{"id":7007,"date":"2017-12-24T21:17:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T21:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/?p=7007"},"modified":"2017-12-24T21:17:06","modified_gmt":"2017-12-24T21:17:06","slug":"bits-torah-truths-parashat-vayechi-right-perspective-walking-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/bits-torah-truths-parashat-vayechi-right-perspective-walking-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Bits of Torah Truths, \u05e4\u05e8\u05e9\u05ea \u05d5\u05d9\u05d2\u05e9, Parashat Vayechi, The Right Perspective for Walking with God"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this week\u2019s Torah portion, Parashat Vayechi, we read the following, Bereshit \/ Genesis 50:15 When Joseph\u2019s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, \u2018What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!\u2019 50:16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, \u2018Your father charged before he died, saying, 50:17 \u2018Thus you shall say to Joseph, \u2018Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.\u2019\u2019 And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.\u2019 And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 50:18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, \u2018Behold, we are your servants.\u2019 50:19 But Joseph said to them, \u2018Do not be afraid, for am I in God\u2019s place? 50:20 \u2018As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 50:21 \u2018So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.\u2019 So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (NASB)<\/span><\/em> It is interesting how Joseph\u2019s brothers did not go to him personally, but sent messengers instead. Only after the initial message was brought, and we read that Joseph wept when hearing the message, are we told his brothers came and fell down before him seeking his forgiveness. His brothers were worried when Jacob died that Joseph would seek retribution for what they had done to him so many years prior. They devised a plan to seek His mercy and sent messengers with a message. The Scriptures teach us that a righteous man forgives. Joseph\u2019s brothers however lie in an attempt to save their lives. Rashi provides an extensive interpretation on what is going on here in the reasoning of his brothers. Rashi on Bereshit \/ Genesis 50:15 Part 2<\/span><\/em> states the following, \u201c\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d9\u05e9\u05d8\u05de\u05e0\u05d5 means PERHAPS HE WILL HATE US. The word has many different meanings…There is an example of \u05dc\u05d5 used in the sense of \u201cperhaps\u201d, \u2014 in our verse \u2014 \u201cPerhaps he will hate us\u201d, but there is no other example of its usage in this sense in Scripture. Here it corresponds in sense with the word \u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9, \u201cperhaps\u201d, as for example in (Genesis 24:5) \u201c\u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 the woman will not be willing to follow me\u201d which means \u201cperhaps she will not etc.\u201d As a matter of fact \u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 has all the meanings of \u05dc\u05d5, for there are examples of \u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 denoting a petition as for instance (2 Samuel 16:12) \u201cPerhaps (\u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9) the Lord will look upon mine eye\u201d, (where the context shows that this involves a kind of petition that God should do this); (Joshua 14:12) \u201cPerhaps (\u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9) the Lord will be with me [and I shall drive them out]\u201d, (involving also a petition that God should do this), where \u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 has a similar meaning to \u05dc\u05d5 in (Genesis 30:34) \u201cWould (\u05dc\u05d5) it might be according to thy word\u201d. Then again the word \u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9 has the meaning of \u201cif\u201d; for example, (Genesis 18:24) \u201cPerhaps (\u05d0\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9) there are fifty righteous [wilt Thou destroy etc.]\u201d (which is equivalent to \u201cif there are fifty\u2026 wilt thou destroy?\u201d.)\u201d<\/span><\/em> What Rashi is telling us is unrepentant sin leaves us asking questions of \u201cperhaps\u201d and \u201cwhat if,\u201d without the assurance of peace before God. The concept of \u201cassurance\u201d of our faith (Hebrews 10:22) is a sense of deep peace and consolation before God. Assurance however is something that is cultivated in our lives as we grow closer to and walk with God according to His Word. Joseph\u2019s brothers neglected this aspect of their faith in their lives before God. Note how their lack of faith is demonstrated in Rashi\u2019s words on Bereshit \/ Genesis 50:16, Part 2<\/span><\/em> in which he says, \u201c\u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05da \u05e6\u05d5\u05d4 THY FATHER DID COMMAND \u2014 They altered the facts (they stated something that was false) for the sake of peace, for Jacob had given them no such command because Joseph was not suspect in his sight (Yevamot 65b)).\u201d<\/span><\/em> Rashi\u2019s interpretation ( on Bereshit \/ Genesis 50:17 Part 1<\/span><\/em>) he goes on to say that the messengers were to argue for the forgiveness of his brothers because they are the servants of God, what they had done was the will of God to save all peoples from this great famine. This causes Joseph to recognize the Lord\u2019s hand at work, and to not take matters into our own hands because the Lord is working out His plan for our lives. The same reasoning may be applied to each one of us in regards to everything that happens in our lives. This is why Yeshua raised the standard of forgiveness, to forgive even our enemies, regardless of whether one is a servant of God or not, under the idea that one may be serving God\u2019s will and not know it. Taking this perspective will help us to continue to walk in God\u2019s ways of righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth. Choosing what is right, walking in the spirit, and living our lives according to God\u2019s Word!<\/p>\n

BTT_Parashat-Vayechi-2017<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this week\u2019s Torah portion, Parashat Vayechi, we read the following, Bereshit \/ Genesis 50:15 When Joseph\u2019s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, \u2018What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!\u2019 50:16 So they sent a message […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7007","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bits-of-torah-truth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}