Parshas Vayigash | Imamother

Rochel Leah

Thu, Dec 16 2004, 6:47 pm

I was looking for a devar torah for my father in laws 50th birthday , this motzei shabbos, ( even though its already parshas vayachi then) I found something nice for vayigash, which I thought was nice to share..

Its nice because it talks about a father being a parent not just "fathering a child..in connection to when yosef asks his brothers :is your father still alive?

read it!! you'll like it!!

http://www1.chabad.org/parshah.....65483

Tefila

Fri, Dec 17 2004, 10:04 am

B"H

Tevet 4, 5765 * December 16, 2004

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O N C E U P O N A C H A S I D
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Parshat Vayigash
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Joseph harnessed his chariot and rode to Goshen toward his father; he showed himself to him, fell upon his neck, and wept... (Genesis 46:29)

But Jacob did not embrace Joseph and did not kiss him; our sages tell us that he was reading the 'Sh'mah'. (Rashi's commentary)

Jacob knew that never in his life would his love be aroused as it was at that moment, the moment of reunion with his most beloved son after 22 years of anguish and loss. So he chose to utilize this tremendous welling of emotion to serve His Creator, channeling it to fuel his love for G-d. (Chassidic saying.)

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A Chassidic Kiss
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In 1892, Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch presented his twelve-year-old son, Yosef Yitzchok, with the manuscript of a ma'amar (a discourse of Chassidic teachings) entitled Moh Rabu Maasechah and said: "This is a Chassidic kiss. In time I will explain." Four years later, he related the following incident to him:

The year was 1884. Late one night, Rabbi Sholom DovBer was studying with Rabbi Jacob Mordechai Bezfolov. Rabbi Sholom DovBer's family then lived in two rooms: one served as the bedroom, the other, as Rabbi Sholom DovBer's study. In this room also stood the cot of his only child, the four-year-old Yosef Yitzchok.

Little Yosef Yitzchok was an extremely beautiful child with a delicate and radiant face. Rabbi Jacob Mordechai, enthralled by the sleeping child, commented that the radiance of the child's countenance must reflect an inner purity of mind.

Rabbi Sholom DovBer was moved by a strong desire to kiss his son. But at that very moment he thought of the gold and silver that were used to beautify the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, transforming physical substances into something holy and spiritual. He decided to direct his overwhelming feelings of love for his son into a more spiritual gift: he would give his son a ma'amar instead of a kiss. He sat down and wrote 'Moh Rabu Maasechah.
Chabad.org