Riddles of the Week

Riddles of the Week

1. Rashi (45:12) writes that Yosef proved his true identity to his brothers by virtue of the fact that he spoke their language and was circumcised as they were. Why weren’t they able to verify his identity by virtue of recognizing his voice?

2. In this week parsha, Yosef warns his brothers who are about to return to their father: אל תרגזו בדרך - “Do not become agitated on the way” (45:25). Rashi based on the Gemara in Ta’anis (10b) explains, that he was telling them: “Do not occupy yourselves in halachah, lest the way enrage you.” One must be careful about studying Torah while journeying, for immersion in Torah study can cause a person to lose his composure.
   The question is, if there is a prohibition to learn whilst travelling, why did Ya’akov not warn them about it when he sent them down to Mitzrayim. Why do we only find that Yosef had to warn them on the way back?

3. At the emotional reunion between Yaakov and Yosef, the Torah relates (46:29) that Yosef fell on his father Yaakov’s neck and wept. Rashi explains that Yaakov didn’t reciprocate by falling on Yosef’s neck and kissing him because he was in the middle of reciting krias shema. The Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 66:1) that a person should interrupt the shema even in the middle of a verse in order to greet a king or other great man whom one is obligated to honor and respect. As Rashi writes (48:2) that Ya’akov exerted himself to sit up in his bed to honor Yosef’s royal position, why didn’t he similarly stop his recitation of krias shema in order to greet and honor Yosef?

4. After Yosef and Yaakov meet after many long hard years, the pasuk says: ויבך על צוא ריו – “that Yosef fell onto Yaakov’s neck and cried” (46:29). Rashi explains that Yaakov didn’t reciprocate by falling on Yosef’s neck and kissing him because he was in the middle of reciting krias shema. The question everyone asks is, why wasn’t Yosef reading krias shema as well? Many answers have been given, R’ Chaim Brisker answers: Yosef already said shema beforehand, however, Yaakov was busy with a mitzvah until now, and oisek b’mitvzah potur min hamitzvah, one who is busy with one mitzvah is exempt from carrying out another. Hashem told him אל תירא מרדה מצרימה – “Don’t be afraid of going down to Mitzrayim”. Yaakov was busy with a mitzvah and we learn in Berachos (11a) that if one is busy with a mitzvah he is exempt from krias shema. At this point, however, he had finished with the mitzvah and was therefore able to recite shema, Yosef however, who wasn’t busy with any mitzvah said shema earlier.
   The question therefore is, the halachah is (Orach Chaim 66:3) that if one is in the middle of krias shema and he hears kaddish, kedusah or borchu, he is supposed to interrupt even in the middle of shema. If one is in the middle of a mitzvah we say oisek b’mitvzah potur min hamitzvah and he is exempt from shema. Why don’t we say the same thing the other way round, and say that if one is in the middle of the mitzvah of shema, he is fulfilling a mitzvah and oisek b’mitvzah potur min hamitzvah and therefore, he shouldn’t answer to kaddish, kedusah or borchu?
   To make the question even stronger, the Ritva (Succah 25a) holds that not only is oisek b’mitvzah potur min hamitzvah, one who is busy with one mitzvah is exempt from carrying out another, but it is forbidden for him to carry out another mitzvah, as it is disgracing to the first mitzvah he is busy fulfilling. So why is it that if one is in the middle of shema he needs to interrupt to answer kaddish, kedusah or borchu, it should be forbidden?

5. At the emotional reunion between Yosef and Binyomin, the Torah relates: ויפל על צוארי בנימין אחיו ויבך – “He fell on the neck of Binyomin and cried” (45:14). This event happened on Shabbos, as the pasuk of טבוח טבח והכן was on erev Shabbos, if so, what was the heter for Yosef to cry, on Shabbos it is forbidden to cry?

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