Rabbi Frand on Parshas Vayigash
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 174 -- Twins.
Good Shabbos!
Learning The Interpretation Of A Verse From a "Turned Off" Student
After Yosef's dialog with his brothers, he finally breaks down and says "I am
Yosef -- Is my father still alive?" [Bereshis 45:3] All the commentaries ask
an obvious question: the entire dialog between Yosef and his brothers was
centered on their father. Yaakov had been the constant focus of Yosef's
questions and the brothers' responses. So why does Yosef ask again if his
father is still alive?
I once spoke at a Torah U'Mesorah convention on the topic of "What makes a
Great Jewish Educator." One of my sources was the Rambam's comment [Hilchos
Talmud Torah 5:12] that a teacher must love his students as if they were
his own children. I pointed out that in previous generations it was perhaps
more difficult to understand what it meant for teachers to have to love
their students. In our generation, however, we have been given additional
insight into this matter.
Unfortunately, in our society (due to our multitude of sins) parents
sometimes do not care about their children. Some children do not receive
the love which they need. Their parents are too busy making money by
working 12, 14, or 16 hours a day to have time for their children. Some
parents think love is giving their child a Mercedes for his 16th birthday.
This is not love. Love is spending time with your child and being there for
your child.
Today we have a generation that is simply starving for love. Therefore,
children are often looking for love in the classroom. A function that was
always provided by the parents -- a pat on the back, or a hug -- now falls
to the teacher, because no one is home, literally. Our new insights into
the words of the Rambam come to us because we see what children are not
receiving at home, and we see what they need. And this is the love that
teachers must often provide.
I then related the following true story, which explains Yosef's question.
There was once a student whose father had deserted his family. This sort of
student often causes a lot of problems for a teacher. He was totally
"turned off" to everything. The teacher tried to become close to the
child. He invited the child over to his house. Nothing helped. The child
just sat there in class and did not participate.
As is unfortunately the case with teachers sometimes, the teacher was
prepared to write this child off. "Put him in the back of the class; let
him just sit there. Hopefully he will absorb some of what is being taught.
I gave it my best shot, there is nothing more I can do." And so that is
what the teacher did.
For about half the year, the child just sat and 'vegetated'. Finally the
class started Parshas VaYigash. They learned the dialog between Yosef and
the brothers. Then they learned the verse "I am Yosef -- is my father still
alive?" The Rebbe asked our question to the students -- what does Yosef
mean by this question?
This child from the back of the classroom, the one who had not participated
for half the year, raised his hand and gave this incredibly poignant
interpretation: "Yosef is saying, 'I know that YOUR father is still alive,
but is MY father still alive? Has my father given up on me? I have been
away from home; I have been in a strange land for 22 years; is MY father
still alive? Do I still have a father who cares about ME?'"
That child was not only asking Yosef's question. He was asking his own
question. Sometimes we have children who in different ways and in different
forms are asking "Is my father still alive?" "Does my father still care
about me?"
We must listen to questions like that.
Glossary
Torah U'Mesorah -- A National Organization of Jewish Day Schools
Rambam -- Rabbi Moses Maimonides, 12th C. CE.
Sources and Personalities
Ramba"m -- (1135-1204) Rav Moshe ben Maimon; Spain, Egypt; Authored "Yad
HaChazakah" (Mishneh Torah), Code of Jewish Law.
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion (#174). The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is:
Twins. The other halachic portions for Parshas Vayigash
from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
