Mikeitz
מקץPharaoh's Dreams
80 translated essays · 80 total
תרל"א(1870)
Shabbat of Chanukah· Essay 1
ענין החלום שכתוב בתורה משבע שני שובע ורעב. הרמז שגם כח הסט”א רק ע”י גלות השפע בתוך ההסתר. The idea of the 7 years of plenty and the years of famine in Pharaoh’s dream, is to hint to the idea that even the strength of the e…
Divine Source of Power· Essay 2
וּמָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִלְמֹד מְפָרְשָׁהּ זוֹ לְהָכִין לְעַצְמוֹ בַּיָּמִים הַטּוֹבִים שֶׁנִּתְגַּלָּה הַקְּדֻשָּׁה בָּהֶם. לִקְבֹּעַ הַהֶאָרוֹת בַּלֵּב הֵיטֵב כְּדֵי לִהְיוֹת עַל יְמֵי הָרַע כְּשֶׁהַקְּדֻשָּׁה נִסְתֶּרֶת. The lesson we need to le…
Inner Renewal Through Holiness· Essay 3
And what one must learn from this parashah is to prepare himself, during the good days when holiness is revealed. The Sefat Emet teaches that revealed moments of holiness are times for inner preparation. To firmly establish those illuminati…
Sanctity as Protection· Essay 4
“I heard from my revered grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, that the mitzvah to place [the mezuzah] on the outer entrance of one’s house corresponds to the external keys, etc.” The Sefat Emet reports a teaching he received: placing…
Hidden Faults Before God· Essay 5
“We must learn from what is said in the Midrash: ‘God has found the sin of your servants,’ like one who presses a barrel, etc.” The Sefat Emet introduces a Midrash that compares God’s uncovering of hidden sin to squeezing a barrel and forci…
Divine Trust vs. Human Reliance· Essay 6
“In the Midrash: ‘He did not turn toward the arrogant ones’ — this refers to Joseph.” The Sefat Emet begins by identifying Joseph as one who refused to rely on human pride or power. “It may be said that because he was attached to God, and f…
Creation as Ongoing Renewal· Essay 7
You formed Your world from the beginning. The Sefat Emet teaches that creation originates from a primordial, inner divine point preceding all manifestation. For the aspect of “form” is the inwardness, and it is from the beginning, where the…
Miketz תרל"א 3- תרל"ה
שָׁמַעְתִּי מאא”ז מו”ר זצלה”ה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחַ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ מִבַּחוּץ הוּא נֶגֶד מַפְתְּחוֹת הַחִיצוֹנִיּוֹת כּוּ’. In the name of the Chidushei Harim, I heard regarding the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah candl…
תרל"ב(1871)
Unity Within Pharaoh’s Dream· Essay 1
“Pharaoh’s dream, as stated in the Torah, and it is also written: it is one dream.” The Sefat Emet teaches that the Torah emphasizes the unity of Pharaoh’s dream to hint that spiritual truth issues from a place of oneness and inner unity. “…
Joseph’s Hidden Trust in God· Essay 2
“That the tribes did not recognize that he was Joseph.” The Sefat Emet explains that Joseph possessed a spiritual capacity to conceal his identity, which is why his brothers failed to recognize him. “For this is the power of Joseph the righ…
Subduing Desire for God· Essay 3
“Joseph gave of what was his to Him.” The Sefat Emet opens by stating that Joseph’s greatness lay in offering something truly his own to God. For what a person gives of his own to God—namely, when he nullifies his own will for the sake of G…
תרל"ג(1872)
תרל"ד(1873)
Inner Light vs. Darkness· Essay 1
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness’—as long as the evil inclination exists in this world, it is a stone of gloom, etc.” The Midrash teaches that darkness persists only while the evil inclination operates; it is the root of obscurit…
Divine Purpose of Descent· Essay 2
“You are spies… We were not spies.” The Sefat Emet notes that the brothers’ denial responds to Yosef’s accusation, which carries a deeper spiritual implication. For in truth, the descent of the tribes to Egypt was like the matter of the spi…
תרל"ה(1874)
Good and Evil Intermixed· Essay 1
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the Midrash that speaks of an endpoint placed upon darkness. “Deep gloom and shadow of death, etc.” These terms refer to the various gradations of concealmen…
