This article was written by Yael Stochel, summer inchworm 2019
GrowTorah Core Value: Incubating Emunah
Lesson Title: Stalks of Righteousness
Jacob loved his son Joseph more than the other sons, which caused the other sons to resent Joseph. Joseph began to have prophetic dreams including a dream where his brother's bundles of wheat bowed down to his bundle of wheat. One day while shepherding the brothers spotted a caravan and sold Joseph to the travelers. Joseph ended up being sold to a family in Egypt.
(7) There we were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf stood up and remained upright; then your sheaves gathered around and bowed low to my sheaf.”
(2) In the dream G'd showed him the bundles. These bundles represented bundles of מצות which all of the brothers would perform jointly; his own bundle stood more upright than the others as an allusion to his experience with the wife of Potiphar whose advances he had to resist. The fact that his bundle remained standing upright indicated that he would become a ruler in Egypt. All the bundles of the brothers would be relatively downgraded before the merit of Joseph because in the final analysis he provided for all of them and kept them alive during the famine. Joseph hoped that by foretelling them about this their attitude towards him would change for the better.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Why does wheat represent mitzvot?
- connection to famine
- connection to shivat haminim
Living the Lesson
GrowTorah Core Value: Incubating Emunah
Lesson Title: Sweet Scents
Living the Lesson
אמר רב יהודה האי מאן דנפיק ביומי ניסן וחזי אילני דקא מלבלבי אומר ברוך שלא חיסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות טובות ואילנות טובות להתנאות בהן בני אדם אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב מנין שמברכין על הריח שנאמר כל הנשמה תהלל יה איזהו דבר שהנשמה נהנית ממנו ואין הגוף נהנה ממנו הוי אומר זה הריח ואמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב עתידים בחורי ישראל שיתנו ריח טוב כלבנון שנאמר ילכו יונקותיו ויהי כזית הודו וריח לו כלבנון:
On a related topic, the Gemara cites that Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during Nisan and sees trees that are blossoming recites: Blessed…who has withheld nothing from His world, and has created in it beautiful creatures and trees for human beings to enjoy. Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: From where is it derived that one recites a blessing over scent? As it is stated: “Let every soul praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). He explains the verse: What is it from which the soul derives benefit and the body does not derive benefit from it? You must say: That is scent. Even over items from which only the soul derives benefit, one must recite a blessing and praise God. And Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: The young men of Israel are destined to emit a sweet scent as the Lebanon, as it is stated: “His branches shall spread and his beauty will be as the olive tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon” (Hosea 14:7).
GUIDING QUESTIONS
What are the different blessings we say over herbs/spices
- Boreh isvei b'samim
- Boreh minei b'samim
EXTRA SOURCES
(ב) ילמדנו עוד רבינו מה בין חלומות הצדיקים לחלומות הרשעים, חלומות הרשעים לא בשמים ולא בארץ, שנאמר ופרעה חולם והנה עומד על היאור (בראשית מא א). וכך נבוכדנצר כתיב חלם (הוא) [חזית] ודחלנני (דניאל ד ב), שלא היה לא בארץ ולא בשמים, אבל חלומות של צדיקים בשמים ובארץ, שכן אתה מוצא שאמר יוסף לאחיו הנה אנחנו מאלמים אלומים (בראשית לז ז), הרי בארץ, ובשמים מנין, שנאמר הנה השמש והירח ואחד עשר כוכבים משתחוים לי (שם שם ט), וכן באבינו יעקב ויחלום והנה סולם [מוצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה, הרי בשמים ובארץ].
(2) Let our master instruct us further: What is the difference between the dreams of the righteous and the dreams of the wicked? The dreams of the wicked are neither in the heavens nor on the earth. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 41:1): PHARAOH DREAMED, AND THERE HE WAS STANDING ON THE NILE. So also it is written of Nebuchadnezzar (in Dan. 4:2): {IT WAS} [I SAW] A DREAM, AND IT MADE ME AFRAID, for he was neither on the earth nor in the heavens (cf. vss. 7-8). However, the dreams of the righteous are < both > in the heavens and on the earth. You therefore find that Joseph said to his brothers (in Gen. 37:7): HERE WE WERE BINDING SHEAVES: Ergo, < his dreams were > on the earth. Where is it shown that they were also in heaven? Where it is stated (in Gen. 37:9): HERE WERE THE SUN, THE MOON, AND ELEVEN STARS BOWING DOWN TO ME. So also it was in the case of our father Jacob (according to Gen. 28:12): THEN HE DREAMED THAT HERE WAS A LADDER [PLACED ON EARTH WITH ITS TOP REACHING TO THE HEAVENS. Ergo, < his dream was both > in the heavens and on the earth].