EIGHTH PLAGUE

Moshe goes to meet Pharaoh and warns him that if he does not allow the Hebrew slaves to leave, Egypt will be devastated by a plague of locusts. After Moshe and Aharon leave the palace, Pharaoh’s officials try to convince him to let the Israelites go before Egypt is destroyed. Pharaoh calls Moshe and makes him an offer: allow the Jews to leave, but leave their children in Egypt. Moshe rejects the offer, and Pharaoh then refuses to set them free. Moshe extends his hand, and a plague of locusts falls on Egypt, consuming all the vegetation. Pharaoh asks Moshe to pray to God to eliminate the locusts and assures him that he will let the Jews go. Moshe prays, and the wind carries the locusts out of Egypt, but Pharaoh, having freed himself from the locusts, does not keep his word.

NINTH PLAGUE:

Darkness descends on Egypt. The Egyptians had to be in virtual isolation for three days since they couldn’t see each other’s faces. But the darkness did not affect the area where the Jews lived. Pharaoh calls Moshe back and offers him a new concession: free the Hebrews, men, women, and children, but leave their cattle in Egypt to ensure they return. Moshe rejects the offer, and at this point, Pharaoh expels Moshe from his presence and threatens him: “for the day you see my face again, you will die.” Moshe tells Pharaoh that one more plague will befall Egypt, after which Pharaoh will release them from slavery unconditionally.

REPARATIONS

God instructs Moshe that the Israelites ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver objects as compensation or reparation that in those times was granted to a slave when he was released. The Egyptians quickly gave the Hebrews items of great value, intending for them to leave so that the plagues would end. Moshe warns Pharaoh that at midnight, God will put to death all the Egyptian firstborns, including Pharaoh’s son, the heir to the throne.

THE PESACH SACRIFICE

God dictates his first Mitzvah to the children of Israel: to officially consecrate and announce the beginning of the lunar month, Rosh Chodesh, thus establishing the future Hebrew calendar. God also instructs Moshe that the Jews must take a lamb to sacrifice, roast, and consume along with matzah and bitter herbs before leaving Egypt. With the lamb’s blood, the Jews should paint the lintels and doorposts of their homes, so when the last plague affects the Egyptian firstborn, the Jewish firstborn who are inside these residences marked with blood will be protected by God. HaShem also indicates Moshe that future generations should remember this day forever, celebrating the Pesach festival for seven days, during which they may not eat or possess leaven (chamets).

TENTH PLAGUE

At midnight on Nisan 15, a plague kills the Egyptian firstborn, but God protects the Jewish firstborn. Egypt is terrified because they think that the God of the Jews will cause the death of all Egyptians. Pharaoh wakes up and has Moshe brought in and pleads with him to take the Jewish slaves out of Egypt, thereby implicitly granting them their freedom. The Egyptian citizens also pressure the Hebrews to leave as soon as possible. The Jews prepared their provisions: unleavened bread made with non-fermented dough because they had to go fast, and they did not have time to let the dough rise to make ordinary bread. The Israelites leave Egypt at noon on Nisan 15.

FIRST COMMANDMENTS

God instructs the Hebrews to celebrate Pesach in the future by offering a sacrifice and consuming it similarly to what they did in Egypt. There are other commandments that God gives, all related to the miraculous salvation from the plague that caused the death of the firstborn. 1. To consecrate the Jewish firstborn to Divine service. 2. Matsa should be consumed on Pesach night. 3. Every year on Pesach night, parents will tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to their children. 4. The firstborn of domestic animals will also be consecrated or redeemed if they are animals unfit for consumption. 5. Jewish men should wear Tefillin, or phylacteries, on their heads and arms, little leather boxes containing four texts that allude to Israel’s love for God, expressed in the liberation from Egypt.

Shemot 10:21, HaShem said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt. 22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all of Egypt for three days.  23. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days….

This week’s Parasha describes the last three plagues that struck Egypt and ended up twisting the arm of Pharaoh, who ultimately freed the Jews from Egypt.  I would like to write today about the Ninth Plague, choshekh “darkness.” First, to understand the nature of this plague, and second, to examine the function of this and the previous eight plagues in the context of the story of the Exodus. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you might feel a little disappointed about the plagues. Moshe is not coming on a flying carpet to see Pharaoh. He is not transforming the Egyptian monarch into a frog. And is not bringing upon Egypt an invasion of seven-headed snakes. All the plagues are, seemingly,  “natural phenomena”, events that could have occurred naturally in Egypt.   Let’s analyze, for example, the plague of darkness. What type of phenomena caused this darkness? The Biblical text describes it as tangible, a darkness that can be felt. The text also implies that this state of darkness literally paralyzed Egypt: people could not see each other from a close distance, so no one left his home for three days.  Whatever caused this darkness, the Tora is not describing here merely the absence of light. Rabbi Abraham Eben Ezra says that the Ninth Plague might have been produced by a very thick, intense fog coming from the Nile.  Incidentally, I experienced this type of fog when I visited the forests of Monteverde in Costa Rica. Unlike the absence of light, the darkness produced by heavy fog is tangible, a zero visibility that you can physically feel and “touch.” Precisely as the biblical text describes this plague.  This won’t be the case, for example, if darkness was a product of a solar eclipse. 

