I have been transcribing this dvar Torah for the Newsletter I am writing. Here is the transcription. If I made any errors I would appreciate a correction..
Chaims Dvar Torah
This weeks Parasha is Parasha Vayigash
In this weeks parasha we see the continued exchange between Joseph, who had become the viceroy of Egypt, and his brothers. And we have to remember what happened between Joseph and his brothers. Joseph and his brothers had a major disagreement, and there was jealousy and there was hatred between them. and the brothers threw joseph in the pit. Most of them actually wanted to murder him and in the end they were pursueded not to murder him but they allowed him to be sold into slavery. He was sold into slavery and brought down to Egypt. So his brother in effect sold him out and wanted to murder him. Now Joseph realizing that his brothers had committed a grave crime wanted them to repent, to do teshuva, for the terrible crime. He knew he also caused some of the problem because he told them that he dreamed dreams or them bowing to him, causing them to become jealous. He shouldn't have said some of these things so he was not blameless in the situation. He wanted them to repent (return) for their crimes, for the wrong that they did to him.
How do you get your brothers to repent for something like that? Judaism is not like other religions where all you do is say 'you are sorry' and you regret it and that is it, you're forgiven. Only for some sins is it like this. But when you hurt another person when you commit a sin, you cannot just say 'Im sorry' or "Oh G-d forgive me" . If you murder someone you can't bring him back even if you do sincerely regret it. If you commit an immoral act and get a woman pregnant, the sin and consequences of bringing a baby into the world like that cannot be erased.
There are certain sins which you cannot erase the consequences of them. You have to try, if you should commit a sin, to make up for the sin. Its not enough to just say you are sorry. It is easy to have a religion where all you have to do is say you are sorry. And no matter what you do, you could be a mass murderer, and all you do is say 'Im sorry' and thats it... you're forgiven... Its easy to have a religion like that but Judaism, the true Torah religion, does not permit such an easy path.
Because G-d is the G-d of Truth and Justice, not just the G-d of Mercy. He's also the G-d of Truth and Justice. And that would violate Truth and it would violate Justice. It would be evil and immoral to have that type of system where a Hitler or a Stalin could just say 'Im sorry' and after murdering millions he would be forgiven. You cannot have a system like that if G-d is G-d of Truth and Justice. And yet he is still the G-d of Mercy.
So you have to have a situation where when someone commits a sin he must make up for the sin. How do you do that? If you do something wrong to someone else you must get them to forgive you. If you took something you shouldnt have taken from someone you must return the item. You must make up for what you have done wrong, to whom you did wrong.
There are some things which cannot be made up. Your just going to have to pay a very harsh price for your crime with a severe punishment. Like murder or Rape, G-d forbid, or some of these other horrible crimes. There are certain things for which there is no forgiveness and you will have to face a harsh price. You will face a severe punishment.
In Judaism forgiveness is not enough. Josephs brothers actually wanted to murder him. And they actually did sell him out and endangered his life. He could have been murdered or died in the pit, he could have died while in slavery. So they endangered his life, he was sold into slavery, they did want to murder him... How do you make up for a sin like this?
Just by saying you're sorry? THats not good enough. Being sorry is an important part of Teshuva. It is a very important part. But when you commit a serious sin like this it is not enough. How did Joseph get his brothers to truly do teshuva?
He took one of the brothers who was not involved. Binyamin, the youngest brother, was not involved in throwing him in the pit. Ten of the brothers were involved but Binyamin was not involved. So Joseph took Binyamin and basically was threatening to enslave or murder Binyamin. The brothers did not know it was Joseph, they thought it was a cruel Egyptian viceroy. They did not know it was really Joseph, they did not recognize him. So he took his brother Binyamin and was threatening him. He accused him of stealing from him. He was threatening the life of Binyam with slavery, and possibly his life...
How did his brothers react to that. The brothers immediately protested, saying "Take me, do not take Binyamin!". They explained that their father Jacob could not survive if his youngest son was taken captive because he loved him so much. They had promised that they would bring Binyamin back to his father. In other words his brothers were willing to put their lives on the line for their brother or their fellow Jew.