Reward for Resisting Temptation· Essay 2
In the Midrash it is stated that regarding Joseph, from his own merit were granted to him hands that did not serve sin, a heart that did not contemplate sin, feet, a neck, and so on. The Midrash lists Joseph’s bodily powers, teaching that e…
Recognition of Holiness in Exile· Essay 3
“Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.” The Sefat Emet explains that Joseph retained spiritual clarity, enabling him to perceive his brothers even when they could not perceive him. “For in Egypt everyone was in con…
Unity of Languages in Torah· Essay 4
“‘Testimony in Joseph was established…’ The Midrash says that Gabriel came and taught him the seventy languages, but he did not learn them until a letter Heh was added to his name, and then he learned.” The Sefat Emet cites the Midrash that…
תרל"ו(1875)
Shabbat of Hanukkah Light· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” This heading introduces the Sefat Emet’s teaching for the Shabbat of Ḥanukkah, signaling that the words to follow are offered with divine assistance and framed within the spiritual atmosphere of this…
Rising From the Pit· Essay 2
“And they rushed him out of the pit. In the Zohar: into the pit he descended, and they cast him into the pit.” The Sefat Emet begins by tying Yosef’s descent into the pit to the Zohar’s teaching that a soul descends into constriction before…
Creation Requires Human Completion· Essay 3
“Further regarding the above, it is written: ‘which God created to do.’” The Sefat Emet introduces a new dimension to the earlier teaching by returning to the biblical phrase that connects creation with an ongoing task assigned to humanity.…
Unity Within Exile· Essay 4
“In the verse ‘and it was not known that they had come into its midst.’” The Sefat Emet begins by noting the Torah’s phrasing regarding the brothers’ arrival. “And in the telling of the dream in the Torah this is not stated; only Pharaoh ad…
Spiritual Responsibility of the Tzaddik· Essay 5
“On the verse ‘Whatever he tells you, do,’ Rashi explains that he commanded them to circumcise themselves.” The Sefat Emet notes that Rashi understands Joseph as instructing his brothers to undergo circumcision before receiving sustenance i…
The Nature of Desire· Essay 6
“In the verse: ‘Concerning the money returned…’” The Sefat Emet opens by focusing on the wording of the verse about the money that reappeared in the brothers’ sacks. “Each man’s silver was in the mouth of his sack…” He highlights the phrase…
תרל"ו Miketz
תרל”ו ב”ה שבת חנוכה ויריצוהו מן הבור בזוה”ק בבירא נחית וישליכו אותו הבורה. בבירא סליק לבתר כו’. דכתיב שתה מים מבורך. The Zohar (1:194b) says that Yosef was lowered into the pit, yet his redemption was also from the p…
תרל"ז(1876)
Shabbat of Hanukkah· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” The Sefat Emet typically opens with this heading to frame the teaching within the spiritual atmosphere of Shabbat during Ḥanukkah, a time when the light of the festival joins with the sanctity of Sha…
Spiritual Light Overcoming Darkness· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness’—He gave the world a time, how many years it will act in darkness, so long as the evil inclination is in the world—gloom and shadow in the world, etc.” The Sefat Emet begins by explaining that dar…
Praise Opens the Gates· Essay 3
“And it is written: The gate of the inner courtyard shall be closed during the six weekdays, but on Shabbat and on the New Moon it shall be opened…” The Sefat Emet teaches that Shabbat and Rosh Ḥodesh represent the spiritual qualities of Yo…
Trust in God Alone· Essay 4
“In the Midrash: ‘Happy is the man who has made the Lord his trust’ — this refers to Joseph, etc.” The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash, which identifies Joseph as the exemplar of one who truly places his trust in God. “The explanati…
