When Yosef was born to Rachel she said יתפרח תא םיקלא ףסא Hashem gathered in my shame that I was barren. She also exclaimed יוסף לי בן אחר that she davened to Hashem to give her another son which came out to be Binyamin. What happened to her first expression of gratitude יתפרח תא םיקלא ףסא? It appears that Rachel stuck with the name that demonstrated her tefillah for the future to have another child יוסף, and not אסף for the gratitude in the past. However, the Rashbam learns that the name אסף is included in the name יוסף so he was actually named for both of these reasons. In this mamar we want to elaborate how the name of אסף played a major role in the future of Am Yisrael and how the Shechinah accompanied them throughout their history until today.
It is the name of ףסא that continues the echo of Rachel's response to birthing Yosef םיקלא ףסא את חרפתי. Yosef's mission in the role of Assaf's is to remove embarrassment and shame from Am Yisrael. We find that when Yosef revealed his identity to his brothers he said to them (Bereishis 45,5) "Don't be upset or angry with yourselves that you sold me to this place, for now we see that Hashem sent me ahead of you to save your lives. Hashem sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival in the land and to sustain your families and flocks for the great salvation". With this statement Yosef was acting as אסף by bringing out the אלקים את חרפתי silver lining embedded in their action of selling him as a slave. In fact some commentators learn on the words אני יוסף אשר מכרתם אותי מצרימה that this was a complement rather than a jab of guilt and shame. For the word רשא can be interpreted like the רשא that Hashem told Moshe after he broke the Luchos תרבש רשא which means there חכ רשיי thank you for breaking the Luchos. So too with Yosef רשא המירצמ יתוא םתרכמ was a , חכ רשיי for now I can sustain our entire family during the famine.
A second role that Assaf played was the preservation of Am Yisrael from becoming extinct. The sefarim tell us that Rachel symbolizes the Shechinah. The Shechinah through Rachel would be so shamed if Am Yisrael would become lost and disappear through assimilation. It was Yosef who saved the Shechinah from such shame and degradation יתפרח תא םיקלא ףסא as we will now explain.
The Shach on the Torah writes that he heard from a Mekubal that the selling of Yosef by his brothers helped preserve the existence of Am Yisrael. For during the time of the First and Second Beis Hamikdash when the spiritual status of Yisrael was at its very low, Hashem contemplated of destroying Am Yisrael completely. Instead Hashem chose to pour out his wrath on the Beis Hamikdash by destroying it and we were sent into galus to serve as our punishment for our waywardness . However the toll of galus on Am Yisrael would cause us to assimilate to the point where we could eventually vanish from the face of the earth just as history shows this occurrence by the exile of an other nation. Even the passuk says (Vayikra 26,38) םייוגב םתדבאו. Hashem decided that the only way to preserve the existence of Am Yisrael in galus is by bringing the Shechinah into Galus with Bnei Yisrael .עמו אנכי בצרה
This is not the first time that the Shechinah descended into galus leaving Eretz Yisrael. When Yosef was sold down to Mitzrayim the Shechinah also accompanied him. The Shechinah was already accustomed to go into galus. The selling of Yosef facilitated that at the time of the Churban the Shechinah would accompany Yisrael into galus in order to preserve their identity as the Chosen Nation of Hashem.
An allusion that the Shechinah also descended with Yosef to Mitzrayim is hinted in the words םהילמגו םיאשנ נכאות וצרי ולט the Yishmaeli caravan was carrying different spices which as Rashi points out was a very rare scenario. The answer is that this caravan was destined to carry Yosef and the Shechinah. This is hinted in the word נשאים which is the gematriah of הניכש איה. Even in the word דירוהל םיכלוה המירצמ we find an allusion to the Shechnah as the gematriah of המירצמ is הניכש. A futher support to this is found in the word הולכיםwhich equals אלף , a letter that refers to Hashem who is called םלוע לש ופולא. Furthermore If we examine the three spices mentioned in the passuk closely, we will discover a message of chizuk that Hashem is sending to Yosef. תואכנ are the letter תוא ןכ that this aberration of a caravan carrying spices is "yes a sign" from Hashem. צרי hints to the Shechinah הרצב יכנא ומע as ירצ can be translated as "My צר" as well as Yosef's. Hashem is with Yisrael and feels his pain even in the situation of לט which means curse, such as when they are going into galus as a punishment for one's aveiros.
