Bereishis

The Tribes misinterpreted Yosef's dreams of supremacy as nocturnal reflections of his waking fantasies, as opposed to authentic Divine revelations of royalty and leadership. The reason for their error, posits the "Sfas Emes", stemmed from their view that Yosef was their spiritual equal. If they would have recognized that Yosef was the 'spiritual bridge between the exalted level of the Patriarchs and the mitigated level of the Tribes ("Shalah HaKadosh")', they would have correctly understood his dreams as commensurate to his lofty status. Yaakov poetically describes Yosef's elevated "bridge status" as "Even Yisroel". "Even", in Hebrew is a composite of two words, "av" (father) and "ben" (son), beautifully describing Yosef as the distinguished conduit between Yaakov and the Tribes. Allow me to suggest why the Tribes failed to appreciate Yosef's exalted status of "Even Yisroel".
Both Yehuda and Yosef were kings in their own right. Dovid HaMelech aptly describes our Parsha's confrontation between Yehuda and Yosef in Tehillim 48:5, "For the kings assembled". Each king, however, had a unique way (derech) of serving Hashem which stemmed from the personalities of their respective mothers, Leah and Rachel. Leah's personality was outgoing and gregarious. The Midrash describes Leah as a "yatzanis", "one who is fond of going out". Rachel, on the other hand, was inward and modest. The Gemara in Megilla 13b comments, "In reward for Rachel's tznius, she merited to have King Shaul as her progeny". Yehuda, as a son of Leah, accentuated the "chitzonius", and served Hashem in a visible and overt way. Yehuda emphasized the classic, outer manifestation of royal life, with its customary stress on external pomp and circumstance. Yosef was more comfortable serving Hashem with modesty and privacy, as the Targum comments on the bracha for Yosef in the birchas Yaakov (Breishis 49:24), "He fulfills the Torah 'b'sisra', i.e. clandestinely". When Yehuda identifies himself during his interaction with Tamar, he produces visible and outer manifestations of himself, "his signet, his cloak, and his staff". Yosef, on the other hand, proves his identity to his brothers, by showing them his circumcision, the most hidden and private expression of our relationship with Hashem.

This coincides beautifully with what the "Tur Shulchan Aruch" tells us in Orach Chaim (simon 417), "The holidays were established due to the merit of the Patriarchs". "HaRav Nosson Wachtfogel" zt"l, the late Mashgiach of the Lakewood Yeshiva, added to that statement, "and the merit of the Matriarchs". He suggested that Purim corresponds to Rachel and Chanukah corresponds to Leah. The entire episode of Purim is filled with "nistar", i.e. hidden and clandestine manifestations of Divine Providence, reflecting the hidden and modest nature of Rachel. This is what the pasuk in Megillas Esther alludes to, with the words, "And the king loved Esther more than all the other women", "The Almighty (King) loves the derech of being served with "hester" (Esther), modesty and privacy". Chanukah's focus is on publicizing the miracle that occurred, as we are instructed by Chazal to kindle the Menorah outside, reflecting the outward approach of Leah. Chanukah is also a holiday of "thanksgiving", "l'hodos u'lhallel", indicative of another of Leah's qualities, her initiative in naming her fourth son, Yehuda (hodaah, i.e. thanks), as an expression of her gratitude to Hashem for this additional son. The two approaches (derachim) of Leah/Yehuda and Rachel/Yosef are so fundamentally entrenched in the Jewish dynamic, that the Messianic age can only be brought about with the advent of both "Mashiach ben David", a scion of Yehuda/Leah and "Mashiach ben Yosef", a scion of Rachel/Yosef.

It is now very clear why the Tribes failed to recognize the preeminence of their brother Yosef. Yosef served Hashem "b'sisra", in his unique derech of modesty. The Tribes were not privy to this approach of Avodas Hashem, and therefore, expected to see greatness manifested on the outside. Yosef, was a "nistar", as Pharaoh described him, "A man who has the spirit of Hashem inside (Breishis 41:38)". Thus, the Tribes measuring Yosef using their own yardstick (the derech of their brother, Yehuda), failed to properly assess the greatness of the "Even Yisroel".