MY FAVORITE CANDIDATE FOR DARKNESS
A few years ago, when I was living in Israel, I was driving my old light-blue Subaru car from Jerusalem to Dimona, and to shorten the way, I did not use the regular safe highway:  I turned east, circumventing Mount Hebron and some Arab villages in somewhat desert areas. And then, I got caught in a sandstorm. It was noon, but I could not see a thing, not a foot ahead of me.  I slowed down, and then I turned on the car’s lights. Serious mistake! Far from illuminating the route, my car’s lights were reflected in the “sandstorm”, and it dazzled me directly in the eyes. So to be able to see anything, I had to turn off the light!  I had to stop my car in the middle of nowhere. B”H the storm was short, and I don’t think it was as severe as the one in Egypt… But it helped me understand better that light is useless for this type of darkness and that thick, tangible darkness could disrupt normal life and paralyze people.   Sand storms and dust storms are prevalent in the Middle East and other areas of the world. This awesome video shows a dust storm that affected Oklahoma and other areas in 1935. This footage is priceless because it mentions this climate event as a “plague” (I don’t think there is any deliberate allusion to Egypt or the Bible here). It also mentions that it felt like midnight, with zero visibility, in the brightness of the day. Thirdly, same as in Egypt,  people could not move; they had to crawl to seek shelter. All this corresponds verbatim to the Biblical text description of the plague of darkness.

THE TORA vs. LORD VOLDEMORT

The Tora tells us explicitly the reason for the Makkot. וידעו מצרים כי-אני ה ‘ בנטתי את-ידי על-מצרים והוצאתי את-בני-ישראל, מתוכם. “So the Egyptians would know that I’m HaShem”. But this still begs the question of precisely what the Egyptians needed to know. That HaShem can perform magic better than the Egyptian wizards? In my opinion, the ultimate goal of the plagues was for the Egyptians –and for the Jews– is the evidence that HaShem is the Creator and that He alone is in control of nature. How so? 

Nature unleashes its power indiscriminately and without warning.  But the plagues of Egypt were different. They were not natural events but rather the handiwork of a higher power; the true God is in complete control of nature. He, through the agency of Moses, decided when each plague would begin and how long it would last. The plagues were also intelligently designed, each serving a specific purpose. For example, the plague of locusts was designed to destroy all the green leaves in Egypt, while the previous plague of hail left them untouched. Nature is blind: an earthquake won’t spare children or innocent people. Nature does not have the capacity to make moral selections. What makes the plagues different and unique (and Divine) is that they were visibly under God’s control. God, thru the agency of Moshe, decided when the plague would start and how long it would last. And what sets the plagues apart from nature even more, is that they affected only the Egyptians and not the Israelites. This is explicitly mentioned in several plagues, such as the pestilence that struck the Egyptian animals and the darkness that did not affect the Israelites’ place of residence. This level of precision and selectivity can only be achieved by a Creator who is deliberately engineering these special effects. 

Unlike natural forces, represented by the Egyptian gods,  the Creator “selects”, making a plague affecting one sector of the population and not the other. Thus, the God of Israel demonstrates that he can direct his power and affect only a specific target, something that blind nature cannot do.  This selective power is more present in the Tenth and last plague than in any other plague. The last plague affected the firstborn. Now, there is nothing physical or biological in an individual’s body by which a scientist can determine that this person was born first or second from his mother.  Only the Creator, and nothing in Nature,  can identify who was born first. Second, God ordered the Hebrews to mark their homes with blood, and then, God would spare those homes against the lethal plague. This selective effect of a plague cannot be attributed to magic or the work of any natural phenomena.

The plagues of Egypt were not random acts of nature but rather the finely tuned instruments of a Creator who was using them to accomplish His plan.

See this article about a monster dust storm in Australia, 2020

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/20/huge-dust-storms-hit-central-new-south-wales

See also this. Oklahoma, 1935

Based John Gottman’s: The Seven Principles for making marriage  work

1. CRITICISM vs COMPLAINT

Criticism
• Attacks personality or character
• Uses “always / never”
• Creates defensiveness

Complaint (Gentle Start-Up)
• Focuses on behavior
• Uses “I feel”
• Makes a clear request

Formula for a Healthy Complaint:

I feel ___ about ___, and I need ___.

2. CONTEMPT (Most Dangerous)

What It Looks Like:
• Sarcasm
• Mocking
• Eye-rolling
• Name-calling
• Superiority

Why It’s Toxic:
• Destroys respect
• Creates shame
• Predicts divorce

Antidote:

Practice respect, appreciation, and repair.

3. DEFENSIVENESS

What It Sounds Like:
• “It’s not my fault”
• Excuses
• Counterattacks
• Playing the victim (DARVO:

Why It Fails:
• Blocks responsibility
• Prevents repair

Antidote:

Take even partial responsibility.

This week we start a new book: Shemot, “Names” or Exodus.

1. THE BIRTH OF MOSHE
The Tora begins by mentioning the names of Jacob’s sons and telling us that his descendants were prosperous, fruitful, and powerful in Egypt. But when a new dynasty arose, Pharaoh set out to weaken the Jews and impoverish them. First, by taxing them and giving them hard jobs. But no matter how much he oppressed them, the Jews continued to multiply and did not lose their power. Pharaoh then orders the midwives to kill all the newborn Hebrew children. These women, however, defied Pharaoh’s order and let the children live. Pharaoh called the midwives to punish them for not following his orders. The midwives replied that Hebrew women were self-sufficient in delivering their babies. God rewards the midwives for their bravery and fear of Heaven. Pharaoh then orders all his people to take part in the elimination of the Jewish children by throwing all the newborn males into the Nile. When Moshe (Moises) is born, his mother fears for his life, and she puts him in a waterproof basket and leaves the basket floating in the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter, Batya, bathes in the Nile when she sees the child. She takes it and adopts it as her own. Miriam, Moshe’s sister, who is observing what is happening, offers to bring a Hebrew woman to breastfeed the child. Pharaoh’s daughter accepts her suggestion, and thus Yochebed, Moshe’s mother, raises her son until he grows up.

