Friday, December 16, 2011

The Temple Institute, And His Brothers Hearkened

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

The Temple Institute?

That through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

"And His Brothers Hearkened"
(Genesis 37:27)
Kislev 19, 5772/December 15, 2011

"He's a born leader." We've all heard that expression. Perhaps we've even used it ourselves in describing someone who seems to possess a natural ability to direct and to influence others. But is there really such a thing as a born leader? Our Torah reading ofVayeshev would suggest not. At least not a true leader of men, one who leads in the way of Torah, attuned at all times to the will of G-d. Vayeshev follows closely the slow and painful emergence of two true leaders of Israel: Yosef and Yehudah.

While it is abundantly clear that the young outgoing Yosef is an ambitious possessor of great dreams and vision, the qualities of the introspective Yehudah are much more subtly noted. But what both Yosef and Yehudah lack, what no one is born with, but must acquire through the vicissitudes of life, is humility.

It is clear from the opening verses of Vayeshev that Yosef is on a collision course with his brothers. Even before we read that Yosef's brothers "hated" him because they "saw that their father loved him more," (Genesis 37:4) we are told that "Yosef brought evil tales about [his half-brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah] to their father." (ibid 37:2) Far from displaying humility, Yosef is acting with arrogance.

It is when Yosef is receiving his comeuppance at the hands of his brothers that we see the first glimmer of the leadership qualities of Yehudah. After Reuven's failed attempt to save Yosef's life, Yehudah appeals to his siblings: "'What is the gain if we slay our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.'" (ibid 37:27) This is hardly a heroic gesture on Yehudah's behalf. He didn't even raise the suggestion until the brothers had already noticed the passing caravan of Ishmaelite traders. Selling Yosef into slavery was itself a crime of breathtaking gravity, whose ramifications continue to cast a shadow upon the nation of Israel to this day. But for certain it was a far lesser crime than actually slaying Yosef with their own hands. Had the brothers taken Yosef's life there would not have been twelve Israelite tribes, there would not have been a nation of Israel. With this single suggestion, predicated as it was in the negative, ("What is the gain"), Yehudah nevertheless saved the nation of Israel. Of no less significance is what the latter half of the same verse tells us: "And his brothers hearkened." (ibid)

The next stage in Yehudah's rise to leadership is revealed in the narrative of his relationship with his daughter-in-law Tamar. By directing Onan to marry his dead brother's wife, it is clear that Yehudah, as in the earlier case concerning Yosef, is striving to do the right thing. And so it is that when he receives word that the twice-widowedTamar has prostituted herself, he directs, according to his best understanding of Torah, to "'bring her out, and let her be burned.'" (ibid 38:24) But the watershed moment forYehudah, as an individual, as a leader, and as the progenitor of the future messiah, is what happens next. Tamar reveals to him that he was her unknowing consort. Recognizing the signet ring that he had given her, a wave of humility washes over him as he admits, "She is right." In this humble and public admission that Tamar was right, and that he, Yehudah, was wrong, the quality of humility, so necessary an element of true leadership, emerged as the defining characteristic of Yehudah and of his illustrious progeny.

Yosef's path to humility was, of course, prolonged and marked with repeated rises and falls. But he too would learn to temper his vision with humility and thereby acquire the ability to not simply herd sheep, but to truly lead men. Yosef and Yehudah, of course, were destined to meet again, as they both grew to learn that the well-being of their brothers was their primary concern and responsibility. The beautiful choreography of their relationship together, from the serpent-filled pit to the palace of the Pharaoh, attests to the Divine hand which sought to shape the two to play leadership roles throughout the history of Israel. And in pitting brother against brother for the sake of being one another's keeper, and not, G-d forbid, to rise up one against the other, G-d compels the one quality that can guarantee brotherly love to emerge victorious: humility.

Our world today is filled with powerful national leaders. Some of them are brilliant speakers. Some possess command of economic issues, others have decorated military experience. Many of them exude the charisma required to line up men behind them. But do any of them possess the quality of humility? Would they even consider humility to be an asset? Or is it a liability in their world? Humility is not something that one can learn by attending the finest schools, nor is it something that can be purchased, no matter how wealthy the consumer. Humility is something which we acquire only when we confront head on the life that G-d has blessed us with and the path that He has set out before us. We can all be leaders, if we put G-d first.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven shine a light on the Torah portion of Vayeshev which gives the account of the righteous Yosef's descent into the darkness of Egypt, while right here in Jerusalem we are combating a darkness as well, despite the fact that next week the world will be illuminated by the hidden light of Chanukah. The darkness we refer to, of course, is the spiritual darkness behind the scenes of the Mugrahbi Bridge controversy. The stark truth, say the hosts of Temple Talk, is that it's not about the bridge, stupid - it's about sovereignty. Do you just want to feel good or do you want the truth? Tune into this week's Temple Talk for rage. Not since Dylan Thomas railed "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" has such passion and intensity of feeling been expressed. And yes, we too are raging against the dying of the light - the light of sanity, of sobriety, of Jewish pride and heritage, the light of Chanukah, the light of G-d's honor. If you listen to just one Temple Talk, make sure this is it.

Temple Talk Radio: SPECIAL NEWS UPDATE: Temple Mount Bridge Reopened: In yesterday’s weekly Temple Talk radio webcast Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven made heard their outrage concerning the sudden and inexplicable decision by the government of Israel to close until further notice the Rambam Gate Bridge which provides the sole access to the Temple Mount for Jews and Gentiles. Between the Jerusalem city engineer declaring the bridge unsafe and widely reported threats from Israel’s Moslem neighbors should Israel dare to change the status quo at the Temple Mount either by closing the bridge, allowing it to remain open, tearing it down or building a replacement for it, the government of Israel seemed paralyzed.The morning of Wednesday, December 14, Rabbi Richman and others met at the Rambam Bridge, and much to their delight, the bridge was open and access to the Mount was granted. To what do we owe this sudden change of course? Click here to hear Rabbi Richman describe this latest chapter in the Temple Mount Bridge saga.

This week's all-new Return of Prophecy teaching by Rabbi Avraham Sutton, is entitled, "Illumination by the Numbers: We live in a natural world which can be numerically described by the number 6. When our enemies try to darken this world G-d outflanks our adversaries and fills our world with the illumination of the supernal light, described by the number 8. Being the vessels for these lights makes our status unique, described by the number 7." Click hereto view.

The high drama of parashat Vayeshev comes to teach us two things, which are really only one: We must be ever ready to take upon ourselves the task that G-d has chosen for us, and our time on this earth is not for our own leisure, but to realize the role that G-d has intended for us. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's teaching on parashat Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23).