Judaism

ASK THE RABBI

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SHOULD I TELL THEM I’M NOT VACCINATED?

Dear Rabbi

I attended a Chanukah party last week and of course the conversation of vaccines came up. I was asked if I got mine and I chose to say “yes,” even though I didn’t. I simply didn’t want to cause an argument in the middle of the party. My wife insisted to me afterwards that I should not have lied and that if I choose not to vaccinate I should be open and honest about it and stand up for my principles. My question is, is it proper to be less forthcoming about your vaccination status in order to avoid unnecessary arguments or harassment?

David

Dear David

Everyone’s favourite dinner table topic. Did you get vaccinated? Did you get your booster? Which one did you get? Was it Pfizer? Did you have a reaction? And then there are the so-called sophisticated who like to talk Delta, Omnicron etc. (They’re usually the ones who never say “covid” but “covid 19”). Can’t we talk about something else for a change?

There are two issues at play here. The first is the requirement to get vaccinated. As discussed here before, most Halachic authorities maintain that one has an obligation to take medically recommended vaccinations. On the basis of the Torah mandate, “and heal he shall heal” we derive that G-d gives man licence to heal and we do not say, “If G-d made me ill, He will make me better.” Or worse still, “if G-d wants me to get Covid then I will get it and it is not for me to resist it through a vaccine.”

To be sure, Judaism believes in man’s free will and the significance of our actions, and not in pre-determinism or fatalism. As in the words of the commentaries on the Talmud (Bava Kama 85a) one is not allowed to rely on miracles but must follow the way of the world.

That said, the question is misleading because it presumes that one who is unvaccinated is more likely to transmit infection. This is factually incorrect. According to all research, individuals who have had all the relevant vaccine doses, while unlikely to get the infection themselves, are nevertheless just as likely to transit the infection as an unvaccinated individual.

As such, there is no point or purpose in revealing to others that you are unvaccinated if that’s going to trigger tensions. But if asked, rather than outright lie about it, one can be economical with the truth for the sake of broader harmony, with a line something like, “why would anyone not want to be vaccinate?”

WHY DID SHE SUFFER?

Dear Rabbi

My wife was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2013.During the four years she was ill she had numerous surgeries, radiotherapy and sadly passed away in Nov 2017 age 67. She looked after her mum who had a stroke; she looked after her dad for 10 years with cancer; she looked after me with health issues and was so good to lots of relatives. Why does such a caring person have to suffer so much? I know we all have to die but why the need for suffering before that? And do you believe we go to the next world when we do pass?

Noah

Dear Noah

It is precisely the answer to your second question that balances somewhat your first question. Yes, fundamental to Jewish belief is that when we leave this world we go somewhere else. That “somewhere else” is a place where one basks in the euphoria of Divine bliss. Can I describe that to you? No, because I have never been there (and hopefully won’t be there for a long time to come). Think about your hand inside a glove that is moving. To the outside observer the glove is moving, but in reality it is of course the hand that is the essence and that is moving. So too, the soul is contained within a body. The soul is the essence and while it comes into this world for a period of time, it is contained within a body. The body, like the glove, remains totally ineffective without the soul, and the soul too cannot achieve anything here if not contained within the body.

Together they go through a journey. Sometimes it is a smooth ride. Other times it could be quite rough, as in the case of your beloved wife. I cannot tell you why one person suffers more than another, or indeed why there is suffering in the world altogether. What I can tell you is that there are checks and balances and whatever a person endures in this world, for whatever the reason, will be balanced against the even greater reward they will receive in the next world. Of course the ideal would be not to suffer here and still experience immense reward elsewhere, but that ultimately is G-d’s accounting, and “My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

Take some comfort, even if only a grain of comfort, in knowing that your wife is somewhere else – receiving immense reward. And indeed, as I often say, when one is taken so young and before their time, there is obvious need for another angel in heaven. From your description of your wife, she was clearly an angel to so many here on earth.

