Parashat Vayigash: How do We Tap into the Mission of Mashiach ben Yosef?

Parashat Vayigash
How do We Tap into the Mission of Mashiach ben Yosef?

Is Torah Immersion to the Exclusion of Secular Work the Ideal for Every Jew?

I spent my first seven years as a Ba’alat Teshuva (newcomer to Torah) in a Chareidi Yeshiva, where we learned the importance of separating ourselves from the secular world. Our lives were Torah and only Torah and the Rabbi taught that the mission for every Jew is to separate from the mundane world in order to devote oneself totally to Torah learning. I’m grateful for those foundational years of immersion in the holiness of Torah and for the experience of being supported by Hashem without having to be preoccupied with making a living. However, from the very beginning, it didn’t sit well with me, that this was supposed to be the ideal lifestyle for every Jew. Doesn’t the Mishna teach that if there is no flour, there is no Torah… One whose wisdom exceeds his deeds is compared to a tree with many branches and few roots so that when the wind comes, it uproots it and overturns it… (Pirkei Avot 3:20). Moreover, I couldn’t imagine the bus driver sitting in yeshiva all day poring over a blatt (page) of Gemara, and how would people (like us) who didn’t have cars get around if all the bus drivers metamorphosed into Yeshiva bachurim (students)? Our great role models in the Torah supplemented their Torah study with farming the land, shepherding, leading, building, and organizing perfected societies. They also fought many wars and made pacts with the surrounding nations. Likewise, the Rabbis in the Talmud had secular occupations from silversmiths to shoemakers.  Abba Chilkiyah was a field laborer; Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was a businessman for forty years; Abba Oshiya was a launderer; Rabbi Shimon P’kuli was a cotton dealer; Rabbi Shmuel ben Shilas was a school teacher; Rabbi Yosi ben Chalafta was a tanner; Rabbi Yochanan Hasandlar was a shoemaker; Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah was a blacksmith; Rabbi Safra and Rabbi Dimi of Nehardea were merchants; Rabbi Abba ben Zavina was a tailor; Rabbi Yosef ben Chiya and Rabbi Yannai owned vineyards; Rabbi Huna was a farmer and raised cattle; Rabbi Chisda and Rabbi Papa were beer brewers; Karna was a wine smeller (he determined which wine could be stored and which had to be sold immediately); Rabbi Chiya bin Yosef was in the salt business; Abba Bar Abba, (father of Mar Shmuel) was a silk merchant; and (Mar) Shmuel was a doctor. So how could our rabbi teach that every Jew should only learn Torah?

Contrasting the Divergent Approaches of Yehuda and Yosef

Having grown up with a Zionistic outlook, rejecting the Jewish state and avoiding army service also bothered me. Thus, in 1987 we left the Yeshiva as my husband served in the IDF as a medical officer and I enrolled in Michlala Jerusalem College for Women where the teachings of Rav Kook changed my life. I learned about the holiness within the mundane, and rather than separating and segregating it was a mitzvah to connect with Klal Yisrael – the general community of Israel – and engender unity, for we all have a divine spark even if it is concealed.  With this background, it was natural to perceive the different approaches of Yehuda and Yosef contrasted in Parashat Vayigash:

ספר בראשית פרק מו פסוק כח וְאֶת יְהוּדָה שָׁלַח לְפָנָיו אֶל יוֹסֵף לְהוֹרֹת לְפָנָיו גּשְׁנָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה גּשֶׁן:

“He sent Yehuda ahead of him to Yosef, to direct him to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen” (Bereishit 46:28).

Yehuda represents the Yeshiva World, whom Ya’acov sent ahead to Egypt to establish a yeshiva there (Rashi, Bereishit 46:28). Yosef, in contrast, occupied the top position in the decadent Egyptian society as he was able to elevate the spiritual sparks concealed within the greatest material darkness. Whereas Yehuda’s work corresponds to the task of birur (separation), Yosef’s mission is to elevate the world. In Yehuda’s world, there are clear boundaries between the holy and the mundane. Yet, for Yosef, holiness is present in the mundane or ‘natural’ world (the field) when we submit the mundane to its spiritual root. This concept applies very much to our time when the outlook of religious Zionism is contrasted with the Chareidi outlook that shuns the secular State of Israel. The Sefat Emet relates to this chasm in his commentary on Pararashat Vayigash, Year 1871of “Woe to us from the day of judgment…” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 93:10) - For the distress of the tribes seems to be that by the revelation of Yosef’s illumination came great shame. They mistakenly did not perceive Yosef’s holiness due to the concealment. This is the shame of the times to come, when it will be revealed that this world’s dealings are themselves entirely internally holy.

Our Inability to Recognize Mashiach Ben Yosef

In our time, those who walk in Yosef’s path are often put down for being “less Torah observant” by those who don’t recognize the holiness of Yosef. This is alluded to when the brothers first met the ‘Egyptian’ ruler, “Yosef recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him” (Bereishit 42:8). The Vilna Gaon emphasized the lesser-known teachings of the Talmud and Zohar about Mashiach ben Yosef (Babylonian Talmud Sukah 52b; Zohar I:25b; ibid. II:120a, III:153b, 246b and 252a). The redemption process starts with Mashiach ben Yosef, whose job it is to pave the way for the final Mashiach ben David (Rav Hillel of Shklov, Kol Hator, based on the Teachings of The Vilna Gaon, Chapter 1). Yosef’s brothers’ inability to recognize him applies to every generation, particularly to the Jewish people who fail to recognize Mashiach ben Yosef. “This is the work of Satan, who hides the characteristics of Mashiach ben Yosef so that the footsteps of Mashiach are not recognized and are even belittled. Were Israel to recognize Yosef, i.e. Mashiach ben Yosef the Mashiach whose job is to ingather the exiles, etc., then we would already have been redeemed with a complete redemption” (Rav Hillel of Shklov, Kol HaTor, Chapter 2:39).  