Divine Mercy in Creation· Essay 5
“On the verse ‘And may El Shaddai give you mercy,’ Rashi explains: ‘The One who said to His world “Enough” will say “Enough” to my troubles.’” The Sefat Emet opens by asking why Rashi uses this parable, and what it means that God said “Enou…
Gratitude and Humility in Hanukkah· Essay 6
In the name of my master and grandfather, of blessed memory: Concerning the kingdom of Greece it was said, “and its tail is like a serpent,” for its intention is to prevent Israel from the power of giving thanks and bowing before God—like o…
Mikets תרל"ז
במדרש קץ שם לחושך זמן נתן לעולם כמה שנים יעשה באפילה כ”ז שיצה”ר בעולם אופל וצלמות בעולם כו’. The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 89:1) On the pasuk “It was at the end of two years”, HaShem places an end to the world, how many ye…
תרל"ח(1877)
תרל"ט(1878)
Essence of Zot Hanukkah· Essay 1
“With God’s help.” An introductory invocation, expressing that the teaching begins under divine assistance. “This is Ḥanukkah.” The Sefat Emet often introduces his Ḥanukkah teachings with this phrase, signaling that the theme will focus on …
Divine Light and Concealment· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness’—for it appears at first glance that darkness is merely the absence of light.” The Rebbe begins by challenging the common assumption that darkness is simply lack. The Midrash suggests something de…
Divine Light Within Darkness· Essay 3
In the Pesiqta: “I will search Jerusalem with candles”—this is like the phrase “he shall send him out free,” a fortiori from a slave who goes free due to the loss of a tooth or an eye. The Sefat Emet begins by noting that the midrash reads …
Unity of the Twelve Tribes· Essay 4
“In the verse, ‘You are spies, to see the nakedness of the land,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by noting that Joseph’s accusation contains a deeper teaching beyond its surface meaning. “The matter is that Joseph revealed to them that all thes…
Hanukkah and Purim Rectification· Essay 5
“And it is written: ‘And they drank with him…’” The Sefat Emet opens by noting the Torah’s emphasis on the brothers drinking with Joseph. “Our sages said: Until now they had not drunk…” Chazal teach that the brothers had refrained from drin…
Mikets תרל"ט
ב”ה זאת חנוכה במדרש קץ שם לחושך כי לכאורה נראה כי החושך רק אפיסת אור. א”כ לא שייך לומר בורא חושך. The Midrash (Bereisis Rabbah 89:1) “He placed an end to the darkness, as soon as its time was up the evil was removed”. At first t…
תר"מ(1879)
Shabbat of Chanukah· Essay 1
“With God’s help.” A traditional opening expressing reliance on divine assistance before beginning the teaching. “Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” The Sefat Emet signals that this teaching relates to the special spiritual character of a Shabbat that f…
The Boundary of Darkness· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness,’ meaning that the evil inclination exists in the world.” The Sefat Emet opens by explaining that the verse teaches the boundedness of darkness, meaning the yetzer hara has limits set by God. “For…
Memory and Spiritual Light· Essay 3
The Zohar writes regarding the verse “But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him,” that the phrase “and he forgot him” is superfluous. The Sefat Emet cites the Zohar, which notes the redundancy of the verse and uses …
תרמ"א(1880)
Shabbat of Chanukah· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” The Sefat Emet typically opens his teachings with a brief heading. Here he signals that the following Torah thought relates to Shabbat during Ḥanukkah, a time whose spiritual light he often describes…
Light Overcoming Darkness· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness … as long as the evil inclination exists …’ although darkness comes from the absence of light.” The Sefat Emet begins by explaining that what we call ‘darkness’ is essentially the lack of revealed…
תרמ"ב(1881)
