GEN1523 We all know that when we prepare to meet our kings, high officials, or distinguished contemporaries we adorn ourselves with the finest clothes we can afford, since they will observe our outward appearance.  As it says, “For it is improper to enter the king’s gate wearing sackcloth” Esther 4:2; [this verse]. Similarly, we should adorn ourselves before God with His service, outwardly and inwardly, since He observes us [on both levels] equally and continually.  Imagine that our rulers could see into our innermost thoughts, just as they observe our external physical appearance.  We would not delay adorning our inner lives in accordance with their expectations of us. DUTIES 699-700.  

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GEN1522 Reflect that he who is in constant attendance upon the king does not clothe himself as one who is in his presence only at rare intervals.  If so, we, who are constantly in the presence of the King of kings, who sees our thoughts in private and in the open, and from whose omnipresence there is no escape –how much more so much we constantly reflect upon his greatness and resolve in our hearts to do His will and to adorn ourselves with our thoughts before Him!   TZADIK 335-6

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GEN1524 A less fortunate source of humility is suffering, which can make even self-confident people aware that they are not the masters of their fate.   Thus the Torah describes the young Joseph, the favored son of the patriarch Jacob, as a bit arrogant.   When Joseph has dreams in which his brothers bow low to him, relates them to his brothers, thus further inciting and intensifying their hostile feelings Genesis 37:5-11.  But after suffering years of slavery and imprisonment in Egypt, Joseph’s manner changes [this verse].  TELVOL1:214

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GEN1525 See [[GEN1353]] Genesis 31:42 empty-handed BOROJMV 28-30

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GEN1526 When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, they had no Mitzvot-commandments, to perform. (The one commandment previously given, circumcision, was no longer observed at that time).  Without commandments, how did the Jewish people remain Jewish?   What did they do in Egypt to show that they were worth to be redeemed and become the Jewish people, the nation of God? The Midrash Leviticus Rabbah 32:5 says that they kept using their distinctive Jewish names (as well as their distinctive Jewish language and clothing). … Another Midrash describes this act of using Jewish (and not Egyptian) names as an ethical characteristic of the Jewish people.   A parallel to today can easily be drawn: Even those Jews who do not keep a Jewish lifestyle can remain distinctively “Jewish” by using their Jewish names.  The Maharal Gevurot Hashem 43 explains that their uniquely Jewish names kept the Jews from assimilating into Egyptian society and losing their Jewishness.   Another commentary Tur on Exodus 1:1 points out that the Hebrew name for the book of Exodus in the Torah is actually “Shemot,” “Names,” because it was their names that made the Jewish people deserving of the Exodus.  Early on in Egypt, Joseph understood this principle and put it into action.   Pharaoh had given Joseph a special Egyptian name demonstrating his rank as royalty of Egypt [this verse].   Yet nowhere in the Torah do we see that Joseph ever used this non-Jewish name, and once he revealed to all that he was a Hebrew, he was called in the Torah (and apparently called himself) only Joseph, the Jewish name given to him by his mother and later taken on by so many Jewish “Josephs” through the millennia.   AMJV 187

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GEN1527 If and when conditions warrant worldwide action and other nations are complying in helping to reduce population, then there is a Jewish precedent for minimizing population growth.  The Talmud Taanit 11a states that a person should not have sexual relations (and children) in time of a famine, when food is unavailable.   This concept is derived from the placement of the verse in the Torah describing the birth of Joseph’s sons during the years of plenty, just prior to the famine in Egypt, when Joseph was aware that the years of famine were imminent [this verse].   Maimonides codifies this concept Laws of Fasting 3:8 by stating that a Jewish couple should not have children during a famine, but only if they have previously fulfilled the mitzvah of bearing the minimum of two children.   Therefore, by having only two children, the population would not increase, as the parents would be replenishing their own numbers, but not adding to the worldwide population.   AMEMEI 312

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GEN1529 Part of the insidious nature of greed is the need not only to have it, but also to show off one’s wealth and accomplishments to others.   Jacob was well aware of this and that how appearances matter.  Therefore, even though he and his family were not particularly in need of food, when there was a famine in the land of Israel and almost all of the surrounding families required food from Egypt, Jacob nevertheless instructed his sons to go to Egypt to obtain food.  Why? The Talmud Taanit 10b explains that Jacob was careful that his family should not appear to be showing off its wealth by not requiring Egyptian food to survive.  AMJV 338

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GEN1528 One must not arouse other people’s envy.   This principle is derived from Yaakov Avinu’s directive to his sons [this verse].  Rashi explains that although they owned sufficient grain, Yaakov warned his sons against behaving as though they had sufficient food, for this type of behavior would arouse the envy of the sons of Yishmael and Eisav.   WAGS 154

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GEN1530 Except for one technical reference, the very first time that the sons of Jacob were called “the children of Israel” was right after the Torah referred to them for the first time as “the brothers of Joseph.” [this verse].   Why, asks Rashi, did the Torah depict these men as Joseph’s brothers now, when they had been his brothers for thirty-nine years and they had not seen Joseph for twenty-two years? He answers that this is the first time that they had ever felt like true brothers to Joseph, as they were now remorseful when they recalled their sin of hating him and selling him to Egypt, and they wanted to find him and free him in Egypt.   Thus, this the first moment in Jewish history when this family, the Jewish family, was truly united.  It was only then that they were called by the Torah “the children of Israel,” indicating that the essence of the Jewish people is the feeling of harmony that a truly united family feels.  AMJV 193

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GEN1531 One must not arouse other people’s envy. … Yaakov warned his sons against entering Mitzrayim [Egypt] together through one gate, lest they become affected by the evil eye.  Since they were all handsome and strong, he was concerned that an observer’s envy would become aroused. [Rashi, this verse. See also Genesis Rabbah 91:6]. The Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot 4:2 instituted a special prayer to this end: “May it be Your will that I should not become envious of others, and that others should not become envious of me.”   … A person must refrain from displaying his wealth in public or from taking on the appearance of an exceptionally successful person.   One who has been blessed with numerous children should not flaunt them in public.  The only exception, when one may make a public display of his positive deeds, is when giving charity.  However, even this is only commendable if the public pledge will induce others to follow suit.  Otherwise, it is preferable to give charity discreetly.   It is then self-evident that person who makes a public pledge must give a large sum of money, since a pledge for a small amount of money will induce other people to donate only small sums.  WAGS 154-6

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