2. MOSHE MEETS HIS BROTHERS
Moshe lives in the Royal Place. Already an adult, Moshe leaves the palace and feels the suffering of his Jewish brothers. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses kills the Egyptian and somehow, Pharaoh finds out. Moshe is forced to flee. He escapes to Midian and stays there for a time. He marries Tsipora, Yitro’s daughter, and has two sons, Guereshom and Eliezer.

3. GOD REMEMBERS HIS PROMISE
In Egypt, the situation of Jewish slaves is getting worse. The people cry out to God, and God takes into account the Covenant that He had made with their ancestors. Moshe is herding Yitro’s flocks in the desert when he sees a burning bush not consumed by its fire. When Moshe came closer to understanding what was happening, God spoke to him. God tells him that He has seen the suffering of the Israelites and has decided to liberate them from the Egyptians through Moshe. God gives Moshe instructions. He must gather the Jewish elders and inform them that God would rescue them from Egypt and bring them back to Israel. Then Moshe must speak to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Jews go out to serve God. However, God warns Moshe that Pharaoh will not agree to this request. But redemption will eventually happen after God punishes Egypt. God presents Moshe with three miraculous tests to perform before the Israelites, so they will believe God has sent him. Moshe says he is unfit for this challenging mission due to his inability to speak eloquently. God then assigns his brother Aharon to be his spokesperson.

4. MOSHE GOES TO EGYPT
Moshe takes his wife and his two sons and heads to Egypt. God specifies to Moshe what he should say to Pharaoh: “Israel is my firstborn son. Let my son go to serve Me. And if you refuse to free him, I will take your firstborn son.” Moshe meets Aaron, who had come from Egypt to meet him, and together they arrive in Egypt. They gather all the elders and present the evidence that God had sent them.

5. MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED
Moshe and Aharon go to Pharaoh’s palace and ask him to let the Jews go. Pharaoh mocks them and instructs his taskmasters to increase the workload of the Jewish slaves. The Jews could not meet the new demands of Pharaoh, and as a result, they were brutally beaten. Moses, afflicted and confused, turns to God: “Why have you caused more suffering to these people? And what have you sent me for? For since I have spoken to Pharaoh in Your name, the people are suffering more…. “. God reassures Moshe and replies that he will soon see what God will do with Pharaoh and that the Egyptian monarch will be forced to liberate the Jews.

The Bible, Biblical archeology, and ancient Jewish history are taught in the Jewish academic world. But there is a phenomenon that is not much talked about: the “oedipal” relationship between many Jewish scholars and the texts they teach. In this relationship, the Jewish text (representing its Author) is the father that must be removed. The preferred way to eliminate these texts is to render them a myth, which is done by questioning their credibility and historical value. This anti-text attitude, de and I say this with great pain, is characteristic of most Israeli universities and professors, except for Bar Ilan University and some other universities worldwide. In the eyes of these scholars, “the biblical text is false until otherwise proven,” something none of them bothers to do. Something similar happens with the “interpretations” given to archaeological discoveries, which always point toward the same direction: denying the historicity of our Tora. The reasons for this pathetic attitude towards Jewish sources do not pertain to history or archeology but to the psychology department. It is part of Jewish self-hatred, a self-destructive attitude that manifests itself in several ways.
Today I want to present—and disprove—a couple of famous examples of this academic rhetoric.

This Shabbat, we will begin reading the book of Shemot, Exodus. And we will get closer to the founding history of the Jewish people: the exit from Egypt. The Oedipal Jews claim that the Exodus from Egypt did not happen. A few years ago, a conservative rabbinical leader, David Wolpe, who heads a large Sephardic community in Los Angeles, California, made a famous statement before his large congregation on the Passover holiday: “The departure from Egypt is not a historical fact: it is a myth”, he stated (see here ).
The implications of this claim are tremendous: if the Jewish founding story is false, the Tora is not a book dictated by God, but a mythological text, without credibility or relevance. If the Bible is not Divine, why should I care what some mythical writers wrote 3,500 years ago?

To deny the Exodus, Wolpe relied on the words of the head of the archeology department at Tel Aviv University, Israel Finkelstein, “the Jews were not in Egypt, the captivity did not exist, the Exodus never happened.” What compelling evidence was used to disprove the Biblical account of the exodus from Egypt? What arguments led Finkelstein and others to such a tremendous and far-reaching assertion? “The absence of archaeological remains,” Finkelstein said. If 2 or 3 million people had wandered through the desert for 40 years, we would have to find, for example, clay pots from that journey. And nothing was found!

Two elements make this argument academically untenable. First, there is a golden rule: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”, “that no material evidence is found about something, is not enough evidence that that event did not exist .”It is like questioning the historicity of the discovery of America because the archaeological remains of the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa Maria were never found. But there is a second argument to debunk this ridiculous claim that is even more solid and definitive.