Tapping into the Mission of Mashiach ben Yosef

I personally identify very much with the work of Mashiach ben Yosef which is threefold. The general mission of Mashiach ben Yosef is three-fold:

1. Revelation the Inner Dimensions of the Torah, 
2. Ingathering of the Exiles, 
3. Removal of the Impure spirit from the Land (building and planting).

The ingathering of exiles encompasses three tasks: building Jerusalem, gathering in the exiles, and fulfilling the commandments dependent on the Land. The verse “You will rise, and You will have mercy on Tzion for it is the time to favor her, for the appointed season has arrived” (Tehillim 102:14) refers to Mashiach ben Yosef. Wherever the word “to stand up” is mentioned, it refers to the line of Mashiach ben Yosef, as in the phrase “my sheaf rose” (Bereishit 37:7). “To favor” refers to planting as it states, “he will favor its dirt” (Kol Hator 1:7).

Learning the Principles of Mashiach ben Yosef at the Threshold of Redemption

The book Kol Hator enumerates 156 principles applying to Mashiach ben Yosef. They correspond to the numerical value of the name יוֹסֵף/Yosef 156 = (10+6+60+80). The Vilna Gaon further highlights that 156 equals the gematria of צִיּוֹן/tzion (90+10+6+50). Thus, Mashiach ben Yosef is intrinsically linked with religious Zionism in its truest sense. Tzion means the inner point, as the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef is to reveal the inner dimensions of the Torah as well as the inner sparks of holiness buried within the mundane reality. These two are interdependent. To understand the inner layer of the Torah we must dig down deeply through the exterior layers and find the hidden light. In the same way, revealing the Divine sparks within all reality requires us to look beyond the surface and connect with the concealed nuggets of goodness. As we stand on the threshold of the Redemption, we must learn well all the 156 characteristics, aspects, appellations, and special attributes of Mashiach ben Yosef. We must also study well the secrets regarding the beginning of the Redemption that is hinted at in the holy compositions of the Vilna Gaon – so that we shall know the way and what will happen in our times. The beginning of the Redemption, otherwise known as the footsteps of the Mashiach, began the first hour of Friday morning in the 6th millennium, that is the year 5500 (1740), as is known, every hour [of the six days of creation corresponding to 6 millennia] consists of 41 years and 8 months. From hour to hour the footsteps have continued to progress in many aspects (Kol Hator 1:4).

Keeping the Flame of Yosef Alive

The Vilna Gaon’s basic approach is contained in the words Od Yosef Chai, which means, “Yosef is still alive.” Yosef and his mission continue to have relevance for the generations heralding the final redemption.  Parashat Vayigash mentions the phrase “Yosef is still alive” twice:

ספר בראשית פרק מה פסוק כו וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי וְכִי הוּא משֵׁל בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם... (כח) וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עוֹד יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי אֵלְכָה וְאֶרְאֶנּוּ בְּטֶרֶם אָמוּת:

“They told him (Ya’acov), saying ‘Yosef is still alive,’ and [they told him] that he ruled over the entire land of Egypt, and his heart changed, for he did not believe them… Then Israel said, ‘Enough! My son Yosef is still alive. I will go and see him before I die’” (Bereishit 45:26, 28).

This implies that Mashiach ben Yosef is still alive and will live, because, as it is written, every aspect of the beginning of the Redemption is dependent on him (Kol Hator, Chapter 1, 6a). Regarding the verse, “You shall possess it and you shall settle in it” (Devarim 11:31),  the Vilna Gaon explains, “Because of your merit in taking possession of it, you will dwell in it, and how will you take possession of it, by establishing your claim.” How does one establish a claim? This is done by building and planting (The Vilna Gaon, Aderet Eliyahu, Devarim 11). However, when necessary, force may also be used which is in line with Yehoshua’s conquest of the Land of Israel. Yehoshua – a descendant of Efraim ben Yosef, was Mashiach ben Yosef, whose mission was to counterattack and fight Amalek (Kol Hator, Chapter 1, 9d). As Israel is waging a multifrontal war against the darkest evil – the spiritual Amalek whose main raison d’etre is to murder Jews – we are experiencing the final powerful accomplishments of Mashiach ben Yosef, paving the way for the final Mashiach ben David. We at Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin continue to align ourselves with the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef, to ingather Jewish women from the four corners of the earth to make their home in Israel, to teach inner dimensions of Torah and to keep planting and tending our gardens!  “Am Yisrael Chai” – “Od Yosef Chai!” “Yosef is still alive” and kicking!

Parashat Miketz: Which are the Plants that Praise the Land of Israel?

 

Parashat Miketz
Which are the Plants that Praise the Land of Israel?

