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GENESIS — 39:10 day

GEN1511 Said R. Joshua b. Levi: Every single day a heavenly echo emanates from Mount Horeb, proclaiming these words: Woe to the people for the Torah’s humiliation!” For whoever does not busy himself with the Torah is called reprehensible… Pirkei Avot VI:2   Some activities are so basic to our existence that they must go on just about every day. For example, earning a living is so essential in human society, and so time consuming, that all but a fortunate few must be busy with it every day. Scripture itself intimates it: When the Israelites in the wilderness were to live on the manna they would find every morning, the Almighty told Moses, “The people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day (yom b’yomo). Exodus 16:4.  There is an element in the human being too which, never at rest, daily renews its demands and pressures: the yetzer ha-ra, the evil inclination that would tempt us to sin. This also is hinted in the Written Torah: When Potiphar’s wife began her determined effort to seduce Joseph, we read that “she spoke to Joseph day after day (yom yom).” [this verse]   As the Sages put it, the Almighty states, “I have created the yetzer ha-ra; I have created the Torah to temper it.” Talmud, Kiddushin 30b (Baba Bathra 16a); Midrash Sifre, Deuteronomy §45 If Torah is the antidote to the evil inclination, we must surely take an adequate does with the same frequency and perseverance as the yetzer ha-ra; otherwise, how can Torah be effective? So, in the words of Solomon the wise, the Torah says, “Happy is the man who hearkens to me, watching at my gates day by day (Yom Yom)”; and the prophet, speaking for the Almighty, envisions how the people Israel “will seek Me day after day (yom yom). Proverbs 8:34; Isaiah 58:2.   Perhaps our text connotes that for anything that must occur every day, b’chol yom vayom, the Heavenly echo from Sinai exhorts us and reminds us that we need a corresponding daily dose of Torah. The business-world is often described as a jungle. We need Torah to teach us how to be more than jungle animals in blue serge suits successfully stalking our monetary preys. Torah gives us a nobler purpose in life, lifting us above the jungle of the “mighty dollar”; And instead of living in order to “make money,” we earn our livelihood for the sake of Torah – that we and our children may learn its immortal wisdom and truth; that we may support the schools where its study thrives, pure and holy. Thus Torah can sanctify every necessity in our daily life, b’chol yom vayom—not only earning a living but eating, sleeping etc. in which, as the Sages note, we are akin to the animal. With Torah at the luminous center of our being, we live every day for its sake, and it hallows and exalts us. Then we can hear Sinai’s plaintive echo every day without anxiety or distress. Our years do not put the Torah to shame, for we live by its radiance. We can affirm with the Psalmist, “Blessed in the Lord: yom yom, day after day He provides for us.” Psalms 68:20; Talmud, Hagigah 16a; Avoth d’R. Nathan A37; Genesis Rabbah viii 11, xiv 3.   SINAI3 293-4

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GENESIS — 49:28 appropriate

GEN1602 Whoever makes a multitude meritorious, no sin shall come through him; but whoever brings a multitude to sin will not be given the means to achieve repentance. Moses attained virtue and brought the multitude to virtue; so the merit of the multitude is referred to him, as it is stated: “He effected the righteousness of the Lord, and His ordinances with Israel... Deuteronomy 33:21; Pirkei Avot V:21 …  From the Almighty, Moses sought charity; with the people Israel, he strove for mishpat, justice and right law. Before Heaven, Moses pleaded for the charity of understanding, mercy, patience, forgiveness for his people. But when he turned to his people, he was stern. He taught them not merely piety, reverence, and hope, but also exacting law. And he upbraided them for their stubbornness and blindness; he took them to task for their shortcomings; he would admonish, rebuke, correct them. This is the approach of the thoughtful leader, his teachings tempered by love. The patriarch Jacob took a similar approach. About to die, he called together his sons, and in telling, cutting words, castigated some for their misdeeds. Yet afterward we read, “everyone according to his blessing he blessed them.” [this verse]. It is no benison to merely praise, flatter, and give hope of a splendid future. Where criticism is needed because improvement is needed, it is a blessing to have the criticism well given and well taken, harsh though it may be. But where Heaven’s aid is sought, for the security and welfare of our people or our sons, there only kindness and mercy should be invoked. SINAI3 193