“[Wolpe and others] claim that the Sinai desert has been searched and no evidence has been found of the mass of millions of people the Bible says they were there for 40 years. That statement is not true. There have been few major excavations at Sinai, and it certainly could have been traced back more… Uncovering objects buried 3,200 years ago is an impossible task, especially in the Sinai desert. An Israeli colleague told me with a laugh that a vehicle that had been lost in the Yom Kippur war in 1973 was recently discovered under 16 meters of sand! In 40 years, 16 meters of sand have accumulated! ” [Elliot Friedman]. Think how many kilometers of sand you would have to dig to start looking for something!

And here I ask myself again: is this simple problem not known or considered by Someone like Finkelstein or Wolpe? Or perhaps they know the claim is ridiculous, and they still say it because they assume their audience isn’t knowledgeable in the topography of the Sinai desert? (On other the possible motives of Finkelstein and other Israeli archaeologists to deny Biblical history, see note below *). I hope it is now clearer why I described this anti-text attitude as “Oedipal.”

A second argument, also not very solid, to deny the historicity of the exodus is that the number of Jews who left Egypt, according to the Tora, was 603,550 men over the age of 20 and their respective families. “This number is impossible to accept,” said the nihilists. And why is it impossible to accept?
Let’s listen to the experts: “Someone calculated long ago that if that number of people, [2.5 million] were marching through the desert… Then when the first ones reached Sinai, half the people would still be in Egypt!”
In other words, it is impossible to conceive that a human mass of 2 million people moves and mobilizes in an area extending for 150 or 200 km.

And I must confess that I only realized the lack of merits of this argument when Argentina became the Soccer World Champion! I saw the photos and videos of the human tide in Buenos Aires, between 3 and 5 million people, depending on the newspaper one reads, moving along the 9 de Julio street and the Ricchieri Highway, an area of about 15 or 20 km and relatively narrow. I confess that the first thing that came to my mind when I saw those videos was that—keeping the distance between the two events—I was witnessing the image of a human group whose number was similar to that of the Exodus from Egypt! I understood what King Balaq said then when he saw the multitudes of Israel from the top of the mountain and declared: hine khisa et ‘en haarets, that is, “these people are so numerous that they have covered the surface of the earth”, that is, from the mountain, Balaq could not see even an empty stretch of land. As in the image of the human tide on 9 de julio avenue last Sunday, December 18th. When I saw those photos, I think I visualized for the first time a more realistic image of the exodus from Egypt, which perhaps we tend to think of as a cartoon-like fantasy. These images helped me better understand the epic magnitude of Yetsiat Mitsrayim and our people’s incredible 40-year journey in the desert.

https://youtu.be/EganXXmbvto

* Bryant Wood, director of the Associates for Biblical Research in Maryland, argued that the evidence falls into place if the story is dated back to 1450 BC. He said that indications of destruction around that time at Hazor, Jericho, and a site he is excavating that he believes is the biblical city of Ai support accounts of Joshua’s conquests.
He also cited the documented presence of “Asiatic” slaves in Egypt who could have been Israelites and said they would not have left evidence of their wanderings because they were nomads with no material culture. But Wood said he couldn’t get his research published in serious archeological journals. “There’s a definite anti-Bible bias,” Wood said. The revisionist view, however, is not necessarily publicly popular. Herzog, Finklestein, and others have been attacked for everything from faulty logic to pro-Palestinian political agendas that undermine Israel’s land claims.

LIVE LIKE MORTALS

The idea of death has always fascinated me. In my teens, becoming my conscious of my own mortality and its hopeless inevitability made me think more deeply about life and the purpose of my existence. Far from scaring me, the idea that we are mortal indirectly brought me closer to the Creator and the Tora . It was Ribbi Meir’s (טוב מות) explanation of how mortality confers “purpose” to life, and an invaluable metaphor by Borges –in the story “The Immortals”– that delves into the difference between hours (or days) and the coins. The coins are identical, one and the other; they are replaceable, interchangeable, and fully recoverable. Time, however, cannot be recovered or replaced. The hours or the days are not the same because, unlike the coins, the days expire; they “pass away”. A day that passed is a day that died that will not be repeated and will never return.

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF TIME

We can correct many errors and faults. If we take someone else’s money, for example, eventually, we can replace it. But there is no way to make up for the lost time. It is impossible to rectify a wasted day. Borrowing a biblical metaphor, זה ספר תולדות אדם, our life is like a book, a notebook that we write – that writes itself, as it says in “untane toqef” – with every action we perform. Many books are full of flawed pages, mistakes we make over and over again. But if we do Teshuba, if we repent, we can correct them, make amends. A notebook with corrections is not a bad notebook. The “terrible” notebook has many “empty” pages. Days, weeks and months are blank because we did not do anything relevant that is worth registering in our book of life. I believe there is no worse way to face death than to feel that our life is an empty notebook. That we waste time surviving and forget to live with meaning. That is the only death that should horrify us. The one that comes after a life lived in vain.

DEATH WITH EGYPTIAN EYES

This week’s Parashah is mainly devoted to the description of the death of our patriarch Jacob. The emphasis of the biblical story, judging by the number of verses that the Tora dedicates to each topic, is focused on the shock and mourning that was experienced in Egypt when Yosef’s father died. In the delicate negotiations between Yosef and Pharaoh so that his father could be buried in the land of Israel, as he had requested before he died, in the preservation, mummification, and transfer of Jacob’s body; his funeral; the impressive procession that accompanied him and his monumental burial. The Biblical text says little about the moment of his death. But the Midrash makes up for it with so much depth, beauty, and realism. Making it clear that Ya’akob Abinu’s life was significant, and thus, he faced his death without fear.

