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Rubystars:

--- Quote from: muman613 on May 02, 2012, 10:26:00 PM ---I will have to think about that one... There are so many great verses in the Torah that it is a real challenge to pick a favorite..

Thanks for the question... I'll get back when I have decided...

--- End quote ---

That's good  :)

muman613:
Shalom Rubystars,

I have had a day to consider what my favorite part of the Torah, and more specifically of the Chumash (5 Books), is. As I said previously this is a very difficult question as the entire Torah is dear and near to me. But at least I can recall one of my most favorite parts of the Torah and share it with everyone.

Overview

Everyone who is a believer in Hashem comes to the point when they ask the question, "Why do seemingly bad things happen to good people?". This question has been asked by mankind since the earliest times we can remember. It is sometimes difficult to see Divine Providence {Hashgacha Pratis} in the world today. Non-believers want us to believe everything that happens is because of random events, without purpose, and without moral consideration. When we can see the hand of Hashem in events in our lives we then feel the revelation which Hashem revealed to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

Today we are told that Hashem has hidden his face, this is called Hester Panim {Hidden Face}. The entire story of the book of Esther, which we read and celebrate during the Holiday of Purim, deals with this. Hashems name cannot be found in the entire Scroll of Esther {Megilah Esther}. Through the story which we read, of ordinary political intrigue, the hand of Hashem saves the Jewish people from certain annihilation.

Which brings me to my favorite part of the Torah, the revelation of Josephs identity to his brothers. The brothers who conspired to murder Joseph, threw him into a pit of scorpions and spiders, and sold him to a band of perfume traders who brought him into slavery of Egypt.

While reading the story it is difficult to understand why Joseph, who had incredible dreams, and who was a very beautiful boy, was treated so badly. There are explanations that suggest that Joseph was too proud of his status and was not appropriately concerned for his brothers jealousy {evil eye}. But the brothers acted wickedly against Joseph and they eventually realized this.

While Joseph rose to be viceroy of Egypt, after interpreting Pharoahs dreams, a famine fell upon the land of Israel and Jacob {Josephs father} and his brothers needed to journey to Egypt to try to procure food. The brothers ran into Joseph, who they did not recognize because Joseph dressed and spoke like an Egyptian, but Joseph recognized them.

Joseph wanted to find out if his brothers had indeed repented for what they did to him. So he engaged in a grand deception. He planted items on the brothers and accused them of stealing. He then asked them to leave the youngest brother to be a slave to the viceroy. The brothers refused because they could not return to their father {Jacob} without the youngest son because it would surely kill Jacob.

But then the time came when Joseph revealed himself. This was the moment of revelation when it could be seen that every event, including the brothers selling him into servitude, happened so that Joseph could be in a position to save his family and continue the Jewish people {the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob}.


--- Quote ---
Chapter 45

1. Now Joseph could not bear all those standing beside him, and he called out, "Take everyone away from me!" So no one stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2. And he wept out loud, so the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3. And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" but his brothers could not answer him because they were startled by his presence.
4. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me," and they drew closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
5. But now do not be sad, and let it not trouble you that you sold me here, for it was to preserve life that God sent me before you.
6. For already two years of famine [have passed] in the midst of the land, and [for] another five years, there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
7. And God sent me before you to make for you a remnant in the land, and to preserve [it] for you for a great deliverance.
--- End quote ---
Here is a discussion of this in relations to the story of Job/Iyov.

http://www.torah.org/learning/iyov/iyov5.html


--- Quote ---Verse 7

The most obvious question on this verse is why does G-d need to ask the Satan where he came from? Here too the Vilna Gaon's commentary sheds some light on the issue. The heavenly tribunal cannot begin its deliberations until given permission by G-d. This rule of court applies to the prosecution (the Satan) as well. He cannot begin to argue his case until granted permission to do so. G-d is not usually inclined to lend his ear to the condemnations of the Satan just as no parent likes to hear about the faults of his or her children. This is an expression of G-d's great love for His children. On a deeper level we can understand from this that the forces of evil are not totally free to wreak havoc upon the inhabitants of this planet. Rather, they are contained by predetermined guidelines and limitations that are established by the Master of the universe.

Let us look at one story in the Bible that demonstrates this. Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Joseph and his brothers. Briefly (and superficially), the story goes as follows. Joseph's father, Jacob, displayed favor towards Joseph which caused his brothers to become jealous. The brothers respond with hatred. They kidnap Jacob and conspire unsuccessfully to kill him. In the end they sell him as a slave to nomads with the hope that he will never again have the freedom to interfere with their lives. As things turn out Joseph becomes the second most powerful person in Egypt and facilitates the eventual salvation from famine for his father, brothers and the entire Hebrew tribe. At the momentous occasion when Jacob is reunited with his brothers and reveals himself to them he responds with the following:

"And Joseph said to his brothers come close to me and they came close, and he said I am Joseph your brother that you sold [me] to Egypt. And now do not feel sad nor should there be cause for anger in your eyes that you sold me here because G-d sent me before you to supply you with food. Because there is already two years of famine in the land and there are still five more years that will not have any plowing nor harvesting. And G-d sent me before you in order to make a remainder of you and to sustain you that you may become a great remnant. And now, it was not you who sent me here rather it was G-d, and He made me an elder to Pharaoh, a master of his entire household and the governor of the entire land of Egypt." (Genesis 45: 4-8)

The point that Joseph was conveying to his brothers is that in the final analysis G-d exploited their wickedness by inducting it as a conduit for goodness, i.e. the salvation of their entire family and future Israelite nation. Not only does their ability to chose evil not interfere with the Divine plan for universal redemption, it helps facilitate it. Let us make no mistake, their choice to perpetrate evil is in no way exonerated by the fact that G-d exploited their wickedness in fulfilling His own agenda for the benefit of all mankind.
--- End quote ---

http://torah.org/learning/drasha/5761/vayigash.html


--- Quote ---All in a Day's Work

Revenge. Though the Torah warns us against acting on our emotions, it's hard to control the desire. In fact, a dogma of modern society preaches to us not to get mad, rather to get even.

