Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

 

Miketz - 5766

 

 

 

בראשית מא:ד

 

וַתֹּאכַלְנָה הַפָּרוֹת רָעוֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְדַקֹּת הַבָּשָׂר אֵת שֶׁבַע הַפָּרוֹת יְפֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְהַבְּרִיאֹת וַיִּיקַץ פַּרְעֹה:

 

 

And the ugly gaunt cows ate up the seven handsome sturdy cows, and Pharaoh awoke. (Gen. 41:4)

 

 

 

 

 

Rashi

 

Ate up. This is a sign that all the joy of the years of plenty will be forgotten in the years of famine.

 

 

Ramban

 

AND THE COWS ATE UP. In my opinion this is a sign that the years of famine shall consume the years of plenty. It is from this that Joseph inferred that he should tell Pharaoh, “And let them store up all the food of those good years, And the food shall serve as a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine”, as he saw that the healthy cows and ears of corn were absorbed by the lean ones. This was no mere counsel which Joseph proposed, for was he appointed to be a counsellor of the king?

 

It was only in connection with the interpretation of the dream that he said thus: “And the plenty shall be forgotten”, “And the plenty shall not be known”. These words of Joseph constitute the interpretation of: “It could not be known that they had eaten them up, their appearance being bad as previously”, for Joseph saw that by their consumption of the fat cows, the lean ones did not become fine and plump. They served them for subsistence only, for had they not eaten them they would have died in their lean state.

 

This is unlike Rashi, who says that the plenty shall be forgotten is the interpretation of the eating itself.

 

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

  1. What question are each of these commentators answering? Is it the same question?
  2. Why does Ramban reject Rashi’s explanation?

 

 

 

Answers to last week’s questions:

(To access last week’s study sheet, visit the archives page on www.tenminutesoftorah.supanet.com .)

 

1.      What is the problem in the verse?

This is a case of “extra words” in the text. From the statement “the pit was empty” we know that there was no water in it. Therefore the Midrash tells us that “there was no water in it” qualifies the statement “the pit was empty”. It wasn’t really empty, it was empty of water, but it had other things in it.

 

2.      How could a pit with snakes and scorpions in it be considered empty?

Snakes and scorpions live in the walls of the pit. From the outside pit would look empty, but for Joseph, who was in the pit, they would have been very real.

 

3.      (xx) Why does Rashi (basing himself on the Midrash) use the example of snakes and scorpions as the creatures in the pit? Why not moles, rats, spiders or any other small animal?

 

Here we see the greatness of the Rabbis of the Midrash, and of Rashi himself. They have the whole Bible at their fingertips, and make connections to other parts of the Bible. In Deuteronomy, Moses describes the hardships the Children of Israel faced in the desert. This is his description:

 

[He] led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its seraph snakes and scorpions, a parched land with no water in it ... (Deuteronomy 8:15  )

 

From here Rashi learns that a place without water is a place of snakes and scorpions.

 

 

 

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

 

 

·         I endeavour to reply to everyone who sends their answers to me.

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·         This study sheet, and archives of previous study sheets are available at www.tenminutesoftorah.supanet.com .

·         Please send any comments or questions (including technical questions, or problems you have accessing the material) to tenminutesoftorah@supanet.com.

 

 

 

Jewish Journeys

Off the Beaten Track Jewish Adventures

With Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

 

Trip to

 

Lisbon, Castello De Vide, Tomar

 

March 2 – 5, 2006

 

Led by Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

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In December 1496, King Manuel I of Portugal signed the decree expelling the Jews from his country. This started the long saga of the Crypto-Jews of Portugal, the effects of which still are being lived by the descendants of the Crypto-Jews in Portugal today.

 

The highlight of our trip will be our Shabbat in Lisbon. We will be hosted by the Beit Israel community – made up of descendants of the Crypto-Jews who are rebuilding their Jewish life today. In addition we will visit the beautiful town of Castello De Vide, where there are still remnants of Crypto Jewish life, and Tomar – home of the oldest synagogue in the country.

 

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For Further Details Contact:

 

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

www.jewishjourneys.supanet.com

 

jewishjourneys@supanet.com

 

+44 20 7870 7959