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GENESIS — 49:33 gathered

GEN1604 With ten trials was Abraham our Father proved… Pirkei Avot V:4 … Abraham, the embodiment of living-kindness, could hardly bear to mete our such harsh punishment [i.e., banishing Ishmael].   And apparently he would have refused to, had not the Almighty instructed him to listen to Sarah. As Pirke d.R. Eliezer attests, it was indeed a grail, an agonizing experience for him. If the Almighty demanded humility, loyalty, devotion of him alone, he complied. But now he had to be cruel to a son whom he love. It was a bitter lesson, but Abraham accepted it. He learned that kindly love to Ishmael all his life had let the boy grow corrupt and delinquent. To continue with loving-kindness would let the rot spread to his other son. He learned to know the wisdom that Solomon was to put into words; He who spares his rod hates his son. Proverbs 13:24.   At times sternness and punishment are needed. Used reasonably and consistently, fair discipline is the greatest kindness for a child: It helps him find clear boundaries and guide-lines, which become imbedded in his character. If you use no firm hand, with rigorous chastisement when it is needed, you do your child no favor. A little anecdote is related of a small child who was told he would be going to a new school. With a pained look tinged with despair, he asked, “Is this another school where I must do whatever I want to?”  Without guidance, correction, discipline, you condemn your child to a life of weakness and error. Unless he is psychologically evil, he welcomes firm, wise control, with reasonable punishment when necessary. In total freedom a child often senses not live, but a criminal indifference of the grown-ups.   In our day, this lesson is very much needed. The widespread tendency is till to frown upon physical punishment, whether by teachers of parents. Everyone is piously urged to “reason” and “communicate” with our youngsters. It is good to do so as a general rule recognizing and respecting our children’s ability to understand and their willingness to be good. But at times a parent faces utter irrationality in the child, a lack of reason that cannot be argued with. This can and must be overcome only be superior authority or force. At these moments the child cannot understand, for he is in the grip of unreason drives and forces in the dark part of the self. Then the parent or teacher must put his foot down and put it down hard, not shirk responsibility or take refuge in bland, fatuous over-indulgence, in the name of loving-kindness. In such “kindness” the child gains neither the understanding nor the strength to discipline himself.   Scripture instructs the father לבניך ושננתם: teach the Torah’s words to your children diligently; Deuteronomy 6:7. the Hebrew verb denotes thorough study, with continual repetition and review, until the lessons have been learnt clearly and fluently. Parenthood in Judaism is a lifetime task, to ever instruct and guide, by word and by example. The day a father has nothing more of value to say to his children, he ceases to exist as a father. We read: “when Jacob finished charging his sons … he expired.” [this verse]. SINAI3 38-9

