A Thought on Parshas Vayeshev

"...to'eh ba'sadeh..." "...straying in a field.." (37:15) "...chosam'cha u'psilecha u'mat'cha..." "...your seal, your cloak and your staff..." (38:18) This week's parsha contains many vivid images and scenes. Each passage is deep and detailed and offers many avenues of understanding. This was always my "favorite" parsha in that it was the first one that I learned b'iyun - with focused intensity - when I was in 10th grade. In turn, the events of the past few weeks, both personally and globally, have led me to meditate on ikvasa d'meshicha - on the times in which we are living and on the direction our people is headed. It may be for this latter reason that I am dwelling on some of the esoteric teachings which ibn Shu'aib offers. I have selected two of his midrashic ideas which draw upon remez - the hidden hints which lend meaning to our verses. This first verse which I cite depicts Yosef lost in the wilderness as he seeks out his brothers. He is found blundering in a field by an angelic messenger. What is the significance of HaShem's angel watching him alone and astray in a field somewhere? ibn Shu'aib cites a midrash: the word used is "to'eh" which is written here with three letters, tof, ayin and hae. The vowel sound "vav" (o) is pronounced but not written, so that this word of four letters is reduced to its three consonants. The midrash sees this as grounds to infer a secret lesson: the notion of blundering in a field is an allusion to the exiles which we will experience. Our exile to Egypt involved 400 years; Babylon was 70 years; Edom lasts into the 5th millennium. In our word to'eh, the tof has the numerical value of 400; the ayin is 70, the hae is 5. ibn Shu'aib notes that this self-same allusion appears earlier (32:5) when Yakov proclaims to Esav "v'eichar ad ata" - I was delayed until now. The word "until now" - ata - is also spelled with ayin, tof and hae. There too Yakov signals to his nemesis, the archetype for our current exile, that we will tarry and survive those three long intervals of persecution, but we will return. HaShem's angel watching Yosef astray in a field signals that HaShem will monitor our plight even in the far away fields of exile, from which we will return. ************ The second verse above depicts the collateral, or security deposits, which Yehuda gives in order to assure that he will return to the selected place. What do the seal, cloak and staff symbolize? What do they represent in Yehuda pledging that he will return? ibn Shu'aib cites a midrash: these three items represent the three batei mikdash. A collateral is called a mashkon in Hebrew. A sacred shrine is called a Mishkan. The similarity between the two words hints at the conditional nature of HaShem giving us a select place in which His Presence will dwell. If we fail to adhere to our promise, the mishkan becomes a mashkon, and is taken until we can provide the deeds which we have pledged. Then, the mashkon is returned and is once again a mishkan. The seal represents the first Temple built by Shlomo. This is because a king is known in TaNaCh as a chosem (seal). The splendor of the first Temple was that it was built by a king and it operated during the era of kings. The cloak represents the second Temple. This is because a cloak symbolizes the regal gowns of the judges on the Sanhedrin. The splendor of the second Temple was that it housed the Sanhedrin, chief justices dedicated to resolving the conflicts of the nation according to the will of HaShem. Finally, the staff represents the third Temple, the mikdash yet to be built. This is because a staff is a symbol of Moshiach, the messianic leader who will spout in the days ahead and in whose time the ultimate Bais HaMikdash will be established. May the geulah come soon in our days. Good Shabbos. D Fox