DIE SATISFIED

The Torah tells us that at the time of his death, our patriarch was in his bed, fully conscious, and surrounded by his children and possibly his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren. Awareness of the last moments of life is a “privilege” that most patients cannot access today. In its quest to prolong life and reduce pain, modern medicine means that very few patients “expire” conscious, alert to the end, and surrounded by their loved ones instead of being surrounded by machines, tubes, and wires. (On this very delicate subject, I recommend the book “Being Mortal” by Dr. Atul Gawande). The Midrash enriches the description of the death of our patriarch by providing an exquisite detail. Before he died, Ya’aqob wanted to ensure that all his children followed his path: that they were, and would continue to be, loyal to the Abrahamic covenant and that none had abandoned or intended to abandon the way of the Almighty. We cannot blame Ya’aqob for his suspicions. Abraham and Yitzchaq had sons who strayed from their fathers’ paths and assimilated into their wives’ families. In the last minutes of his life, with the last of his remaining strength, Ya’aqob asks his children – he needs to know – if they will continue on his way. The Wise Men reconstruct that profound final dialogue between the dying father and his sons: Jacob asks them if he has any doubts about the existence of God, unique and invisible, Creator of heaven and earth. The response of his children could not have been better. : “SHEMA ISRAEL HASHEM ELOQENU HASHEM EJAD”. “Listen, Israel [our father, Jacob’s new name. All of us, your children, affirm that ] HaShem is our God and that HaShem is one”.

WHEN DEATH IS NOT SCARY

Jacob, on his deathbed, ends his life hearing from his sons the official declaration of Jewish principles, which is also the pledge of allegiance to Judaism that his descendants express daily. At that moment, Jacob realizes that his ongoing hardships and suffering—147 years of struggle literally from the womb—had not been in vain. In the last minutes of his life, Yaaqob realizes that his family, “the children of Israel”, united physically and spiritually, are now ready for the next step: becoming the people of Israel. The Tsadiqim, the just men and women, prepare all their lives to die like this. To leave this world with the incomparable existential satisfaction of feeling that your life has not been in vain.

Parashat Vayichi (ויחי) which means “and he lived” refers to the last 17 years of the life of the patriarch Jacob , Ya’aqob, in Egypt.

1. JACOB’S LAST DAYS
When Jacob feels his life is coming to an end, he calls Yosef and makes him promise to bury him in Israel, and not in Egypt. Yosef agrees to his father’s request. When Jacob falls ill Yosef visits him, accompanied by his two sons Menashe and Ephraim. Jacob adopts Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe, as his own sons and gives them each one portion of his inheritance. Hence, instead of inheriting one single tribe like his brothers, Yosef will inherit two tribes. Yosef asks his father to bless his children. Jacob crosses his hands and places his right hand, with which he would bless the first-born, on the head of Ephraim, the younger of the two brothers. And he blesses them saying: “May the angel of HaShem who redeemed me from all evil bless these two lads, and may they be called by my name and by the name of my parents, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply in abundance upon the earth.” Yosef is concerned because he thinks that Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim by mistake, and tries to place his father’s hand on Menashe. But Jacob refuses and tells him that he knows who the older son is, but “the younger brother will be greater than him, and his offspring shall be plentiful enough for nations.” Then Jacob blesses them saying that the people of Israel will bless one another saying: “May God bless you as Ephraim and Menashe.” This event, happened probably when Jacob just arrived to Egypt.

2. JACOB’S FINAL BLESSING
Jacob summons all of his sons and dedicates a personalized message, blessing or even criticism, based on the character, talents, future and potential of each one of them. Reuben is criticized for his impulsiveness and for having desecrated his father’s bed. Shimon and Levi are also reprimanded for their anger, which was expressed in the slaughter of Shechem’s men. Yehudah is blessed with monarchy and success in battle. Zebulun is blessed to be successful in his maritime trade endeavors. Jacob compares Isakhar to a strong donkey (the donkey was a respected animal in those days) that works tirelessly. Dan has the ability to judge. Gad will be brave in battle. Asher has the ability to produce abundant oil and market it. Naftali is blessed with the speed of a deer. Yosef is recognized for his charm, his suffering and his righteousness and receives a wide variety of blessings. Benjamin is finally to a ferocious wolf who fearlessly faces his enemies. Jacob also reiterates before all his children his request to be buried in Israel, in the Cave of Machpela in Hebron. After blessing his children Jacob dies at the age of 147.

3. THE FUNERAL
Egypt mourns seventy days for Jacob’s death. Yosef receives permission from Pharaoh to transfer Jacob’s body to Israel. A large funeral procession made up of all the elders of Egypt and all of Jacob’s family goes to Israel to bury Jacob.

4. FAMILY REUNITED
Then, back in Egypt, Yosef’s brothers fear that now, once Jacob is no longer alive, Yosef will take revenge on them for having sold him as a slave. But Yosef assures them that he does not hold a grudge against them. The family of Israel is finally united and at peace again.

5. YOSEF’S LAST WISH
Yosef lives to the age of 110. Before passing away, he tells his brothers that God will eventually lead them out of Egypt and return them to the Land of Israel. Yosef makes them promise that when the time comes, his remains should be taken with them to be buried in the land of Israel, as his father did.

This Shabbat we will finish reading the book of Bereshit (Genesis). The first of the five books of the Tora includes a fascinating story, between the lines of the main narrative, which is worth analyzing. It is about fraternity, the relationship between brothers. Throughout Bereshit this relationship develops and evolves, from murder to harmony.

