December 21 -   Vayayshav - Genesis 37:1-40:23

The psukim at the end of the Parsha describe the dreams of Yosef’s co- prisoners. The description of these two men alternates between referring to them as Sar Hamashkim/Sar HaOfim (Minister of Drinks/Minister of Baking or Chief Butler/Chief Baker), an official title, and referring to them simply as the ‘mashkeh’ and the ‘ofeh’, the butler and the baker. Why the differences?

Specifically, the psukim say that the butler and baker sinned against their master Pharaoh (40:1); that Pharaoh became enraged against the Chief Butler and Chief Baker (40:2); that the baker and butler had dreams in prison (40:5); that Yosef told them that dream interpretations are up to HaShem and that the Chief Butler told Yosef his dream (40:8-9); that the Chief Baker also told Yosef his dream (40:16); that on his birthday Pharaoh once again counted the Chief Butler and Chief Baker among his servants (40:20); that Pharaoh re-instated the Chief Butler but hanged the Chief Baker (40:21-22); and that the Chief Butler forgot about Yosef (40:23).

                         December 14 -  Vayishlach Genesis 32:4–36:43

Vayishlach (“He Sent”) follows Jacob and his family as Jacob wrestles with a man (commonly understood as an angel), is renamed Israel, and reconciles with his brother, Esau. Jacob’s daughter, Dina, is raped by a Hivite prince, and her brothers sack a city in response. Rachel dies as she gives birth to Jacob's youngest child, Benjamin.

                         January 4 -   Vayegash,  Genesis 44:18−47:27

On the way down to Egypt Yaakov comes to Be’er Sheva and brings korbanos “leilokei oviv Yitzchok” – to the G-d of his father Yitzchok. (46:1) Rashi says that Yaakov mentioned only Yitzchok, and not Avrohom, and from this we are to understand that a person has a greater obligation to honor his father than his grandfather.

While this lesson is readily understood, it is difficult to understood why previously Yaakov davened to the G-d of both Avrohom and Yitzchok (see Parshas Vayishlach 32:10). If having one’s father in mind more than one’s grandfather is an appropriate mindset when bringing a karbon or davening, then why does Yaakov not do so always?

Yaakov’s korbanos in Be’er Sheva are brought on the heels of hearing the news that Yosef is still alive. Perhaps, at this juncture of feeling the relief of Yosef’s well-being and the renewed opportunity for Yosef to practice kibud av in person, Yaakov was more sharply focused on the direct father-son relationship and therefore had only Yitzchok in mind at this time. (See also the many midrashim connecting Yaakov’s obligation of kibud av to Yitzchok with Yaakov’s loss of Yosef’s kibud av.)

                                               December 28 -   Miketz - Genesis 41:1-44:17

During the famine Yaakov tells his sons to go down from Eretz Yisroel to Egypt to buy food. 42:2. “R’du shama v’shivru lanu misham – go down there and buy food for us from there”. Rashi says that Yaakov didn’t say “l’chu – go”, rather he said “r’du-go down”; and the reason for this is that the 210 gematria of r’du functions as a hint to the 210 years of enslavement in Egypt.

There are numerous examples of Rashi explaining elsewhere that Eretz Yisroel is on a higher plane than all other lands and that therefore it is apporpriate to speak of going up to or down from Eretz Yisroel.

If so, why isn’t r’du appropriate for this pasuk where the instrcution is to go down from Eretz Yisroel? On the strength of this diffuculty many m’forshei Rashi delete the first clause from this Rashi. According to them Rashi is saying simply, without pointing out anything curious about the terminology, that the 210 r’du equals the 210 years. If we follow these m’forshim and delete the clause, however, we still must explain how Yaakov’s use of r’du hints at anything deeper – it would only be a hint if the terminology would be somewhat unusual or unexpected.