The Carefree Evergreen Rockrose with Spring Petals in White and Pink

One of our favorite classes at B’erot is Herbal Workshop as no such class exists in any other women’s midrasha or seminary. We integrate the learning of herbal and Torah teachings about the plants that grow in our vicinity when they’re at their peak. Then we go out into nature and pick enough of the particular plant for tea, medicated oil, or tincture. Not all the wonderful plants that grow in our surrounding area can be traced back to the Torah, but it is very exciting when we do find plants – mentioned in the Bible – growing right near our doorstep. I really enjoy relating the spiritual significance of various plants that grow here in Israel to their context in the Torah. Rockroses grace the bare land here in Bat Ayin around Pesach time. Large drifts of pink and white ephemeral flowers fill our edges and meadows. Two rockrose varieties are growing in our area. One has white petals with butter-yellow centers and is smaller than the pink variety with wrinkled petals. These hardy evergreen shrubs native to the Land of Israel hardly need any caretaking. They are very common in the Mediterranean including in the Judean Hills where we live. Rockroses are great edging plants with their low maintenance needs and rough, gray leaves. Rockroses grow in the back of my flower garden towering over the pansies, snapdragons, and daisy bushes. Hailing back from Biblical times, rockroses are also mentioned in the Mishna, where the Rabbis discuss whether or not the laws of Shemitta (the Sabbatical year) apply to them (Mishna Shevi’it, Chapter 7, Mishna 6). Although rockroses are very adaptable, they are not for everyone. They only grow in climates with relatively mild winters. I’ve never met a rockrose anywhere but in Israel. Usually, each flower lasts only until mid-afternoon before gently falling to the ground. The bush is part of the Rockrose charm. Blooming for only a few weeks each spring, the shrub’s characteristic as a carefree evergreen is endearing too. Yet, when the few weeks of early spring finally arrive and the melding of the millions of pastel flowers becomes a daily experience, we truly appreciate the rockrose. There are so many flowers on a mature rockrose that it is hard to see the bush.

The Choicest Products of the Land Accompanying the Exiled Yosef

From Biblical times, rockrose has been popular as a perfume and aromatic. When Yosef’s brothers decided to sell him as a slave, they grabbed the opportunity to have him sent down to Egypt with a company of spice-selling Arabs:

ספר בראשית פרק לז פסוק כה וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם וַיִּשְׂאוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה אֹרְחַת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים בָּאָה מִגִּלְעָד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם נֹשְׂאִים נְכֹאת וּצְרִי וָלֹט הוֹלְכִים לְהוֹרִיד מִצְרָיְמָה:

“They sat down to eat bread, then they lifted their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Yishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and lotus (labdanum), going to bring it down to Egypt” (Bereishit 37:25).

All the plants mentioned here served both as remedies and for embalming the dead (Da’at Mikra). One of the aromatics mentioned in our Torah verse is לֹט/lot, which Targum Onkelus translates as לֹטּוֹם/lotum – the Hebrew word for rockrose, or more specifically, for the resin – labdanum – produced from it. Although it is generally challenging to identify most plants mentioned in the Bible, most commentaries and botanists have little doubt that the biblical לֹט/lot refers to rockrose. Thus, לֹּטֶם/lotem – labdanum mentioned in the Mishna is identified with לֹט/lot in Scripture (Bereishit 37:25). “There are those who identify it with the native bush with large, pretty flowers in the colors of white-yellowish or pink (Cistus). It grows mainly in the mountains of the Land of Israel” (Kehati, Mishna Shevi’it, Chapter 7, Mishna 6). לֹט/Lot – labdanum is a perfume produced from rockrose plants (Rabbi Ya’acov, Fliks, The Plant World of Scripture, p. 272-273). The very same labdanum that accompanied Yosef down to Egypt is what Ya’acov intuitively chose to give as “a gift to the man” – second in charge to Pharaoh, who was no other than Yosef in disguise.

The Choice Products of the Land Reminding Yosef of his Connection to Israel’s Land

ספר בראשית פרק מג פסוק יא וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבִיהֶם אִם כֵּן אֵפוֹא זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ מִזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ בִּכְלֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִידוּ לָאִישׁ מִנְחָה מְעַט צֳרִי וּמְעַט דְּבַשׁ נְכֹאת וָלֹט בָּטְנִים וּשְׁקֵדִים:

“So, Israel, their father said to them, ‘If it must be so, then do this: take from זִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ /Zimrat Ha’aretz – ‘the choicest products of the land’ in your vessels and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm, and a little (date) honey, a spice mixture, ֹלֹט/lot – ‘labdanum,’ pistachios and almonds’” (Bereishit 43:11).

Rashi explains thatזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ /Zimrat Ha’aretz refers to “that which is praised in the Land, about which people sing praise when it comes into existence.”  Despite the severe famine, that gripped the land of Israel at the time, Ya’acov had various choice products on hand to send to Egypt. These choice products represent the bounty of the land of Israel, similar to the Seven Species through which the Land of Israel is praised. Nevertheless, in contrast with the Seven Fruits of the Land, these crops can survive even during drought years, since they require relatively small amounts of rain. Balm, gum, and labdanum are products of the sap dripping from the bark and leaves of various plants. Pistachio and almond trees flower early, fruiting before olive, grapes, and pomegranate trees have even blossomed. Most plants in Israel including the Seven Fruits of the Land depend on specific weather conditions that determine the fate of their crops. This applies especially during the sensitive period between Pesach and Shavuot distinguished by multiple climatic changes and contrasts. For the Israelite farmer, whose sustenance depended on the success of his crop, the drastic shifts between the southern and northern winds could easily tempt him to regard them as battles between various deities. This poses a danger of “being enticed to serve the other gods” (Devarim 11:16), of the local Canaanites. Yet, the plants that Ya’acov chose to send as a gift to the ‘Egyptian ruler’ aren’t dependent on the weather conditions. They grow even during a severe famine. Therefore, they do not present the worrisome agricultural problems that could lure people away to serve other gods. (Noga Reuveni, Nature in Our Biblical Heritage pp. 35-28). It is interesting that the ‘Choice Products of the Land’ include three kinds of produce: 1. צֳרִי נְכֹאת וָלֹט/tzori, n’chot v’lot – ‘balm, gum and labdanum’ – plants used for their perfume. 2. דְּבַשׁ/devash – ‘honey’ – liquid foods. 3. בָּטְנִים וּשְׁקֵדִים/botnim u’shekdim – ‘pistachios and almonds’ – solids (Da’at Mikra). Perhaps these choice products of the land allude respectively to the three garments of the soul: Thought, speech, and action. The צֳרִי נְכֹאת וָלֹט/tzori, n’chot v’lot – balm, gum, and labdanum that may represent the aspect of thought, reminded Yosef about his connection to Israel, as they were identical with the merchandise carried by the caravan that brought him down to Egypt from Israel.

