Friends of Itamar

Parashat Vayigash December 14, 2007

Determining leadership for the Jewish people has never been an easy thing for any age in our long history. But when a leader’s time comes to reveal himself, he can no longer stand beside and hide. Our first encounter with “hide and seek” is when our first King, Saul, described as good looking and tall, hides amongst the barrels and he can’t be found. And they could not find him. ולא מצאו “ואין “”והנה הוא נחבא עם הכלים (Samuel one, chapter 10 verse 22)

The search for King David was not done simple either, even for our prophet (Samuel one chapter 16 verse 11) He sifts through all of Yishay’s sons and asks, “Hatamu hanearim?” “Is there not another son to be found?” “Oh him!” they are practically rolling their eyes and point to the young David out pasturing the sheep.

Up until now, Yosef displays, on an obvious level, emotional indifference as well as hides his true identity. He has been thrown into the pit 2 times, looses his brothers and suffers at the hands of Eshet Potiphar. Yehudah faces personal tragedy in his own family loosing 2 sons to death, not to mention his ordeal with Tamar and his coming to terms with the his own truth. His tikkun reaches a climax when he is ready to sacrifice himself as a guarantor for his brother, Binyamin. This devotion is what brings Yosef to finally reveal himself.

If passion and desire and overcoming these tests were the theme of the previous parshas, now we are focused on heart and soul emotion. Feelings are brought up afresh by thoughts of home, family standing up for brotherhood. Yosef, who rules half the world but in one second is again taken into the fold of the family, and Yehudah who is almost crowned king of the House of Israel have both “learned on their own skins” what responsibility and accountability mean.

The slander, pits, and dreams zenith as Yosef, the lifesaver emancipates himself as he cries, “ANI YOSEF!”(I am Joseph) This he only does when he sees the brother’s sin rectified. כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה” All of Israel is responsible for one another. This is the key of redemption. May it arrive speedily in our days, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom,

Leah Goldsmith Itamar

Parashat Vayeshev November 29, 2007 In these last parshiyot, through the examples of Dina and Yoseph, the substance of Shechem is revealed into 2 separate streams of consciousness. First, in its character of turning the active into the passive. Dina went out TO SEE the Land of Shechem, but what really happened was that Shechem SAW her; Dina was taken and ruined. When Yoseph goes out to SEEK his brothers in Shechem, a man ( the angel Gabriel) finds Yoseph there and soon afterwards the brothers RECOGNIZE HIM from afar. From that point he is taken and thrown into the pit. From the pit he revolves and revolves until he reaches the lowest point- prison in Egypt. He reaches the bottom rung of Olam Tachton (the lower worlds) but never asks why. His job is to take out the holy sparks from that place. In an almost full swing of events, despite not being able to turn the clock back, Yoseph is ordained second to the king. He marries Pharoh’s adopted daughter, Asnat, who in fact is the daughter of Dina and Shechem who Y’akov sent down to Egypt. Together they raise the future generations of Ephraim and Menashe who eventually inherit the portion of Shechem and her vast environs. The tikkun (rectification) of the positive side of Shechem is when all the tribes unite in position to receive the Torah- renewal of the covenant when they enter the Land after wandering the desert for 40 years. This is done in Shechem echad (one united Shechem). Hashem tells us ” SEE, I gave you (lecha- as one unit) the blessings and the curse..” In the act of buying the Land of Shechem way before all of this transpired, Ya’akov made a kinyan for nachalat Yoseph in buying the chelkat hasadeh for 100 k’sita from Shechem ben Chamor, a legacy for Yoseph (who is later laid to rest there) and all of Am Yisrael FOREVER. Dear Readers, When we ever go up to Har Gerrizim and look down into Shechem we are well aware that we are being watched. Despite the heartbreaking view of a destroyed Kever Yoseph, we can perceive that Yoseph is drawing out the last of the sparks of Edom. Only he can do this.

Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith Itamar