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Parshas Miketz Chanuka [year 2]#63 cwwga, vfubj .en ,arp

z e i lnrlMz mi dl i pXpiM dXp n xFk A d mWz sqFi `x wI e

:ia ziAlM(cwwb twwn) ( Yosef named his eldest son Menashefor Hashem has made me forget all my hardship and all my

father's household" [Bereshis 41:52]. This is a strange name to

call one's son. This is a difficult passage to understand that

Yosef would want to forget his father's household. On the

contrary in order to keep his spirituality and holiness that he

received in his father's home, he should always remember

his past and roots. We find that when Yosef and Yaakov met

later on they discussed and continued in the same Torah

when they had departed.

If so, what is the meaning of the possuk he called his son

Menashe for, among other reasons, the fact that Hashem

helped him "forget his fathers house"?

Hagaon Rav Elya Meir Bloch says a beautiful insight to this

Passuk: The Land of Egypt was not by any stretch of the

imagination similar to the atmosphere which Yosef knew in

the Land of Canaan. A person might be tempted to say to

himself: "That which I have here is nothing. There is no

spirituality here. A life of holiness here is impossible!" A

person can become so distressed and distraught at the

spiritual loss he has suffered by a change in geographic

location that he can give up all hope: "Why go on with the

work I need to succeed ?"

Rav Elya Meir writes that Yosef expressed gratitude that

Hashems allowing one to "forget one's father's house" is a

Divine Kindness that allowed Yosef to maintain his

spirituality in Egypt without succumbing to depression and

defeat at having been taken away from his father's

household. "And so too," "do we feel in our current

situation." This insight was written by the Telshe Rosh

Yeshiva in 1943.

Any person who lived in pre-WWII Europe where Torah and

Chassidus and the great Yeshivas existed, and then found

himself "stuck" in America after the War, would have a

tendency to ask: "This is Torah learning? This is a Yeshiva?

This is how Yom Tov is celebrated?" The normal reactionwould be: "This is nothing!"

Two things can happen when contemplating such a contrast.

One might be tempted to say: "Let's throw in the towel. This

is a joke. This is not a Yeshiva. This is not learning. This is

nothing. Let's give up!" Alternatively, a person can say "That

was Europe, but this is America. If we are ever going to

make something out of this country, we are going to need to

start over. It is not going to be the same. It is going to be

different, but we just need to keep on plugging away."All the

Roshei Yeshivos and Admorim who rebuilt the yeshivos

Rosh Chodesh Teves Monday and Tuesday

and their Dynasty, went with this thought and this gave the

the courage and will power to continue on;

they kept the flame burning. The reason why they were ab

to do this is because they were successful in utilizing th

blessing that Yosef alludes to: "Hashem allowed me

forget my father's house." They were successful in removin

Europe from the forefront of their minds and putting it in th

back of their minds. They were able to say "Yes, that w

Europe but this is America." Like Yosef Hatzadik, th

righteous, they were able to make peace with the prese

time and place where fate placed them and to build from th

reality of "what is" rather than just bemoan the gap of th

present from "what had been".

:g mkl cFr d Wi l ci B d l il mzr xd dnl l x U i x n I e(wu dwwn)The Passuk says, "Yaakov asks the brothers Why have yo

done evil to me?" [Bereshis 43:6]. The Midrash says th

although Yaakov makes many suppositions in his dialog wi

his sons that appear to not be accurate, like when he said sxsq?i s xh": Yosef has been torn"; or?d zlk drx d? g "a wi

beast ate him", at some level they may be interpreted as trustatements. For example "Yosef has been torn" may binterpreted as Yosef was ripped away from his father by h

brothers. Likewise the statement "a wild beast ate him" ma

refer to the wife of Potiphar.

However, this is the only instance in the entire dialobetween Yaakov and his sons regarding Yosef; the stateme

"why did you do evil to me?" where the comment of Yaako

was not true in at least some sense. The Midrash comment

"Hashem says "I am busy making his son the ruler in Egy

and he complains about his grief and trouble. "I am tryin

to make your son viceroy in Egypt. I am trying to save th

world from starvation. How can you call it evil? Th

practical lesson of this Midrash is much easier to teach th

to absorb. Many events appear to us in this life as bein

terrible. With the passage of time, however, it becomes cle

that what we deemed to be terrible, was not terrible at all.

This is one of the most difficult ideas for human beings, whare bound by time and space, to accept. We see thing

happening at the time when they are unfolding and w

cannot imagine that they serve any constructive purpose.

According to the Midrash, this was the essence of th

Almighty's chastising Yaakov: "Don't tell Me that what I a

doing to you is bad. I am trying to do for you the greate

favor. This is the lesson of the Torah: "We Should N

Assume What Happens Is Necessarily 'Bad'. In the en

everythings always turns out to be extremely good.