Uniting Together to Become Vessels for the Sefirot of the Upper Land

The choice products of the land that Ya’acov sent to Yosef were called “Zimrat Ha’aretz” – the strengths and praise of Hashem because they were drawn from the upper world and had the power to transform ‘din’ (judgment) into ‘rachamim’ (mercy). Moreover, these species, including rockrose, represent the unity of the sefirot. Before Israel went down into the Egyptian exile, they had to be completely united. Through the power of this unity, Israel would survive the exile and emerge as a complete nation during the Exodus. When the sefirot are united in the Infinite (Ein Sof) good influences are drawn down from the upper worlds into the lower world. Of all the sefirot two specific sefirot (on the middle axis) unite and connect the rest of the sefirot: Tiferet and Yesod. Ya’acov, who represents Tiferet, draws down the influences of the upper worlds to Yosef. Yosef, the embodiment of Yesod, then divides these influences into the lower world. This is the secret of Ya’acov’s Zimrat Ha’aretz gift, which he sent to Yosef (Maor V’Shemesh, Parashat Miketz). The Zimrat Ha’aretz embodied the sefirot, which must be united. When the brothers sold Yosef into slavery, the sefirot went down into exile. This is symbolized by the fact that the Zimrat Ha’aretz accompanied Yosef down to Egypt. Ya’acov sent Yosef the gift of Zimrat Ha’aretz with his brothers because he understood that it was time to rectify the blemish in the unity of the sefirot caused by the sale of Yosef. By bringing the Zimrat Ha’aretz to Yosef, the brothers became vessels for the sefirot from the upper land that united them all together.

The Rockrose Helped Yosef to Overcome His Trauma and Forgive his Brothers

Rockrose is a medicinal herb for the body, mind, and soul. I find it interesting that the spiritual properties of rockrose are synchronized with the emotional needs of Yosef when he as a tender youth of 17 was harshly ousted by his brothers and sold into slavery to the most spiritually decadent society of Egypt. We can imagine how Yosef’s reaction to his abusive treatment by his own brothers may have elicited the ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response.  Yet, he couldn’t run away or fight against his stronger and older brothers, the only response available to him was ‘freeze.’ By divine providence, Hashem brought it about that the rockrose – a remedy for alleviating suffering from coldness and feelings of internal numbness – accompanied Yosef down to exile. Specifically, these properties of the rockrose had the ability to thaw Yosef’s frozen heart. Rockrose is furthermore the chief ingredient in Rescue Remedy, recommended for panic, shock, and fears caused by trauma that Yosef had just suffered.  It helps those who experience fear to think clearly. People take rockrose to treat panic attacks, anxiety, stress, extreme fright, or fear; and for promoting calmness and relaxation. The lightly creased, rockrose thus became the antidote to Yosef’s delicate and beautiful feelings that otherwise may have dried up or been destroyed due to the possible unmastered experiences and emotions of the trauma Yosef suffered. Rockrose brings about expansion, especially in the heart, lungs, gut, and womb, and creates deep relaxation. It is a nourishing and softening herb enabling hope and ease, as we surrender to our truth. How amazing that Hashem had prepared the healing to Yosef’s wound and imparted within him the remedy that kept his flame burning and prevented him from despair. The rockrose, the brothers brought Yosef years later, as a gift, also releases old hurts and buried memories. This was exactly the remedy Yosef needed when he prepared to face his brothers anew and completely forgive them. The spiritual properties of rockrose explain how the choice products of Eretz Yisrael “are praised in the Land, about which people sing praise when they come into existence” (Rashi). זִמְרַת הָאָרֶץ/Zimrat Ha’aretz with their ability to form the holy emotions of the Children of Israel indeed embody the praises of the Land of Israel.  

Parashat Vayeshev: How do We Solve the dilemma of Making Aliyah and Caring for Elderly Parents?

 

Parashat Vayeshev
How do We Solve the dilemma of Making Aliyah and Caring for Elderly Parents?

Are you Permitted to Make Aliyah While Leaving Elderly Parents Behind? 

