Vayeshev תרל”ז

במדרש בזעקך יצילוך קבוציך כו’ כינוסו וכינוס בניו הצילו מיד עשו ואלופיו כו’ כולם ישא רוח כו’. פירוש אף כי הכתוב נאמר בתוכחת ישראל. רק עיקר המכוון שהכל תלוי בכח הכינוס כמאמר חכמים כנסי’ שהיא לשם שמים סופה להתקיים. והנה עשו הרשע היה אצל אביו כל השנים הללו. ויעקב הי’ מפוזר במקומות נכרים. עכ”ז בסוף כתיב בעשו וילך אל ארץ. וביעקב כתיב וישב כו’. כי חכמים הגידו פיזור יפה לרשעים וכינוס לצדיקים טוב להם וטוב לעולם כו’. פי’ כי כל מה שביטל עצמו עשו הרשע לאביו לא הי’ באמת רק הכינוס הי’ כדי שיוכל אח”כ לפשט עצמו. כי כל ביטול שלהם לגרמייהו. ולכן אין סופו מתקיים. ויעקב אע”ה כל הימים שהי’ מפוזר הי’ כל המכוון כדי לבוא אל הכינוס ולקרב גם כל ההארות שהוציא מכל המקומות לקרב הכל אל הקדושה. ולכן הצליח וסופו מתקיים. וז”ש בתוכחות בזעקך יצילוך קבוציך. פי’ שאין הכינוס לשם שמים כראוי. לכן אין בו כח להציל. ולא הועיל לעשו גם הביטול כיון שלא הי’ לשם שמים כנ”ל. וביעקב נתקיים מ”ש בצדיקים תחילתן יסורין וסופן שלוה. וכן זה נוהג בכל איש ישראל שהוא ענין ימי המעשה שהוא הפיזור במלאכות שונות. ובשבת מתאחדין ברזא דאחד. ואם בימי המעשה זוכרין בבחי’ השבת אף שטרודין במשא ומתן וכדומה. עכ”ז צריכין להתגעגע לבוא למנוחת השבת ואז זוכין בשבת לקרב הכל אל הקדושה. וממילא כל הפסולת נדחה. דכתיב בית יעקב אש. יוסף להבה. עשו לקש. כי יעקב הוא למעלה מהטבע והוא אש. אבל כחו של יוסף להתפשט האש. לקרב כל הסבובים שהוא ענין להבה. כח התפשטות של האש. ועי”ז נעשה בית עשו לקש. כי כל כח הרשעים הוא הניצוצות קדושות שנמצא בהם וכשהצדיק מוציא את בלעם מפיהם נשארו קש. וז”ש במדרש ראה כת של כלבים וישב לו ביניהם. כלומר שהוציא כל החיות שנמצא בהם. וממילא וילך אל ארץ. ישא רוח יקח הבל. כמוץ אשר תדפנו רוח:

The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 84:14) quotes the pasuk (Yeshaya 57:13)
בְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ֙ יַצִּילֻ֣ךְ קִבּוּצַ֔יִךְ וְאֶת־כֻּלָּ֥ם יִשָּׂא־ר֖וּחַ יִקַּח־הָ֑בֶל וְהַחוֹסֶ֥ה בִי֙ יִנְחַל־אֶ֔רֶץ וְיִירַ֖שׁ הַר־קׇדְשִֽׁי׃
When you cry out, your gatherings shall not save you. They shall all be borne off by the wind, Snatched away by a breeze. But those who trust in Me shall inherit the land And possess My sacred mount.
The Midrash teaches us that it was the ingathering of Yaakov and his children that saved them from Eisav and his generals, for they were all blown away like the wind.
The idea is as follows: Even though this pasuk is actually said as a rebuke, nevertheless we can learn from it that everything is really dependent on the power of gathering in. This is the idea of (Avos 4:11) “Any gathering that is for the sake of Heaven will endure…”
Now even though Eisav was really with his father Yitzchak, for all these years, and Yaakov was spread out in foregin lands, nevertheless it was actually Eisav who (Bereishis 37:6) “went to a land, because of his brother Yaakov”. Indeed regarding Yaakov it states (Bereishis 37:1) “And Yaakov dwelt in the land of his fathers, in the Land of Canaan ”.
This is the idea that our sages taught (Mishnah Sanhedrin 8:5) “spreading out is good for the wicked and for the world, gathering in is good for the righteous and for the world”.
The idea (therefore of Eisav who was with his father for all these years and gathered in, yet it did not help him) is that all the nullification that Eisav did with his father was not for real, this ingathering that he acted out was only to able to subsequently spread himself out even more, for any nullification that they do (the wicked) is for their own benefit, and therefore they do not actually endure.
(This idea is also found in the Sefas Emes regarding Bilaam, who used words of extreme nullification to the will of HaShem, yet it is from these very words that we learn how haughty he really was. This is because the exterior show was all fake, it was all really motivated by an inner haughtiness).

