Zechusamזכותם
Lehavas David · Parshas Vayeishev · Maamar ד

Brotherhood, Not Strife, in Heaven's Name

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 37:12
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶחָיו לִרְעוֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם בִּשְׁכֶם
And his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem.

Rashi: The word es has dots over it, because they went only to pasture themselves. And on verse 14: Shechem is a place prepared for calamity, for there the tribes went astray.

1“And his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem.”1 Rashi cites a teaching of Chazal: “There are dots over the word es, to show that they went only to pasture themselves.”2 The holy sefarim ask what led Chazal to depart from the plain meaning of the verse, that the brothers went to tend the flock.3 Rashi also writes that Shechem is a place prepared for calamity, because there the tribes went astray.4 Yet against this we find in the Pri Etz Chaim and the Kehillas Yaakov that the letters of Shechem are the first letters of Baruch shem kevod malchuso, “Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom,” the words said after the first verse of Shema.5 How, then, can the honor of Heaven go together with strife?
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶחָיו לִרְעוֹת אֶת צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם בִּשְׁכֶם (לז, יב). וברש״י הֵבִיא מחז״ל (בראשית רבה פד, יג), נָקוּד עַל אֶת, שֶׁלֹּא הָלְכוּ אֶלָּא לִרְעוֹת אֶת עַצְמָן, וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (תפארת שמואל, ועיין בגור אריה, ובמשכיל לדוד, ובפירוש הט״ז) מָה רָאוּ חז״ל לְהוֹצִיא הַכָּתוּב מֵהַמַּשְׁמָעוּת הַפְּשׁוּטָה שֶׁהָלְכוּ לִרְעוֹת אֶת הַצֹּאן. עוֹד כָּתַב רש״י (שם יד) דִּשְׁכֶם הוּא מָקוֹם מוּכָן לְפוּרְעָנוּת, דְּשָׁם קִלְקְלוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים. אַךְ הִנֵּה לְעוּמַּת זֹאת מָצִינוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (פרי עץ חיים שער ראש חודש פ״ג, קהלת יעקב ערך שך) דְּ׳שְׁכֶם׳ רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת בָּרוּךְ שֵׁ׳ם כְּ׳בוֹד מַ׳לְכוּתוֹ, וְהַדְּבָרִים צְרִיכִים בֵּיאוּר, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם יַחַד עִם מַחֲלוֹקֶת.
  1. Bereishis 37:12. ↩
  2. Rashi there; Bereishis Rabbah 84:13. The small Hebrew word es has no English equivalent; it only marks “the flock” as the object of the verb. In the Torah scroll it is marked with dots. ↩
  3. Tiferes Shmuel; see also Gur Aryeh, Maskil LeDavid and the commentary of the Taz. ↩
  4. Rashi on Bereishis 37:14. ↩
  5. Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar Rosh Chodesh, ch. 3; Kehillas Yaakov, entry Shach. ↩
In shortChazal read the dotted es as “they went to pasture themselves,” yet Shechem hints at Hashem's glory: how can Heaven's honor go with strife?
2It seems we can explain this as follows. There are, as we know, two ways to rouse Israel to avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. One is the way of pleasantness: influencing Israel in the manner of Aharon HaKohen, “loving people and drawing them close to the Torah.”6 As it is written of the Torah, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness,” and likewise, “The words of the wise are heard when spoken gently.” Chazal, too, say, “Torah scholars increase peace in the world.”7 The second way is to rouse Israel to holiness and purity through rebuke and zealotry, being zealous with the zeal of Hashem and the like. But this way is dangerous, for it can lead to error, as Chazal said: “Once he came to anger, he came to error.”8
וְנִרְאֶה לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה נוֹדַע דְּיֵשׁ שְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים לְעוֹרֵר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא, אֶחָד הוּא בְּדַרְכֵי נוֹעַם, לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִידַּת אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן, בִּבְחִינַת (אבות א, יב) אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ג, יז) ״דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נוֹעַם״, וְכֵן (קהלת ט, יז) דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים בְּנַחַת נִשְׁמָעִים, וְכִדְאִיתָא בחז״ל (ברכות סד, א) תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מַרְבִּים שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם. וְהַדֶּרֶךְ הַשֵּׁנִית הִיא, לְעוֹרֵר וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוּשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תּוֹכָחָה וּקְנָאוֹת, לְקַנֵּא קִנְאַת ה׳ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. אַךְ הִנֵּה בְּדֶרֶךְ זוֹ יֵשׁ סַכָּנָה, כִּי יְכוֹלִים עַל יָדָהּ לָבוֹא לִידֵי טָעוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ספרי במדבר קנז) כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא לִידֵי כַּעַס בָּא לִידֵי טָעוּת.