When I made aliyah in 1980 it was the best thing I ever did. It was clearly what I had to do, it was simple, and it was smooth without any conflict. My parents were young and strong and definitely didn’t need my help taking care of them. On the contrary, it was a relief for them no longer to have to worry so much about their rebellious teenager. Having just turned 20, I was eager to forge a different life path away from my parents and with enough distance to avoid their constant surveillance. On the other hand, Israel wasn’t so far away from my parents’ abode in Denmark, so we could still relatively easily visit each other a few times a year and for special occasions. I understand that not everyone has such an ideal situation when making aliyah doesn’t conflict with family ties and obligations, which is one of the main justified deterrents from moving permanently to Israel. Making aliyah against a parent's wishes is certainly a huge moral dilemma. I heard about a family who wanted to make aliyah, but they were concerned about leaving their elderly parents behind. They asked their Rabbi, and I was surprised that he advised them against making aliyah for this reason. In my understanding, the mitzvah of honoring parents is vital unless their wishes infringe on the rest of our mitzvah observance. We learn this from “Each person shall revere his mother and his father, but you shall observe my Shabbats” (Vayikra 10:3). Our Sages (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 32a) learned from this verse that honoring parents is never at the expense of other Torah obligations, as the parent is also obligated to carry out the mitzvot (Rashi). The mitzvah of living in the Land of Israel is not only central to keeping the Torah, but it is a Torah command: “You shall possess the Land and settle in it” (Bamidbar 33:53). Thus, the mitzvah to live in Israel overrides parental wishes. The question of whether to move to Israel despite parental opposition is subject to a dispute among the poskim (halachic authorities). It depends on how we understand the mitzvah of yishuv ha’aretz (to settle the land).  Rav Moshe Feinstein claims that no obligation exists requiring an individual to pick up and move to Israel. Rather, he classifies this mitzvah as kiyumit -  one fulfills a mitzvah by moving to Eretz Yisrael, but is not considered as having neglected a mitzvah if he refrains from doing so (Igrot Moshe, E.H 1:102).  However, the Beit Yehuda (Yoreh De’ah 54) follows the Mabit’s ruling, that one need not heed his parents’ objection to making aliyah. Rav Ovadya Yosef, (Yechaveh Da’at 3:69), cites the ruling of the Maharam of Rutenberg (Berlin edition, 28), that given the mitzvah involved in moving to Israel, one may do so even in the face of parental opposition. 

What is the Halacha Regarding Leaving Eretz Yisrael for Chutz La’aretz (Outside of the Land)?

Rabbi Yochanan said to Rav Asi: It is prohibited. Rav Asi further asked: If one is going to greet his mother, what is the halacha? Rabbi Yochanan said to him: I do not know. Rav Asi waited a little while and then came back to him. Rabbi Yochanan said to him: Asi, you are evidently determined to leave. May the Omnipresent return you in peace, and he said no more (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 31b).

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Yochanan first tells Rav Asi to return the next day. After assessing Rav Asi’s mood, he tells him to go and return in peace. Why did Rabbi Yochanan wait a day before answering? Rav Shaul Yisraeli explains that the mitzvah to live in Eretz Yisrael is called יִשׁוּב/Yishuv – ‘settling.’ The mitzvah of settling Eretz Yisrael is to make a life here, rather than just having a physical presence. Thus, when Rabbi Yochanan saw that Rav Asi’s mother’s well-being was weighing heavily on him, he permitted him to leave Eretz Yisrael for a visit, as he was rather unsettled in Israel unless he could visit his mother (Amud HaYemani 22).  The decision will ultimately be based on a variety of factors, depending on the reason for the parent’s disapproval. Perhaps their disapproval is temporary or based on unwarranted concerns.  Perhaps they can be assuaged by frequent visits (Rabbi Elli Fischer translator, writer, and historian, edits Rav Eliezer Melamed’s Peninei Halakha in English). I personally know many people who made aliyah that visit their parents regularly to honor or care for them. It’s not either/or.

Who Will the Land Absorb and Who Will it Vomit Out?

Ya’acov was blessed that honoring his parents and settling in the Land of Israel coincided.  Parashat Vayeshev begins by offering two reasons for Ya’akov’s choice of where to settle in Israel.  One is because it was the land of his father’s dwelling, his family home.  The other is that it was the land of Canaan, as Ibn Ezra highlights, ‘the chosen land.’

ספר בראשית פרק לז פסוק א וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן:

“Ya’akov settled in the land, where his father sojourned, in the Land of Canaan” (Bereishit 37:1).

What need is there for the seeming repetition about where Ya’acov settled? Ya’acov was drawn to Israel not just because it was the family homestead, but because of its inherent qualities, its uniqueness, and sanctity.  Though, unlike his father, Yaakov had been forced by life’s circumstances to dwell elsewhere for a period of time, nevertheless, his desire and aspiration were to settle in Eretz Yisrael.  When the question of permanence came up not just living a couple of years here or there it was clear to him that it could be only in one place, namely, Eretz Yisrael.  This aspect of his relationship with the land stemmed from its holiness and it was independent of the fact that it happened to be where his father dwelled (Rav Menachem Mendel Kasher, Torah Shelema quoted by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki). Midrash Lekach Tov elaborates on the goodness of the Land of Israel:  The Land of Israel called טוֹבָה/Tovah – It is “a good and spacious land” (Shemot 3:8). It also states, “…this good mountain…” (Devarim 3:25).  After all, Esav fled from before him, “and he went to a[nother] land, because of his brother Ya’acov (Bereishit 36:6). The Land of Israel vomits the wicked, whereas the Land of Israel absorbs the righteous people (Midrash Lekach Tov (Pesikta Zutra) Bereishit 36:1). To live in the Holy Land, we need to be a holy people. Just like we choose the Land of Israel as our permanent residence, so does the Promised Land choose the Children of Israel, who keep the Torah. I find it interesting that 90% of aliyah from North America are Torah observant (https://aish.com/mitzvah-to-live-in-israel/). The Land absorbs those who want to keep the mitzvot here. Yet, Esav and his descendants, who refuse to keep the Seven Mitzvot of B’nei Noach do not belong in the Holy Land. Due to our long winding exile, the Divine placement has become mixed up. Unfortunately, many Torah-observant Jews are still living outside the Land, while idol-worshipping Christians and Muslim murderers somehow got a foothold in various places of the land of Israel. Yet, we are in the midst of shifting the inhabitants of the Promised Land to coincide with Divine order. Before long, G-dwilling, the land will vomit those who don’t belong here, whereas all the exiled Children of Israel will merit returning to settle the land of their Fathers!

When Will Our Parents Return Back Home Through Their Children?

The reason why anyone’s parents or any Jew lives outside of Israel today is that this shifting has not yet been completed. We are still awaiting the time when the Children of Israel will live peacefully under the sovereignty of G-d in Torah communities within the Holy Land. We, Ya’acov’s descendants are working toward fulfilling the Divine vision of the perfected nation shaping our own destiny in the Holy Land based on our deepest aspirations and ideals of the Torah lifestyle. During all our thousands-year exile, we have never relinquished the dream of return. Wherever we were, we prayed about Israel and facing Israel. Only in Israel does the calendar track the rhythms of the Jewish year. Only in Israel can we fulfill all the mitzvot of the dependent on the land. Only in Israel is Judaism part of the public square, not just the private, segregated space of synagogue, school, and home. Jews need a land because we are a nation charged with bringing the Divine Presence down to earth in the shared spaces of our collective life. This message, that Jews need a land to create our society and follow the Divine plan, contains a message for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. To Christians and Muslims, it says: you must believe that the G-d of Avraham, grants the children of Avraham the right to the Land that He promised them. To Jews, it says: that very right comes hand-in-hand with a duty to live individually and collectively by the standards of the Torah in justice and compassion, fidelity and generosity, love of neighbor and of the stranger, that alone constitute our mission and destiny: a holy people in the Holy Land (Based on Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Holy People, Holy Land Acharei Mot • 5771, 5784. The more we settle the land in holiness, the more our parents will follow, as I know so many families whose aging parents made aliyah and came to live with their children to be near their grandchildren and get nachat (pleasure) from their great-grandchildren here in Israel. We are living in times when prophecies are being fulfilled “that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers…” (Malachi 3:24).

Ya’acov’s Return to His Father Goes Hand in Hand with Returning to the Holy Land

Ya’acov settled in the land where his father lived. This is the fulfillment of his prayer: “If I return in peace to my father’s house, and Hashem will be my G-d” (Bereishit 28:11).  According to Rashbam, Ya’acov wanted to be near his father after a twenty-year exile.  He wanted to make restitution for all those years of separation, to support his elderly and sickly father, and also to draw spiritual sustenance from him.  Second, he wanted to live where his father lived, to have a sense of rootedness, of tradition, of continuity, and, consequently, a sense of permanence.  This was especially important to him after his years of impermanent residence at Lavan’s house in Aram, where a visit intended to last a few years became extended to 22 years. Ya’acov’s integration between returning to his father’s house and returning to the Holy Land is a paradigm for the way of life for his descendants – the Children of Israel.  For centuries Jews worldwide prayed and yearned for the day that would herald the possibility of returning to Eretz Israel. If we do not long for the same, we are forsaking the value system of Judaism. The Rambam states: “The great Sages used to kiss the borders of Eretz Israel, kiss its stones, and roll around in its dust” (Hilchot Melachim 5:11). He teaches us to develop a love for Eretz Israel. Just as those who came before us kissed its stones and rolled around in its dust, so too must we cultivate that love and yearning (Rabbi Pesach Wolicki). If we remain in exile to care for our parents, then what would prevent our children and children’s children from experiencing the same obstacles to making aliyah?  Someone must be the first generation to break the pattern. The dilemma regarding leaving parents to make aliyah would never occur in the ideal Torah world. When we all emerge from exile (may it be soon), there will no longer be a conflict between living near our parents and fulfilling the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel.

Parashat Vayishlach: How do We Know that our Current Site of Kever Rachel is the Real Tomb of Rachel?

Parashat Vayishlach
How do We Know that our Current Site of Kever Rachel is the Real Tomb of Rachel?

What Enabled the Tomb of Rachel to Remain in Jewish Hands?

Kever Rachel (the Tomb of Rachel) is one of my favorite holy places to pray. We are blessed to live so close to Kever Rachel, a barely 25-minute ride from Bat Ayin (without traffic). When I went for fertility treatments 29 years ago, I prayed there almost every day. This was during those old brave days of my youth before we had a bypass road. I would drive to Kever Rachel, pass ‘the refugee camp’ of Dehesa, and then drive a bit more toward Jerusalem, park my car on the roadside, and enter the holy atmosphere of Rachel’s tomb. There I would pour out my soul in the merit of Mama Rachel and cry from the deepest part of my heart to be blessed with the fruits of my womb. I learned to supplement my prayer with actions from Ya’aov, when he prepared to face Esav who didn’t behave like his brother. When going through challenges, we need to use three different methods, like Ya’acov who prayed to Hashem, sent a gift, and prepared for war (Rashi, Bereishit 32:9). While I kept praying strongly, I saw many Rabbis for blessings, gave tzedakah (gift), and went through the most sophisticated fertility treatments (war). Thank G-d, Hashem responded favorably to my histadlut (efforts) and answered my prayer with a beautiful baby boy. Since then, I keep praying at Kever Rachel whenever I can. It was there I prayed for a wife for my son and thank G-d! Hashem once again answered my prayer. Following the violence of the first Intifada involving numerous attacks by the so-called ‘Palestinians’ against Israeli civilians and security forces, Beit-Lechem was given to the Palestinian Authority, though Israel retained control of Rachel’s gravesite. Thus, Kever Rachel became the main connecting point between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem, linking Judea with Yerushalayim. I recall that at a certain point, Israel was on the verge of handing over the Tomb of Rachel to the PA as it was thought to be too dangerous a place to keep secure.  Thankfully we, the women of Gush Etzion didn’t let that happen. We mobilized ourselves and divided the week with each community of Gush women filling private buses to pray at Kever Rachel on a different weekday. This put pressure on the government to keep the Tomb of Rachel in Jewish hands. Thus in 1996 (incidentally, the year my son was born), Israel’s Ministry of Religion built a fortress around the tiny Kever Rachel structure, to secure it with two guard towers, three-foot thick concrete walls, and barbed wire. The construction effort endured Arab rioters and gunmen. While the new building differs greatly from the old romantic look of Kever Rachel that you can find in old paintings and photos, I am so grateful to have witnessed how Hashem responded favorably to women’s dedication to one of the important holy sites in the Land of Israel.