Recognizing this unfortunate misunderstanding, Yosef bids his brothers farewell in this week's Parsha with a subtle critique, 'Do not quarrel "b'derech" (on the way) (Breishis 45:24)'. "Rav Yechezkel of Kuzmir", in his sefer "Divrei Yisroel" suggests that Yosef meant to say, "Do not allow the different ways (derachim) of serving Hashem to precipitate machlokes and dispute". I would like to suggest that the ubiquitous and unfortunate history of machlokes amongst sundry persuasions of our People stems from a myopic perception of the different expressions and derachim for serving Hashem. We judge others using our own derech as the yardstick. Thus, we fail to assess their actions and motives properly, as they can only be understood in the context of their unique derech. May we follow the sage advice of the "Even Yisroel" - "Do not quarrel on the way", and learn to be tolerant and aware of alternative ways of serving Hashem. This awareness will produce the much needed atmosphere of shalom and brotherly love amongst our People.

In the ninth year of (Tzedkeyahu’s) reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nevuchadnetzar of Bavel and his entire army marched against Yerushalyaim. He besieged it and built siege towers around it. (Melachim 2:25,1)” Thus the Navi portrays the beginning of the destruction of Yerushalayim and the Temple on Asarah B’Teves. The Geonim and the Abarbanel tell us that although all fasts, with the exception of Yom Kippur, are not observed on the correct day if they fall out on Shabbos, Asarah B’Teves would supersede Shabbos. (With the advent of the fixed calendar, however, Asarah B’Teves never falls out on Shabbos.) They support this unusual Halacha based on the Pasuk in Yechezkel (2,3) which describes Asarah B’Teves as, “this very day”, alluding to the necessity of fasting on that very day, the tenth of Teves, without exception. HaGaon HaRav Chaim Brisker zt”l developed this concept further. Technically, a fast is permissible on Shabbos provided that there is no alternative day for its observance. For example, a “taanis chalom”, a fast which is observed as a result of a disturbing dream, may be held on Shabbos, in response to a distressing Friday night dream. The logic for this dispensation is, that the effectiveness of a “taanis chalom” is only possible if held the day immediately after the dream. Since one has no other recourse, one may fast a “taanis chalom” on Shabbos. The reason the other fasts are postponed, explains R’Chaim, is because they originally were observed on any day of the respective month, as the Navi describes them as “the fast of the fourth month,the fast of the fifth month...”. It was only later that the Chachomim institutionalized the day which would universally be observed, i.e. the 17th day of Tammuz, and the 9th day of Av etc. Therefore, one is technically observing the fast day even on the postponed day. The only exception to this rule was Asarah B’Teves that was always observed “B’etzem Hayom Hazeh” - “on that specific day” i.e. the 10th of Teves, obviating the option of postponement.

The Rebbe of Dinov, author of the Bnei Yissachar offers the following edifying explanation. The Gemarah records a dispute between R’Yochanan and the Rabbanan concerning the appropriate date to commemorate the Churban. R’Yochanan opines that if he was living when Tisha B’Av was established, he would have recommended the Tenth of Av instead. Since most of the conflagration occurred on the Tenth, as the fires were set in the afternoon of the Ninth, the Tenth is therefore the more appropriate day. The Rabbanan disagree and praise the choice of the ninth day because the “Aschalta D’Purnisa”, the initial stages of disaster, are more significant.

The Dinover suggests that the source of the Rabbanan’s logic is this halacha of fasting on Asarah B’Teves even when it occurs on Shabbos. Since Asarah B’Teves is the “Aschalta,” the beginning of the Churban, it takes on a severity not found even for Tisha B’Av, and is observed on Shabbos.

This is a fundamental concept in the service of Hashem. The first stage of any time or event, such as the beginning of each day, month or year, or the first year of marriage, are the most crucial and must be observed with utmost diligence.