50 – Trust
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בייה Genesis 50 – Trust The prospect of a better tomorrow exists even when our life is really complicated. It’s easy for anyone to become ensnared in congested traffic like confusion. We want to get out of that massive screaming traffic jam and go to a peaceful, relaxing place where we can breathe fresh air and drink pure water. There are virtuous, substance-free angelic places of refuge outside our imaginations, computers, games, movies, etc. There are reliable hideaways where people feel safe, secure, and at ease from pressures and anxieties. It is possible to escape the chaos. Ha Torah is God’s Word; music and melodies which may unite to heal and restore us. They work around the clock to build up our trust. Trust is a fundamental necessity. People need certainty, assurance, and reliance. Without these, life can be cold, empty, lonely, and depressing. What did Serach do for her grandfather Jacob? She played the harp and sang to Jacob. Sefer HaYashar says Joseph’s brothers handed her a harp, Led her to the back of Jacob’s tent, and encouraged her to play and sing a song they had composed. Serach played the harp with great skill. After a while, she began to sing that Joseph was alive and rules In Egypt. The soft harp, along with Serach’s voice, comforted Jacob. He began to trust the Word of Joseph’s Dreams/Prophecy. The Spirit of God which revealed prophecies to him returned. His soul left the deep dark place of Isolation in which he had lived for twenty-two years. Sefer HaYashar (Hoboken, NJ: KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 1993) pp 146-147 – Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Artscroll Tanach Series – Bereishis Vol. I (b) (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989), pp 1986-1987 (Genesis 37.11) reminds us that Jacob, Joseph’s father, kept the matter/prophecy in mind. Even though Jacob’s recollection of Joseph’s prophecy regarding rulership remained with him, His trust was weakened by the devastating loss of Joseph. When individuals have a smidgen of trust, they may not be strong enough to confront issues around them. (1Samuel 16.23) says, ‘And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a lyre, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.’ Ha Tanach informs us in (1 Samuel 9) ‘there was a man of [the tribe of] Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. And he had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. No one among the people of Israel was more handsome than he; from his shoulders upwards, he was higher than any of the people.’ Spiritual people like Jacob’s sons may experience times of weakness where their trust is shaken. The time surrounding the loss of their father was challenging for them. Jacob was their rock. He held the family together and settled issues like many fathers and mothers. We pray that death does not knock on your family’s door, but it could happen at some point. (Genesis 50) indicates that their trust was momentarily disrupted. They were in a time of shock. Ha Torah informs us of their momentarily lapse in trust when they felt needy, uncertain, and concerned. After a short while, they bounced back. Their trust was restored. Our world is full of people seeking dependability. Genesis 50 describes Joseph’s half-brothers as needy, uncertain, and concerned. For seventeen years, they lived in comfort, enjoying the hospitality provided to them, their wives, children, grandchildren, and flocks while living in Egypt. Then when father Jacob dies, they were worried that their lives of comfort might change drastically because of their past sins against Joseph. Would their past transgressions be visited on them? One could say they were about to discover if Joseph’s Yom Kippur’s confessions and renewal were genuine. There are several emotions presented here. One can only imagine the variety of emotions people feel after Yom Kippur. Let’s not go down that road of speculation because the gargantuan results of Spiritual Restoration are not based on emotions but God’s Word written in Ha Torah. After Yom Kippur, we returned to our world, cleansed from past transgressions and filled with righteous determination, purpose, resoluteness, loving-kindness, and blessings. The day came when Israel died and was buried in Canaan in the cave of Machpelah in the land of Canaan where Adam and Chavah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and his wife Leah were buried, as he expressed to Joseph. (Genesis 47.30) shares Israel’s request to Joseph,‘ I will lie with my fathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.’ (Genesis 50.12) says, ‘His sons did to him according as he commanded them; For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying place of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.” After the burial of Israel, his descendants and other members of the burial party returned to Egypt.’ Reality began to set in with Joseph’s half-brothers. (Genesis 50.15) informs us, ‘And when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Joseph will perhaps hate us, and will certainly pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.” So what do they do? Joseph’s half-brothers concocted another lie. They planned another scheme. They gave Joseph the impression that they discussed the evil they perpetrated on him with their father. Genesis 50.16 – 19) discloses, ‘[Joseph’s half-brothers] sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died.” He said, So shall you say to Joseph, Forgive, I beg you now, the trespass of your brothers, and their sin; for they did to you evil; and now, we beg you, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. And his brothers also went and fell before his face, and they said, Behold, we are your servants.’ Why is this significant? Why did Joseph weep? Some suggest Joseph felt great emotion at the mention of his father’s name. Others indicate it was because Joseph had avoided discussing how he ended up in Egypt with his father. He did not want to speak Loshon Hara, i.e., evil about his half brothers as he did prior. (Genesis 37.2) ‘Joseph brought an evil report to his father.” (Bereisheit Rabba 87.3) when he was a youth, now Joseph was a mature, righteous man and ruler in Egypt. He learned his lesson about speaking Loshon Hara, even though what he said to his father was true. He was not about to rat out his half-brothers for what they did to him. So when he heard the alleged comments supposedly made by his father ‘they did evil to you; and now, we beg you, forgive their trespass.’ Joseph wept. He was saddened to learn his father was aware of his half-brother’s sins. When Joseph heard the unfortunate news, He did not retaliate. He did not mistreat his half-brothers, their wives, or young ones. Instead, he comforted and nourished them. (Genesis 50.19) says, ‘Joseph said to them, תִּירָאוּ Tee Raw Voo Fear not.”even though they intended to do evil to Joseph. God Caused it to turn out well. Again Joseph tries to reassure his half-brothers. (Genesis 50.21) says,‘Now, therefore [regardless of the evil you intended] תִּירָאוּ Tee Raw Voo Fear not; I will nourish you and your little ones, and he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.’ Compassion and loving-kindness are essential in our world. People make mistakes that may anger us or challenge our ability to trust them. When architects or project managers agree on plans, they expect their contractors to follow them. If the contractors have suggestions to save money or provide a better, safer, more robust product, they need to consult with people up the ladder. Why? They want to be trusted. They want the Architect and project manager to know they will follow the plan entirely. That is how trust is built and fortified. That should be our goal with God our Creator. Plans change all the time, and when they do, there is a procedure to follow to keep trust on a high level. Why do people in this country lack trust in their leadership? Why do generations on every level lack trust? People undercut each other. Foundations of trust are destroyed time in again. Our Constitution was established with permanence in mind. Laws were written with the intention that everyone is held accountable in the same equal way. Employees expect to be complemented and reprimanded equally. Unfortunately, some teachers have taken it upon themselves to write curricula how they see fit without approval from parents and administrators. These are areas where trust is broken. People are in fear. Is it any wonder that so many are withdrawing from society? Telling people תִּירָאו Tee Raw Voo – Fear not does not help unless it is backed up with trust. נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי Naw – Lih Feh Shah – Ah Vih Day – Gematria 617 The Plea to Forgive ‘PLEASE” נָא – Naw – Please לְפֶשַׁע – Lih Feh Shah – Forgive The Trespass עַבְדֵי – Ah Vih Day – Fear תִּירָאוּ Tee Raw Voo is countered by trust in the הַבְּרִית Ha Bih Reet – ‘the covenant’ between God our Creator, Blessed is His Holy Name and The People of Israel as recorded in Ha Torah. There are different motivations for repentance. Even though the motivation may not seem pure in our eyes, we should set aside our differences and go with The Lord God’s Plan. Ha, Torah is real. The Lord God Wrote the Book of Ha Torah. Some translators did impure translations. They took liberties that were not approved! They wrote their meanings into the Bible. Ha Torah must remain pure so people will trust and follow God’s plan. May we labor in learning the good, pure, and rich Words flowing freely from Ha Torah. Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk |
