Josephs dreams and insights into the blessings of Esau and Jacob

BS”D

At the bottom of the page insights into Josephs dreams:

Toldos – The Twins'  blessings and our spiritual task to be a light in the world through connection. The physical of the world should be elevated in using it to serve the spiritual mission of every human being:

Genesis Ch 25 v 19

In this Parsha twin boys are born namely Jacob and Esau(Eisov), we learn that Jacob (Yaakov) dwelled in tents ch 25 v 27.  Tents symbolise humble abodes, spiritual leanings and a life of perpetual learning and dedication to higher values (tents are transient they are not permanent dwellings).  Yaakov saw the world as a transient temporary place of sojourn leading to his ultimate destination which he was always striving for - the eternal world.  Eisov was a very physical being he was rooted in this world in ch 25 v 25 he is called “an Ish Admonie” (a man of red complexion likened to the earthly realm, he was a hunter, he was born hairy and more physically complete.)  Eisov lived in the realm of power and wealth and physicality, the problem it seems was the physicality of the world was an end in and of itself to him, this brings destruction and darkness, we presume the spiritual was of less consequence to him as we see in V 34 “he scorned his birth right for a pot of Lentil soup.” That said he was great in the Mitzvah of honouring his parents and feeding his father the best food – this created a great love between Father and son. This teaches us we can learn good qualities from anyone.

HAPPY WITH YOUR LOT IN LIFE?

Both Brothers are later blessed with wealth we see later in Parsha Vayishlach that Yaakov on meeting up with his brother after many years with Laban, offers a gift to pacify his brother, when he requests Esau to please accept his significant and material gifts of animals, Esau's words are Ch 33 v 9 " I have plenty, my brother let what you have remain yours" in response Jacob speaking about the wealth he has since acquired in v 11 he says "Please accept my blessing as it was brought to you, for G-d has been gracious to me, for I have everything" (An indication the Physical was subservient to the Spiritual).  Rashi brings down this indicated Eisov loved to amass and wanted more, when we contrast the two wealthy brothers the Mishna comes to mind - who is wealthy? He who is happy  with his lot in life.

More on wells in Toldos… BOOK OF GENESIS

We see that the Torah goes into much detail about the Plishtim blocking up wells dug by Isaac and his servants. I heard on a tape by Chief Rabbi Goldstein the Plishtim initially saw the supply of water in the area as limited, the Plishtim in the beginning see Isaac as a consumer of their resources and not a source of their blessing, the cake is limited and you are eating to much of it, the view was Isaac was taking from them. We see Ch26 v15 states the Plishtim saying “Go away from us. You have become more powerful than us." These verses discuss Isaac troubled by the Plishtim, who fear he is infringing on their water supply. Soon after these hassles, Isaac turns to Hashem; I think this is also a very important lesson when we feel plagued by one crises after another. Chief Rabbi Goldstein gave over a piece he had heard that after Isaac thanked Hashem by building and alter and he calls out to Hashem (a time of spiritual connection) verse 26 v 25 reads“ Isaac built an altar there and called out in the name of Hashem.  He set up a tent there and Isaacs’s servants dug a well there.” What happens next once he expressed his faith in the Almighty he is granted rest, and he is then seen as a light to the nation (Plishtim) around him,  read the next verse V26 Avimelech came to Isaac from Gerar along with a group of his friends and Pichol his general.  V27 Isaac asks “why have you come…you hate me” and listen to the response by the Plishtim in V28 after Isaac had called out in the name of Hashem expressing his faith and gratitude in Hashem the verse states the Plishtim as saying: “We have indeed seen that Hashem is with you…” When Isaac connects to G-d, those around him no longer fear he is taking from their physical world, why because suddenly he is seen as a source of their blessing, Isaac is seen as a source of blessing that is coming into the physical world from G-d Almighty the provider to the entire human race! V 29 ends with the Plishtims words“…you are now the blessed one of Hashem." V31 ends saying about the Plishtim group“...they left in peace.”  On that same day V32 the servants come to Isaac and state V32 “they found water.” Water is a source of life a connection and rebirth. When in need or feeling hassled, we need to connect to G-d Almighty to find our rebirth our portion of peace.  If we want to be recognised as a source of blessing, we first need to aquire perfect uncompromising faith and connection with G-d Almighty, we also need to be true to this Faith through our actions.

The Blessings the power of words

Isaac sensed the time had come where he wanted to pass bless his First Born (these Firstborn rights  had been sold to Yaakov, Eisov had made an Oath concretising the sale.)

