Parashas Shemos

This Shabbos is Parashas Shemos, starting the Second Book of the Torah .
This Parsha starts with the 'Shemos' - 'Names,' of Yaakov's sons.
Unlike when these names were mentioned before, when Yaakov and his family were coming to Egypt, here in Shemos, only the sons are mentioned by name and not their children, as it refers to the generations surrounding the sons of Yaakov, that kept the time for slavery at bay. Once that entire generation ended, so did the care not to mix with Egyptians. After that generation ended, our people started , as so often happens in modern times,to intermingle with Egyptian society and some of the fervency of Following HaShem as He Wants to be followed , sadly lessened .
HaShem Made a Miracle, in causing our people to bear children rapidly and so our nation increased. Torah tells us ( in Shemos 1:8 ) that " the land became filled with them." This is an indication, that as our Nation grew there ,some Jews left Goshen ( that Yosef had specifically left us so that we would be far away from Egyptian society and not intermarry or mix with their foreign pagan ways .So the fact that it says , " The land became filled with them, " is because they insisted on leaving Goshen to mix with Egyptian society. We have seen through history what the negative result has been for us when we have intermingled with their foreign people and foreign ways .
Torah Tells us that a new king arose over Egypt. Some of our Rabbis believe this was the same Pharaoh from Yosef's time,who was forced to change his policies with regards to the Jews,due to outside pressure , while the majority realize this was a new Pharaoh.
This Pharaoh was very concerned about the nations around him and so devised an evil plan to affect our people .This king was concerned about his borders. 
So Pharaoh and his people put us into slavery , except the Levites.
Pharaoh didn't just straight and directly put us into slavery.
It started very small and dishonestly. At first,Pharaoh called all citizens to apply for a very important task. Many including the Jews volunteered.
Day after day the newcomers slowly left, till only Jews were left . Thus Pharaoh tricked us deceitfully.
Pharaoh appointed taskmasters to violently ensure we kept building. Pharaoh's plan was to kill out our males Chas Ve Shalom , and take our females for themselves, Chas Ve Shalom ." 
Pharaoh increased their slavery labor and our people were forced to do tasks that were out of the norm, the most menial work possible.
Pharaoh's advisers at the time warned him astrologically, that a Redeemer for us Jews was on the way, and other advisers advised this redeemer will also live among Egyptians , yet will be Jewish and that the way he would be destroyed, would be through water . It was why Pharaoh wanted the babies thrown into the river nile.Pharaoh's advisers were not able to read the sign properly , for the redeemer would not be killed by tossing him into water , but they misread it completely , for what it was, was that Moshe would be affected at the Waters of Merivah, later in life , when he struck the rock ,which was Moshe's error . So Pharaoh called the two midwives Shifrah ( who was Yocheved , Moshe's Mother ) and Puah ( who was Miriam ) - ( yet there is an opinion that it may have been Aharon's wife Elisheva ) and told them to kill the boys on the birthstool , but they would not kill our people.
The slavery idea never worked for Pharaoh, and Pharaoh, who was now struck with a touch of leprosy, as a final straw , Pharaoh commanded that our boys be killed and their blood put in a bath in which he would bathe . Our people cried unto HaShem .
In the house of Levi, the head at the time was Amram , who was married to Yocheved. Amram , seeing the decrees against Jews having children, Amram divorced his wife.Little Miriam , their daughter , persuaded him that if he remains unmarried before he has the next child ordained, he will have stopped the rest of our people having children completely, which would be worse than Pharaoh's decree , who would still let the girls live . Amram, remarried Yocheved, and a beautiful most holy child was born, three months premature .The Torah Tells us the Child was "Good." This is in reference to the fact that this child was born circumcized with a holy shine on his face from HaShem . A Light hovered in the home at his birth. They knew they didn't have much time to hide the child , three months . She knew, the Egyptians would bring their own babies to Goshen , and get them to cry, thus causing our babies to cry and alerting Pharaoh's henchmen.
Thus the time came that they realized little Yekutiel ( as Moshe was named at birth though he had 10 names , like Levi, Avigdor among others ) , had to be hidden. So his Mother, made a wicker basket, smeared with clay and pitch , and placed the child in the basket, on the river, with Miriam to keep watch .
It was on that day, that Basya, Pharaoh's daughter was coming to the Nile to bathe. Basya had turned away from the beliefs of Egypt to become a Righteous Convert to Judaism . So the two opinions are the she came there that day to wash from leprosy, and the other opinion , was that she came down to immerse as part of her final Conversion process.
HaShem Sent an angel to tap Moshe so he would cry out and this attracted Basya's attention .