How can the Tomb of Rachel be Both in Beit-Lechem and in Binyamin’s Portion?

ספר בראשית פרק לה פסוק טז וַיִּסְעוּ מִבֵּית אֵל וַיְהִי עוֹד כִּבְרַת הָאָרֶץ לָבוֹא אֶפְרָתָה וַתֵּלֶד רָחֵל וַתְּקַשׁ בְּלִדְתָּהּ:

(יז) וַיְהִי בְהַקְשֹׁתָהּ בְּלִדְתָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמְיַלֶּדֶת אַל תִּירְאִי כִּי גַם זֶה לָךְ בֵּן: (יח) וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ בֶּן אוֹנִי וְאָבִיו קָרָא לוֹ בִנְיָמִין: (יט) וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָתָה הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם:

“They journeyed from Beit El, and there was still some distance to come to Efrat, then Rachel gave birth, and her labor was difficult. It came to pass when she had such difficulty giving birth, that the midwife said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, for this one, too, is a son for you.’ It came to pass when her soul departed for she died that she named him Ben-oni, but his father called him Binyamin. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the road to Efrat, which is Beit-Lechem” (Bereishit 35:16-19).

The Torah indicates that Rachel was buried in Beit-Lechem on the road to Efrat, and that this is the place of Rachel’s tomb to this day. While I definitely sense the holiness of Kever Rachel, I always had a hard time reconciling its present-day location with the Midrash quoted by Rashi, that Ya’acov buried Rachel on the road rather than entering her to the city of Beit-Lechem due to the divine command so that she would be of assistance to her children when they were exiled to Babylonian. They would then pass by Rachel’s Tomb, and she would emerge from her grave and weep and beg mercy for them, as it is said: “A voice is heard on high [in Ramah], lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel is weeping for her children” (Based on Rashi, Bereishit 48:7). When looking at a map it just doesn’t make sense that the Jewish exiles would go down to Beit-Lechem in the South, on their way to Babylon Northeast of Israel. Furthermore, Rabbi Meir states, [Rachel] died in her son’s territory (i.e. Eretz Binyamin) (Sifri Beracha 11, also quoted by Ramban, Bereishit 48:7). Yet, the Tanach teaches us that the Land of Binyamin is north of Jerusalem, whereas Beit-Lechem is south of Jerusalem in Yehuda’s portion (See Yehoshua 18:16; Megillat Ruth 1:1). Moreover, when Shaul came to the prophet Shemuel in Rama, he seems to be indicating to Shaul that Kever Rachel is a skip and a hop from Shemuel’s abode located at the edge of Binyamin’s land:

“When you leave me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Binyamin and Zelzah. They will tell you, the donkeys which you went to seek were found. And your father has ceased to care about the donkeys, and has become anxious about you, saying, what shall I do about my son? Then shall you go on forward from there, and you shall come to Elon Tavor, and there you shall be found by three men going up to G-d to Beit-El…  (I Shemuel 10:2-3).

The words of the prophet when describing Rachel’s crying for her children is another support that Rachel’s tomb is near Shemuel’s dwelling in Rama:

“So says Hashem: A voice is heard in Rama, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are not” (Yirmeyahu 31:14).

The Tomb of Rachel is Described as a Stage in Shaul’s Spiritual Progression

1. How can Rachel’s Tomb be in Beit-Lechem (South of Jerusalem) while also in Binyamin’s territory      (North of Jerusalem)?

2. If Shemuel indicates that Kever Rachel is near his abode in Ramah, and in Binyamin’s portion how can it be in Beit-Lechem (Yehuda’s portion)?

3. If Yirmeyahu states that Rachel’s weeping is heard in Ramah (north Jerusalem) how can she be buried in Beit-Lechem?

4. Why would the Jewish exiles on their way to Babylon (Northeast) pass by Rachel’s tomb in Beit-Lechem (South)?

So how do we resolve all these difficulties in determining the true location of Rachel’s Tomb?

    1. The statement that Rachel was buried in her son’s territory (Sifri Beracha 11), can be understood in the light of the fluidity of the borders in the Torah, different from the fixed barriers we have today.  For example, Kiriat-Ye’arim is included in Yehuda’s portion in Yehoshua 15:9,60, while three chapters later it is listed as one of the cities of Binyamin (Yehoshua 18:28). When examined closely, Rabbi Meir’s statement is not an attempt to relocate Kever Rachel north of Yerushalayim; rather, it is an expansion of Binaymin’s borders to include the area of Beit-Lechem in the future. The context of the Sifri is not about the location of Kever Rachel; but about the defining in whose tribe the Beit HaMikdash is located. At the time of Shaul, the border may have shifted to the south and west of Jerusalem.