When Rivka requests Yaakov to dress as Esau to get the blessings he responds,

Ch 27 v 12 “I will be in his eyes an imposter, I will bring upon myself a curse – not a blessing” we see in this sentence the potential power of blessings and curses. So we need to guard our tongues and measure how we talk and react to situations even when tested.

Clothing we wear cause an impression on others

Loving our clothing - the way we dress causes others to respect or potentially disrespect us:

Another element of  Eisov enjoying the physical world we see is he prided himself in his clothing  Ch 27 V 15 “the garments that were precious to him.”  Our clothes make a statement, we need to watch how we dress.  

Two aspects for success are Prayer to connect, when we pray we use speech and the voice (Spiritual). For our deeds - our actions we use the power our hands (Physical), we learn that the Physical should always serve the spiritual, if not it only becomes about the Physical we lose sight of the spiritual and disconnect to G-d and his blessings and protection:

During the first blessing  given by Isaac to Yaakov we read Ch 27 V 22“The voice is the voice of Jacob but the hands are the hands of Eisov” 

We also see a difference in character between the brothers we see in the text, Yaakov spoke in a very polite way, Ch27 v 19 "I have done as you told me, rise if you please" Eisov spoke in a more brazen manner Ch 27 v31 "Let my father rise and eat of his son's trappings"

In the first blessing given to Jacob Isaac says:

V28 May G-d give you the dew of the heavens (spiritual comes first) and the fatness of the earth and an abundance of grain and wine” (physical comes later.)

In the second blessing given to Esau:

Notice Esau's blessing is the inverse of the one received by Yaakov “Behold of the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling (Physical first), and from the dew of heaven above (Spiritual second, indicative of the areas of focus of each son, Jacob being more spiritual and Esau more Physical). You shall live by the sword, and you shall serve your brother.  When you have cause to be grieved you will throw the yoke off his neck.”  We see that provided the children of Yaakov's seed are just and prioritize the spiritual then the physical world represented by Eisov will be our servants, if not we can and are dominated by the physicality of Eisov. 

Jumping ahead to Parasha Vayishlach Ch 32 v 35: Insights heard from Rabbi Goldfein ztl.

When we are straight we become Israel, as seen later between the battle of the Angel of Eisov and Yaakov,it all happens later by the river where Jacob meets up with a stranger who attacks him, we are taught this stranger was Eisov's guardian angel who after being defeated by a mere man, endorses the blessing given by Isaac as a consequence of not finding a spiritual flaw in him, the only place the angel inflicts an injury on Jacob is in the lower body. In the  place the Angel found weakness the lower bodily thigh - (Also representative of the physical world and the dangers it will pose to his seed).  We see from this the Physical has the potential to damage us if we are not using it in serving the spiritual, thus we are not allowed to eat this thigh nerve to always remind us of our higher calling, to serve the spiritual values we all know to be true.  Note after the battle the renaming of Jacob to Israel, the place is named Piniel Ch 32  v 31 (face is panim in Hebrew) - a reference to a higher part of the human body, the part the soul shines from the Head and face of a person.

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Israel in Hebrew is written "yud" "shin" "reish" and "lamed"  this may be an Ancronym for the mothers and fathers

I  Yud- Yitschak and Yaakov
S Shin - Sarah
R Reish - Rachel ; Rebecca (Rivka)
A Aleph - Abraham
L Lamed - Leah

 Back to Toldos:

The small Kuf – an interesting observation:

The small Kav in Katsti Ch27 v 46 “Rivka said to Isaac, I am disgusted “Katzti” with my life because of the daughter of Cheis” The Bal Ha Turim writes that Rebecca had a prophecy that from the union of Eisov and the Daughter of Cheis would arise the Roman empire who would ultimately destroy the walls of the House of G-d, the second Holy Temple after the Jews were found undeserving. The wall of the Bais Ha Mikdash was 100 amos a Kuf represents the number 100 - it is thus written in a smaller font in the Torah.

My sons Rabbi, Rabbi Ehrman also pointed out an interesting observation “Katz” in Hebrew means to come to an end, or the End of something. The numerical value of  "ti" Tav, Yud is 410 – the number of years the temple stood!

