“….In the tenth month, on the tenth of the month… the king of babylon has besieged jerusalem on this very day….” – Yechezkel 24:1-2 ״….בחודש העשירי בעשור לחודש…. סימך מלך בבל אל ירושלים בעצם היום הזה…״ – יחזקאל כ״ד, א-ב The early and important work known as Sefer Abudraham states that if the 10thof Teves were to occur on a Shabbos we […]

“…And Yosef sustained his father and his brothers and his father’s entire household [with] bread according to the young children. – Bereishis 47:12 וַיְכַלְכֵּל יוֹסֵף אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיו לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף – בראשית מז, יב The Book of Tehillim (80:2) calls G-d “the shepherd of Israel… He who leads Yosef like flocks of sheep.” The Midrash interprets […]

“…And they said to one another, “indeed, we are guilty for our brother, that we witnessed the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen. that is why this trouble has come upon us.” and Reuven answered them, saying, “didn’t i tell you, saying, ‘do not sin against the lad,’ but you did not listen?” […]

The image of Yaakov’s face appeared to Yosef just moments before he succumbed to his master’s wife’s advances, says the Talmud, and ultimately saved him from sinning. The Talmud implies that this was more than just a reminder to Yosef of the ethical standards with which he was raised; rather, it was the appearance of Yaakov’s face that gave Yosef the courage […]