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GENESIS — 50:25 carry

GEN1616 R. Me’ir said: Whoever occupies himself with the study of Torah for its own sake merits many things … Pirkei Avot VI:1 … While R. Me’ir dwells on the spiritual value of Torah study and its great benefit to character, it can bring great material benefits too. The tradition of the Sages gives a graphic example: When the time came for the Israelites to leave Egypt, all became busy acquiring gold and silver vessels, etc. from the Egyptians Exodus 12:35-36 (a kind of “salary” or “reparations” for the centuries of forced labor), as the Almighty had commanded them. Exodus 11:2  Moses, however, did nothing of the kind. He alone bore in mind the dying oath that Joseph had imposed on his people: “God will surely remember you – and you shall carry up my bones from here.” [this verse]. Amid problems and duties as leader of a slave people on the verge of freedom, Moses gave no thought to gold or treasure, but he heeded a sacred tradition – the sacrosanct oath of a tribal ancestor. “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.” Exodus 13:19.   A red-blooded “go-getting hustler” would surely have considered Moses’ action dubious. All handily gather their little fortunes, to become wealthy literally overnight – and Moses gathers nothing but an old coffin! Could an American business-man have seen our Lawgiver then, he would have shaken his head sadly at him, in pity. The Midrash thought otherwise: “This shows the wisdom and pious kindness of Moses … to him does the verse apply, The wise in heart will take up mitzvot.” Proverbs 10:8; Mechilta to Exodus 13:19 (b’shallah, vay’hi, proem).   A hustler might retort, “Pious kindness, maybe, but wisdom?  How was Moses wise in heart?” Let us follow the Israelites to the Red Sea. As they stood laden with treasure, the Egyptians appeared in hot pursuit, and the Israelites faced a choice between imminent death and return to slavery. Only a miracle saved them: the sea divided to let them go across; and when the Egyptians followed, the waters returned and drowned them. What possessed the sea to split? We read in the Midrash, “The sea saw and fled: what did it see? … it saw the coffin of Joseph going into the water. Said the Holy, Blessed One: Let the sea fly before the one who fled from sin [with Potiphar’s wife] – for it is stated, he left his garment in her hand and fled … Even so did the sea flee before him.” Psalms 114:3; Genesis 39:12. Midrash T’hillim cxiv 8 (similarly Mechilta, b’shallah, yah’hi 3, Genesis Rabbah lxxxvii 8.   Thus the sainted R. Aaron Kotler once quoted, to draw his sound conclusion: All the “wise” people collected gold and silver, and Moses collected the bones of Joseph. But the “wise” people would not have lived to enjoy their treasure had there been no pious deed of Moses to bring their rescue. Who but Moses, choosing mitzvoth, could be called wise among his people?  Today many “wise” people work and slave a lifetime to build up a business and accumulate a fortune. Ever preoccupied and harried, they have little time to “take up mitzvoth,” to study Torah with their children or take them to the synagogue. In time they reap the fruits of their negligence: children marry out of the faith; grandchildren with no share in Judaism inherit their wealth, and lavish it on strange beliefs and stranger values.   Moses took aron Yosef, Joseph’s coffin, the most sacred object among his people—and the history of his people did not end in disaster before it had hardly begun. Before this aron, calamity dissolved, and the people went on, to follow a meaningful destiny under Heaven.   It is for every family head in Jewry to make the aron kodesh, the holy Ark of the Torah (now our most precious possession) his greatest treasure, the center of his devotion, his hopes and dreams. Everyone raising a family will face dangers and disasters on his journey through life; if he takes the aron kodesh with him—if the Torah remains at the immutable center of his values—every sea of adversity will divide, give way before him, and his family will continue on its true destiny, its Jewish identity sound and intact.  What good is all the wealth we amass for our family if we do not safeguard its blessed identity and destiny? Without Torah, who will live in our houses? Who will wear our diamonds? In time we will not be able to recognize our heirs, nor the principles by which they live. It is sheer prudence, far-reaching wisdom for the head of a Jewish family to follow the example of Moses.   SINAI3 265-7

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EXODUS — 4:27 met

EXOD93 As Moses returned from Midian to Egypt to begin his Divine task of liberation, Aaron went out to meet him [this verse]. The Midrash continues: "Had Aaron known that the Holy, Blessed One would have it written of him that behold, he is coming out to meet you [Exodus 4:14], he would have gone to meet Moses with timbrels and dancing" [Exodus 15:20 ] (or as we might say in modern argot, with a brass band and a parade).… [t]he lesson of the Midrash holds for us as well. On us too a spotlight focuses; our actions are observed. "Know what is above you," we learned earlier: "an eye sees, an ear hears, and all your actions are recorded in a Book." (Avoth ii 1). The Midrash just cited continues on: In the past, when a man did a mitzvah, a prophet would record it [in Scripture]. Now, when a man does a mitzvah, who records it?--Elijah… notes it down, and the Holy, Blessed One affixes His seal." Whatever we do, and privacy or under public gaze, leaves a permanent record. It will make its mark and have its influence, as surely as deeds of holiness and valor recorded in Scripture. This should be well remembered when we are asked to save a life or help ameliorate the welfare of brethren somewhere in the world. In the incidents in the Midrashic passage, the other people involved--Joseph, Moses, Ruth--faced great destinies. Before Heaven any human being for whom our charity is sought is important, and his destiny, that lies partly in our hands, is of great significance, be he old or young, sick or well, famous or unknown. So with each chance to give charity, we can choose what will next be written of us in the supernal scripture that records our life.

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