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Pirkei Avot

ריִאֵמ יִבַּר םוּׁשִּמ יאַנַּי יִבַּרְבּ יאַתְּסוֹדּ יִבַּר ,וֹתָנְשִׁמִּמ דָחא רָבָדּ ַחֵכוֹׁשַּה לָכּ ,רֵמוֹא ,וֹשְׁפַנְבּ בֵיַּחְתִמ וּלִּאְכּ בוּתָכַּה ויָלָע הלעַמ רֹמְשׁוּ ךְל רמָׁשִּה קַר )ד םירבד( רַמֱאנּשׁ רשׁא םיִרָבְדַּה תא חַכְּשִׁתּ ןפּ דֹאְמ ךְשְׁפַנ ,וֹתָנְשִׁמ ויָלָע הָפְקָת וּלִּפא לוֹכָי .ךיניֵע וּאָר לֹכּ ךְבָבְלִּמ וּרוּסָי ןפוּ )םש( רַמוֹל דוּמְלַתּ דַע וֹשְׁפַנְבּ בֵיַּחְתִמ וֹניֵא אָה ,ךייַּח יֵמְי :וֹבִּלִּמ םֵריִסיִו בֵשֵׁיּשׁ

Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Whoever forgets one word of his study, scripture accounts it to him as if he were mortally guilty, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

One could [have inferred that this is the case] even when his study proved [too] hard for him, therefore scripture says, “that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live” (ibid.). Thus, he is not mortally guilty unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.

This Mishnah is very difficult to understand! How is it possible that one can be found guilty on his life just for forgetting one word of his studies? It sounds almost barbaric!

The truth is the language of the Mishnah is meant to help one gradually adjust to the importance and brilliance of the Torah and of living a Torah lifestyle.

By devoting oneself to proper and serious study, one will cling to Hashem and never stray. If one’s attitude is lazy and they are not concerned with remembering all of Hashem’s Torah, then they don’t take life serious enough for the true Torah Jew. It is definitely a very high level to be on but that doesn’t mean we must not try!

For Refuah Shalema for Mordechai Ben Chaya Sara Perek 3: Mishna 8

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Torah from Israel

Vayigash: Do You Speak Hebrew?

BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN

They couldn’t believe their eyes- having assumed for twenty-two years that Yosef was lost to slavery or even murdered, they could hardly imagine that he currently stood before them as the second most powerful man on Earth. Flabbergasted and speechless they wondered about the identity of this intimidating accuser turned “loving brother”. Could this really be Yosef? Maybe he was an impostor or perhaps this was just another stage of his crafty manipulation.

Looks can be deceiving but language is very reliable. The midrash reports that by speaking directly to his brothers in Hebrew, Yosef convinced them of his true identity. Prior to the great reveal, he communicated with them through a translator, pretending to be Hebrew-illiterate. Hearing him speak Hebrew convinced the skeptical brothers that this foreign-looking man was their longlost brother. Language is that powerful.

Our return to our homeland and to historical relevancy has awakened a language which had been left for dead. For centuries, Hebrew was spoken in the rooms of study and the halls of prayer, but hadn’t been used colloquially. Suddenly, lost language was resurrected, thereby refreshing Jewish identity. In our new world, speaking Hebrew is essential for religious identity for several reasons:

IS IT A MITZVAH?

Hebrew is termed “lashon hakodesh” or a sacred language. Generally, language has no objective or absolute meaning. All language is merely a convention- words and meanings agreed upon by communities, countries or ethnicities. Language, by definition cannot be holy and certainly can’t be holier than other languages.

Hebrew is different. It is the language of Hashem, the language He employed to create His world and to reveal His will to humanity. Some- including the Rambam- asserted that there is a formal mitzvah to know or even to speak Hebrew. Likewise, many applied halachik guidelines to any texts written in Hebrew- even without Torah content. For example, some debate the permissibility of bringing any Hebrew text into an unclean environment such as a bathroom.

Even if there is no formal mitzvah to speak Hebrew, this language is a gateway to greater access of Torah. Over the past forty years we have experienced a literary revolution, as enormous volumes of Torah have been translated into English. This has transformed Torah study, making it accessible to countless non-Hebrew speakers. However, as valuable as this shift has been, direct and frontal encounter of Torah in its original language is far superior-intellectually and spiritually- to studying translations. Additionally, from a purely practical standpoint, in the internet age, Hebrew facility provides access to a vast world of Torah information written only in Hebrew.

LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY

The midrash depicts the Jewish slaves in Egypt as completely abdicating religious practices and sinking into the surrounding pagan culture. The weight of two centuries of bondage was too difficult to bear. Yet, to their credit, by speaking and naming children in, Hebrew they preserved their basic Jewish identity. Their core of Jewish identity was safeguarded and ultimately served as the platform for a national religious rejuvenation. Religion is built on national identity which forms around cultural factors such as food, art, music and, of course, language. Hebrew language familiarity reinforces Jewish identity, which in turn, enables religious development.

