Helping gentiles spiritually

The verse says that Pharoah was told "Go to Yosef. Whatever he tells you to do, you should do." Rashi explains he told the Egyptians to undergo circumcision. Why would he do this? Rav Yeruchum  Levovitz explains with a verse in Vayigash where the Egyptians said, "You have saved our lives." The Medrash says they were acknowledging his saving them in this world (with food) and in the world to come (with circumcision). It is a spiritual benefit even for gentiles to have circumcision as the orla contains impurity. Rav Yeruchum explains that Yosef had helped them in the physical realm, how could he not help them also in the world to come? 

Rav Yehonasan Gefen, The Guiding Light 2, Mikeitz

What Kind Of Job Is Best For You?

A person should choose a vocation for which he has an inclination. 

We find it confirmed in the Gemara that each person is generally satisfied with the way he earns his living. In fact, some people love their vocation. That doesn't mean they are madly in love with it, but they have an affection for that kind of work and they don't want any other kind of work. This is inherent in the way people are created. -- Ohr Avigdor Shaar Bitachon, Rav Avigdor Miller

the optimal setting for our individual and collective growth

 

Jacob was overjoyed to hear that Joseph was still alive and that he had remained true to Jacob’s ideals. Although he looked forward to joining Joseph, he regretted having to leave the land promised to his forebears. G d therefore appeared to him and assured him that his family would grow into a nation while in Egypt.

אַל תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה כִּי לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם: (בראשית מו:ג)

[G-d said to Jacob,] “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation.” Genesis 46:3

G‑d was not trying to soothe Jacob’s regret over leaving the Promised Land, for a Jew should regret not living in the Land of Israel. Rather, G‑d was telling Jacob that his regret over going into exile was the key to not becoming intimidated by it, and therefore, the key to overcoming it.

Since G‑d put us in exile, it follows that He has given us all the strength we need to overcome its challenges. As long as the exile continues, it is the optimal setting for our individual and collective growth and development. Here, however, lurks a great danger. When we realize that we have no reason to be intimidated by exile and that we benefit so greatly from it, we can fall into the trap of becoming habituated to it. As a consequence, we can become vulnerable to exile’s negative effects on us, and it goes without saying that we can no longer elevate it properly.

Therefore, like Jacob, we should always cultivate regret over the fact that we are not in our proper environment, the Land of Israel in the Messianic Redemption. As long as we remember who we really are and the lives we are really meant to lead, we need not fear exile; we will overcome it.1

7th Lubavitcher Rebbe

FOOTNOTES
1.	Likutei Sichot, vol. 30, pp. 234–235.

Torah im Derech Eretz Chassidus

 A friend commented the other day that the 7th Lubavitcher Rebbe practiced a Torah im Derech Eretz Chassidus. The following I would say is an example of that:

Although the Egyptians stored up grain during the seven years of plenty, as Joseph directed them to, as soon as the seven years of famine began, everyone’s grain except for Joseph’s rotted. The populace of Egypt thus found themselves dependent upon Joseph for food. Joseph agreed to give them grain on the condition that they circumcise themselves first.

Refining the World

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה לְכָל מִצְרַיִם לְכוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּ: (בראשית מא:נה)

Pharaoh said to all Egypt, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you to.” Genesis 41:55

Egyptian society was steeped in the pursuit of self-serving carnal pleasure, which is reduced by circumcision. Thus, by having the Egyptians circumcised, Joseph subdued their obsession with carnal indulgence. Pharaoh himself instructed them to go along with Joseph’s condition; thus, even the living symbol of Egyptian corruption was willing to be refined, at least somewhat.

We follow Joseph’s example by remaining spiritually uncontaminated by our materialistic environment and even refining it. By strengthening our own commitment to Judaism, we influence our fellow Jews to strengthen theirs. Moreover, we influence the broader community of non-Jews to keep the Torah’s laws that apply to them (the “Noahide” laws). Thus, we will ultimately transform the entire world into G‑d’s home.1

FOOTNOTES
1.	Likutei Sichot, vol. 10, p. 141.

from DAILY WISDOM: Wednesday: Refining the World (Miketz), Chabad.org

basic human dignity

from Bitachon Weekly

 Chazal say since Yaakov lowered himself before Eisav, calling him Adoni my master eight times, therefore Hashem granted Eisav eight kings before Yaakov had any kings! Reb Yerucham Levovitz points out that from this we see how dangerous it is for a person to lower himself more than necessary; as it can turn around the entire world history. The Ramban says, during the second Bais Hamikdash we caused our own downfall into the hands of Edom by being Mach’nia ourselves to them. This was a result of the Jewish kings making a Bris pact with the Romans, and some even going to Rome which was lowering themselves to Edom. Because they put their trust [Bitachon] in the Romans, Hashem let them fall into their hands. The whole long Galus we are in, came as a result of our lowering ourselves into the Romans hands, as the Passuk a צַדִּיק מָט לִּפְנֵי רָשָע משלי כה כו :says Tzaddik lowers himself to fall before a Rasha, and Chazal say if a person flatters a Rasha, he will end up falling into his hands. Now we can understand how important your self-esteem is for your well-being. It can change your entire destiny! How imperative it is for a person to have a highopinion of himself [and of others].

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basic human dignity is an important part of Torah and is well expressed with Torah Im Derech Eretz

Government is not the solution. It's the problem.

A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. Gerald R. Ford

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Ronald Reagan

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. P. J. O'Rourke 

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. John Adams

Four Divinely-ordained institutions

"The Book of Genesis lists four Divinely-ordained institutions: Shabbos, keshet [the rainbow], mila [circumcision], and gid hanasha, [the prohibition against eating the "sinew of weakness"]. The first two are of significance to all of mankind, the latter two have a similar meaning in the narrower sphere of the Jewish people. The Sabbath insures the survival of the spiritual and moral calling assigned to all mankind; circumcision guarantees the survival of Israel's mission. The rainbow is the emblem of the history of mankind; the "sinew of weakness" is the emblem of Jewish history. But is is the moral action of man, and the fate ordained for man by God, that together determine the sum total of all individual and communal life on earth."

Rav Samson R. Hirsch, Bereshis 32:33

Dr. ROGER HODKINSON, 29TH NOVEMBER 2020

https://www.bitchute.com/video/HbaOVR9pehji

Dr Hodkinson is a board certified pathologist in the USA and Canada. He studied at Cambridge University in the UK before emigrating to Canada in 1970. He has held a number of leadership positions in his profession both in his own province of Alberta and nationally. His career has spanned general practice, community hospitals, academia, CEO of a large retail clinical laboratory and various other entrepreneurial activities in private medicine.

What Is Wisdom?

 What Is Wisdom?

Wisdom doesn’t just mean knowing things; it means being Aware of the presence of Hashem in the world. As David Hamelech says, "Reishis Chachma yiras Hashem — The highest of wisdom is the fear of Hashem" (Tehilim 111:10). This doesn’t mean we have to be in a state of fear. It means that we have to be Aware that the presence of Hashem is everywhere. That realization is the pinnacle of wisdom. — Ohr Avigdor Hakdama