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שבת שלום - פרשת מקץ - חנוכה
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch
Rav Yaakov Arram's shiur about Rebbe Nachman MeBreslov |
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News and Notes
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The entire yeshiva
wishes a big mazal tov
to Mordechai Sapper (Yesodei
'04-'05)
on his engagement to
Rose Weinstein! Shetizku
livnot bayit ne'eman
b'Yisrael!
We
also wish mazal tov to
Hachi Hashta, the Yesodei
HaTorah band, which came
in first in this year's
Battle of the Bands contest
in Jerusalem! The members
of the band - Shimshon
Seligson, Aryeh Sklar,
Dov Adler, Adam Friedmann,
and Philip Elbogen -
performed two songs,
"Yafyafisa", and an original
musical rendition of
"Oseh Shalom". (They
apparently also perform
a very impressive "All
Along the Watchtower".)
Everyone
enjoyed this week's Chanukah
celebrations immensely.
On Sunday morning, the
well-known "zoo rabbi",
Rav Natan Slifkin, gave
a presentation to our
students during the second
half of morning seder,
and on Sunday night there
was a fascinating Ask
the Rabbis panel with
Rav Kahn, Rav Greenberg,
Rav Lichtman, and Rav
Arnold. On Monday morning,
Rav Yosef Wolicki spoke
on "The Get Nowadays:
What Actually Happens",
while that evening everyone
enjoyed the marvelous
storytelling of the maggid,
Rav Chayim of Yerushalayim.
On Tuesday morning,
Rav Pesach Wolicki offered
insights of Rav Kook
into Chanukah, while
that night offered our
annual Chanukah Jeopardy!
contest. (We offer congratulations
to the Santa Fe team,
which soundly defeated
its two opponents.)
On
Wednesday morning, Rav
Ronnie Halibard introduced
his brand new presentation,
"Jewish History in a
Flash", which presents
the whole of Jewish History
in under an hour. Finally,
on Wednesday evening,
the yeshiva celebrated
at its annual Mesibat
Chanukah. Rav Moshe
Lichtman gave an audio-video
presentation of the daily
avodah in the Beit HaMidkash,
which was followed by
Maariv and a festive
seudah. Akiva Weisinger
ensured that the meal
was a seudat mitzvah
by making a siyum on
Seder Zeraim. After
the delicious dinner,
we were treated to an
amazing performance by
Noam & Noah & Friends,
who played original and
inspirational music in
the West Gardens Lounge
until after 11 PM.
Our
students are now enjoying
their Chanukah break;
shiurim resume on Monday
morning.
We
wish all of our family,
friends, and supporters
a Shabbat shalom and
a Chanukah sameach!
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The Spirit of G-d in Yosef
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
This week's parsha opens with Pharaoh's dreams. After Pharaoh's wizards and wise men fail to interpret the dreams to accurately, Yosef is summoned from prison. His interpretations ring true to Pharaoh. Pharaoh is impressed. What impresses Pharaoh is not only that he interpreted the dreams, but what Yosef added to this interpretation. Yosef describes the seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine that are foretold in the dreams, but he does not stop there. Yosef proceeds to present a comprehensive economic plan to prevent the seven years of famine from hurting Egypt. At this point Pharaoh expresses his admiration for Yosef.
"Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can one such as this be found, a man in whom is the spirit of G-d?'" (Bereshit 41:38)
The Hebrew for the term "spirit of G-d" is "ru'ach Elo-him." What precise characteristics are implied by this term? It is clear that Pharaoh was impressed with Yosef. What meaning does this particular praise carry?
The term "spirit of G-d - ru'ach Elo-him" appears in two other contexts in the Torah. The first is in the second verse of the Torah - right at the beginning. "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth. The earth was unformed and empty, and darkness covered the surface of the abyss, and the spirit of G-d - ru'ach Elo-him - hovered above the surface of the water." (Ber. 1:1-2)
The third mention of this term is found when Betzalel is named. Betzalel was chosen to be the chief craftsman and architect of the Tabernacle - the portable temple built in the desert. "G-d spoke to Moshe saying, 'See, I have called by name [i.e. designated] Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah. I have filled him with the spirit of G-d - ru'ach Elo-him - with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, and with [skill to perform] all types of crafting." (Shemot 31:1-3)
In this last use of the term, "ruach Elo-him" is elaborated upon. Betzalel was endowed by G-d with the ability to build and craft the Tabernacle and everything in it. The instructions from G-d to Moshe were relayed to Betzalel. Betzalel was then responsible for the actual fashioning of these objects.
The connection between these two uses of the term "ru'ach Elo-him" is quite clear. Immediately after the two above verses from the creation story, the Torah relates the very first event of creation. "G-d said, 'Let there be light." (Ber. 1:3) The name for G-d used here - Elo-him - is the name associated with G-d as creator. Throughout the creation story this name is used. This characteristic of G-d - ru'ach Elo-him - implies the creative power of G-d.
Betzalel's job also involves creation. His job will be to actualize G-d's will by building specific objects. The connection between these two passages is pointed out by the Talmud. "Betzalel knew how to combine the letters [of the Alef - Bet] through which heaven and earth were created." (Berachot 55a)
The objects in the Tabernacle were physical objects that represented spiritual ideas. Betzalel knew how to take lofty spiritual ideas and actualize them in the physical world in a practical way. This is the meaning of this Talmudic statement.
The creation of heaven and earth is no different. All of creation is the physical practical application of extremely lofty spiritual ideas. In order to create, G-d had to bridge the gap between abstract spirituality and practical reality. The creations of heaven and earth and the Tabernacle both represent this same idea - spiritual ideas as applied to practical physical reality.
Yosef exhibited this same characteristic when he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams. Not only did Yosef have the ability to correctly interpret the messages in abstract dream-state images, he was also able to compose a practical plan of action to be implemented in response to these messages. He exhibited "ru'ach Elo-him" - the ability to bridge the gap between the abstract spiritual and the practical physical. (see Shemot Rabbah 48:4 for further Yosef - Betzalel connection)
This understanding can help explain the following cryptic statement of the Midrash. "'And the spirit of G-d - ru'ach Elo-him - hovered' (Ber. 1:1) - this refers to the spirit of the Messiah." (Bereshit Rabbah 2:4)
If ru'ach Elo-him is expressed in the actualization of spiritual ideas in the physical world, there can be no greater expression of this power than the Messiah. The Messianic age is a time when the abstract spiritual potential of all of creation will be manifest in the most basic and perceptible physical reality. When the Messiah comes, there will be no gap between the spiritual and the physical. Physical reality will be clearly seen as the application of G-d's will.
"For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of G-d as waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9)
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach
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