By contrast to the Jews in Egypt, after the destruction of the first Mikdash, the exiled Jews in Babylonia discarded Hebrew language, while deeply assimilating into the local cultures. This abandonment of Hebrew, made it extraordinarily difficult to disengage from Babylonian culture. Ezra is distressed by his unsuccessful attempts to separate Jews from their Gentile wives. If only they had spoken Hebrew, it is unlikely that many would have intermarried to begin with.

Throughout our exile we erected language barriers to defend against cultural encroachment. The Ladino language preserved Jewish identity among many of Jews expelled from Spain in the 15th century. Likewise, for hundreds of years, Yiddish served to blockade Central and Eastern European Jewry from cultural assimilation. Today, in many insular Hasidic circles, Yiddish is employed in a similar strategy of ethnic preservation. Our language has always been a tool for upholding Jewish identity in a foreign, and oftentimes, hostile environment.

A COMMON DENOMINATOR

The Jewish world is badly divided along ideological, religious cultural and even political lines. Across the Jewish world, the seismic events of the past two centuries have elicited differing responses, leaving our people badly splintered. Sometimes it feels as if what divides us is greater than what unites us. Even opinions about our “common” state of Israel sharply differ. There are very few broad-spectrummed unifiers of all Jews. By definition, language is a great unifier as it enables communication. Two Jews can communicate in Hebrew no matter how many “points of difference” separate them. Often, by speaking common language we are able to discover “common

The midrash reports that by speaking directly to his brothers in Hebrew, Yosef convinced them of his true identity.

language”. Yosef was separated from his brothers for over two decades and, undoubtedly, looked and acted very differently from them. Yet, language melted all the barriers and bridged across all the lost years.

Unfortunately, many parts of the Jewish world are still resistant to Hebrew. For some, the shift has proven too technically challenging. Even in Israel “pocket communities” of olim, have continually resisted broad-scale Hebrew adaptation, creating bubbles of English language and culture within the Hebrew state. Relocation to a foreign country is difficult enough. Switching to a different language, for many, can be professionally and emotionally handicapping.

Traditionally, some opposed the adaptation of Hebrew on ideological grounds. As this linguistic revival was largely driven by secular Zionists, many feared that the language had been ideologically weaponized. Speaking Hebrew would legitimate anti-religious agendas. Gradually, as Hebrew language has expanded, this concern has faded. Modern Hebrew is no longer the province of secular Jews aiming to modernize or debunk tradition. Of course, in his sefer, Va’yo’el Moshe, the Satmar Rebbe registered numerous ideological oppositions to speaking Hebrew. By and large, these objections are reflective of his strong prejudice against the state of Israel.

Others wonder whether modernized Hebrew has been so radically altered that it bears little resemblance to original Hebrew. It is difficult to jump–start languages which have been dormant while human experience has evolved. Suspended languages cannot coin words for newly developed technologies, inventions or ideas. This has forced the introduction of many foreign words into Hebrew, diluting it from its original Biblical version. In truth, incorporation of foreign words is natural for any language and certainly necessary for a revived language. The Torah itself contains numerous “foreign’ words and, likewise, Rabbinic language blends words from many different languages. In part, Hebrew is such a rich language precisely because it is multi-layered. It draws from Biblical Hebrew to Talmudic Hebrew to Medieval Hebrew and even includes several Yiddish’isms. Modern Hebrew is a kaleidoscope whose changing colors represent the changing tides of Jewish history.

Ironically, access to Hebrew familiarity is easier and more enjoyable than in the past. Traditionally, Hebrew was taught in classroom settings, with an emphasis upon formal rules of grammar. This very technical training was off-putting to many, and smothered interest in speaking Hebrew. Today, through the internet and social media, exposure to casual Hebrew is readily available. It is more effortless and certainly more enjoyable to “speak” Hebrew than ever before.

We have opened the door onto the final stage of history. Will the end of history resemble the arch of the original Egypt redemption? Will Hebrew language form the “identity platform” upon which widespread religious revival will occur? By speaking Hebrew, we rebuild Jewish identity, throw open new gates of Torah study and bond with Jews across the world.

The midrash asserts that when the world is finally redeemed, all of humanity will speak the common language of Hebrew. It pays to speak Hebrew. It pays to get a head start on the future.

The writer is a rabbi at Yeshivat Har Etzion/ Gush, a hesder yeshiva. He has smicha and a BA in computer science from Yeshiva University as well as a masters degree in English literature from the City University of New York.