In Megiallas Aicha 4,11 the passuk says שא תציו ופא ןורח ךפש ותמח תא 'ה הלכבציון Hashem let out his anger by igniting a fire within ציון which refers to the Beis Hamikdash. In the sefer Taam Hatzevi he writes that this passuk is an allusion to the words of the Shach above. That Hashem poured his anger on ציון rather than Am Yisrael. ציון is gematriah יוסף. Here we find an is allusion that because of the sale of Yosef to Mitzrayim, the Shechinah went into galus with him thereby setting a precedence that Yisrael can also now be punished by descending into galus as long as the Shechinah follows to preserve them. Therefore from Yosef's gematriah ציון there emerged the viable option to destroy the Beis Hamikdash which is also called ציון, in the place of Yisrael.
Yosef's Message to Yaakov and the Galus
With the above we can now understand why Yosef sent his father עגלות wagons as a code to authenticate that he was truly alive both physically and spiritually. Chazal explain that the code was referring to the parsha of עגלה ערופה or the תולגע designated to carry the Mishkan. We suggest that Yosef also had a deeper meaning to all the עגלות that he sent to Yaakov. Because of Yosef being in Mitzrayim there was an unwritten guarantee that Yisrael will go into galus and will survive as a nation because the Shechinah will accompany us there. But maybe that only applies for the first time the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed and we went into galus for seventy years and it was rebuilt. Who says that after a second destruction of the Beis Hamikdash that can last 2000 that Shechinah will have that much patience to stick it out with Bnei Yisrael and redeem them again for a third round Beis Hamikdash?
Yosef understood that his being in Mitzrayim was as if he was experiencing all four exiles. As the Megalleh Amukos writes that the gematria of is 400 and that is whyרום בבל יון מדי Galus Mitzrayim had to be 400 years in order to purify Am Yisrael during this period all four Kingdoms of Exile. We can add by saying, that this is why he sent his father עגלות to hint in this word to the fact that after the ע the seventy years of the galus from the destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash, there will be another גלות after the Second Beis Hamikdash will be destroyed. Since both galuyos are hinted in the same word there is a היקיש between them. Just like in the first destruction Hashem went into galus for seventy years with Yisrael, so too during the second גלות Hashem will also be with them in order to preserve them as a nation until the time of redemption and the building of the Third Beis Hamikdash.
With the above we suggest an explanation why when Yaakov met with Yosef for the first time after 22 years of separation, Chazal tell us that he recited the Shema Yisrael. The Baal Haturim writes that the word שמע is the gematria 410 corresponding to the 410 years that the first Beis Hamikdash stood erect before it was destroyed. We can add to this that the next letter following שמע is the letter yud of י שראל when added to שמע we have the total of 420 the amount of years that the Second Beis Hamikdash stood before it was destroyed. This teaches us that we shouldn't say Hashem has patience for our spiritual rehabilitation one time only, but should the same situation arise again He would chas veshalom destroy us. Not so! For the letter yud added to שמע relates that even if once again we will not be worthy of continued existence and a relationship with Hashem, He will nevertheless destroy the Mikdash instead of His nation. The enlarged letter ד in the word חאד can be interpreted thus, דחא היוה with the word אח meaning connected It relates that we are connected to הויה Hashem and Hashem is connected to us even in the fourth galus of Edom after the Mikdash was already destroyed.
When Yaakov met Yosef, he saw the Shechinah on his face and he understood that the Shechinah went down to galus with Yosef. At this encounter Yaakov fathomed the incredible meaning seeing Yosef with the Shechina, that even when Yisrael will be spiritually bankrupt that Hashem would want to destroy them, He would let out his anger on the Beis Hamikdash instead of Am Yisrael. This substituted destruction on stones and wood was achieved on account of Yosef who was in galus and the Shechinah was with him. Yaakov said the עמש ישראל out of gratitude to Hashem for His everlasting relationship with Am Yisrael.
The Meaning of Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso Leolam Vaed
After the לארשי עמש our Chachamim The simple .ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד added to insert understanding of this is that these words refer to Hashem. However we can say that it is also referring to Am Yisrael. We are Hashem's ambassadors on earth the name given the name ישראל שיר אל that our mission is to sing Hashem's praises. When we fulfill the potential of our name we bring about כבוד מלכותו. After seeing Yosef with the Shechinah on his countenance even in galus, Yaakov realized that Yisrael will be the ambassadors of Hashem לעולם ועד.
