Ramazei DiOraysa: Hints in the Torah Volume 1 Issue 12

רמזי דאורייתא
Ramazei DiOraysa: Hints in the Torah
Volume 1 Issue 12

It is said (Bereishis 46:28) vies Yehudah shalach lifanav el Yosef lihoros lifanav Goshnah vayavou artzah Goshen, he sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen; and they arrived in the region of Goshen. The Binei Yissachar writes that the word Goshnah equals the word Moshiach. It is noteworthy that the word shalach, which means he sent, can also be read shaal, he asked (the letters aleph and ches are interchangeable). The Gemara (Sukkah 52a) states that when Moshiach ben Dovid will witness the death of Moshiach Ben Yosef, he will become afraid, and when HaShem asks Moshiach ben Dovid what he desires, Moshiach Ben Dovid will respond , “all I ask for is life.” This request has its source in a verse where it is said (Tehillim 21:5) chaim shaal mimcho nasata lo, life he requested of You, You gave it to him. Thus, we can interpret our verse here as follows: and Yehudah, i.e., Moshiach ben Dovid, who descends from Yehudah, shaal (rearranging the letters of shalach and substituting the aleph for the ches) asks for life, because lifanav el Yosef, he witnesses before his eyes the death of Moshiach ben Yosef. The verse alludes to Moshiach as the gematria of the word Goshnah equals the word Moshiach (358).

It is said (Bereishis 47:29) sim na yadcha tachas yireichi, please place your hand under my thigh. Why did Yaakov instruct Yosef to place his hand under his thigh? Perhaps the idea is that when the Avos would want to demonstrate their connection to Eretz Yisroel, they would have someone place their hand under their thigh, as the thigh is a metaphor for Bris Milah, the area where they were circumcised. It is for this reason that Avraham, when seeking a wife for his son Yitzchak, instructed Eliezer (Ibid 24:2) to place his hand under his thigh. Avraham had instructed Eliezer to bring a wife back to Eretz Yisroel for Yitzchak, and Yaakov instructed Yosef to bury him in Eretz Yisroel. Rashi (Ibid 17:2) writes that receiving Eretz Yisroel was predicated by the performance of Bris Milah, circumcision. It was for this reason that the Avos instructed others to place their hand under their thigh. It is noteworthy that the words na yireichi equal in gematria the word eretz , land (291).

It is said (Bereishis 47:31) vayishtachu Yisroel al rosh hamitah, then Yisroel prostrated himself towards the head of the bed. Rashi writes that Yaakov prostrated himself because taalah bidinei sagid leih, a fox in its time, i.e. Yosef, bow down to him. It is noteworthy that the word vayishtachu (730) equals in gematria the words taalah bidinei sagid (729). It is further fascinating that the word rosh, head, equals in gematria the word taalah, a fox, alluding to the idea that when the fox is “the head,” one should bow down to him.

It is said (Bereishis 48:2) vayischazeik Yisroel vayeishev al hamitah, so Yisroel exerted himself and sat up on the bed. Rashi writes that from here we learn that cholkin kavod limalchus, one accords honor to the kingship. It is noteworthy that the words vayischazeik Yisroel (1072) equal in gematria to the words shehayu cholkim kavod limalchus, that they accorded honor to the kingship (1073).

It is said (Bereishis 48:11) vayomer Yisroel el Yosef rioh fanacha lo filalti vihinei herah osi Elokim gam es zarecha, Yisroel said to Yosef, “ I dared not accept the thought that I would see your face, and here G-d has shown me even your offspring.” This verse contains a fascinating allusion to the exiles of the Jewish People. The word filalti can be arranged as follows: the letter fey equals in gematria 80, alluding to the years that Yosef reigned in Egypt. The letters lamed lamed yud equal in gematria 70, alluding to the Babylonian exile which lasted for seventy years. The letter taf equals in gematria 400, alluding to the Egyptian exile which HaShem decreed to last 400 years. The words vihinei herah osi Elokim gam es zarecha, “and here G-d has shown me even your offspring,” allude to the Gemara (Taanis 5b) that states that Yaakov did not die. Te Gemara expounds on a verse that teaches us that just like his descendants are alive, also Yaakov is alive. Thus, our verse here alludes to that, as Yaakov said “and here G-d has shown me even your offspring.” This teaches us that Yaakov will, so to speak, be alive and he will see his descendants alive.

It is said (Bereishis 48:14) vayashes al rosh Ephraim vihu hatzair, and laid it on Ephraim’s head. The Baal HaTurim writes that the words vihu hatzair equal in gematria the words hu hiktin atzmo, he humbled himself, alluding to the idea that Ephraim humbled himself and therefore he merited to have Yehoshua as a descendant, and Yehoshua was filled with wisdom. It is noteworthy that the name Yehoshua (391) equals in gematria to the words hu hiktin atzmo (392).

The Gemara (Sota 13a) relates the incident where Chushim ben Dan, the grandson of Yaakov, heard that Esav was delaying the burial of Yaakov, so Chushim killed Esav. It is noteworthy that the name Chushim ben Dan alludes to this incident, as Chushim means quickly, ben means understand, and Dan means mete out justice. Thus, his name alludes to the idea that he acted quickly and with understanding and meted out to justice to Esav.




Ramazei DiOraysa: Hints in the Torah
Volume 1 Issue 12

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