When they were willing to put their lives on the line to save their fellow Jew that was true Teshuva. Instead of selling their brother out they would make Teshuva through placing their lives on the line to save their youngest brother. Saving their brother became more important than their own lives. That was true Teshuva. That showed that their repentence was sincere.
So Joseph did get his brothers to sincerely repent. Just as Joseph repented for telling his brothers his dreams, even though they were real, he should not have revealed them to them since it resulted in their becoming jealous. He appeared superior to them, you don't do something like that. Even if something is true you do not put other people down, you don't act superior with other people, you never act in an arrogant or egotistical manner. You must consider the feelings of other people, you have to love other people and care about what they think. Put yourself in their position before you open your mouth.
And Joseph learned that lesson. And the brothers learned that lesson that you are never to sell your brother out. You should never do something like that. They learned it to the point they were willing to give their lives for their brother Binyamin.
The Jews in America watched in cowardly criminal silence while six million Jews were brutally murdered, gassed burned and tortured to death in the Holocaust. The worst crime in human history and Americas Jews who were very powerful and wealthy
and could have stopped it but did nothing. American Jews controlled Hollywood in those days, but back then in the 40s Hollywood was more wholesome. But the Jews had tremendous power and they could have had Roosevelt YSV and they could have force Churchill to bomb the rail lines which led to the German Nazi death camps to prevent the transport of Jews to the camps. They could have bombed the death camps. They could have pressured the governments to destroy the Nazi murder machine and stop the slaughter of Jews dead in its tracks. This could have been done easily.
America and Israel because of Jewish scientists and Jewish brains, and Jewish technology. The Jews who gave America the technological edge in WWII and afterwords. Because of this technology the Allies had total air superiority, they destroyed the German air force. They could easily have bombed anywhere in German, as a matter of fact they bombed a factory very close to Aushwietz but they would not bomb the rail lines.
Why did they do this? They wanted the Jews to go away. Because they were antisemites. That is a fact. But Jews in America, and British Jews watched in cowardly criminal silence and did nothing while their brothers and sisters were being slaughtered by the millions. They did nothing, the did not feel the pain of their fellow Jews.
Every day tens of thousands of Jews were being burned and gassed. And they went on with their lives as if nothing was happening. What a terrible crime. What an unforgiveable crime. How do you get forgiveness for something like that?
And then they supported Roosevelt, the monster leader who was responsible for this murderous policy. They enthusiastically supported him, voted for him, gave him money, and supported him. How you repent for something like THAT?
The Jewish Defense Leauge of Rabbi Meir Kahane, ZT'L that I had the honor of being national chairman of during the campaign to free Soviet Jews from behind the Iron Curtain. We decided that we would not be silent like those Jews who sat silent during the Holocaust. We started a campaign which led to the freedom of a million and a half Soviet Jews Baruch Hashem. We redeemed just a little bit of what needed to be redeemed by the sin and crime of the Jews who were silent during the Holocaust.
We faught for our fellow Jews and were willing to put our lives on the line. We were willing to give up our freedom so that our brothers and sisters could be free. We were willing to endanger our lives so that our brothers and sisters could be safe. We were willing to do this and this is what Jews are supposed to be willing to do.
American Jews have also betrayed Israel since the birth of Israel American Jews are embarassed. Such Baloney that American Jews support Israel, even the money that they send to Israel doesn't go to the Jews who really need the money. Money needs to go to the Jewish heroes of Judea and Samaria. We have to be willing now because Israel is being pressured hard by America to commit suicide along with pressure from self-hating Jews who control the media and the supreme court in Israel. We have to fight now to save the Jews of Israel, the land of Israel, the state of Israel. We are obligated to do that. That is our duty now.
Are we to be like the Jews of the Holocaust? Like the American Jews during the Holocaust who did nothing as the Jews were being slaughtered? And supported the leaders who supported such policies. Are we going to be like those pathetic Jews who failed their brothers and sisters?
Or are we going to be like the good Jews of the JDL who were not silent, who fought to save their fellow Jews because they understand the true lesson of Joseph and his brothers. How are we going to react as the knife is literally at Israels throat. A question to both Jews and Gentiles..
Topic: Parashat VaYigash (Dec. 24 video in English) (Read 1012 times)