FROM BROTHERHOOD TO FRATRICIDE

The story of the first brothers of the Tora, as we know, ended badly. Abel offered a sacrifice to HaShem, in gratitude for everything he received from the Creator. Abel offered the best he had. And his offering was well received by the Creator. Cain, on the other hand, behaved more selfishly and was less appreciative. He offered to HaShem what he had left over. And his sacrifice was rejected (to clarify, the Almighty does not “need” human offerings, it is man who benefits from what he or she offers to God. This gesture of gratitude teaches men to appreciate what we have and to identify that all we have comes from Him). When Cain saw that his offering was not received, he became depressed. HaShem tried to make Cain understand his mistake. And to prevent him from repeating his father Adam’s mistake, transference of guilt, he explained what he had to do, “halo im tetib, se’et“, “If you improve your offering, it will be well received.” But Cain did not want to listen. And instead of reflecting on what he had done wrong, he became angry with Abel, as if his brother was to blame for his own failure. His personal frustration was transformed into a deep envy that led Cain to assassinate his brother Abel.

A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP

In the next generations, the relationship between siblings did not improve much. In reality, in the book of Bereshit , brotherhood seems to be a specially difficult human relationship to maintain …. among other issues because of te birthright. Ishmael envied – and according to the Sages, tried to kill – his brother Itshaq. The situation did not improve with Ya’aqob and Esav, who fought from the womb. With the children of Ya’aqob we find a similar pattern: Jealousy, envy and a new unfortunate dimension: hatred. “vaisneu oto”, “and the brothers hated Yosef”. In the case of Yosef, the threat of fratricide (= murdering a brother) was part of a real plan, which providentially was avoided.

YOSEF CLOSES THE CYCLE

Last week we read how Yosef, after recreating a scenario in which his brothers had to choose one more time between abandoning and protecting one of the sons of Rahel (Biniamin), this time they rectified their ways and acted differently. They did Teshuba and Toque (reparation), as Ramban explains. Yosef also demonstrated altruism at its highest level. There was no reproach but total forgiveness. He tells his brothers: “Now, do not feel bad (= guilty). It was not you who sent me here. It was HaShem. You were part of a Divine plan to prevent many people from starving. “ Yosef brought closure to the tensions, jealousy and hatred. His words healed the old wounds and opened the possibility of a new healthy relationship between brothers.Yosef’s altruism had its immediate effect. When Yaaqob calls his grandchildren, Yosef’s sons, he blessed the younger before the older. This act could have triggered again the cycle of jealousy, envy and fratricide between Efraim and Menashe. However, we do not see any act of jealousy, reproaches or tensions coming from Menashe, the first-born brother who was now in “a second place”. Bereshit began with an act of fratricide, but ends with two brothers who live in peace, and harmoniously.

A BLESSING TO OUR CHILDREN

When we bless our children, the custom is to wish them to be blessed by HaShem like Ephraim and Menashe. Why? Why do not we bless them like Abraham, Itshaq, Ya’aqob, Yosef, or Yehuda? The reason is that on the one hand we want our children to be Tsadiqiim, righteous and wholehearted towards HaShem. But we also want them to be good brothers, like Ephraim and Menashe. We want our children, not just to refrain from envying one another, we want them to learn to be happy, one for the success of the other.

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Challenging the Firstborn

Again and again, the stories in Sefer Bereshit overturn the ancient assumption of primogeniture, where the firstborn inherits wealth, authority, and leadership. The Torah insists that what matters is not birth order but the divine covenant. By choosing the younger, the unexpected, or the overlooked, God demonstrates that Israel’s destiny is not built on human hierarchy but on His promise. These narratives remind us that the covenantal story is guided by God’s will, not by social convention.

Cain and Abel

The Torah’s first siblings embody this pattern. Cain, the elder, offers a sacrifice, yet God accepts Abel’s (Bereshit 4:4–5). No reason is given, highlighting the mystery of God’s choice. Cain’s envy culminates in murder, but Abel—the younger—is remembered as righteous. From the very beginning, the Torah emphasizes that God’s favor does not follow human structures of privilege.

Ishmael and Isaac

Ishmael is Abraham’s firstborn, but God declares: “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Bereshit 21:12). The covenant passes to Isaac, the younger son of Sarah, not to Ishmael, despite cultural norms. Harsh as the separation of Ishmael and Hagar seems, the Torah stresses that the covenantal future will be built through Isaac.

Esau and Jacob

Even before birth, Rebecca is told: “Two nations are in your womb… and the elder shall serve the younger” (Bereshit 25:23). Esau emerges first, but Jacob’s grasp of the heel symbolizes the coming reversal. Later, Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of lentils and further disqualifies himself by marrying Hittite women. Jacob, despite his own faults, inherits the covenant of Abraham, confirmed by God at Bet-El in the dream of the ladder. The Torah presents Jacob not as perfect, but as the chosen bearer of the covenant.

Zerah and Perez

When Tamar gives birth, Zerah’s hand emerges first, marked with a scarlet thread as if to confirm his firstborn status. Yet Perez bursts out ahead (Bereshit 38:27–30). Human attempts to fix destiny are overturned by divine plan. Perez, the unexpected son, becomes an ancestor of King David.

Joseph and His Brothers

Joseph, far from being the firstborn, is singled out by his father and by God through prophetic dreams. His brothers reject him, selling him into slavery. But providence elevates Joseph to viceroy of Egypt, the one who sustains his family during famine. Reuben, the actual firstborn, fades into the background, while Joseph rises as the savior of his brothers—again, the Torah showing that covenantal destiny is not tied to birth order.

