Weekly Parsha Thoughts

The pessukim mention that Moshe and Aharon came to Pharaoh and requested to send out the nation and let them travel a distance of three days to bring korbanos to Hashem. Pharaoh responded, “למה משה ואהרון תפריעו את העם ממעשיו לכו לסבלותיכם.”... Read More

The pessukim mention that the brothers said after Yaakov died, “לו ישטמנו יוסף” which Onkelos translates “maybe Yosef is guarding hatred for us,” and now he will take revenge for the bad that we did to him. Yosef responds, “אל תיראו התחת... Read More

The pessukim state in last week’s parsha that Pharoah searched for someone to interpret his dream and Yosef was brought before him. Yosef said to Pharaoh, בלעדי אלוקים יענה את שלום פרעה which Onkelos translates, “it is not from my wisdom, rather... Read More

Why is there a mitzva to have a seudah with משתה ושמחה on Purim and not on Chanukah? The Bach explains that by Purim we had pleasure from the feast of Achashveirosh. Therefore on Purim there was a decree to kill us... Read More

The passuk mentions that Yaakov loved Yosef over all the brothers, כי בן זקנים הוא לו, which simply means because he was a son born to him in his old age. However in Parshas Vayigash the passuk states that Binyamin is called... Read More

The pessukim mention that Shechem took Dina forcefully and Shimon and Levi killed out Shechem and the entire city, taking their children and wives as captives and their possessions for booty. Why indeed did Shimon and Levi kill the entire city, since... Read More