Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShevua — Parshat Shemos is being sponsored by R’ Dr. Pinchas and P’nina Klahr of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated lilui nishmas Pinchas’ parents: Nosson Karpel ben Shmuel Zanvil Tzvi and Pessia Toiba bat Rav Yehuda Dov and Penina’s dad – Rav Matisyohu ben Rav Yaakov (Weisenberg), continued refuah Sheima for Itamar Chaim ben Tzipporah as well as for the safe return of all Chayalim — physically, mentally and spiritually and for the Liberation of all remaining hostages and for Kol Klal Yisrael. To Mishpochat Klahr, many thanks for your sponsorship and your kindnesses through the years.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShevua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShevua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
skype: mark.burt3
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Near the beginning of our Parshat Sh’mot, Torah explains:
“…All the persons who emerged from Yaakov’s loins were seventy souls, and Yosef was in Egypt. Yosef died, and all of his brothers and that entire generation. The B’nei Yisrael were fruitful, teemed, increased and became strong — very, very much so; and the land became filled with them.” (Perek 1, posukim 5 – 7 as rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash)
The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash cites S’forno and other unnamed commentators in discussing Perek 1, posuk 6:
“And that entire generation,” i.e. all seventy who came with Yaakov. As long as any of them were alive, the generation maintained its spiritual level. (Artscroll Stone Edition Chmash citing S’forno) Commentators have noted that there were three levels of Jewish greatness: the Patriarchs, the twelve tribal ancestors, and the seventy souls. Once all were dead, the spiritual fall and the descent into slavery began.
This author has asked, in a previous year’s vort: What land “became filled with them”?
Commentators vary as to whether the B’nei Yisrael remained together in the “Jewish province” of Goshen, separated from the Mitzriyim or, as Rabbi Uziel Milevsky z’l suggests in his Sefer “Ner Uziel,” they (other than the Levi’im) assimilated into the heartland of Egypt. And this author questions: Could the Jews have assimilated into Egyptian society, discontinued Bris Milah, adopted Mitzri idolatrous ways and sunk to such a lowly moral state had they all remained together in Goshen? Could the enslavement, the affliction, the persecution have been avoided had the entirety of Jewry, in fact, remained together in Goshen learning Torah as the Levi’im were, rather than seeping into the Egyptian mainland? And had the Jews remained in Goshen, what would have been the impact on the welding of the nation of Yisrael?
In short, the various accounts regarding both Egyptian history and the possible assimilation of the Jews into the Egyptian heartland may have set the stage for the evolution of various anti-semitic canards which have plagued Am Yisrael throughout our periods of galut. And this possible assimilation into the Egyptian heartland, and loss of certain moral standards, may have led ultimately to the Jews’ loss of self-respect and self-esteem as well as considering themselves in a lowly manner leading them to being subjugated by the Egyptians.
Rabbi Uziel Milevsky z’l writes in his Sefer “Ner Uziel” on on Parshat Sh’mot (p. 297-301), as does R’ Moshe Weissman at the beginning of “The Midrash Says” on Sefer Sh’mot (page 1):
While the Sh’vatim lived, the Jews remained on Goshen and continued in the ways of their forefathers and were dedicated exclusively to Divine Service.
Following the deaths of Yaakov and the sons, the moral fabric began to unravel. The values of the forefathers eroded, particularly among the young and newly-married couples. Although the B’nei Yisrael maintained their Hebrew names [and family purity], their distinct dress, their language, their kindnesses each toward the other, they begin to venture beyond the pale of separation from the Mitzriyim which was Goshen and beyond exclusive Divine service.
R’ Weissman cites The Chazon Ish in “The Midrash Says” on Sefer Sh’mot (page 1):
…When questioned about the actual moral standard of the B’nei Yisrael in Egypt, [The Chazon Ish] explained that despite the righteousness of the Jewish women and the open miracles which they experienced, they [the B’nei Yisrael] were steeped in idol worship. (R’ Weissman citing The Chazon Ish, Letters 108-109)
Could it be that the accounts noted in this vort regarding the evolution toward B’nei Yisrael’s oppression, enslavement, persecution by the Mitzriyim and their reduction to a lowly moral state all be at least partially accurate? It should be noted here that as Pharaoh devised his cunning plan to combat Jewish population growth by drafting, enticing and luring B’nei Yisrael ultimately into slavery under the guise of patriotism and national responsibility, the Levi’im remained in Goshen. (This author citing “The Midrash Says” on Sefer Sh’mot, page 5)
R’ Weissman notes (“The Midrash Says” on Sefer Sh’mot, page 6) and cites Rambam:
One Tribe of B’nei Yisrael was never drafted by Pharaoh, TheTribe of Levi. When Pharaoh issued the original proclamation, they did not appear at work, saying, “We are constantly engaged in Torah-study and have no time to come!” Subsequently, Pharaoh left them alone, and they remained free until the end of the exile. Had they stepped out of the Beit Hamidrash to volunteer their services for even one day, the consequences would have been two hundred and ten years of slavery!