Ephraim and Manasseh

In Jacob’s final blessing, he deliberately crosses his hands, giving priority to Ephraim, the younger, over Manasseh (Bereshit 48:13–20). Joseph protests, but Jacob insists. Once more, the Torah emphasizes God’s freedom to determine blessing regardless of human expectation.

Moses and Aaron

The pattern continues in Shemot. Aaron, the elder, is eloquent and confident, while Moses hesitates, describing himself as “slow of speech” (Shemot 4:10). Yet God chooses Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt and to receive the Torah at Sinai. Aaron supports him as spokesman, but the mantle of leadership rests on the younger brother—an inversion of expectation that defines Israel’s redemption.

David and His Brothers

When Samuel comes to anoint a king from among Jesse’s sons, the older brothers seem obvious choices. But God rejects them: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). David, the youngest and least regarded, is chosen to lead Israel. From shepherd boy to king, his story echoes the Torah’s recurring theme—God does not follow the human rule of the firstborn; He chooses whom He wills.

Our Sages never overlooked the small and significant missteps made by our ancestors, especially in the times before the Tora had been revealed when most actions and decisions had to be made without explicit Divine instruction. By uncovering these mistakes, the Sages highlighted the credibility of the Tora, which does not portray superheroes or supervillains. Instead, it teaches the concept of evolution: in the Jewish lineage, children correct the errors of their parents, allowing for constant growth and improvement.

Today’s lesson comes from Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Hamburg, Germany, 1808–1888), considered the founder of modern European Orthodoxy. His idea is bold and can easily be misunderstood if read superficially, so we will explain it carefully.

THE PARENTING MODELS OF ISAAC AND JACOB

Rabbi Hirsch compares two models of parenting: Isaac’s and Jacob’s. Isaac had two sons, Yaakov and Esav, with very different and opposing personalities. One, Esav, strayed and completely abandoned the path of Abraham. On the other hand, Yaakov was a complete success: he continued Abraham’s legacy, had twelve sons (and a daughter), and all followed his path. The family that Jacob formed became the Am Yisrael (People of Israel).

WHEN THE SAME IS DIFFERENT, AND THE DIFFERENT IS THE SAME

Rabbi Hirsch poses an important question:

Why did Isaac and Rivka fail to raise Esav properly?

Why did Esav abandon Judaism?

Did his parents give Esav a different education than they gave Yaakov?

Rabbi Hirsch’s answer is surprising:

“Esav’s continuity failed because his parents gave him the same education they gave his brother Yaakov.”

Based on the Midrash cited below, Rabbi Hirsch points out that Isaac and Rivka failed to recognize the significant differences between their sons. They naively assumed that providing the same Jewish education to both children would yield the same results.

However, Esav required a different and personalized education to remain on the Jewish path. He needed a school system—or a good teacher—that considered his unique learning needs. Perhaps Esav did not enjoy libraries or books, or he had a form of ADD. He needed a religious education to address his learning challenges and help channel his talents toward serving God.

Rabbi Hirsch offers a strong warning to parents:

“A father who places Yaakov and Esav [two children with different characters: Yaakov was naturally studious, while Esav preferred hunting in the field] in the same classroom and teaches them the same way will surely ruin one of them. While a child-like Yaakov will thrive on learning, like someone thirsty drinking from a spring, a child-like Esav will only dream of the day he can throw away those old books and leave behind that [religious] lifestyle…”

Rabbi Hirsch highlights that:

“[Isaac and Rivka failed to see] that Esav’s strength and courage were just as important as Yaakov’s thoughtfulness and sensitivity. As parents, we must work with each of our children, acknowledging their diverse talents, to achieve the collective ideal of Am Yisrael.”

EVOLUTION IN PARENTING

Having witnessed the failure with Esav, Jacob learned from it and educated his children in line with their unique personalities and talents. He understood that although siblings might grow up under the same roof, they can have vastly different traits and needs.

Rabbi Hirsch identifies this in Jacob’s blessings to his sons in this week’s Parasha:

“When Jacob’s sons, the future twelve tribes, gathered to receive their father’s blessing, Jacob envisioned the future nation of Israel. He saw priests and rabbis (the tribes of Levi and Issachar), political leaders (Yehuda), great merchants (Zebulun), farmers (Asher), skilled soldiers (Gad), judges (Dan), and more. He blessed them all, but not with a single blessing. Instead, he gave each one a different blessing, saying:

אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כְּבִרְכָתוֹ בֵּרַךְ אֹתָם – ‘Each according to his own blessing, he blessed them’ (Genesis 49:28).”

Jacob understood that God’s covenant with Abraham required creating a whole and self-sufficient nation. Every individual had to play a different role toward the shared Divine goal: building a nation that would uphold the way of God by practicing and promoting kindness and justice.

CONCLUSION

Suppose Isaac and Rivka had understood the depth of Esav’s soul and asked themselves how his courage and physical energy could be channeled into Avodat Hashem. In that case, Esav might have become a “mighty soldier of God” instead of a “skilled hunter.”

Jacob and Esav, despite their different tendencies and talents, could have become spiritual partners. Esav’s sword would have served Jacob’s spiritual mission.

Rabbi Hirsch does not intend to criticize Yitzhak and Rivka but to teach us a critical life lesson: as Jewish parents, our primary mission is to educate all our children to follow the path of the Tora. This requires recognizing and accepting each child’s unique talents and guiding them toward a religious education, considering both: their strengths and limitations.

