37:30 There is a Maram Padava that says a Teshuva L’halachah, he questions whether the word Yeled means under Bar Mitzvah. He brings a Raya from the Posuk that says, הַיֶּלֶד אֵינֶנּוּ, וַאֲנִי אָנָה אֲנִי-בָא
Reuven said this when he came back to the Boir. That the child is not here. Who is the child? Yosef. At this time Yosef was 17 and the Maram Padava uses this as a Raya that Yeled doesn’t have to mean under the age of Bar Mitzvah.
Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky also discusses on this Posuk the difference between Yeled and Nar. Nar is usually understood to mean older. He says Yeled doesn’t have to be younger than a Nar. He brings a Raya from the Haftorah of Parshas Vayeira where Elisha wants to do Techiyas Hamaisim with a child that died, he sends Geichazi. We find in the Posuk in Melachim 2 4:31 & 32, וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-הַמִּשְׁעֶנֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַנַּעַר
That Geichazi tried to revive the Nar. Later he comes back and says, לֹא הֵקִיץ הַנָּעַר
and says that the Nar is dead. 2 Pesukim later in 4:34 it says, וַיַּעַל וַיִּשְׁכַּב עַל-הַיֶּלֶד
The same child is being called a Nar and a Yeled so Rav Yaakov sees from here that it has nothing to do with age. This is the Yesoid in the Teitch of Yeled.
The Halacha Nafka Mina is from the Teshuva of Maram Padava which is brought from the Pardas Yosef. The Gemara says in Maseches Bava Kama 98, something had happened and Rafram forced Rav Ashi to pay back. Rashi says that Rav Ashi burned a Shtar during his youth. Rashi is bothered because Rav Ashi was an Adom Gadol so how could he be Mazik somebody? Rav Ashi was young during that incident.
The Agados Hashri brings a Raya from here, that if someone is Mazik someone before Bar Mitzvah, then after his Bar Mitzvah he has to pay. Rav Ashi burned the Shtar before his Bar Mitzvah and he paid after his Bar Mitzvah. We don’t Pasken like the Agados Hashri. We Pasken like the Rambam that you are Patur.
The Mishna Berura in Hilchos Yom Kippurim says it is nice to pay; however, there is no obligation to pay. What does he do with this Raya from Rashi? The Maram Padava says Soraf Shtar B’yaldusoi doesn’t mean when Rav Ashi was under Bar Mitzvah. He could have been 13, 14, or 15, and he was a troublemaker, however, he was over Bar Mitzvah and did damage so he had to pay.
What is the difference between Yeled and Nar. Yeled is a word that evokes kindness. It is a child that you look at favorably. There are many places where the word Yeled is used to make a favorable impression. The word Nar on the other hand, doesn’t show any bond of love. If this Pshat is correct than we have a Gevalidge Pshat in the Haftoira of Parshas Vayeira that is brought by Rav Yaakov. Elisha was Mechayei Maisim on the child. He really sent Geichazi to do it, however, Geichazi was unsuccessful. When Geichazi tried to help the child it says Nar. When Elisha comes it switches to Yeled. Elisha looked at him with a bond of love and kindness. The Teva is that if you are kind to someone then you can help them.
38:20 וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוּדָה אֶת-גְּדִי הָעִזִּים, בְּיַד רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי, לָקַחַת הָעֵרָבוֹן, מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה; וְלֹא, מְצָאָהּ.
It is unusual that the Torah shouldn’t mention this Rai’ai’hu Ho’adulami by name. Rav Schwab says that the Torah is telling you what Rai’ai’hu means. A real friend is someone that you can tell your failings and things that you have done wrong and he will help you. Yehuda was able to tell this friend that he flopped and had to pay these G’di Izim and that he needed help. That person was a real friend.
Rav Schwab says that Hashem is your good friend so you should never abandon him. When people have difficulties they turn away from Hashem and this is the incorrect approach.
37:25 Rav Chaim Shmulevitz in Sichos Mussar brings the incident of Golias and Dovid. We find that when Golias was killed he fell forward toward Dovid and Dovid finished him off. Chazal says usually a person struck by a stone would fall backward, so why did Golias fall forward? It was a Chesed to Dovid. What is the difference how he fell, it was let’s say a total of30 feet that Dovid didn’t have to walk. This is a big deal? There are times when Hashem reaches out to someone with Ahavah.
A Mashul is brought. One time there was a family that had a valuable diamond that got lost. The whole family searched for it and then one boy found it. The Father went and gave this son a kiss. What about the fact that everyone expended energy looking for the diamond and was happy that it was found? That kiss meant something additional to this boy.
The same thing here, Dovid killed Golias. Everyone was happy, Dovid most of all. Hashem gave him a kiss by having him fall forward so that Dovid didn’t have to walk those extra few steps. In this way he had a Hergish of a connection to the Borei Oilam.
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz says the same thing about Yosef when he went down to Mitzrayim with a caravan that was carrying sweet smelling spices. Yosef was having all kinds of difficulties however, the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam gave him a kiss on the side that he was able to see and feel.
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz says that is the Neis of the Pach Hashemen burning 7 days. It was really a small event in the big picture of things. There was a war and there were battles, the war was not over during the time of the Neis of Chanukah. They were able to take the Beis Hamikdash back. There was a lot of joy because they were winning the battles. However, the oil burning 7 days was a kiss from the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam, that we should know that the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam is watching and was always hidden. Now that you see him, it is a different Hergish, a different feel.
We would do well in our lives to notice when the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam comes forward and gives us a kiss.
37:14 Yaakov sends Yosef to his brothers at it says in the Posuk, לֶךְ-נָא רְאֵה אֶת-שְׁלוֹם אַחֶיךָ וְאֶת-שְׁלוֹם הַצֹּאן
The Pashtus is that the brothers were in Shechem which was a dangerous place and Yaakov wanted to know how they are doing. However there is a problem because Rashi on 37:29 tells us that Reuvein who had been there when the brothers decided to do away with Yosef, as he was the one who suggested to throw Yosef in the Boir. It says in the Posuk, וַיָּשָׁב רְאוּבֵן אֶל-הַבּוֹר, וְהִנֵּה אֵין-יוֹסֵף בַּבּוֹר
Where was Reuvein? Rashi says that Reuvein was not present when Yosef was sold, for his turn had arrived to go to attend to his Father Yaakov. So it comes out that the brothers took turns going to their Father every day. So if every one of the brothers went to attend to their Father and then returned to the brothers, why was Yosef sent to see after the well-being of his brothers, Yaakov could have gotten the regards from the brother who was coming back each and every day? This Nikuda needs some kind of explanation.