Weekly Dvar Torah

FROM ERETZ YISRAEL

Uniting the Nation

BY RABBI YOSEF ZVI RIMON

In the Amida, we pray for kibbutz galuyot (ingathering of exiles): “Sound the great shofar for our liberty, and raise a banner to gather our exiles, and gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Hashem, Gatherer of the dispersed of His people Israel.”

What do we mean exactly when we ask, “gather us together from the four corners of the earth” to our land?

Obviously, we want all the Diaspora Jews to come and settle in Eretz Yisrael. But what is the purpose of kibbutz galuyot? Simply put – to build a country. After all, there is no state without a people, and kibbutz galuyot is necessary for constructing the State of Israel.

It seems to me that there is a deeper meaning behind the beracha of kibbutz galuyot hinted at in this week’s parasha and haftarah.

Vayigash tells of the end of the confrontation between Yosef and his brothers and of the reconciliation and unity in the family.

The topics of healing rifts and unification are also found in the haftarah, where the first stage of kibbutz galuyot is explained: “I will assemble them from every quarter.” Immediately following this, and also at the end of the haftarah, it is presented that kibbutz galuyot leads to the revelation of Shechinah: “My Presence shall rest over them; I will be their G-d.”

This is, in fact, the order of the blessings in the Amidah – first, the berachot of the tzibbur, opening with “Sound the great shofar” and leading to the inspiration of Shechinah: “And return in mercy to Jerusalem, Your city,” “Speedily cause the sprout of David, Your servant, to flourish.”

The message that emerges from this is clear: The Shechinah is bestowed upon Klal Yisrael. Not on individuals. When Klal Yisrael is in Eretz Yisrael, it is not just to prepare the infrastructure for the state; it is not just to create a strong nation; it is not just to settle the land. Kibbutz galuyot leads to the discovery of the Shechinah.

The haftarah explains that kibbutz galuyot is not the only condition – but also unity: “And you, O mortal, take a stick and write on it, ‘Of Yehuda and the Israelites associated with him;’ and take another stick and write on it, ‘Of Yosef – the stick of Ephraim – and all the House of Israel associated with him.’ Bring them close to each other so that they become one stick, joined together in your hand… I will make them a single nation in the land, on the hills of Israel, and one king shall be king of them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.” (Yechezkel 37:16-17, 22)

This haftarah is written about us! We are privileged to be living the reality of kibbutz galuyot. It is even possible that most of Am Yisrael is already in Eretz Yisrael!

The continuation of kibbutz galuyot and the inspiration of the Divine among us is not in our hands, but we can be a “great shofar” – we can awaken and meet G-d in the Land of Israel and achieve unity. This will require vigorous cooperation and brotherhood, the unification of all of Am Yisrael to be the basis of the Divine and worthy of redemption.

The unity of the people is such an important message nowadays. Rifts exist amongst us and the division caused by disagreements endangers the unity of our nation. Only by connecting all of Israeli society, through genuine cooperation, in mutual support can we bring about kibbutz galuyot and merit the coming of the Mashiach.

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is Head of Mizrachi’s Educational Advisory Board and Rabbinic Council. He serves as the Rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Rosh Yeshiva of the Jerusalem College of Technology and is the Founder and Chairman of Sulamot. He is a member of Mizrachi’s Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/ speakers).

Vayigash Sidra Summary

1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – BEREISHIT 44:18-30

22 years after Yosef was sold by his brothers, they now face the prospect of their father Yaakov ‘losing’ another one of his sons, Binyamin. Yehuda does not yet know that the viceroy of Egypt standing in front of him is actually Yosef. He approaches Yosef, recounting Yosef’s demand to see Binyamin and Yaakov’s reluctance to let Binyamin leave. Having already ‘lost’ Rachel’s other son (Yosef), Yaakov did not want disaster to befall Binyamin. 3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 45:8-18

Yosef tells the brothers to go back to Cana’an to relate to Yaakov that he (Yosef) is alive and is the viceroy of Egypt. Yaakov should come immediately to Egypt; Yosef will ensure their safety and sustenance in the remaining five years of famine. Yosef and Binyamin cry on one another’s necks.

4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 45:19-27

Pharaoh instructs Yosef to give his brothers wagons. Yosef sends them back with money and provisions for the journey. He sends 20 laden donkeys for Yaakov. The brothers return home and tell Yaakov that Yosef is alive and is ruling over the land of Egypt. Initially, Yaakov does not believe them.

2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 44:31-45:7

Yehuda states that if they return without Binyamin, Yaakov will surely die. Yehuda offers to take Binyamin’s place and remain as a slave to Yosef. Yosef orders everyone apart from his brothers out of the room. He reveals his identity and asks if his father is still alive. He tells his ashamed brothers not to be sad; G-d had sent him on this mission in order to sustain them during the famine.

