Hot answers tagged vayechi
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The following information is recorded on the Mechon Mamre website:
בתנ"כים שלנו יש גם סימני הפרשייות {פ} {ס} {ר} {ש} שהם מסמנים פרשה פתוחה, פרשה סתומה, סוף שורה בשירות מסויימות, ושורה ריקה (או שורות ריקות בסוף ספר).
My translation:
In our Tanakhs there are also [the following] disjunctive symbols: פ,
ס, ר, ש, which stand for ...
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From KolTorah.org
The Maharal commenting on Rashi, answers that
this was the way the people back then made Shevu’ot; the one swearing would place their hands under the other thigh of the person he is swearing to (as the Ibn Ezra points out in his commentary to Breishit 24:2 and confirmed by Da’at Mikra ad. loc.). Yaakov thought that if he did not do ...
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From the Prince by Machiavelli (I never thought I would reference Machiavelli on this site!)
A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast,
ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend
himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against
wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to ...
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Mizrachi explains that even though a fox is considered the lowest of the animals, when you need it bow down to it, the same here, Yaakov bowed down to Yosef not because he was the King, only because he needed him and therefore bowed down to him.
Sifsei Chachomim says that there is a month when the fox is King.
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The Lubavitcher Rabbi in the Sicha of Shabbos Balak 14 Tamuz 5750 explains that there are disputing Midrashim as to whether Yosef had Arichus Yamim (an extended life) or a shortened life. Midrash Mishlai 16 says בא ולמד מיוסף הצדיק, שמתוך שעמד ונתחזק בכבוד אביו במצרים זכה לעטרת שיבה, however Pirkai D'Rav Eliezer 39 says נתקצרו מחייו של יוסף י' שנים בגלל י' ...
3
Netziv says that Yosef felt he had to make the second dream happen, so when he first appeared in the royal chariot, Yaakov assumed it was Pharaoh and bowed down. (Yes I know it's weird.)
A very different angle is one suggested by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom, that all the characters here misunderstood the dream. It wasn't about Yosef himself; it's that the ...
1
Lekutei Anshei Chain (Mikroes Gedolos Rav Peninim) says the repeat of his name is to make known that Yosef died with a shem tov, with the name Yosef even though he was king for 80 years, his Hebrew name did not leave him or become removed from him and he didn't want to be known by the name Pharoah gave him, Tzofnas Panei'ach. As chazal learn in parshas ...
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The cunning nature of the fox is already referred to by Perek Shiroh.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s shlit”o commentary on Perek Shiroh (link above) refers to the Mechilta in Beshalach on pages 67 and 68. The Mechilta says that the kingdoms were compared to animals. Egypt was a very low kingdom and took prominence only for the honour of Israel. It was compared to ...
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