah event has had a great impact not only on Jewish life in this country, but on all of Argentina.” 
This year's lighting celebrated 30 years of public menorahs in Buenos Aires.
The menorah-lighting has become a central part of Chanukah for the Buenos Aires Jewish community at large; thousands attend regularly.
A more contemporary crowd gathers for the lighting, which takes place in the summertime in Argentina.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of a giant menorah in the Buenos Aires public square.
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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The echoes of Monday’s terror attack in Sydney, Australia, continue to be felt in the city and beyond as people continue to try to make sense of the 16-hour siege in which two local residents and a gunman were killed.
A large square in the city’s central business district, Martin Place was to have been the site of a “Chanukah in the City” public menorah-lighting celebration on Thursday night; a giant menorah has been lit there for last 30 years. However, after discussions with community leaders and local authorities, organizers of the program canceled the Dec. 18 program, though the 32-foot menorah was still placed in the square. In a statement, Rabbi Elimelech Levy, director of Chabad Youth NSW and coordinator of the annual celebration, said: “Whilst the event was canceled, the presence of the giant menorah sends a powerful message that light will always overcome darkness. “As we mourn the loss of life and the atrocity that has taken place,” the rabbi went on to say, “people of goodwill will continue to shine the light of freedom and communal harmony, which is what the Chanukah menorah is all about.” Levy added that a sign was placed by the menorah that reads: “The Jewish community of Australia expresses our deepest sympathy for the families of the Martin Place tragedy. May the lights of the festival of Chanukah bring comfort and warmth to our nation.” ‘Moved and Inspired’Encouraging people to spread kindness and to focus on what unites people of all backgrounds and religions was the message that Ken Johnson was hoping to get out when he invited religious leaders of various faiths, including Rabbi Levi Wolff—chief minister and spiritual head of Sydney’s Central Synagogue and a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary—to join him in Martin Place. 
The menorah at Martin Place on the holiday's third night, with a sign that reads, in part: "May the lights of the festival of Chanukah bring comfort and warmth to our nation."
The rabbi said he was “moved and inspired” by his meeting with Johnson. “Sometimes, you go somewhere with the intention of strengthening the other person, and you walk away strengthened by how they are behaving and acting,” which is what happened here, said Wolff. “[Ken Johnson] is just remarkable. He really wants to take this moment and not it allow it to pass” without getting out his message that people have more in common than they have differences. Wolff—who visited the square just hours after the siege ended Tuesday morning, and who has come again several times, including with his wife, Chanie—explained that Martin Place has become a “massive” memorial, attracting thousands of people who are coming to bring flowers, pray and reflect. The rabbi said he spoke with Johnson about his son and gave him a yahrtzeit candle, explaining that in Jewish liturgy, the soul is referred to as a candle. Further, he said that Chassidic thought notes that a candle’s nature is always to go upward—just like the soul, which is always looking to achieve higher levels.” “Tori’s candle,” Wolff added, “has lit up the entire country.” 
Rabbi Levi Wolff, chief minister and spiritual head of Sydney’s Central Synagogue, spoke with Ken Johnson, father of Tori Johnson, manager of the cafe and one of two civilians killed in Monday's attack. (Photo: JWire)
© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.
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Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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