5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 45:28-46:27

Yaakov travels to Egypt, stopping at Beersheva to bring an offering. G-d appears to Yaakov in a night vision, allaying his fears of leaving Cana’an to go to Egypt, and promising to make his progeny into a great nation. The Torah lists the 70 members of Yaakov’s household who came to Egypt.

“His sons and grandsons with him, his daughters and granddaughters and all his offspring [Yaakov] brought with him to Egypt” (Bereishit 46:7)

Point to Consider: Which person is missing from the list of 70? (see Rashi to 46:26)

6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 46:28-47:10

Yosef and Yaakov meet in the region of Goshen. Yosef falls on Yaakov’s neck and cries. Along with five of his brothers, Yosef goes to inform Pharaoh of his family’s arrival and tells him that they are sheep and cattle farmers. Pharaoh grants them the right to live in Goshen. Yosef brings Yaakov to meet Pharaoh. Yaakov blesses Pharaoh, who asks him his age. 7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 47:11-27

Despite the famine in Egypt, Yosef makes sure that his family has food. The starving Egyptians give Yosef their animals in return for bread. The following year, they sell their land to Pharaoh in return for food and seed. They become serfs to Pharaoh, and are to give him one fifth of all produce from that land. Yosef fixes this as a national statute. Yaakov’s family increases greatly.

HAFTARAH

Yechezkel prophesies that the tribes of Israel will eventually be reunited and will reject idol worship and sin. They will be ruled over by a king from the House of David.

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Vayigash: Fit to be King?

BY GAVRIEL COHN

Yehuda, one of the key personalities of this week’s sedra, was blessed by his father to be the royal tribe, to carry the kingship of Israel: “Your father’s sons will prostrate themselves to you... The sceptre shall not depart from Yehuda… to him will be a gathering of peoples.”

In Jewish Law, these kings, members of the tribe of Yehuda (although there were other kings as well), were to be given immense privileges and honour, as the Rambam details:

“The king must be treated with great honour...We may not ride on his horse, nor sit on his throne, use his sceptre, wear his crown, or use any of his utensils... He cannot renounce his honour... When he desires, the nation must present themselves before him. They should stand before him and prostrate themselves to the ground. Even a Prophet must stand before the king and prostrate himself before him… the King should not stand before anyone... the Torah has granted him great honour and obligated everyone to revere him” (Hilchot Melachim, chapter 2).

Doesn’t this seem jarring? Firstly, the idea of one person being so exalted above all others, lavished with such honour, seems contrary to the fact that, as we recite in our weekday prayers, all the Jewish People are “brothers”? Secondly, why was Yehuda the one chosen to be blessed with this royal office; how did he deserve the kingship, to have ‘his bothers prostrate themselves before him’?

A superficial reading of the story perhaps even gives the opposite impression of Yehuda. Yehuda played a crucial role in the questionable selling of Yosef, sending him down to Egypt. Yehuda then left his family and wandered off into Canaan. He then became entangled in a relationship with Tamar. How was Yehuda the archetype of royalty then, entrusted to rule over the Jewish People?

Really, we’ve misunderstood everything about Jewish kingship and about Yehuda.

A Jewish King, the Torah rules, can only be appointed “from among your brethren,” a native Jew, a “brother.” This is because, as the Rambam explains, a king serves as a representative of the people. A Jewish King, remarkably, is meant to be almost an embodiment of the Jewish People, to personify the entire nation: “his heart is the heart of the entire congregation of Israel.” Precisely because of this, Jewish Law demands that a king is bestowed with such grand honours from each and every individual member. “No one may ride his horse, sit on his throne, or use his sceptre” as doing so would be an affront to the nation as a whole; all must prostrate themselves before the king as he personifies the entire Jewish People.

In turn, the king must humble his heart and fill it with the needs of his nation, his brothers. As the Rambam so stirringly writes:

“The King should not treat his people with overbearing arrogance, as the verse states, ‘he should not lift up his heart above his brothers.’ He should be gracious and merciful to the small and the great alike, involving himself in their welfare. He should protect the honour of even the lowliest of men. When he speaks to the people as a community, he should speak gently, as Scripture states, ‘Listen my brothers and my people’... He may not amass silver and gold for his personal treasury, boosting his pride or glorifying himself. All the gold and silver which he accumulates should be given over to the Temple treasury and kept there for the needs of the community… He should be involved with… the needs of Israel by day and by night” (Hilchot Melachim, chapters 2-3).