Basya noticed the child was a Hebrew and it was then that Miriam gave the idea to let the child be brought up for a time by their own Mother . This is exactly what happened, and Moshe grew up knowing his Jewish roots.
He became Moshe , in honor of Basya who "Drew him from the water ."
At the time , Pharaoh had 3 special advisors, Bilaam, Yisro ( or at the time Yeter , who ended up becoming Moshe's Father-in-Law ) , and Iyov ( Job ) . One day Moshe walked up to Pharoah's throne , took the crown off , and put it on his own head.
Bilaam advised , that the child should be killed, Yeter said leave the child alone and Iyov abstained ( which caused Iyov to have all the tests he had in the book of Iyov , for he could have been the second voice to save Moshe instead of saying nothing and leaving ) , so the child was tested and the child's hand went toward the diamond rather than the piece of Coal .An Angel tapped his hand away and so, Moshe put the hot coal into his mouth and thus started Moshe's trouble to speak .
Moshe , a prince of Egypt, never acted like a prince , but went out to his Jewish brothers and even helped them in the brick pits . Moshe arranged a day of rest for us , on a Shabbos .
One day, Moshe went out and heard an Egyptian taskmaster beating Dasan mercilessly , for the Egyptian had been with Dasan's wife by force . Moshe , according to our Sages , pronounced the Shem HaMeforash ( HaShem's Name ) and the Egyptian fell dead. Others say Moshe killed him directly. Torah refers to Moshe "turning this way and that and there was no man ." This means that Moshe looked into this Egyptian's future and saw that nothing good would come from him , so he slew him. 
The next day , Moshe noticed this same Dasan , arguing with his wife's brother Aviram,for Dasan wanted to divorce his wife who was Aviram's sister.Moshe again tried to help , and was severely disrespected . Dasan went and reported Moshe and Moshe was brought to be executed . The Midrash tells us that a miracle happened and the sword to be used to cut off Moshe's neck, reverberated back on its drawer, for Moshe's neck miraculously became like marble . Moshe fled Egypt .
Moshe didn't go straight to Midian . Bilaam and his two sons left just before for the land of Kush and beguiled the King Kokenus to leave his throne and leave the city of his kingship to attack an enemy. In the meantime, Bilaam and his two sons Yanus aand Yambrus , took over the city with their evil talk, and had the city surrounded with high walls, and water and snakes, thus locking the king out . It was at this point that Moshe happened by , and he helped King Kokenus devise a plan of using storks to attack the snakes, and the city was reclaimed . Moshe ended up ruling this city for many years, and the queen wanted to marry him but Moshe refused , not wanting to marry an idol-worshiper. As the years continued, the previous king kokenus' son Mumchan grew up and Moshe was slowly ousted with honors . It was then that Moshe headed for Midian .
Yisro was priest of Midian and his daughters remained unmarried , for Yisro had tried every religion including the Midianite one and shunned their idolworship, and so , the townspeople had shunned him and his unmarried daughters, who would be the ones to have to tackle other shepherds at the well . 
But not this time, as a tall and powerful stranger appeared this day to help them and he defeated the starters. It was Tzipporah who ran and told their Father what this stranger , did to help and Yisro insisted he should have been invited in . Moshe was invited in and then hidden in a semi dungeon for 10 years out of the view of Pharaoh and his soldiers . It was Tzipporah, who fed him during these years and afterwards , Moshe was let out and worked for Yisro as a Shepherd and married a Converted to Judaism Tzipporah , a most holy woman .They had two sons Gershom and Eliezer.
One day Moshe noticed a staff sticking out from the ground. He pulled it out and brought it to Yisro, who said that no one else was ever able to remove it and it was the staff originally from Yosef, given to him by Yaakov, passed down the Fore-Fathers from Adam . It had the first letters of the Plagues engraved on it . This became Moshe's Staff. Moshe had originally told Yisro , he would not leave Midian and go to Egypt for Yisro feared for Moshe's safety .
HaShem Saw that Moshe was a man who one day had run after a lamb that had run away , and Moshe picked it up from the water pond and carried it gently on his shoulders all the way back to the flock from which it had run away from . This was a man , HaShem Knew , that would care for each one of his people .
One day , Moshe had wondered toward Mout Sinai with the flock, when an Angel tried to get his attention . Moshe did not respond as he did not want to take his attention from the flock of Yisro, he was to guard . So HaShem caused his attention to be diverted to a Bush that burnt but was not consumed , and HaShem Appeared to Moshe, in the voice of his Father Amram who had now passed on . This attracted Moshe as, Moshe had had a dream earlier in his life about a bush representing his and our people and how it burnt through time . HaShem Knew of this and knew it would attract Moshe's attention . The Burning Bush represented our Jewish people and how the nations of the World want us consumed, yet we continue to survive, for as HaShem Says in this Parsha Shemos 4:22 ,"So said HaShem , My firstborn son is Israel ." 
