Torah Parallels

פרשת ויחי Parsha Stumpers  /  Something to Think About Why did Yaakov get up in bed when Yosef entered the room? Forget the fact that Yosef  was King, still Yaakov was not feeling well and he should have stayed in bed sick so  Yosef would realize and spread the word to have everyone daven for him? Why did Yaakov make Yosef swear that he would bury him in Eretz Yisroel ? If Yosef had more sons, where in Eretz Yisroel would they live – with shevet Menashe or shevet Ephraim? When Yaakov asked Yosef regarded his children, “Who are these (unfit of receiving a  beracha ), Rashi writes that Yosef first showed Yaakov his shtar eirusin and shtar kesubah. And then, afterwards, davened for Yaakov to get ruach hakodesh back. Why did Yosef have his wife's kesuba and shtar eirusin ? Why did he assume that Yaakov would think that he married illegally? He should  have just started off by davening that Yaakov get his ruach hakode...

Parshas Vayechi I Thought That You Thought By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּקַּח יוֹסֵף אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶת אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת מְנַשֶּׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֵלָיו : וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה שִׂכֵּל אֶת יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר “ And Yosef took the two of them – Ephraim with his right hand, to Yisroel's [Yaakov's] left, and Menasheh, with his left, to Yisroel's right – and he drew close to him. But Yisroel extended his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head though he was younger and his left hand on Menasheh's head. He moved his hands with intelligence, for Menasheh was the first born ” - Vayechi 48:13-14 The Torah 1 careful details the way that Yosef came to Yaakov with his sons, Menasheh and Ephraim. Menasheh was the older son and Yosef knew that he would be getting the bigger bracha (blessing). Ephraim, on the other han...

פרשת ויגש Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About In the first passuk of this week's parsha there are two times where it says that  Yehuda was the one who approached Yosef. One is straight out (b'feirush) in the  passuk and the other is a remez. Where is the remez ? In one of the pshatim that Rashi (44:18) says that Yehuda was telling Yosef when  he said “You are like Pharaoh” is: Just like Pharoah makes decrees and doesn't  keep them so too you”. The sifsei chochomim explains that Yehuda was referring  to the decree that no slave should ever rule over mitzrayim or wear royal clothing.  What type of argument is this, though? Yosef could easily respond that indeed  Pharaoh is amazing! After all, he made an exception to the rule for his sake. So  what message was Yehuda trying to convey to Yosef? Rashi (44:19) says that Yehuda challenged Yosef asking, “Why did you ask us so  many questions? Were we looking to marry your daughte...

Parshas Vayigash Two-Face: The One Tracked Mind By: Daniel Listhaus וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר בָּאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו “ The news was heard in Pharaoh’s house saying, 'Yosef's brothers have come!' And it was pleasing in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants.” - Vayigash 45:16 After being separated from his family for twenty-two years, Yosef was about to find himself being reunited with his father, Yaakov. The passuk (verse) 1 relates that when Pharaoh heard that Yosef's family was coming down to Mitzrayim (Egypt) , he was extremely happy. However, the reason he was happy was not because he was sharing in Yosef's simcha (joyous occasion) of being reunited with his family. Instead, Pharaoh was ecstatic for a very different reason. When Pharaoh appointed Yosef as second-in-command of the entire country, there were many people who raised an eyebrow. How could Pharaoh take Yosef out of prison and br...

Parshas Miketz and Chanukah I Think Therefore I Am...or Am I? By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל הַיְאֹר : וְהִנֵּה מִן הַיְאֹר עֹלֹת שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה וּבְרִיאֹת בָּשָׂר וַתִּרְעֶינָה בָּאָחוּ : וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת עֹלוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן מִן הַיְאֹר רָעוֹת מַרְאֶה וְדַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה אֵצֶל הַפָּרוֹת עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר : וַתֹּאכַלְנָה הַפָּרוֹת רָעוֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְדַקֹּת הַבָּשָׂר אֵת שֶׁבַע הַפָּרוֹת יְפֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְהַבְּרִיאֹת וַיִּיקַץ פַּרְעֹה : וַיִּישָׁן וַיַּחֲלֹם שֵׁנִית וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים עֹלוֹת בְּקָנֶה אֶחָד בְּרִיאוֹת וְטֹבוֹת : וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים דַּקּוֹת וּשְׁדוּפֹת קָדִים צֹמְחוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן : וַתִּבְלַעְנָה הַשִּׁבֳּלִים הַדַּקּוֹת אֵת שֶׁבַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים הַבְּרִיאוֹת וְהַמְּלֵאוֹת וַיִּיקַץ פַּרְעֹה וְהִנֵּה חֲלוֹם “ It happened at the end of two years to the day: Pharoah was dreaming that behold! - he was standing over the canal when behold, out of the canal there...

Parshas Miketz and Chanukah See the Light By: Daniel Listhaus וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל עֲבָדָיו : וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל עֲבָדָיו הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹקים בּוֹ : וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יוֹסֵף אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ אֶת כָּל זֹאת אֵין נָבוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמוֹךָ : אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל בֵּיתִי וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל עַמִּי רַק הַכִּסֵּא אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ : וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יוֹסֵף רְאֵה נָתַתִּי אֹתְךָ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם “ The matter appeared good in the eyes of Pharoah and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharoah said to his servants, 'Could we find like this – a man in whom is the spirit of G-d?” Then Pharoah said to Yosef, 'Since G-d has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house and by your command shall all my people be sustained; only by the throne shall I outrank you.' ” - Miketz 41:37-40 After Yosef had interpreted the dreams of Pharoah to Pharoa...