These kingly attributes, possessing empathy and dedication to one’s people, were personified by Yehuda.

Yosef, despite being divinely charismatic and an apt political strategist and leader, was tragically separated from his brothers, as Yaakov notes in his blessing to him (see Rashi, 49:26). Yehuda, on the other hand, was, in his father’s words (playing on Leah’s original naming of her son) “acknowledged by them.” He was part of the family, wrapped up in their lives. Yehuda arose, as a Jewish king must, “from among his brethren.” Although that was what made him such an entangled, tragic player whilst navigating between his brothers, Yosef, Tamar, and his father; it was also why all of his actions throughout the heart-wrenching situations he sought to steer were fuelled by empathy and understanding. Yehuda’s heart was filled with compassion for his people, as a Jewish king’s must be.

He begged his brothers not to sell Yosef, as “he is our brother, our flesh.” So distressed was Yehuda by his father’s inconsolable grief over Yosef, that he wandered away, veering off into Canaan (Bechor Shor). When Tamar showed Yehuda his ring, cloak, and staff, proving that he was the father of her child, Yehuda instantly admitted so, that “she is right.” He had no inflated sense of importance or position, his “heart was not lifted above his brothers.” Finally, as the opening of our sedra so dramatically describes, Yehuda fearlessly approached who he believed to be Pharaoh’s most senior minister, begging him to enslave himself instead of Binyanim. As Yehuda advanced closer, our Sages say he was clutching his sword, poised to draw it, so determined was he not to allow Binyamin to suffer, bound by the promise he had made to his father to bring Binyamin home. In an impassioned plea, Yehuda pours out his heart to this Egyptian ruler, spilling out all the empathy and compassion he has for his family:

“My lord, have you a father or a brother? We have an old father and a young child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the last surviving child of his mother’s. His father loves him. This boy cannot leave his father… His soul is intertwined with his (the boy’s) soul.”

That is why the kingship was granted to Yehuda. He was as a true leader of the Jewish People: a brother amongst brothers, whose heart was bursting with their concerns. Bestowing lavish honours upon such kings is thus purely an act of honouring those who they so whole-heartedly represent – their brothers, the Jewish People. [As an aside, the question of whether a Monarchy is indeed the ideal form of Jewish government is another issue, let’s leave that for another Friday night!]A Jewish King, the Torah rules, can only be appointed “from among your brethren,” a native Jew, a “brother.”

Vayigash

RABBI DR RAYMOND APPLE

WHY WAS IT JUDAH?

It was Judah who stepped forward on behalf of the family (Gen. 44:18) and made a proposal to Joseph, who he thought was an Egyptian without any sign that he was their long-lost brother.

Rashi thinks that Judah spoke harshly to Joseph, but others say that Judah was a clever diplomat and preferred to have Joseph on side.

The proposal he put before Joseph was that he, Judah, would stay behind in Egypt and be a servant in place of Benjamin.

Why was it Judah who was the spokesman? Because he was the one who had promised Jacob that he would look after his brother Benjamin.

Why should Joseph be willing to accept the proposal, since presumably he thought that all the brothers were of similar strength and capacity?

It seems that Judah was making the point that Joseph would find it in his own interest to have Judah and not Benjamin as a slave since Judah was older, stronger and more experienced than the young and untried Benjamin.

THEY CALLED US JOSEPH

Because Joseph looked after his family in Egypt, the name Joseph is given to the Jewish people as a whole; the Psalmist says, “G-d leads Joseph like a flock” (Psalm 80:2). The Psalm for Thursday also calls the people Joseph (Psalm 81:6).

Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the use of the name as a symbol of the Jewish people maintaining their morality even in foreign lands, i.e. a symbol of the place of the Jewish people in world history.

One can add that Joseph symbolised Israel because he was the man who said “No” when tempted to sin by the wife of his employer Potiphar.

A further example of his morality is given in the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni, which says that Joseph repaid evil with good: his brothers acted badly towards him when he was a youth, and Joseph bestowed good on them when he was in office in Egypt and had power over them.

SAYING THE SHEMA

Gen. 46:29 tells us that when Jacob met up again with his son Joseph after many years apart, they embraced and (according to the sages) Joseph said the Shema.

The Shema is a declaration of G-d’s existence, unity and uniqueness. It begins, “Shema Yisra’el” – “Hear, O Israel”. Since Israel is one of the names of Jacob, the Shema is in the first instance an announcement addressed to Jacob. It not only tells the patriarch that his son believes in G-d but that he loves the Almighty, fulfilling the command, “Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, soul and might!”

