Stranger In a Strange Land

Mishnat Harel

Sichot

Harav Aharon Lichtenstein

Tanakh

25.03.2018

Text file

12-70vayechi.doc

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1255">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16890" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
STUDENT
SUMMARIES OF SICHOT OF THE ROSHEI YESHIVA<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Parashat
VAYECHI
SICHA OF HARAV
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:PersonName w:st="on" ProductID="AHARON LICHTENSTEIN">AHARON
LICHTENSTEIN</st1:PersonName> SHLIT"A
<o:p> </o:p>
****************************************************************************
With gratitude and
in honor of the bar mitzvah, this year b'ezrat Hashem, of our twin sons,
 Michael and Joshua - Steven Weiner and Lisa Wise
****************************************************************************
Dedicated
in memory of Jack Stone, and Helen and Benjamin Pearlman, z"l, and in honor
of Mrs. Esther Stone.
By
Gary and Ilene Stone of Teaneck, NJ
****************************************************************************
Dedicated
by Aaron and Tzipora Ross and family in memory of their grandparents Shimon
ben Moshe Rosenthal, Shmuel Nachamu ben Shlmo Moshe HaKohen Fredman, and Chaya
bat Yitzchak David Fredman, whose yahrtzeits are this
week.
****************************************************************************
<o:p> </o:p>
Stranger
in a Strange Land
Summarized
by <st1:PersonName w:st="on" ProductID="Aryeh Dienstag">Aryeh
Dienstag</st1:PersonName>
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
In
the first section of our parasha there is a striking discussion between
Yaakov and Yosef.  Yosef approaches
Yaakov as a son to his father he speaks to him with reverence, and at the same
time Yaakov bows to Yosef.  Yaakov
is Yosefs father, and Yosef labors to give his father the proper respect.  At the same time Yaakov bows to Yosef
because Yosef is the ruler in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and Yaakov shows respect to
the government (Ibn Ezra, 47:31). 
Although Yaakov is showing respect to Yosef, we see from the beginning of
the verse that Yaakov is in control of this situation; he is the one, acting as
Yisrael, who says, Swear to me, and he [Yosef] swore to him (Bereishit
47:31).
<o:p> </o:p>
This
encounter repeats itself in the next section, where Yaakov calls for Yosef
again.  Again Yaakov is deferential
to Yosef and again Yaakov is in control of this timeless exchange.  However, this time Yaakov asks Yosef,
concerning the latters sons, Who are they?  These are the same sons Yaakov will hug
and kiss one verse later! Yaakov is really asking Yosef whether they are worthy
of a blessing.  Are they worthy of
entering into Klal Yisrael, or are they Egyptian children?

<o:p> </o:p>
These
interactions illustrate the dynamic between Yaakov and Yosef at this point.  Yosef is the current ruler of
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  Yosef has saved the country from
financial ruin and starvation. 
Yosef saved his family as well and has supported them for the past
seventeen years. But Yaakov is Yisrael, and he is concerned with the future of
Klal Yisrael.  

<o:p> </o:p>
The
names Yosef gives his sons represent two different views of Yosefs stay in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  Ephraims name represents that of a
stranger.  Ki hifrani Elokim
be-eretz onyi God has made me fruitful me in the land of my oppression
(Bereishit 41:52).  Yosef
sees <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> as eretz onyi,
not his home.  On the other hand,
Menashehs name represents that of a resident of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
God has made me forget all my hardship and all of my fathers house
(Bereishit 41:51).  Yosef no
longer sees himself as part of his fathers house.  
<o:p> </o:p>
When
Yaakov meets Yosef in our parasha he asks, Who are these? Are they part
of Mitzrayim or Yisrael?  Yaakov
asks Yosef, how do you see yourself, as the ruler of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, or a
child of Yisrael?  Yaakov puts his
right hand on the head of Ephraim, not Menasheh.  This is saying: I like the stance of
hifrani Elokim be-eretz onyi, and not nashani Elokim."  
<o:p> </o:p>
Yaakovs
order to Yosef is along these lines as well.  Yaakov tells Yosef not to bury him in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  Yaakov says that although he has been
staying in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> for the past
seventeen years and he is grateful for the seventeen years of support,
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> is not his home.  He is only a visitor, a temporary
transient, a ger not a citizen. 
Therefore Yaakov demands Yosef return him to Eretz Yisrael to be
buried, and by doing so demonstrates this point.  
<o:p> </o:p>
Yosef
internalized this message as well. 
Yosef was the controller of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> he ruled the country.  However, at the end he didnt see
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> as his home; his stay was to be
viewed as temporary as well. 
Therefore, Yosef follows Yaakovs example, and orders his brothers to
bury him in Eretz Yisrael as well. 
Finally, Yosefs request (in light of his vision) was realized, when
Moshe took Yosefs bones along during the Exodus from <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>.

<o:p> </o:p>
(This
sicha was delivered at seuda shelishit, Shabbat Parashat Vayechi 5766
[2006].) </BODY></HTML>

This website is constantly being improved. We would appreciate hearing from you. Questions and comments on the classes are welcome, as is help in tagging, categorizing, and creating brief summaries of the classes. Thank you for being part of the Torat Har Etzion community!