The Levi’im had been instructed by their forefather Yaakov to concentrate on learning Torah. (Rambam, Akoo”m [goy] Alef, Gimmel)
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin (“Growth Through Torah”, Parshat Sh’mot, pages 138-140) quotes from the beginning of Sefer Shemos and cites both Ohr Hachayim and Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz in providing yet another dimension to the evolution of Jewish enslavement in Mitzrayim and profound lessons we need to internalize today:
“And Yosef died, and all of his brothers, and that entire generation.” (Sefer Shemos, Perek 1, posuk 6)
Ohr Hachayim explains that the enslavement of the Israelites by the Egyptians occurred in three stages. First Yosef died, the B’nei Yisrael lost their power. Then the brothers died. As long as even one of the brothers was alive, the Egyptian still honored them. Even afterwards as long as the members of that first generation were alive, the Egyptians considered them important and were not able to treat them as slaves.
Rabbi Chayim Shmuelevitz…, commented .. that there are two aspects here. One is on the side of the Egyptians. They were unable to treat the Jewish people as slaves as long as they [the Egyptians] considered them important. The other aspect is on the side of the Jewish people themselves. As long as they [the Jewish people] were considered important and worthy of respect by themselves [self-respect and self-esteem], the Egyptians were not able to treat them in an inferior manner. Only when they considered themselves in a lowly manner could they be subjugated by others.
Rav Chayim refers to this as how the evil inclination deals with people, i.e. that once a person feels inferior, feels a sense of guilt and worthlessness, “then he is easy prey for being trapped by the evil inclination….”
Rabbi Goldin poses these poignant thoughts (“Unlocking the Torah Text,” Sefer Sh’mos, page 10) :
The uncanny ability of the Torah text to speak across the centuries is nowhere more clearly — nor more frighteningly — evident than in its description of the enslavement of the Jews at the hands of the Egyptians. Here, openly rooted at the dawn of our history, are the very methods used against us… to such devastating effect, by enemies in every era, including our own.
From cold, calculating Nazi murderers to zealous Islamic fundamentalists — willing to kill their own… in pursuit of the destruction of Israel, and all of Western culture, the adversaries and tactics we face today are much too familiar. Propaganda, demonization [noun: the act or fact of regarding, treating, or speaking of a person or thing as entirely bad],
subterfuge [noun: expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something] and the teaching of hate remain the preliminary of the murderers’ trade as, over and over again, words inexorably lead to to deeds.Constant, as well, ….we cling to a desperate, illusory hope that somehow, with the right gesture, with the right concession, we will convince our enemies to totally change their ways. After all, we feel. they can’t really mean what they say…
Laid down at the beginning of time, the painstaking tactics of prejudice and persecution have remained remarkably constant. Evil will be defeated only if these initial tactics are recognized when they first appear and [are] confronted head-on.
We can envision, in Rabbi Goldin’s words, the scenario which led to the 7 October/Simchat Torah and Hamas and their terrorist friends’ Barbaric Wild Beast attack which murdered, injured and maimed thousands of Israelis while taking hundreds of Israelis hostage, and risking, and letting their own “civilians” possibly die as human shields as these sub-human animalistic creatures shield themselves against the Israel Defense Forces.
This author might add to Rabbi Goldin’s thoughts above that the defeat of evil necessitates instant recognition and head-on, resolute (adjective: characterized by firmness and determination) and undaunted (adjective: undiminished in courage or valor; not giving way to fear; intrepid) confrontation.
We know that over the hundreds of generations and thousands of years that the Jews spent in Galut, wandering from nation to nation, finding temporary lodging and attempting to live as Jews, to whatever degree, while attempting to integrate and ingratiate themselves into society, they were always vulnerable as, in each nation, in each generation; the rulers of these nations, each nation’s religious leaders and populations inevitably turned on the Jews bringing them to expulsions, pogroms and genocide.
With Israel now a sovereign nation with a burgeoning hi-tech industry and a strong and technically superior military, we cannot allow ourselves to be subservient to any nation, to any so-called “super-power” or group of adversary nations or terrorist groups. But, perhaps there is, in many Jews, an engrained sense of assimilation into and ingratiation toward the nations which has led to loss of spiritually, loss of devotion to Judaism and Hashem and thus to loss of personal self-respect. This recipe seems to have led to the IDF, as well as a political/governmental Deep State, seeming to be soo taken in by a false conception of Hamas’ aims in Gaza, as well as regarding pursuit of their political agenda and personal self-interest and apparent hatred for the current prime minister who could be seen as an unmoveable obstacle in their way, a thorn in their side.
We can also see in Rabbi Goldin’s words, the recipe for IDF high command’s total unpreparedness for Hamas’ Beastly attack, their disregard and disdain for the warnings of their border observers and that this very high command withheld knowledge of the Hamas invasion, slaughter and taking of 250 hostages from the prime minister and the government for a crucial few hours on Simchat Torah — 7 October.
May it be that our Chayalim, regardless of the machinations of their high command, emerge totally victorious — eradicating from the face of the earth Hamas, their terrorist buddies and the so-called “innocent civilians” of Gaza who joined with Hamas in their murderous deeds, that the Chayalim return home whole — physically, mentally and spiritually and that the Chayalim Liberate and bring home all remaining hostages. And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, as should the remains of the two chayalim from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5785, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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