Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.

Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.

Vaera 5785
Shmos 5785
Vayechi 5785
Vayigash 5785
Miketz-Chanukah 5785

Vayechi 5785

Please click on the link below to receive the e-Parsha in the way cool HTML version right to your inbox. http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1103523647591&p=oi

======================================

YouParsha Vayrchi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vHbDhFpAUI There's a Little of Joseph in All of Us

===================

Parshas Vayechi - Genesis 47:18-end - features the blessings Yaakov bestowed upon his sons. Yaakov blessed Yehuda, his fourth son, to be king. Rashi, the classic Bible commentator, explains that Yehuda deserved to be king, and not Reuven the first born, for two reasons; Yehuda saved Yosef and Yehuda repented for the incident with Tamar. We can ask, Reuven also saved Yosef and he also repented for moving his father's couch. His actions were of a greater nature than Yehuda's. Yehuda only saved Yosef to get money. Reuven saved Yosef from death. Yehuda was forced to admit his wrongdoing to save Tamar from execution. Reuven's teshuva was of his own volition. Reuven spent over nine years fasting and in sackcloth just for moving a couch. If so, why was Yehuda chosen king?

A king's primary focus must be on the welfare of others. Reuven had good intentions. He wanted to save Yosef, but his suggestion put Yosef in peril; Yosef was thrown into a pit filled with poisonous snakes and scorpions. His obsession with trying to correct his misdeed was the very reason why he was not able to save Yosef (Rashi explains that Reuven could not save Yosef from being sold as he was busy with his fasts and sacks). Yehuda's actions however, brought Yosef out of the pit and his admitting to wrongdoing actually saved Tamar who gave birth to Peretz from whom descended King David whose progeny will include Moshiach. May we merit his coming soon.

=========================

The following story was related by the Bluzhover Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Spira, o.b.m.:

Every morning the Nazis, may their name be erased, would bring us from the concentration camp to the factory, where we worked until late at night. The food they gave us was inadequate and barely edible. Many people became malnourished and found it difficult to stand. One day, a woman, a forced laborer like me, came over to where I stood. She walked very slowly and carefully so as not to draw the Germans' attention. I could see she was young, but in dreadful physical condition. The woman glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "Rebbe!" she whispered in my ear. The woman was clearly desperate. "Do you have a knife?" I grasped her meaning and understood the great responsibility that had been entrusted to me. "My daughter," I said to her, "do not harm yourself. I know that your life is harder to bear than death, but it is forbidden to abandon hope. Every moment we must pray to G'd for a better future."

The woman gave me a piercing look. "A knife, Rebbe," she said. "I need a knife and I need it quickly, before it's too late." I could see that she was determined, yet I hoped to dissuade her. "Listen to me," I said more severely. "We are not allowed to take a life, even our own." With every word, the woman's face grew more desperate. "A knife!" She kept repeating the word as if it were a magical incantation.

At that moment a German soldier noticed us. The woman paled, and I feared for both our lives. “What are you doing, you cursed Jew?" the Nazi shouted at her. The woman answered, "I asked him for a knife. “The German seemed to find this very funny. and he burst out laughing. “You want a knife?" he said maliciously, his face bright red from laughter. "No problem, I'll get you one."

I prayed that he would leave her alone and forget the whole thing, but the pleasure he anticipated was apparently too great to pass up. The soldier walked away, and a few minutes later returned with a medium-sized knife. Its blade looked very sharp. My whole body trembled as the German handed her the knife. He was looking at her in amusement, as if waiting for the entertainment to begin. "Thank you," the woman said, and walked away.

The woman went to a dim corner of the factory, bent down and picked up a small bundle covered with rags. At that moment, I literally stopped breathing. The German was also watching her every move. Inside the bundle was a tiny baby. She picked up the knife in her right hand and circumcised the boy. Clutching the baby to her chest she cried out, "Master of the Universe! Eight days ago, you gave me a son, and today is the day of his bris mila. I know that neither of us will live very long in this accursed place. But at least I want him to return to You, whenever You will decide, as a circumcised Jew." The woman then placed the baby back in the corner. "Here is your knife. I thank you," she said, handing it back to the German. The soldier merely took it and walked away.

==========================

Listen Weekly to the Jewish Hour Podcast. www.rabbifinman.com. Now available on iTunes, spotify, audacy, and wherever you park your podcasts.

The Torah e-Parsha is a project of Jewish Ferndale. For information on sponsoring the Torah e-Parsha in memory or for the recovery of a loved one, in honor of a simcha or you just feel like being nice, contact via reply. All contributions are tax deductible. Please forward this message to as many friends and associates as you like. © 2025 by Herschel Finman.


Contact Rabbi Finman for information on sponsoring the e-Parsha