How does one love G-d? The Hebrew word for love is said to derive from a root that means to give. G-d loves us by giving us a wondrous world; we love G-d, not by giving Him a world but giving Him the worldly gifts of sacrifices and offerings. the leading spokesman on Judaism. After serving congregations in London, Rabbi Apple was chief minister of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, for 32 years. He also held many public roles, particularly in the fields of chaplaincy, interfaith dialogue and Freemasonry, and is the recipient of several national and civic honours. Now retired, he lives in Jerusalem and blogs at http://www.oztorah.com

Gav is an informal educator at Immanuel College, teaching Kodesh to Sixth Formers. Questions? gavcohn@gmail.com.

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9 DECEMBER 2021

You Become What You Believe

BY RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN

Have you ever been scared of something, simply because you’ve never done it before? I most definitely relate. Just a couple weeks ago, my life changed forever. My wife and I received a tremendous blessing from Hashem: we welcomed our firstborn son into the world. About a week later, he received his name (Yosef Baruch) and his Bris Milah as we welcomed him into Klal Yisrael. As excited as we are to see what this beautiful neshama will become, it is a daunting new stage of life.

For many of us, the fact that we’ve never done something before holds us back from even trying. But have you ever committed yourself to tackling a problem, spent the time and effort to figure it out, and then, through trial and error, eventually solved the issue? Such accomplishments create the most incredible feeling.

In our previous article, we began developing strategies for overcoming our inner fears so that we can fully unlock our potential and achieve the extraordinary. In this article, we will delve deeper into this topic and continue exploring the strategies we can use to overcome fear.

1- BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN FIND THE SOLUTION

There is a key decision that each of us must make at some point in our lives: we have to decide whether we are capable of figuring things out, of learning and growing, or whether we are static and incapable of improvement. Having a growth mindset – the belief that we are capable of growing, adapting, and learning – is one of the most important human beliefs. The moment we decide to have a growth mindset, an adaptability mentality, we can embrace any new challenge Hashem sends our way. Instead of seeing every challenge as another obstacle that can crush us, we realize that we can meet any obstacle and solve any problem. Will there be uncertainty, struggle, and failure along the way? Certainly! (As a matter of fact, the one thing you can be certain of is that nothing in life is certain.) But with a growth and adaptability mindset, we can embrace the challenges and uncertainty of life, and ride the difficult waves that Hashem sends our way. That’s not to say this is easy. It’s not. Figuring it out can be grueling and tiresome. But that’s the greatness of being human: we have the ability to embrace struggle and push through it, growing each step of the way.

Whether it’s fixing a broken sink, learning a new skill or language, or developing a new passion, there are different avenues we can take to navigate the uncharted waters of life. The simplest option is trial and error; we can try one way, and if it doesn’t work, we can use different methods until one finally works. We can use other models of success as our inspiration and keep on practicing until we find our own version of success. The easiest way to model success is to find a teacher or expert and have them guide you through the process. Once they teach you their path, you can practice until you are able to replicate it yourself. Nowadays, there are also videos, online courses, and books that can guide you every step of the way. Beyond this, we must also learn how to utilize our resources and resourcefulness to find other forms of help. Think about your network: who do you know who is extraordinary at what you would like to accomplish? If no one comes to mind, who do you know that might know someone who fits this description? We’re all part of an incredible web, a network of relationships. Learning how to navigate that web can provide you with the exact resources you need.

While reaching out to others for help and guidance may seem like a way of relying on others to solve your problems for you, this is not necessarily the case. Unquestionably, the ideal is to develop the skills ourselves and not rely on others to solve our them for us. However, we cannot always do everything ourselves, and getting help and guidance from the people around us can be exactly what we need to help us reach our goals. The key is finding the proper balance between investing in ourselves and taking ownership of our growth while still recognizing where other people can help and guide us along that journey.

2 - DEVELOPING MASTERY

One of the greatest contributing factors to fear is doubt. We doubt ourselves and fear the possibility of failing, so we often don’t even try. While we already discussed the importance of believing in our ability to figure things out and the value of trial and error - learning from our mistakes, there is an additional tool that helps silence our inner doubts: mastery. When we can get to the point where we are so confident in ourselves and our skills that we no longer have any doubts, we can say goodbye to our fears. Of course, one needs to balance the idea of mastery with two factors: 1- Nobody is perfect 2- Everything comes from Hashem. So nothing is ever guaranteed.