Shabbat of Chanukah· Essay 1
“With God’s help.” A customary opening invoking divine assistance before beginning the teaching. “Shabbat of Chanukah.” Introducing that the teaching pertains to the special Shabbat that falls during Chanukah. Summary: The section opens wit…
Light Within Darkness· Essay 2
In the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness,” etc. The Sefat Emet opens with the Midrashic principle that darkness is bounded by divine intention. For the Holy One created all things, and to darkness He set a limit, for it exists only to cov…
Trust in God over Man· Essay 3
In the Midrash: “And he did not turn to the arrogant” — this refers to Joseph. The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash, which identifies Joseph as the one who refused to rely on human arrogance or human power. For Joseph immediately sen…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Shabbat of Light· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” This opening line marks the Sefat Emet’s entry for the Shabbat of Ḥanukkah, invoking divine assistance before beginning the teaching. It signals that the reflections to follow are rooted in the spiri…
Light Hidden for the Righteous· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to the darkness…’” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the Midrash that darkness has an appointed limit. “For darkness has a fixed time and measure with no increase, but the aspect of light is renewed daily, and t…
תרמ"ד(1883)
Hanukkah and Renewal· Essay 1
“With God’s help.” A customary opening invoking divine assistance before beginning Torah teachings. “Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh Tevet.” An indication that the teaching pertains to the days of Hanukkah that coincide with the new month of Teve…
Light and Spiritual Separation· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness…’ as long as the evil inclination exists in the world…” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the Midrash that the existence of darkness is tied to the presence of the yetzer hara. “It is taught: ‘He saw…
Hidden Source of Blessing· Essay 3
“In the verse ‘Joseph’s name was Zaphnat‑Paaneach,’ Rashi explains: ‘revealer of hidden things.’” The Rebbe begins by questioning the name’s meaning and its order. “But seemingly his name should have been ‘Paaneach‑Zaphnat’ (one who interpr…
תרמ"ה(1884)
תרמ"ו(1885)
Shabbat of Hanukkah· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat of Ḥanukkah.” This opening heading marks that the teaching of the Sefat Emet for this portion was delivered on a Shabbat that coincided with Ḥanukkah. Such headings usually signal that the themes of Shabbat and Ḥa…
Chanukah and Renewed Divine Kingship· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: such a thing is found… ‘One she is… the daughters saw her…’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by citing a Midrash that describes Israel as uniquely unified and seen in a different spiritual register than the nations. “The matter i…
תרמ"ז(1886)
Inner Sustaining Power of the Tzaddik· Essay 1
“In the verse: ‘And Joseph was the ruler over the land,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by framing Joseph’s authority over Egypt as spiritually significant, not merely political. “As it is written: ‘I made the earth, and upon it I created man.’…
Leadership for Heaven’s Sake· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘Only the throne will I make greater,’ we learn from Pharaoh’s decree… ‘and you shall be only above,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet notes that the Midrash derives a spiritual teaching from Pharaoh’s phrasing, emphasizing an elevatio…
תרמ"ט(1888)
תר"נ(1889)
Shabbat Chanukah Overview· Essay 1
“With God’s help: A brief teaching for Shabbat Chanukah.” This introduces a concise teaching of the Sefat Emet for Shabbat Chanukah, framing the words that follow as a short, focused insight offered with divine assistance.