  1. Avos 1:12. ↩
  2. Mishlei 3:17; Koheles 9:17; Berachos 64a. ↩
  3. Sifri Bamidbar 157. ↩
In shortIsrael can be roused to serve Hashem gently, in Aharon's way, or through rebuke and zealotry, which is dangerous because anger leads to error.
3As is well known, the dispute between Yosef HaTzaddik and his brothers, the tribes, was about the ways of avodas Hashem. The tribes held that when the honor of Heaven is at stake, one may set things right and take action even through strife. That is why biShechem, “in Shechem,” is said to be formed from the first letters of Baruch shem kevod malchuso: the tribes' intent in the sale of Yosef was for the honor of Heaven. Yosef HaTzaddik, on the other hand, said, “It is my brothers that I seek (anochi mevakesh).”9 We may find a hint in his saying anochi for “I” rather than ani. He meant that when one seeks “Anochi, I am Hashem your God,” the opening of the Ten Commandments,10 one must do so in the way of “my brothers”: with brotherhood, peace and friendship, which is the first way we described, the way of pleasantness.
וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ כִּי הַמַּחֲלוֹקֶת בֵּין הַשְּׁבָטִים לְיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה בְּדַרְכֵי עֲבוֹדַת ה׳, וְהַשְּׁבָטִים סָבְרוּ כִּי בְּעִנְיָינִים הַנּוֹגְעִים לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, אֶפְשָׁר לְתַקֵּן וְלַעֲשׂוֹת פְּעוּלּוֹת גַּם בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁל מַחֲלוֹקֶת. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמּוּבָא דְּ׳בִּשְׁכֶם׳ רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת ׳בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ׳, שֶׁכַּוָּונָתָם בִּמְכִירַת יוֹסֵף הָיְתָה לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. אַךְ לְעוּמַּת זֹאת יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק אָמַר (לז, טז) ״אֶת אַחַי אָנֹכִי מְבַקֵּשׁ״, וְיֵשׁ לְרַמֵּז מַה שֶׁאָמַר ׳אָנֹכִי׳ וְלֹא ׳אָנִי׳, שֶׁכִּיוֵּון לוֹמַר בָּזֶה, דְּבִזְמַן שֶׁמְּבַקְּשִׁים אֶת (שמות כ, ב) ״אָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ״, אֲזַי צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת בְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁל ׳אֶת אַחַי׳, דְּהַיְינוּ בְּאַחְוָה וְשָׁלוֹם וְרֵיעוּת, כַּדֶּרֶךְ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת.
  1. Bereishis 37:16. ↩
  2. Shemos 20:2. ↩
In shortThe tribes thought strife could serve Heaven's honor; Yosef's “It is my brothers that I seek” teaches that Hashem is sought through brotherhood.
4The story of the sale of Yosef began, then, biShechem, a word that hints at the honor of Heaven. The tribes were debating with one another what to do about Yosef; they were deliberating, that is, about the honor of Heaven and how to bring it about, by way of friendship or even by way of strife. But the verse says “they went to pasture es,” with dots over es, telling us that anger led them into error. They went only “to pasture themselves,” and it was not for the honor of Heaven. Chazal are teaching us here how a person can go wrong through a dispute “for the sake of Heaven,” when really he is after nothing but his own needs. My holy father and teacher, zt"l, said something similar on the Mishnah “Which is a dispute for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Hillel and Shammai.”11 He asked why it does not say “Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai,” the schools of their disciples, the way their disputes are always cited in the Gemara. He explained that only Hillel and Shammai themselves were privileged to carry on a dispute truly for the sake of Heaven. Their disciples could already have had ulterior motives, and such a dispute is no longer called entirely for the sake of Heaven.