But that being said, think about the times when fear has had the greatest impact in your life. In most cases, our fears are based on uncertainty and the unknown. We wonder, “what if this happens?… What if I mess up?” But what if we could get to the point where we are so confident in ourselves, because we’ve practiced so many times- to the point where we’ve mastered it- and have such complete trust in Hashem, that we enter into a state of certainty. Not absolute certainty, as there’s no such thing, but certainty to the point that fear no longer holds us back.

I remember when I first started speaking in public, far before I was traveling to conferences and major events. I started out by taking any and every opportunity I could get, speaking in local shuls and lots of smaller venues. In the beginning, I was extremely nervous before every single speech I gave. But why? Why are so many people scared of speaking in public? The truth is, there are several factors. On a simple level, we fear messing up or forgetting what we were supposed to say and looking like a fool in front of everybody. In a deeper sense, we know that the moment we open up our mouth, the whole room will see what goes on in of our heads, what we truly believe, and who we really are,; thus, the moment we open our mouth, the audience won’t only judge our speaking abilities, but they’ll judge “us.” For most, this second factor, while the more significant of the two, is overshadowed by the simple fear of messing up and looking like a fool.

At first, I thought the best way to overcome my fear of messing up was to review every single word of my presentations over and over again, so that when it came time to speak, I would have no trouble recalling what I had prepared. And this worked: I was able to give my lecture exactly as I had practiced it. But after a few years of experience, I came to realize that the single best way to prepare for a lecture or presentation was not to spend countless hours “memorizing” the material; it was to “become” the material, to become the ideas. When you talk “about” ideas, the distance between you and the content comes through in the presentation. But when we can become the ideas, embody them, live and breathe them, then there is no chance of messing up or forgetting them. Just like you wouldn’t have trouble sharing your name, when the ideas we talk about become so intimately one with our inner selves, when we open our mouths and present, we are simply sharing our “name” with the audience. This level of connection with the content requires a level of mastery and certainty that only comes with a lifetime of immersion, commitment, and trust in Hashem. And just as this works for public speaking, it also works for just about every other area of life as well.

5- FLOODING: THE POWER OF IMMERSION

Flooding can be an immensely effective tool for your arsenal. If you’re like me, you probably have certain fears that are irrational, that other people don’t understand. While some fear heights, others are scared of spiders, or water, or public. As we discussed, we often build our fear into something infinitely expansive and insurmountable. It becomes an untouchable and immovable obstacle within our minds, to the point where we can’t even conceive of the possibility of overcoming it.

One way to approach this type of overwhelming fear is to engage in what is known as “flooding,” where you immerse yourself within the very thing that you are afraid of. The idea is as follows: if you expose yourself to the fear in a controlled and measured way, you can slowly show yourself that your fear is not as bad as you thought, and you will therefore be able to overcome it. It’s usually best to start out small, and then step by step, expose yourself to greater and greater amounts or levels of your fear, until eventually, you no longer feel any of the fear.

I used this very strategy to overcome my fear of blood. When I was in high school, I wanted to become a physician. There was only one problem: I couldn’t handle blood. Whenever the doctor drew blood from my arm, I passed out. Still determined to become a successful doctor, I decided to watch a recording of an open-heart surgery. A few minutes later, I woke up on the floor, still in a daze. Knowing that a doctor who can’t deal with blood was not a great match, I made it my mission to find a way to overcome my fear of blood. I immersed myself in this project, viewing different photos and videos of blood every day. I started small, with photos of people receiving shots. Then I moved on to simple cuts and bruises. After a few weeks, I progressed to videos of simple hand surgeries. After several months of flooding, I came to the final test: open-heart surgery. And for the grand finale, I watched the original video that had caused me to pass out a year earlier. This time, the results were much better (the patient survived both times by the way.)

In our next column, we will delve deeper into this topic and finish exploring the strategies we can use to overcome fear.

If you enjoyed this article and want more, then visit my website (ShmuelReichman. com) and learn more about Self-Mastery Academy, my online course. Join our vibrant community of 100’s of people striving to become their greatest selves.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an author, educator, speaker, and coach who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah. After obtaining his Bachelors degree from Yeshiva University, he received Semikha from RIETS, a Masters degree in Jewish Education from Azrieli, and a Masters degree in Jewish Thought from Revel. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Exchange Scholar. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To find more inspirational content from Rabbi Reichman, to contact him, or to learn more about Self-Mastery Academy, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com