Shabbat’s Inner Light Revealed· Essay 2
In the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness,” etc. The Sefat Emet begins by invoking the Midrashic principle that darkness is limited by divine decree. We have written many times that all darkness comes because the governance of this world i…
תרנ"א(1890)
Shabbat of Chanukah Light· Essay 1
“With God’s help – Shabbat Chanukah.” A heading marking the teaching as delivered on Shabbat Chanukah, invoking divine assistance before opening the discourse. Summary: The opening establishes the sanctity of Shabbat Chanukah and frames the…
Unity and the Sanctity of Shabbat· Essay 2
“Regarding the dream: seven cows of beautiful appearance… and they grazed in the marsh.” The Sefat Emet begins by grounding the teaching in Pharaoh’s dream of the seven beautiful cows grazing peacefully. “And in the Midrash: brotherhood and…
Hanukkah and Divine Retribution· Essay 3
“In the Shabbat hymns: ‘And the he-goat increased…’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by referencing a Shabbat liturgical phrase as the thematic key for what follows. “Through His priests He drives away those who rise against Him.” This line is un…
תרנ"ב(1891)
Inner Torah Above Time· Essay 1
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness; He assigned a time to the world,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash, which teaches that God created the world with set times and boundaries, establishing limits to darkness and or…
Sanctity of Shabbat Origins· Essay 2
It is stated in Midrash Naso: On the seventh day the prince of the tribe of Ephraim brought his offering. This is the meaning of the verse, “The King of Glory,” who bestows honor upon those who fear Him: “Who has preceded Me that I should r…
תרנ"ג(1892)
Spiritual Layers of the Soul· Essay 1
Concerning Pharaoh’s dream: seven cows rise after them, stand beside them, and consume them. The Sefat Emet teaches that this imagery hints to inner spiritual processes unfolding in stages. These are three levels: the flow descending from t…
Joseph’s Spiritual Descent and Ascent· Essay 2
“And in the Midrash: ‘And it was at the end of two years… I saw… the living ones walking… with the second child…’” The Sefat Emet opens by citing a Midrash that describes two modes of life‑movement, hinting at dual spiritual pathways that w…
תרנ"ה(1894)
תרנ"ז(1896)
Sanctity of Shabbat Chanukah· Essay 1
“With God’s help — Shabbat Chanukah.” The Sefat Emet opens the teaching by situating it on Shabbat Chanukah, hinting that the ideas to follow draw from the combined spiritual lights of Shabbat and Chanukah. Summary: The teaching is introduc…
Hidden Divine Light· Essay 2
“It is stated in the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness; He set a time for the world, how long it should function in dimness.’” This introduces the idea that God limits the period during which the world remains in spiritual obscurity. “As …
תרנ"ח(1897)
תרנ"ט(1898)
Light Overcoming Darkness· Essay 1
In the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness”—He gave a time to the world; as long as the evil inclination is in the world, there is gloom and shadow; once the evil inclination is removed, there is no darkness. The Sefat Emet begins by teachi…
Sanctity of Speech and Joseph· Essay 2
It is written: “A testimony in Joseph was placed… a language I had not known I would hear.” The Sefat Emet begins with the verse describing Joseph as bearing testimony and receiving a new, unknown language. And our sages said: Gabriel came,…
תר"ס(1899)
תרס"א(1900)
Unity of Heaven and Earth· Essay 1
“In the verse ‘He made him ride in the second chariot’—this corresponds to the aspect of Shabbat, which doubles the bread, and all its actions are doubled, as the Midrash says: Shabbat unites the bread from heaven and earth to become one.” …
Inner Spiritual Hierarchies· Essay 2
“In the verse: ‘And Joseph, he is the ruler over the land.’” The Sefat Emet begins by noting that Joseph’s rulership signifies a spiritual supremacy, not merely political authority. “For the tribes are the pillars of the world, and the worl…
תרס"ב(1901)
Shabbat of Chanukah Light· Essay 1
“With God’s help.” A devotional opening invoking divine assistance before the teaching begins. “Shabbat of Chanukah.” An indication that the following teaching pertains to the intersection of Shabbat and Chanukah, a theme the Sefat Emet oft…
Light Overcoming Spiritual Darkness· Essay 2
“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness’ — this refers to the evil inclination in the world, which brings gloom and shadow.” The Sefat Emet opens by identifying darkness with the yetzer hara, which obscures spiritual awareness. “For nat…
Body–Soul Integration· Essay 3
“In the verse: ‘And he made him ride in the second chariot which was his,’ and in the Zohar: ‘which was His, to the Holy One.’” The Sefat Emet begins by linking the second chariot given to Joseph with the divine chariot mentioned in the Zoh…