Ch 28 Isaac again blesses Yaakov and instructs him to not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

In V4 Isaac gives over Abraham's blessings to Yaakov note the words used well:

“May he give you the Blessing of Avraham, to you and your descendants with you, may they inherit the Land of your dwelling which G-d gave to Abraham”

This weeks Parasha Vayishev  this Shabbos discusses Josephs Dreams

Genesis Ch 37 V 7 heard over from Rabbi Pinni Khan

Dream 1 Joseph states:

“Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. Behold my sheaf rose and stood up straight; and behold your sheaves surrounded it and prostrated themselves to my sheaf” in response to Joseph's  dream the brothers react in verse 8 it is written “…They hated him even more"

In v 9 he has a second Dream

“Behold I dreamed another dream.  The Sun the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating themselves to me”  in response to this dream V11 it is written “His brothers were jealous of him”

When Joseph had a dream that his brothers wheat was bowing down to his wheat bundle (Gashmius the Physical world- money wealth and livelihood is represented here) the brothers hated him but were not jealous of him, but later when he dreamt again about his brothers and parents bowing down to him in a dream about the moon and the stars, representing the heavens (Ruchnieous, spirituality) then it writes the brothers were jealous of him. What we achieve in terms of Ruchnious is the envy of many we are permitted to envy another’s spiritual greatness and achievements to be enjoyed in the ultimate world– as that is really what Hashem wants of all of us, more than wealth and physical pleasures that only count in this world but really get left behind when all is said and done.

I read this on a vord on Torah.org but do not recall the Author:

In the first dream the brothers bowed down to Joseph’s bundles but in the second dream the stars sun and moon bow down to Joseph personally.  When a person achieves spiritual greatness it is he who is the subject of greatness within, but in the first dream representing wealth the greatness is of respect or bowing down to the wealth – the livelihood it is external to the person, if he loses his wealth he becomes less respected. Wealth is a wonderful blessing if used to serve the spiritual values we all know to be true and good.

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We are never alone

The Torah  describes how Joseph was sold as a captive by his own brothers – can you imagine, what a test of faith and righteousness,  he came through with flying colours, he was known for his faith -  his mother  passes away, he is hated by his brothers to the point he was sold into slavery by them, split away from his beloved father, accused of adultery despite being innocent and put in jail, he suffered tremendously, this before the dawn (good times eventually begin) he becomes the Viceroy of Egypt, he told his nervous brothers when they found out he was now a powerful politician and that it was all done not because of their evil intent but by the hand of G-d to empower him to be able save the family during the drought years (I heard from the Chief Rabbi Goldstein that at this point Joseph thought he could see the entire picture -he was only partially correct, he could not see the greater scheme at play being human, because in G-d’s scheme what he did not know was something much greater was happening with the family going down to Egypt, it was not only to save them from a drought something much greater was happening, it was culminating in the future enslavement and ultimate birth of the Jewish nation events would unfold showing how G-d  would eventually redeem them out of the  suffering with miracles and wonders! A sign for the world to know his Mighty power....

Subtle messages :

 – the Rabbis taught that not a single word in Torah is written without meaning and has so much depth, what is interesting to note is that when he was sold by his brothers the Torah states he was taken and travelled to Egypt in an Ishmaelite wagon carrying sweet spices, subtle but in that experience, the Torah is telling us that G-d was with him, despite the trauma and ordeals he saw the subtle message "G-d cares for me", he smelt the sweet spice knowing that G-d was telling him you are never alone.  I am here, I care we just have to find the sweet smelling spice to rise us up from the dead, to bring light out of the darkness.... this is why these parashas fall just before Chanukah and the festival of light, coming out of the darkness where the spiritual dispels the physical ( represented by Greece).

For good measure:
King David calls out in Psalm 92: It is good to thank Hashem to sing to him for his kindensses  at daybreak (when their is light, and we see our blessings) and to relate our Faithfulness in nightime (when we find it more difficult to see the hidden goodness!)

:)

Shalom to us all

Good Shabbos

Michael

PS: Ch37 V17
Another interesting insight which sounds good, that I heard from my wife's cousin over the Sabbath. When Joseph is sent on a mission to check on the welfare of his brothers he meets an Ish a man (The Angel Gavriel according to some opinions) who tells him they have moved on from this place. "from this Place" Mizeh in Hebrew is spelt Mem Zayin Heh which also can mean  Zayin (7) Heh (5) i.e. from 12, representing the 12 tribes, a hint to the fact that they no long considered Joseph part of Israel - as events unfolded!  Israel is only complete when it is at Peace with itself.

May we see the redemption and light speedily!