    2. The mention of Kever Rachel in the book of Shemuel doesn’t necessarily negate its southern location. When Shmuel mentions Kever Rachel, rather than referring to a geographic marker, he describes Shaul’s spiritual ascent to Kingdom. Shaul grows from a “donkey-seeker” to a man imbued with the spirit of G-d. Meeting two men from Kever Rachel is the first of Shaul’s three-step progression of spiritual development which culminates in prophesy as it states: 

“You shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, and a tambourine, and a pipe, and a lyre, before them; and they shall prophesy; And the spirit of Hashem will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man (I Shemuel 10:6).

The current presence of these men at the Tomb of Rachel is not a way for him to find them – for they won’t be there (south of Yerushalayim) when Sha’ul meets them; rather, they will be coming north, from Rachel’s Tomb, and Sha’ul will meet them at Zelzah (wherever that is).  The final phrase – and [you] shall be turned into another man – is the goal and summation of the entire process (Dr. Yoel Elitzur (Sinai #92, Fall 1982, pp. 35-45).  I thought of another spiritual perspective on why Shemuel mentioned Kevurat Rachel to Shaul as the first step in his spiritual transformation to “be turned into another man.” Shaul is a direct descendant of Binyamin, and Rachel is his mother. Therefore, as his first step of transformation from a regular person to becoming the first King of Israel imbued with prophetic spirit he needs to receive Mama Rachel’s blessings. Therefore, he must return to his original mother, Rachel, in anticipation of his spiritual rebirth.

How Would the Jewish Exiles Pass by Rachel’s Tomb on Their Way to Babylon?

    3. When Yirmeyahu mentions Rachel’s voice of lamentation in Ramah it doesn’t prove that she was buried in that location. First of all, the word Ramah can also mean ‘high place,’ and thus Chabad and others translate Yirmeyahu 31:14 as “A voice is heard on high…”  Ramban notices that it doesn’t state that the voice emanated from Ramah, he explains: “I have also seen that Rachel’s grave is not in Ramah nor near it, [as the plain meaning of the verse in Yirmeyahu 31:14 seems to indicate: A voice is heard in Ramah… Rachel weeping for her children.]  Instead, I say that the verse is a metaphor, in the manner of rhetorical expression, that Rachel wept so loudly and bitterly that her voice was heard from afar in Ramah, which was on top of the mountain of [the territory of] her son Binyamin. She cried for her children who went into exile because they were not there, and she was desolate of them. Thus, Scripture does not say, “In Ramah, Rachel weeps for her children.” but it says that the voice was heard there (Ramban 35:16).

    4. Ya’akov’s decision to bury Rachel on the road to be a sentinel for the exiles who would pass by does not necessarily invalidate the location of Rachel’s tomb near Beit-Lechem. The following beautiful Midrash clarifies Ya’acov’s reasons for burying his beloved wife on the roadside:

I buried her there. Why? It was known to Ya’akov, that ultimately the Beit haMikdash (Temple) would be destroyed and his children would go into exile, and they would go to the patriarchs [in Chevron] begging the patriarchs to pray for them, but they wouldn’t help them. Once on the road, they would come and embrace Kever Rachel, and she would stand and beg G-d’s compassion… (P’sikta 2:3). This midrash solves my quandary about how Beit-Lechem could be on the way from Israel to the Babylonian exile. When coming northward from Chevron you certainly must pass Kever Rachel in Beit-Lechem.

The Tomb of Rachel – The Primary Place for Prayer in Pain

Rachel represents the Jewish nation in trouble, just as Rachel herself was when Binyamin was born. This is why we all seek the shoulder of her tomb to cry on when we are in distress. I was very moved when reading the following midrash in its entirety (See Sefer HaYashar, Book of Bereishit, Vayeshev 8), about how Yosef prayed at his mother’s tomb on his way to Egypt. Here is a short summary: The first person to pray at Rachel’s tomb was her eldest son, Yosef, who was only 7 when his mother died. When he was 17, his brothers sold him into slavery. As he was being carried away to Egypt, he broke away from his captors, ran to his mother’s grave, and cried to her: “Mother, my mother who gave birth to me, wake up, arise and see my suffering.” “Do not fear,” he heard his mother answer. “Go with them, and G‑d will be with you.” Since Yosef’s brothers sold him in Shechem, Beit-Lechem, in the south of Israel, is certainly on the way to Egypt. Kever Rachel is one of the first resting places mentioned in the Torah where Jews would come to and pour out their soul in prayer.

Kever Rachel in Beit-Lechem – The Epitome of Praying at the Tombs of the Righteous

ספר בראשית פרק לה פסוק כ וַיַּצֵּב יַעֲקֹב מַצֵּבָה עַל קְבֻרָתָהּ הִוא מַצֶּבֶת קְבֻרַת רָחֵל עַד הַיּוֹם:

“Then Ya’acov erected a monument on her grave; that is the tombstone of Rachel until this day” (Bereishit 35:20).

When Ya’acov buried Rachel, each of his sons took a stone and placed it on her grave. Ya’acov then took a large stone and placed it on top of all the other stones. Thus, was formed the first monument on her grave. The stone of Ya’acov was on all of them since they placed 12 stones one on top of the other. Therefore, it says the pillar of the burial of Rachel  (Midrash Lekach Tov, Bereishit 35:20:2). This is one of the reasons for the custom of placing a stone upon a grave after visiting it. Thus, Rachel’s tomb – where we shed our tears – became the resting place that exemplifies our customs regarding all Jewish gravesites. Kever Rachel in Beit-Lechem encompasses the epitome of the minhag to pray at the tombs of the righteous. Let us keep praying at Kever Rachel for victory and lasting peace in the merit of Mama Rachel. “There is hope for your future, says Hashem, and the children shall return to their own [secure] border!” (Yirmeyahu 31:16).