My Musing
One of my favorite midrashim in the Breishit rabbah, teaches that Abraham was only created to bring Jacob into this world. For me this has always meant that the key to Jewish survival is transmittal of the Torah to the generation beyond- that we should not be content with just teaching our children but guaranteeing that our grandchildren will be loyal to the Torah and the Jewish people.
This week's selection takes us on a tangential discussion of what it means to guarantee, implicitly asking where did Judah get the wherewithal to approach the viceroy of Egypt to save Binyamin, (when none of the brothers intervened for Shimon) and answering us with our implied question.
The word of guarantor, Arev, comes from the same root as the verb to mix. When we guarantee, we do not simply promise to help out, we become inextricably entwined with the other party to the deal. It becomes part of us. That is the source of strength whereby Judah can approach the viceroy, Joseph, to save Binyamin, it is also the source of our strength as we stand together and gives us the strength to make sure that our tradition and the Torah remains paramount in our children.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת ויגש סימן בOne of my favorite midrashim in the Breishit rabbah, teaches that Abraham was only created to bring Jacob into this world. For me this has always meant that the key to Jewish survival is transmittal of the Torah to the generation beyond- that we should not be content with just teaching our children but guaranteeing that our grandchildren will be loyal to the Torah and the Jewish people.
This week's selection takes us on a tangential discussion of what it means to guarantee, implicitly asking where did Judah get the wherewithal to approach the viceroy of Egypt to save Binyamin, (when none of the brothers intervened for Shimon) and answering us with our implied question.
The word of guarantor, Arev, comes from the same root as the verb to mix. When we guarantee, we do not simply promise to help out, we become inextricably entwined with the other party to the deal. It becomes part of us. That is the source of strength whereby Judah can approach the viceroy, Joseph, to save Binyamin, it is also the source of our strength as we stand together and gives us the strength to make sure that our tradition and the Torah remains paramount in our children.
(בראשית מד:יח) "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה"
"And Judah approached him, and said: 'O' my lord, please let your servant, speak a word in my lord's ears, and not be angry with your servant; for you are as Pharaoh"
"וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה" זה שאמר הכתוב (משלי ו:א) "בְּנִי אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיך"
בשעה שבקש הקדוש ברוך הוא ליתן את התורה לישראל אמר להן, 'תקבלו תורתי'
אמרו לו, 'הן'
אמר להם, 'תנו לי ערב שתקיימו אותה?
אמרו לו, 'אברהם, יצחק, ויעקב, יהיו ערבים'
אמר להן, 'אבותיכם הן בעצמם צריכים ערבים'
"And Judah approached him" This is what the scripture said "My son, if you pledged surety for your friend, you have shaken hands with a stranger"
When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to give the Torah to Israel, He said to them, 'accept my Teaching'
They said to Him, 'yes'
He said to them, 'Give me a guarantee that you will fulfill it'
They said to Him, 'Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be our guarantors'
He said to them, 'Your forefathers themselves needed guarantors'
יצחק אהב את שונאי, דכתיב, (מלאכי א:ג)"וְאֶת עֵשָׂו שָׂנֵאתִי וָאָשִׂים אֶת הָרָיו שְׁמָמָה וְאֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ לְתַנּוֹת מִדְבָּר"
יעקב אמר, (ישעיהו מ:כז) "לָמָּה תֹאמַר יַעֲקֹב וּתְדַבֵּר יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי מֵיְדֹוָד וּמֵאֱלֹקַי מִשְׁפָּטִי יַעֲבוֹר"
Abraham said, "And he said: 'Lord God, with what will I know that I shall inherit it?'"
Isaac loved my enemies, as it is written, "But Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness."
Jacob said, "Why do you say, Jacob, and speak Israel: 'My path is hidden from the Lord, and from God my sentence is passed over'?"
אמרו לו, 'בנינו יהיו ערבים שלנו!'
מיד קבלן הקדוש ברוך הוא ונתן את התורה לישראל. שנאמר, (תהלים ח:ג) "מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז לְמַעַן צוֹרְרֶיךָ לְהַשְׁבִּית אוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם"
They said to Him, 'Our children will be our guarantors!'
Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, accepted them and gave the Torah to Israel. As it says, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies, You have found strength, because of Your adversaries; that You put to rest the enemy and the avenger."
לפיכך כשישראל מבטלין את התורה הקדוש ברוך הוא פורע מן הערבין. שנאמר, (הושע ד:ו) "נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּי אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ <ואמאסאך> וְאֶמְאָסְךָ מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תוֹרַת אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם אָנִי"
מהו " גַּם אָנִי"? אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'אף אני מצטער עליהם שאני מפסידן, שהן אומרים בכל יום 'ברוך ה' המבורך לעולם ועד'
הוי "אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ". אף יהודה, לפי שהיה ערב של בנימין. לפיכך, לא עמד מכל השבטים כנגד יוסף אלא יהודה שנאמר "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה"
מהו " גַּם אָנִי"? אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'אף אני מצטער עליהם שאני מפסידן, שהן אומרים בכל יום 'ברוך ה' המבורך לעולם ועד'
הוי "אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ". אף יהודה, לפי שהיה ערב של בנימין. לפיכך, לא עמד מכל השבטים כנגד יוסף אלא יהודה שנאמר "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה"
Therefore, when Israel wastes the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, collects from the guarantors. As it says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you are disgusted by knowledge, I will also be disgusted that you will not be a priest to Me; And you have forgotten the teaching of thy God, I also will forget thy children"
What is the meaning of "I also"? Said the Holy One blessed be He, Even I am pained by them that I cause them loss, that they recite daily Blessed be The Lord who is blessed for ever and ever"
That is "My son, if you pledged surety for your friend," So with Judah who was the guarantor of Binyamin. Therefore not one from all the tribes stood opposite Joseph, except for Judah as it says, "And Judah approached him,"
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