Moshe spent seven days talking to HaShem and giving every excuse he could to humbly decline to go and speak to Pharaoh, feeling himself unworthy and so so humble.
HaShem Told Him how Aharon would speak for him , how HaShem's Name will be ' I am ,' in this exile as in other exiles, showing Moshe there would be other exiles , and how Moshe continued to doubt his own ability and how HaShem Taught him to repeat the Redeemer's Phrase, ' Pakod Yifkod .' After Seven days, Moshe returned to Yisro to organize permission from his semi vow to go and Moshe took his wife and sons . On the way , an angel came to kill Moshe for not circumcizing his son , and his wife Tzipporah saved him and did the circumcision on the child .
Moshe returned to Egypt with HaShem's Signs and the staff .Aharon too, got the message of HaShem Split in two and met Moshe .
The Jewish people in Egypt believed in Moshe as soon as they heard the words "Pakod Yifkod," that Yosef had told , the redeemer would say, a tradition passed down .
The elders at first started to go with Moshe and Aharon, to Pharaoh, but in seeing the carnage done to others on the way and the wild animals that were in their path, one by one fell away, and so, were these elders also kept lower on the Mountain of Sinai , when the Torah was Given by HaShem . 
It was Pharaoh's Birthday and he had come down to pay tribute to the River , when tall and imposing Moshe and Aharon, that walked with light and confidence , appeared in front of him . This was a different Pharaoh than Moshe had run away from .
Aharon on behalf of Moshe and HaShem told Pharaoh to ' Let His People go for three days to make offerings to HaShem . ' HaShem Had then Said three days, just as Pharaoh had not told the full story, when they had tricked us into volunteering for work that ended up slavery .
Pharaoh asked for the book of the World's deities to be brought in , but HaShem's Name given here by Moshe and Aharon, was not in it . Moshe and Aharon explained This Was The True and Only G-D . Pharaoh became incensed . His response was to have us make bricks but to find the straw for ourselves yet the quota and time was to be the same .
The foremen tried to protect their fellow Jews and they were beaten severely . These foremen were repaid by becoming leaders of our people .
He foremen came to complain to Moshe and Moshe looked to HaShem . 
HaShem assured Moshe that now he would see what HaShem Would Do to Pharaoh , for with a Strong Hand , HaShem Would Send them out and with a Strong Hand HaShem Will Drive them from this land . So ends our Parsha .
The word ' Shemos' refers to Names . For it was here, that the start would happen of where our people would begin to make a name for themselves .It would be here, for the first time since Creation , that a process had begun to culminate in the "Shema" ( part of the root of Shemot ) , the hearing of HaShem by the people at Mount Sinai .
This was the point where we as a Nation would make a name for ourselves and depending on if our actions would be Holy and Obedient , ( Like our people in Egypt ensuring to keep Jewish names ) , the Result would be to make a ' Shemos " _ " Name " for ourselves Who we would 'Shema,' - ' Hear , HaShem Speaking to us at Har Sinai.
It was there that HaShem brought us close to receive His Holy Torah . So even if difficult beginnings occur, HaShem Has a Master Plan for us all , a Plan that leads you straight back to HaShem .
This Parsha also teaches us that if we stay close to HaShem and HaShem's Laws , and shun foreign ways, we have a place close to HaShem , a place that is a "Shemos," - "Name " for ourselves, where we can "Shema," - "hear" HaShem closely , oh so closely and be within His Loving Arms . As long as we kept to our Jewish "Shemos" - " Names ," in Egypt and our Jewish ways, without polluting it with falsity, we had a Name for ourselves that was Holy . It is when we go away from our "Names" and who we are , to let in foreign ways, that we lose who we are and distance ourselves from HaShem and that is always when the Galus - Exile begins. The Parsha is called "Shemos," - " Names," to remind us that we must always stick to our Jewishness and Jewish Names and Jewish Ways and Jewish Laws , for that is our Closeness and Commandments of and with HaShem . 
I wish HaShem With Love , a Special Sweet Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all my fellow Yidden, a special sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love .

Parashas Vayechi

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Vayechi.
This Parsha is the last Parsha in the First Book of the Torah , Bereishis .
In this Parsha , we sadly take leave of our beloved Yaakov .