Yet with regards to Yaakov all the time that he was spread out, was for the intention of ultimately being able to gather in everything, and bring all the light that he found in all the different places he had been and bring them all to a place of holiness. Therefore Yaakov indeed succeeded and endured.

This therefore is the idea that is mentioned in the pasuk above “When you call out will your gathering help you?!”. This is part of the rebuke, because that gathering was not done for the sake of Heaven, and therefore it had no power to save them. Similarly all of Eisav’s nullification did not help him, for it was not done for the sake of Heaven. As explained.
Yet with Yaakov (his nullification) did endure, as it states (Bereishis Rabbah 66:4) The righteous begin with suffering, and in the end have serenity”.
This concept also applies to every one of Yisrael. The days of the week is the idea of being spread out, when one is involved in all different work, yet on Shabbos everything “becomes one with the secret of oneness”.
Now if during the days of the week, one recalls the idea of Shabbos, even though one is busy and bothered by all one’s business dealings etc, nevertheless one needs to constantly long to gain the tranquility of Shabbos, then (by longing for it during the days of the week, when it is most difficult) one will merit to uplift everything to holiness, and automatically all the waste will fall away.
This is the meaning of the pasuk (Ovadia 1:18) “And the House of Yaakov will be a fire, and the House of Yosef a flame, and the House of Eisav like straw”. For Yaakov was above nature – fire (which goes upward), however the power of Yosef is to spread the fire which actually draws everything to the fire. This is the idea of the flame, it spreads the fire (and draws out anything that connects to it).
Therefore (because all the sparks of holiness have now been extracted from Eisav from the fire and the flame) then “the House of Eisav is like straw”. This is because the only reason why the wicked actually have power is because of the sparks of holiness that they have. When the righteous “remove what they’ve swallowed from their mouths” then they are left as mere straw.
This idea is also referred to in the Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 84:5) (When Yaakov met Eisav and dwelt assuredly it can be compared to) one who saw a pack of dogs, and (instead do running away from them and showing them fear), he sat amongst them.
This means that (by showing no fear) he actually removed all of their life force (for he gave them no power over him, similarly Eisav no longer had any power of Yaakov) and therefore “He went to another land because of his brother Yaakov”. “The wind blows the waste”, “Just as the chaff is blown by the wind”.