But Yoseph discloses his real identity in this week's portion, and despite a 22-year backdrop filled with excuses for anger, revenge, and retribution, he stays calm and fulfilled. Surely, we should expect to find harsh words of criticism if not acts of payback. But we don't. After Yoseph reveals his identity, and the brothers are shocked, rather than chastising his brothers, Yoseph appeases them! "Come close to me if you please, and they came close." And he said, "I am Joseph your brother -- it is me whom you sold into Egypt. And now, be not distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that G-d sent me ahead of you“(Genesis 45:4-5). He explains to them that the entire scenario was not even their doing but part of a Divine plan to contend with the world-hunger. "Thus Hashem has sent me ahead of you to insure your survival in the land and to sustain you for a momentous deliverance. And now -- it was not you who sent me here, but G-d; He has made me father to Pharaoh, master of his entire household, and ruler throughout the entire land of Egypt” (ibid v6-7). What type of man has the capacity not only to ignore horrible injustice totally, but to revel in it, saying that it was all meant to be, without the slightest display of bitterness or animosity? It takes an unique attitude about life.
--- End quote ---

I hope to add more commentary on this climactic part of the story of Genesis...

muman613:
http://www.aish.com/tp/b/lp/48961151.html
JOSEPH'S UNMASKING

In order not to embarrass his brothers, Joseph ordered all the Egyptians out of the room. (He was aware of the danger involved, as they could have just killed him.) The Egyptians were all listening at the door when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. The brothers were shocked! For 22 consecutive Yom Kippurs, while confessing their sins, they had convinced themselves that they were justified in the sale of Joseph. He had been plotting to eliminate them with his many stories to their father. He dreamed about ruling over them - this was not prophecy! The pain that their father suffered was due to the fact that he had a rotten son, and all this was not their fault! This is what they had convinced themselves for 22 years.

Suddenly one day, out of the clear blue sky, they found themselves bowing on the ground before this Egyptian viceroy, when he uttered five words that shattered their entire world: "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" ("If you are so concerned about your father now, why not when you sold me?")

The brothers turned white as a ghost. "If you are Joseph, and we are bowing down to you, then this means your dreams were indeed prophecies, and not your own personal yearnings. (Now we understand why he saw sheaves of grain and not lambs, because they came to buy grain.) If so, you weren't trying to destroy us, and our deeds were motivated by a tinge of jealousy. That means that all the pain we caused our father was our own fault! Woe!"

The brothers had no words of justification. On this the Sages comment: "Woe is to us on the day of judgment, when the Almighty will come and confront each of us with all our deeds." All of our patiently planned excuses will wither into thin air. Now we can appreciate the self-accounting we must do in advance of that Big Day!

The Chafetz Chaim commented that just as the brothers had no clue of what was happening, and when Joseph said "I am Joseph," it all suddenly made sense, so too we have no clue of how the Almighty runs His world. But when Moshiach comes and proclaims, "I am Moshiach," and God proclaims, "I am God," everything will become crystal clear!

muman613:
And here is one of my favorite Rabbis talking about this part of the Parasha...

muman613:
It is no coincidence that in that Rabbi Richman video he discusses the seal from the 1st Temple period.

In todays news another seal has been discovered..

I read it on FOX news @ http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/02/ancient-hebrew-seal-discovered-near-jerusalems-first-temple/


--- Quote ---Ancient Hebrew seal discovered near Jerusalem’s First Temple
Published May 02, 2012 | FoxNews.com

A 2,000-year-old seal bearing a name similar to that of Israel’s prime minister was discovered during excavations near the Western Wall, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

The find was made near the remains of a building dating to the end of the First Temple period, discovered below the base of an ancient drainage channel that is currently being exposed in excavations in the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, adjacent to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

[pullquote]

“The name Matanyahu, like the name Netanyahu, means giving to God,” said Eli Shukron, excavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Benjamin Netanyahu, chairman of the Likud political party, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Israel in April 2009.

“These names are mentioned several times in the Bible. They are typical of the names in the Kingdom of Judah in latter part of the First Temple period – from the end of the eighth century BCE until the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE,” he explained.

The seal was discovered on the floor of the ancient building, where pottery sherds characteristic of the period were also discovered, as well as evidence of a fire.  The seal is made of a semi-precious stone and is engraved in Hebrew with the name of its owner: “Lematanyahu Ben Ho…” meaning: “Belonging to Matanyahu Ben Ho…”).

The rest of the inscription is erased, the archaeological society said.

People used personal seals in the First Temple period for the purpose of signing letters and they were set in a signet ring. The seals served to identify their owner, just as they identify officials today.

 To find a seal from the First Temple period at the foot of the Temple Mount walls is rare and very exciting,” Shukron said.

“This is a tangible greeting of sorts from a man named Matanyahu who lived here more than 2,700 years ago.”
--- End quote ---

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