Bernard S. Antin's Blog – December 2011 Archive (5)

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WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

The saga of Yossef and his brothers is remarkable. Yossef who was seen as a threat to his siblings and sold as a slave became his brothers’ salvation during the famine. All of the twists and turns recorded in the text would at least leave the brothers confused. Certainly the result that the brother sold as a slave, the individual who tested the brothers’ character should emerge as a ruler overseeing the day to day operations of Egypt not to mention control the region’s food store during a…

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Added by Bernard S. Antin on December 30, 2011 at 7:41am — 1 Comment

LIVE TRUE NOT POPULAR

The sidra is cast against the background of a regional famine. Yossef rises literally from the depths of a prison pit to second in the Egyptian leadership and his brothers’ initial forays in reuniting with their estranged sibling. This sidra is generally read during the festival of Chanukah. Consequently the fact these events coincide belies a connection between them. What is the common thread between Yossef and the Maccabim?

A common theme between the two is how one remains true to…

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Added by Bernard S. Antin on December 22, 2011 at 9:20pm — No Comments

IN DARKEST NIGHT G-D ALWAYS SHEDS LIGHT

When several events take place within a short period of time one should wonder about a common theme. The sale of Yossef by his brothers and Yehudah's subsequent separation are two major events in the Sidra. Earlier in the week the release of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Ladi, the Baal HaTanya ZT'L ZY'A from Czarist captivity and the first publication of Tanya is celebrated on 19 Kislev and latter next week, Chanukah begins. The separation in time between these events does not take away from an…

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Added by Bernard S. Antin on December 16, 2011 at 4:41am — No Comments

PARENTING

Rachel Our Mother A’H died during the birth of Binyamin calling him Ben Oni, the child of my travail (Bereshith 35:18). Ya’akov buried his wife on the roadside approaching Beit Lechem with a grave marker that remains to this day (35:19-21).

Ya’akov’s other wives Billa and Zilpa are buried in Teveria along with Yocheved and her daughters in law Zipora and Elisheva bat Aminadav and Leah is buried with her husband within Chevron’s Cave of Machpelah. Why was Rachel denied repose with…

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Added by Bernard S. Antin on December 8, 2011 at 7:10am — No Comments

THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON

Imagery in the Biblical narrative is not mere literary artistry. Rather as G-D‘s prose the message conveyed reaches beyond time and space. The well known image of Ya’akov our Father’s A’H dream is a prime example. Bereshith 28:12 “And he dreamed, behold there was a ladder rooted on the Earth with its top reaching the Heavens and the L-rd’s angels were ascending and descending upon it”

 

The Targum Yonatan ben Uziel TZ’L associates the ascending angels with the two sent to…

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Added by Bernard S. Antin on December 1, 2011 at 11:09pm — No Comments

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