וברש”י ממדרש תנחומא משל למרגליות שנפלה בין החול וכו’. וקשה בשלמא בדורות שמנח עד אברהם שייך כן. שצריך הכתוב לייחסן שמהם בא אברהם. אבל היחוס של אלופי עשו הם אחר שכבר נולד יעקב ולמה מייחסן הכתוב. אך הפי’ כנ”ל שיעקב בא אל השלימות על ידיהם. ומקודם כתיב אלה המלכים כו’. ואח”כ וישב יעקב. כי באמת אין לסט”א כח רק מצד זה שע”י שיגבור הצדיק נגדם יעלה בתוספות מעלה. וז”ש ולאום מלאום יאמץ. כי מאין לעשו כח והתאמצות. רק מצד זה שע”י כחו יתוקן צד הקדושה ביותר תוקף ועוז. לכן מיעקב יש התאמצות כח גם לעשו. והבן. אך בעת שליטת סט”א אין זה ניכר. וכמ”ש במד’ שהקש מתפאר עצמו בשבילי נזרע השדה. וכשנתברר האמת ונגמר החטה בשלימות. אז נשאר הקש לפני רוח. ובאמת הקש הוא שומר אל החטה רק שכל זה נתברר אחר הדישה וגמר החיטים בשלימות כנ”ל:

Rashi (Bereishis 37:1) from the Midrash Tanchuma (Vayeshev 1) (explains that the reason why all the descendants of Eisav are mentioned is the same idea as the Torah mentioning all the generations between Noach and Avraham) it can be compared to a gem fell in the sand (one will quickly sift through the sand and pay no attention to it – like the descendants of Eisav, and when one finds the gem one focuses solely on that – Yaakov and Bnei Yisrael).
Now this is actually problematic. It is necessary for the Torah to tell us all the generations between Noach and Avrahm so that we know Avraham’s lineage, however all these descendants of Eisav that are mentioned, were really born after Yaakov’s time, if so why does the Torah tell us all their lineage?
However the idea that is taught here is the same idea mentioned above, that Yaakov actually gained his perfection, due them (the negative forces of the descendants of Eisav).
This is therefore the structure of the pesukim: It states (Bereishis 36:31) “These are the kings that ruled….”, and then (Bereishis 37:1) “And Yaakov dwelt”. (They are indeed very much connected) for the only reason why the negative forces have any power at all is just so that the righteous will overcome them, and gain greater heights. This too is the idea (mentioned in Yitzcahk’s blessing, Bereishis 25:23) “And one nation will get strength from another nation”.
For where would Eisav really get any power from?! it is only because through him the side of holiness will be even more perfected with even greater power.
Therefore Eisav actually has his strength from Yaakov. And understand this point.
However when the negative forces are strong, then it is not discernable (that they are there just for the sake of the righteous). This is the idea mentioned in the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni 1:140) That the chaff haughtily exclaims: It is for me that the field has been planted. However at the end when the truth is revealed and the wheat is complete the chaff is just left to be blown by the wind.
Now the truth is that the chaff does actually protect the wheat, however this is all only clear at the end of the process when the wheat has finally been complete. As above.

וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם. הנה ראובן עשה מצוה בכוונת אמת. ואח”כ ראה שאין יוסף בבור. וסבר ח”ו שנעשה מעצתו איבוד ליוסף. אבל השי”ת העיד כי באמת הצילו מן המות. כי לולי עצת ראובן הי’ נהרג בידם. והרי זה בא ללמד על כל כונת אמת שאדם חפץ לעשות מצוה. הגם כי נראה לו שלא נתקיים בידו. בטח נעשה ממנו דבר:

“And Reuven heard (what the borthers wanted to do Yosef) and he saved him from their hands” (Bereishis 37:21). Now Reuven did a mitzvah with the true intention, and now (when he returned to the pit and Yosef was not there) he thought that it was actually because of his advice that Yosef was now lost.
However HaShem testified that really Reuven’s act saved him from being killed, for had Reuven not interfd they would have killed him.
This teaches us that all good intentions when a person intends to do a mitzvah, even if it may seem like he did nto succeed, nevertheless one can be assured that something comes from it.

