Bonjour / Hello [nickname_else_first_name],
Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Kaprow
2) Halakhat Hashavoua - David Azerad
3) Holy Jokes!
1) Perashat Hashavoua
As Yakov’s life comes to its end, his mind turned to plans for his burial. Determined to be burried at the Cave of Machpelah, he summoned his son, Yosef, to his deathbed, to make his wishes known:
Yosef answers with an affirmation stating he will do his fathers will...
But, the Torah continues:
[Jacob] said, ‘Swear to me.’ So [Joseph] swore to him, and Israel (i.e. Jacob) prostrated himself on the head of the bed.
Why did Yakov make Yosef promise ?
Chassidus teaches us a psychological insight that changes how we see the purpose and intent of the oath. The power of the oath is not merely in the solemn nature of the undertaking, but more significantly, in the psychological impact it has on the one who swore.
When a person commits to doing something, there is an assumption that it is “circumstance permitting.” Even if a person makes a sincere commitment, Making a promise binds the person so that failure is not an option.
if someone were to commit to traveling to a friend’s wedding, but flight was canceled at the last minute, they tried their best. But if they made an unbreakable promise to be present, even a canceled flight would be no excuse.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says, it goes further than that. Because they have taken an oath, and now they have committed themselves under all circumstances,they are at no liberty to sit back and hope things work out. It is now upon them to ensure that nothing gets in the way of their fulfillment of the promise.
being that failure to be present at the wedding is not an option, they would make sure to have a second means of travel on standby, in case the flight gets canceled.
The oath Yakov had Yosef enter into was not to ensure his integrity. It was intended to ensure that Yosef put his mind to it well in advance to anticipate any unexpected circumstances. Failure was not an option.
But this leaves us with a question: What kind of obstacles could Yakov have imagined would be so severe that it was necessary to demand an oath of his own son?
The potential obstacle was actually inside Yosef’s head!
Yosef was fully aware that the Israelites were headed for dark times. A long and bitter enslavement was awaiting them in Egypt.
From the perspective of Yosef and his brothers, taking their father’s body out of Egypt was not in their interest.
Having Yakov's grave in Egypt would have provided hope and encouragement, but more importantly great spiritual strength that would have served the Israelites well during their difficult times.
That is why Yakov made Yosef swear...
But why was it so important for Yakov to be buried in the Holy Land immediately. Couldn’t his remains have been taken later, as Yosef’s were?
When people go through struggles, they need help from someone who is on the outside. Our Sages teach, “a prisoner cannot free himself.” It takes someone who is free to help them get out.
The Israelites became settled and comfortable in Egypt. Yakov’s burial outside Egypt served as a clear reminder that, ultimately, they were destined to be elsewhere.
Yakov’s final act was to situate himself free of the exile in Egypt, to symbolize that eventually they were to return a free people to receive the Torah and create a Jewish homeland in the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Kaprow
If any member has a question or in need of assistance feel free to contact Rabbi Kaprow at rabbikaprow@maghenabraham.com
2) HALAKHAT HASHAVOUA
Selected & translated by David Azerad, Hazzan Maghen Abraham
Laws of honoring parents according to the rulings of Maran Harav Obadiah Yosef Zt”l
Is it permissible to wake parents from their sleep?
As part of honoring your parents when they are asleep, one must be very careful not to speak loudly and not to make noise, lest they wake up from their sleep. In case of financial loss, it would still be forbidden to wake the parents from their sleep, unless the child knows that his parents will be sorry, when they hear that a financial loss occurred because they were not woken up, at that point the child may wake them up.
As for reciting the Shema and prayer , a father who has fallen asleep, and if the child does not wake him up, the father will continue to sleep and miss the time of Shema and the time of Prayer, at this point the child should try to awaken the father by another person, but if he does not find another person, the son himself may wake his father up.
If there is someone on the phone for your parents, or someone comes to the house to talk to them, and your parents are asleep, the child may not wake his parents, unless as mentioned above the parents will be very upset to hear that they were not awoken.We can also trust those who are on the phone or by the door that will say that they know the parents will be sorry if they hear that they were not awoken.
Is it permissible to obey your parents who will ask from you to transgress a Mitzvah?
It is said in the Torah (Leviticus 19: 3):ויקרא יט,ג " אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃”
“You shall each revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I the LORD am your God.”
From this our sages learned in the Gemara (Yevamot 5: 2): that if the parents command their child to violate the words of the Torah, such as for the Mitzvah of Shabbat, the child cannot obey his parents, Since both him and his parents must obey the voice of God and not to desecrate the Shabbat, as it is written in the end of the verse above : "I am the Lord your God" – everyone must honor Hashem, children and parents for Mitzvot דְּאוֹרָיְתָא )of the Torah ) And Mitzvot דְּרַבָּנָן(of the Rabbis).
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
4) HOLY JoKeS!!
The rabbi joke
A synagogue has a mice problem. The custodian tries traps, bait, mice, everything. Nothing works. Finally, he goes to the rabbi and explains the problem. “I have the solution,” the rabbi says. “Well, what is it?” says the custodian. “It’s a foolproof plan,” the rabbi says, smiling. “I’ll give them all Bar Mitzvahs — we’ll never see them again!”
The Israeli joke
A group of people standing on a subway platform — an American, a Russian, and an Israeli. A reporter approaches and says, “Excuse me, can I get your opinion about the meat shortage?”
“What’s a shortage?” says the American.
“What’s meat?” says the Russian.
“What’s excuse me?” says the Israeli.
