ספר בראשית

With G-d's Blessing

"And Yehuda approached him…" (Bereishit 44:18). The Midrash (Rabba 93:2) explains the verse, "If you provided surety for your friend" (Mishlei 6:1-3), as referring to Hashem. Rashi elucidates that each person is a guarantor for his neshama, tasked with returning it to its Father in heaven. Despite the neshama becoming sullied through sin, true teshuva from the depths of one's heart can transform sins into merits, as seen when Yehuda’s repentance led Yosef to reveal himself. While we might not fully understand how sins convert into merits, this transformation is due to the divine influence within us. Just as one turns their heart back to Hashem, so too do their sinful actions transform (Mida keneged mida).Bnei Yisrael, being part of Hashem, retain their identity even when they sin, granting them the strength to approach the divine essence within. This is reflected in the phrase "And he approached him," meaning Yehuda approached his own internal Godliness. Yehuda’s plea, "Bi Adoni," can be interpreted as "Hashem is in me." It is essential that one's desire be solely for the sake of Heaven. Yehuda’s words, "Let your servant speak," signify that all intentions should align with royal manners, enabling one to speak to the Master of the Universe. When one clarifies this intention genuinely, even if tainted by sin, they can find a way to return to Hashem.

On the pasuk (Bereishit 45:3-4), “And his brothers could not answer him because they were afraid of him...I am Yosef your brother whom you sold to Mitzrayim,” there is a difficulty. If Yosef was trying to console them, why did he mention the sale, which would embarrass them more? However, there was a deeper consolation here. The brothers definitely felt Yosef's holiness, as indicated by their fear of his countenance. Yosef was telling them that he reached this high level of righteousness because they sold him to Mitzrayim. This realization alleviated their guilt, as they thought he would have been greater had he stayed with their father, but this was not the case at all.It then says, “and the brothers spoke to him,” contrasting their initial inability to speak to him peacefully. Now, they could converse with him, free from jealousy. In truth, one cannot be jealous of someone who has perfected their unique role and place, as everyone has a specific place designed for them, making jealousy irrelevant. However, until the tzadik has fully perfected himself, jealousy is possible. In the future, when everyone has corrected themselves and is in their proper place, there will be no jealousy. This is as it says in Yeshaya 11:13, “Then Ephraim’s envy shall cease and Yehuda’s harassment shall end; Ephraim shall not envy Yehuda, and Yehuda shall not harass Ephraim.”

In the Shabbos zemiros, it says, “Baruch Hashem daily etc. sent to Babylon etc.” This connects to Shabbos through the Midrash, which states, “I will redeem you, on condition Yosef will place his hands over your eyes” (Rabba 94:6). This means that the concept of Yosef the Tzadik applies to every Jew, serving as a merit for their redemption, as it says, “I will go down with you.”On Shabbos, the redemption is awakened because each Jew experiences an awakening of desire for their Father in Heaven. This desire embodies the essence of “Yosef,” the fiery flame of Godliness. In exile, the Heavenly Presence supports us in the merit of Shabbos. Therefore, on Motzei Shabbos, we pray for redemption, as it says in the Yerushalmi (3b), “If Bnei Yisrael keeps one Shabbos properly, they will immediately be redeemed by the son of David.”