בפסוק לא נזכר ששנאת האחים היה בעבור הדיבה. רק ויראו כי אותו אהב כו’ וישנאו. וקרוב הדבר כי יעקב לא הגיד להם שיוסף הביא דבתם רעה כו’. אמנם נראה כי טעם ויבא יוסף כו’ דבתם רעה היא סיבה. שלכך נצרך יוסף להיות נמכר למצרים כי היו ח”ו נדחין השבטים אם הי’ יוסף אצל אביהם והי’ מעלה דבתם רעה. וביאור הענין כי הצדיק מעלה לפני הבורא ית’ את מעשים טובים של בני ישראל אבל עדיין יוסף לא הי’ בשלימות עד אחר הנסיון ואז נקרא יוסף הצדיק ומעלה רק מעשיהם הטובים ולכן אח”כ היו כולם ביחד אצל אביהם. אבל מקודם שהי’ מעלה דבתם רעה הי’ מוכרח לירד למצרים. ומה שנתכנה החטא אל השבטים כי אם היו כולם מתוקנים כראוי ולא הי’ חשש במה שיעלה כל מעשיהם לאביו לא הי’ נצרך לירד למצרים. נמצא שהם היו סיבה לירידתו למצרים כנ”ל:
When the pasuk discusses the brothers hatred toward Yosef, it does not say that the reason for the hatred was because of the bad reports Yosef gave to his father about them, rather it states simply (Bereishis 37:4) “And they saw that Yosef was loved by their father, and they could not speak to him in peace”.
Therefore it would actually seem that (the reason the Torah mentions) the bad reports, was actually the cause. It was because of the bad reports that Yosef now had to go down to Mitzrayim. This is because had Yosef remained and continued to deliver bad reports to Yaakov about his brothers, they would be completely pushed away (and lose their existence).
The explanation of all this is that the true Tzadik presents all the good deeds of Bnei Yisrael before HaShem. However Yosef had not yet reached that stage of perfection, (it was only until) after the test (with Poifar’s wife) that he was called Yosef the Tzadik. By then he would always present only the good deeds. Therefore subsequently (once the brothers came down to Mitzrayim) they all lived in harmony together with their father.
Now the reason why this sin (of selling Yosef) is blamed on the brothers, is because had they themselves been better, the fact that Yosef gave a bad report about them, would not bother them, and if that would have been so, there would be no need to go down to Mitzrayim. Therefore they were actually the cause of the exile to Mitzrayim.

במדרש וימאן ויאמר כו’. דרכו של הקב”ה לבחור מאוהבי בית אבא לעולה כו’. קשה שהמדרש מחפש טעמים רחוקים כאלה על אשר מיאן לחטוא. רק באמת תגבורת הצדיקים על היצה”ר כענין בטל רצונך. וכאשר חכמים הגידו אשר יאמר האדם אפשי בבשר חזיר ומה אעשה ואבי שבשמים גזר עלי. אבל להיות ממאן בדבר עבירה הוא תימה. ולכן אומר שיוסף מצא לו עצה איך לגרש כל התאוה עד שמיאן בה. מצד שחשב הרי הוא מוכן ודאי למסור נפשו בעבור הקב”ה. שכן כל איש ישראל מוכן למסור נפשו בג’ עבירות שמחוייבין למות עליהם. והלא אם יצוה הבורא שיעלהו לעולה היה מרוצה וא”כ איך ישמע לעצת היצה”ר בדבר באין בו סכנת נפשות. ואמת כי חשבון זה מסייע לכל איש ישראל להצילו מדבר עבירה. בהזכרו אשר הוא מוכן למסור נפשו בעבור ציווי הבורא:
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 87:5) states that Yosef said to Potifar’s wife: The method of HaShem is to choose from those that he loves to be a pure burnt sacrifice (perhaps I will be chosen – Just as Yitzchak was, and because of this sin, I will be disqualified).
Now this Midrash is seemingly difficult. Why does the Midrash look for seemingly distant reasons why Yosef refused to sin?
However, the truth is that the method that the tzadik uses to overcome his evil inclination, is as it states (Avos 2:4) “Nullify your will before the will of HaShem, so that He will nullify other peoples will before your will”. Or as our sages explain (Sifra Kedoshim 10:9) (A person should not say that he is disgusted by pigs meat), rather one should say, “I would like it, yet what can I do, My father in Heaven decreed that it is forbidden”. (This means that a person has an inclination to the negative, but he overcomes it with a greater mission)
However, for a person to just refuse (with a complete nullification of desire as Yosef did) is a wonder (how did he manage to completely get rid of all desire to reach the level of וימאן)?
Therefore the Midrash is teaching us the method that Yosef used to expel all desire, till he completely refused her. For he contemplated that he would definitely be prepared to give up his life for the sake of HaShem. For one is commanded to give up one’s life for the three cardinal sins. Therefore Yosef thought that if HaShem would ask him to give up his life as a burnt offering, he would surely be prepared to do that, so how could he possibly listen to the his evil inclination to sin, where not sinning does not even mean that he would have to give up his life?!
The truth is that this calculation is something that can help every one of Yisrael from sinning. When a person recalls that he is prepared to sacrifice his life for the commandment of HaShem (so how could he possibly sin when not sinning is not going to cause him to lose his life).