The Source of Hashem's Wrath on the Beis Hamikdash
We are now ready to learn the amazing source from where Hashem pours His wrath on the Beis Hamikdash instead of Am Yisrael. The passuk מזמור םייוג ואב םיקלא ףסאל תא ואמט ךתלחנב .)Tehillim 79,1( היכל קדשך שמו את ירושלים לעיים.
The Chazal ask that the word מזמור song in this context which is talking about the Churban is an inappropriate choice of words. The answer is as Rashi writes
ךכ ךותמו ותיבבש םינבאו םיצעב ותמח ה"בקה הליכש לע הריש ףסא רמאש ךכ שרדו היל יעבימ ףסאל הניק הותיר פליטה בישראל שאלמלא כך לא נשתייר משונאי ישראל שריד וכן הוא אומר כלה ה' את חמתו ויצת אש בציון )איכה ד(:
The happiness that stems from the Churban in the form of מזמור is that we could have been annihilated and not the Beis Hamikdash. Its destruction took our place ויצת אש בציון and Hashem vented His anger on it. Instead we went into galus and Hashem was there to preserve us and not become extinct as a nation.
Who is this אסף who composed this passuk and perek? Assaf was the greatest of the Levite singers in the Beis Hamikdash. It took the greatest singer to compose this song on the destruction of the Mikdash. The greatest shame and degradation that a nation could have is that as a nation with its unique culture has slowly become extinct and dissolved. It was the role of Yosef with the character trait of Assaf who brought the Shechinah down into galus in order to preserve Yisrael from losing its identity.
Take a look again who authored this song – מזמור לאסף. Assaf one of the names of Yosef. Assaf the Levi in this mizmor took the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the departure of the Shechinah from its dwelling place, and removed somewhat of the הפרח by revealing the silver lining in the Churban. He conveyed that it was Hashem's plan for us his beloved nation to keep them from being annihilated. By destroying the Mikdash instead of us, Hashem demonstrated His everlasting love for us and willingness to descend into galus where His name would be desecrated in order to prove His allegiance of love to us. The composer of this mizmor might not have possessed the body of Yosef but for sure he demonstrated the spirit of Assaf in what he achieved.
Hashem's Awesomeness and the Preservation of Yisrael
We can find the contents of this mamar hinted in the passuk (Tehillim 68,36) םיהלא ארונ Hashem is awesome from His .ממקדשך אל ישראל הוא נותן עוז ותעצומות לעם ברוך ה'.Beis Hamikdash. His awesomeness comes from destroying the Beis Hamikdash instead of Am Yisrael. Rashi learns (Yuma 69b) that the word נורא is referring to the galus that the מורא of Hashem stops the goyim from annihilating Yisrael. The fear of Hashem is the Shechina the presence of Hashem which not only restrains the goyim but also connects the Yid to Hashem. By doing so םעל תומוצעתו זוע ןתונ אוה Hashem gives strength to Am Yisrael to preserve themselves as a nation. Even though the destruction of the Mikdash was middas hadin ארונ אלקים there was still a silver lining of love behind it ברוךיהו' middas harachamim.
The end of the passuk אל ישראל means to refer to the last two letters of the name לארשי. the sefarim tell us that the name אל which is the first of the 13 Middos Harachamim parallels the midda of קל וחומר the first of the 13 Middos through which the Torah is learned. The name Yisrael teaches that when Hashem destroyed the Beis Hamikdash He sent His Shechinah to go down into galus with Yisrael. This is using the middah of Kal Vochemer. For if the Shechinah accompanied Yosef to Mitzrayim which was only one individual, surely the nation of Yisrael should benefit of having the Shechinah descend with them into the galus in order to protect them. Note that קל וחומר is gematria הניכשה.
The sefarim tell us that Yosef parallels Shabbos. During the week the neshama has embarrassment from one's aveiros. The individual himself might feel shamed and feel he is in galus from Hashem disconnected in his relationship. However when Shabbos comes and one receives a neshama yesairah he feels reconnected and the shame goes away. That is why שבת spells תשבshame for it removes it. Yosef who symbolizes it helps the Yid to experience the neshama yesairah with his calling אסף את חרפתי. Take the gematriah of חרפתי with its five letters and you have שבת including the word. Yosef corresponds to Korban מוסף like his name and to the neshama yesairah. With that we are removed from our galus and dwell with the Shechinah.
RAV BRAZIL
GUT SHABBOS