MIDRASH

וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים (בראשית כה, כז) רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מָשָׁל לַהֲדַס וְעִצְבוֹנִית שֶׁהָיוּ גְּדֵלִים זֶה עַל גַּבֵּי זֶה וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגְדִּילוּ וְהִפְרִיחוּ זֶה נוֹתֵן רֵיחוֹ וְזֶה חוֹחוֹ.

The Midrash compares Yaakov and Esav to two plants growing side by side. At first, they appear similar. But as they mature, one produces fragrance, and the other grows thorns. Similarly, Yaakov and Esav went to school together as children, but when they reached adulthood, Yaakov went to study in Bate Midrash, while Esav turned toward idol worship.

(Bereshit Rabbah 63:9)

RABBI HIRSCH’S TEXTS

המושיב את יעקב ועשו על ספסל לימודים אחד … מובטח לו שאת האחד מהם הוא מקלקל

“A father who places Yaakov and Esav on the same school bench and educates them in the same way will certainly ruin one of them…”

כאשר נקבצו בני יעקב לשמוע את ברכת אביהם

“When Jacob’s sons gathered to hear their father’s blessing, he envisioned the diverse future of Israel and blessed each one according to their unique virtues…”

איש אשר כברכתו ברך אתם (בראשית מט, כח)

Each child has their own mission. Strength and courage are as valuable as thought and emotion. The covenant with God aims to build a complete nation, with every individual contributing uniquely to the fulfillment of Abodat Hashem.

TEXTS

MIDRASH

וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים (בראשית כה, כז), רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מָשָׁל לַהֲדַס וְעִצְבוֹנִית שֶׁהָיוּ גְּדֵלִים זֶה עַל גַּבֵּי זֶה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגְדִּילוּ וְהִפְרִיחוּ זֶה נוֹתֵן רֵיחוֹ וְזֶה חוֹחוֹ, כָּךְ כָּל י»ג שָׁנָה שְׁנֵיהֶם הוֹלְכִים לְבֵית הַסֵּפֶר וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בָּאִים מִבֵּית הַסֵּפֶר, לְאַחַר י»ג שָׁנָה זֶה הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת וְזֶה הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לְבָתֵּי ע»ז 

Bereshit Rabba 63:9

TEXTOS DEL RAB HIRSCH

. המושיב את יעקב ועשו על ספסל לימודים אחד , ובאותם הרגלי החיים מחנך אותם כאחד לחיי לימוד ומחשבה – מובטח לו שאת האחד מהם הוא מקלקל . יעקב ישאב ממעיין החכמה בחפץ גובר והולך , ואילו עשו רק יצפה ליום , בו ישליך מאחורי גבו את הספרים הישנים , ויחד אתם תעודת חיים גדולה , שהכיר אותה רק באופן חד צדדי , ובדרך שמעצם טבעו הוא סולד בה . . (

כאשר נקבצו בני יעקב לשמוע את ברכת אביהם , והלה ראה בהם את שבטי ישראל שלעתיד , לא ראה רק כוהנים ומורי הוראה ; הנה עמד שם שבט הלוויה ושבט המלוכה , שבט הסוחרים , שבט האיכרים , ושבט הלוחמים ; עמד שם לנגד עיניו העם כולו , על כל סגולותיו הרבגוניות , ועל כל דרכי התפתחותו ; את כולם הוא ברך , ‘איש אשר כברכתו ברך אתם’ ( בראשית מ»ט , כח , ( איש איש בסגולותיו המיוחדות לו . כי ברית ה’ הכרותה עם אברהם , חפצה באומה בריאה , שלמה ורעננה ; מטרתה לבנות חיי עם שלמים על כל צורותיהם הרבגוניות , על מנת לכוון אותם אל התפקיד הגדול האחד : לשמור דרך ה’ לעשות צדקה ומשפט . הכוח והאומץ , לא פחות מהמחשבה והרגש , ימצאו שם את גיבוריהם העובדים לה , ‘ ובמקצועות שונים יקיימו כולם את התפקיד הגדול של הכלל . דווקא משום כך – ‘חנוך לנער על פי דרכו , ‘ חנכהו למטרה הגדולה האחת על פי דרכו המיוחדת לו , בהתאם לעתיד הצפוי לו מנטיותיו 

אילו העמיקו יצחק ורבקה לחדור לנפש עשו , אילו הקדימו לשאול את עצמם , היאך יכולים גם האומץ , הכוח והגמישות הרדומים בנפש עשו – היאך יכולים כל אלה להטות שכם לעבודת , ‘ה כי אז ‘הגיבור’ שלעתיד לא היה הופך ל’גיבור ציד , ‘ אלא ל’גיבור לפני ה’ ‘ באמת . יעקב ועשו , על כל נטיותיהם השונות , היו נשארים אחים תאומים ברוחם ובדרך חייהם ; עוד מראשית הייתה חרבו של עשו כורתת ברית עם רוחו של יעקב ; ומי יודע איזה שינוי היה צפוי לקורות הימים על ידי כך . אך לא כן היה : ‘ויגדלו הנערים , ‘ רק משגדלו הנערים והיו לגברים , הופתעו הכל לראות , כי אלה אשר מרחם אחד יצאו , ויחד נתגדלו , נתחנכו ולמדו , היו כה שונים בטבעם ומנוגדים במעשיהם