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| Cry and the World (Should) Cry With You! (Parshas Vayeshev) | |
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| Speaker: |
Alter, Rabbi Avrohom M. |
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| Series: |
Hashkafah -Thought |
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| Lecture Details: |
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth
But has trouble enough of its own
In the above famous poem "Solitude" Ella Wheeler Wilcox communicates the concept that people prefer cheerfulness in others and a person who is cheerful will have company, while someone who is gloomy will often be alone.
A sad, self absorbed, attitude which is the antithesis of what Torah Judaism teaches.
The Midrash explains the end of the verse in this weeks parsha (37:35) "I will go down to the grave to my son mourning.' And his father wept for him" - refers not to Yaakov weeping for Yosef, rather Yitzchok (Yaakov's father) "weeping for (along with Yaakov) him" .
Yaakov did not weep alone!
Although Yitzchak was aware that Yosef was in fact alive, he would still cry (only) in Yaakov's presence. But when he left, he would cease his mourning.
Two questions arise. Firstly it seems inappropriate for someone of Yitzchok's stature to play charades- going along with the false pretense that Yosef was dead.
Additionally since in fact Yitzchok knew Yosef was alive and we might understand his refraining from joy and happiness in Yaakov's presence - but the Pasuk says "he cried"! Authentic crying is an involuntary emotional reaction - not a controllable projection of participatory empathy! How / why would Yitzchok cry knowing Yosef was still alive?!
Please click on the link below for this week's Hashkafa Shiur, inspiring stories and life's lessons, that convey the Torah's approach to empathy and HaShem's limitless love of every single Jew! given by: Rabbi Avrohom M. Alter |
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| Library: |
Migdal Torah |
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| Level: |
N/A |
| Age: |
All Ages |
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both |
| Length: |
45 min. |
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| High Bandwidth | | File: mp3 | | 8.65 MB |
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| Download |
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| High Bandwidth | | File: mp3 | | 8.65 MB |
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