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁתְּחִילַּת עִנְיַן מְכִירַת יוֹסֵף הָיָה בִּבְחִינַת ׳בִּשְׁכֶם׳ הָרוֹמֵז לִבְחִינַת כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים מִתְדַּיְּינִים זֶה עִם זֶה מָה לַעֲשׂוֹת בִּדְבַר יוֹסֵף, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁדָּנוּ בְּעִנְיַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, הֵיאַךְ לְהַגִּיעַ לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, עַל יְדֵי דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁל רֵיעוּת, אוֹ אֲפִילּוּ עַל יְדֵי דֶּרֶךְ הַמַּחֲלוֹקֶת. אַךְ הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר וַיֵּלְכוּ לִרְעוֹת אֶת, הַיְינוּ שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ כַּעַס בָּאוּ לִידֵי טָעוּת, וְלֹא הָלְכוּ אֶלָּא לִרְעוֹת אֶת עַצְמָן, וְלֹא הָיָה זֶה לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. וּבָאוּ חז״ל לְלַמְּדֵנוּ בָּזֶה, אֵיךְ שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְאָדָם לָבוֹא מִתּוֹךְ מַחֲלוֹקֶת לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם לִידֵי טָעוּת, שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת אֵין כַּוָּונָתוֹ אֶלָּא לְצוֹרֶךְ עַצְמוֹ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה עַל דִּבְרֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה (אבות ה, יז) אֵיזֶהוּ מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי, וְקָשֶׁה לָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳בֵּית הִלֵּל וּבֵית שַׁמָּאי׳, כְּפִי שֶׁנִּזְכַּר תָּמִיד מַחְלוֹקְתָּם בש״ס. וּבֵיאֵר, שֶׁרַק הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי עַצְמָם, הֵם זָכוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת מַחֲלוֹקֶת לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מַמָּשׁ, אַךְ תַּלְמִידֵיהֶם כְּבָר הָיָה יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם פְּנִיּוֹת, וְזֶה כְּבָר לֹא נִקְרָא מַחֲלוֹקֶת לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם לְגַמְרֵי.
  1. Avos 5:17. ↩
In shortThe dots show that anger turned the tribes' dispute into self-interest; as the Rebbe's father taught, only Hillel and Shammai themselves argued purely for Heaven.
5Through love we will bring the redemption near, as Chazal said: “Israel will not be redeemed until they form one band.”12 Amen, may it be His will.
וְעַל יְדֵי אַהֲבָה נְקָרֵב אֶת הַגְּאוּלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ילקוט שמעוני תרנא) אֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאָלִים אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהֵם בַּאֲגוּדָּה אַחַת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
  1. Yalkut Shimoni §651. ↩
In shortMay love among Jews bring the redemption, for Israel will be redeemed only when united.
Takeaway

The brothers of Yosef believed their dispute was for the honor of Heaven, yet anger led them into error, and they ended up pasturing only themselves. If even the disciples of Hillel and Shammai could have mixed motives, we should be wary of any fight we wage in Heaven's name. Yosef shows the better way: whoever seeks Hashem must seek Him together with his brothers, in love, peace and friendship, and that unity brings the redemption near.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

More on Parshas Vayeshev

See all ›
Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerFirst Kindle, Then Repair: Acting Like HillelDo not wait to become clean before serving Hashem. Like a wounded soldier who first escapes his enemy, kindle now with prayer and mitzvos, trusting in Hashem's promise, and keep…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerReuven's Teshuvah Over the Root of SinComplete teshuvah is not only regret over the latest failing but a search for the first sin that set the chain in motion, uprooting it so it can no longer drag one down. Return at…Yismach Yisroel · Rav Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchok DancygerReuven's Teshuvah for a Sin of ThoughtA sinful thought, known only to Hashem, is the start of a chain: left unrepaired, it dims the mind and drags a person on to speech and deed. While it is still only a thought it is…

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.