Wishing a Happy Birthday to our dear friend Rav Moshe Leib

Shochet.Many years of happiness and good health

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Story of the Week*****The Belzer Rav brings a Yid to do Teshuva by the Chanuka candles*****

(By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)

In the year 1927, 22 days in Cheshvon the Great Rebbe Reb

Yisocher Dov from Belze passed away. His son Reb Aron took

over for him. In 1928 Reb Aron traveled to Vienna to visit a

doctor to heal his eyes and stayed there for a short while. In a

neighboring city called Seilish there was a Belzer Chosid Reb

Psachia Seilisher who yearned to visit the Belzer Rebbe in

Vienna. However he was very poor and had no means to rent a

wagon or go on a train, so he relied on hitches or to walk. He

finally arrived in Vienna and rushed to the train station to see if

he can still catch the Rebbe. He ran as fast as he can but to his

disheartening the train has closed its doors. The Rebbe waved

goodbye to the Chassidim. But as soon as the Rebbe noticed

Reb Psachya coming close to the train station, the Rebbe yelled

out to a Chassid who was dressed as a modern businessman, to

take care of Reb Psachya and help him with whatever he needs.

The Chassid acknowledged this and he went over to RebPsachya and told him to come into his wagon. He said he will

take him to his house to eat and rest up. reb Pshachya was

grateful to him and went along to his house. At the meal he

asked Reb Psachya what did he need in particular? Reb Psachya

answered: He has a wooden foot which is very heavy and his

walking takes a big toll on him. He would like to get a lighter

wood and be able to walk easier. The Chassid said that will be

no problem as here in Vienna there are many orthopedic doctors

who can help you and as to the money part, I will take care of

everything. Reb Psachya was elated and after a few weeks he

was fitted with a modern foot which made his walking so mucheasier. Reb Psachya thanked his host for his tremendous

kindness and chesed, and asked how is it that you were so kind

to me and you spent hours of your time as well as money to

help me, a total stranger? The Chassid answered that the Belze

Rebbe told me at the train station to help you in whatever you

need and I listen intensely to the Rebbe! Reb Psachya asked

why is that so? The Chassid answered Ill tell you the

reason:

My great grandfather was a very wealthy Jew but was not

observant. On the contrary, since he was wealthy he had to try

anything to satisfy his desires whether it being food or doingsins. Nothing would stop him from satisfying his desires. My

great grandfather had a neighbor who was a Belzer Chassid

who wanted to travel to the Rebbe to participate by the Candle

Lighting one Chanukah night and enjoy the warmth of the

Heilige Niggunim sung then, as well as the Dvar Torah that the

Rebbe will deliver at the Tish. The Chassid approached my

great grandfather, and told him of the geshmak and enjoyment

that he would gain if he came along with him to the Rebbe.

Well he had never felt a desire before to do this, he decided to

try it out too. He mocked the Rebbe and the Chassidim along

the way and even when he came to Belz and the Rebbe w

lighting the candles, he was making fun of the whole situatio

The lighting of the candled was done and the whole crowd w

quiet when all of a sudden the Rebbe calls my great grandfath

over to him. Here he became a little sincere and he walked ov

slowly to the Rebbe. The Rebbe asked him who he was an

where he was from? The rebbe asked if he would like to be h

guest at the Tish and he said Ok! The Rebbe took him by h

hand and started walking to the Tish and minute by minute m

great grandfather started feeling regret and doing Teshuva

all his bad ways. As he was sitting by the Tish near the Rebb

he walks over to the Rebbe and said I want to do Teshuv

Rebbe! Help me. The Rebbe told him that after the Tish h

would talk to him. After the Tish the Rebbe spoke private

with my great grandfather and gave him a path to Teshuva.

My great grandfather promised the Rebbe that he will send h

children to learn Torah and will be from now on an observa

Yid. They said good bye to each other. My great grandfath

changed his life as well as his childrens and got the be

teachers for his children. They became Torah Scholars.

Now the Chassid concluded to Reb Pesachya: I am

observant Yid in the zechus of the Belzer Rebbes grandfathe

I have tremendous Hakaras Hatov - show of appreciation- to t

Belzer Rebbes and what ever they would ask me to do I will n

refuse. That is why I did all what I did for you after the Rebb

requested me to do so. Reb Psachya learned a great lesson

Hakaras Hatov. This Yid was Makir Tov to the grandson of th

Belzer Rebbe. Here he saw the greatness of the Chanuka ligh

which shone deep into the heart of a Yid an

caused him to do Teshuva.

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l`pzp xwid epa ly devn xad lbxl i''p `ixel xfrl` A publication ofSeforim World seforim@gm

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Wishing all of Klal Yisrael a

Freilichen Chanuka