יש להתבונן במה שסיבב הקב”ה אחר שעמד בנסיון העצום הזה. אשר חכמים הגידו כי הי’ גדול מנסיוני האבות ע”ש. ואח”כ נתנו אדונו בבית האסירים. ונאמר בזה כי השי”ת מסבב כשצריך להעניש לצדיק יהי’ העונש בשעה אשר זכותו רב מאוד. כאשר מצינו שדן בני ישראל ביום בשעה שעושין מצות ע”ש במדרש על פסוק ידין לאומים במישרים. עוד נראה כי באמת המאסר הי’ עונש על הדיבה כמ”ש חז”ל אמנם אחר שבא לנסיון הזה והוצרך להתגבר עצמו מאוד עד שבא ליסוד מעשיו הטובים. והעמיד עצמו למדריגתו הטובה המיוחדת אליו. אז נתעורר ביותר החטא הראשון כמאמר שמדקדק עם הצדיקים כחוט השערה. לכן אז נענש על חטא הקודם. וכן בכל אדם כפי מה שמתקן עצמו צריך אח”כ לתקן מעשיו הראשונים. ומזה יקח אדם ק”ו שלא לבוא ח”ו לידי גבהות בעשות אחת ממצות ה’ כראוי רק יפול עליו יותר פחד בהיותו מיישר עצמו לבל יתעורר עליו עונש ממעשיו הקודמים כנ”ל:

We need to pay attention to the fact that after Yosef withstood such a severe test, which our sages taught (Tanchuma Vayeshev 7) that it was an even greater test than the forefathers’ tests, and yet afterwards he was immediately placed in jail. (If he now had such great merits, why was he then punished more)?
However we can say to this that when HaShem needs to punish a person, He will do it at a time when he has very great merits!
We find this idea also, that HaShem judges Bnei Yisrael in the day time, when they are busy doing mitzvos (whereas in His infinite kindness he judges the nations of the world at night, when they are sleeping, and not sinning). See the Midrash (Psikta Rabta 40) on the pasuk (Tehillim 9:9) “He judges the nations justly”.
Furthermore it would seem that this imprisonment was punishment for the evil reports that Yosef reported to his father about his brothers, as our Sages explain (see Midrash Tanchuma Vayeshev 6).
Therefore once Yosef had withstood the test (with Potifar’s wife) and he had to strengthen himself so much, that he reached the very root of his good actions, and he now established himself on this very great level that was unique to him. This then caused the original sin to “reawaken”, as our sages taught: HaShem is exacting with the righteous like a hairsbreadth”, and it was therefore now that he was punished for that original sin. (For on the level that he now was, such a sin requires a severe correction).
This idea is something that applies to every person. That when one perfects himself, one also needs to subsequently correct one’s previous actions.
This should awaken a person to realize that he should not Heaven forbid become haughty when he does one of the mitzvos of HaShem properly, for on the contrary, he should be fearful when he perfects himself, that he should not be punished for any previous actions. As above.