Yaakov had stayed 17 years in Egypt, and at the age of 147 years, his time approached,so he called his son Yosef , knowing his son Yosef would have the power to get Pharaoh to allow Yisrael / Yaakov , after passing, to have his body out of Egypt, and transported back to Canaan.Yaakov did not want his body idolized by the Egyptians , for after Yaakov came to Egypt, the land received a Blessing, and also didn't want his body to be , in the future plague of lice which he foresaw, to be part of the dust of the earth that became lice.He also wanted to be in Israel, as the ones in Israel will be the first to Resurrect at Techias Ha Meisim , after Moshiach comes, for those in Chutz La Aretz, outside Israel, will be rolled there in Mashiach's time in underground tunnels. So Yosef swore to this.
Yosef did not spend that much time with his Father , while his Father was in Egypt and there are Rabbis who feel, Yosef never even saw Yaakov in the time after their first meeting in Egypt . The reason for this is, because Yosef wanted to protect his brothers honor to their Father ( who may then have asked Yosef where he was all this time and how he got there ) and Yosef didn't want to get them into trouble .Yosef had obviously learnt not to tell on his brothers to their Father . So Yosef stayed away from his Father , yet his son Ephraim went constantly to learn by Yaakov , and so it was Ephraim who came to tell Yosef that his Father was unwell.Yosef brought his two sons Menasseh and Ephraim to be recognized and Blessed by their Father. Yosef also questioned his Father as to why Yosef's Mother, was not buried in the Cave of Machpeila, but by a road-side in Beis Lechem . Yaakov explained that the time will come when the Jews would go into Bavel for 70 years ,and on the way into exile, The Jews would pass Rachel's place of burial, and so , it would be Rachel who would plead for us to be released and Rachel's prayers would be accepted on our behalf,because she proved she was calm in giving her sister to her beloved Yaakov , and so she would be the right one to pray when HaShem would get angry with us for our unfaithfulness. 
Yaakov chose to Bless the younger of Yosef's children , for out of his line was to come our mighty hero Joshua,thus the younger would supersede the elder , but they would both be taken as one of Yaakov's children.
The time came for Yaakov to pass on, so he called his children and gave them tribe by tribe a specific Blessing for that tribe .
As Yaakov was about to start Blessing his sons, he saw the exact time of the Redemption, and was about to tell the date, when he was made to forget it, as this time must remain hidden, for in case it is a long way off, people would get despondent and stop trying to be holy , Chas Ve Shalom .
It is interesting in Chapter 49 that just as Yaakov was about to reveal the 'Ketz,' - ' The End Date ' the word " Hei'Asfu," - " is used in this very verse talking of the time of the 'Ketz' and Mashiach. Thus, here we have a hint of what can bring Moshiach, and that is when all Jews 'Assemble ' together and are at peace with one another , Mashiach can come . When Yaakov was made to forget this End Time date , he worried that one of his sons was not worthy, and so he questioned his sons' holiness and they answered with the first verse of the Shema ," Shema Yisrael HaShem Elokeinu, HaShem Echad ," - " Hear O Yisrael ( Yaakov ) , HaShem Is our G-D , HaShem is One . This pleased Yaakov that his sons. Were holy and Yaakov responded to them with the next line of the Shema , " Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso Le'Olam Va'Ed ," - "Blessed be Your Holy Name , Whose Kingdom is Forever.
Then in turn, Yaakov Blessed his sons. Each one's Blessing spoke of future events in that particular Tribe.
When Yaakov finished Blessing his sons,he again adjured them to not bury him in Mitzrayim - Egypt ( a word that means borders for Egypt put up figurative borders , not allowing those living there to return or leave Egypt to go where they came from, thus is Egypt's name a reference to 'borders .' It is then that dear Yaakov passes away. Yosef embalmed his Father, to the disagreement of some Rabbinical opinions , saying that Yosef might have had the faith that the body would not decay. 
Yosef got permission finally from Pharaoh , who had to be reminded that Yosef knew one more language than Pharoah, even though all Pharoahs had to know all the languages of the World at that time . A major procession led Yaakov back to Canaan, where Yosef put his crown on the coffin, while the brothers took turns carrying their Father . People along the way who knew of Yaakov's Name, also followed in the procession, also placing their crowns on Yaakov's Father's coffin, making it 36 crowns altogether .
As Yaakov was being put in the cave of Machpeilah , Eisav came and contested the Cave and so , Naphtali had to swiftly run back to Mitzrayim to get the contract signed previously by Yaakov and Eisav, stating quite clearly that Eisav had sold his birthright . Chushim, Dan's son ( grandson of Yaakov ) , who was born hard of hearing, did not fully understand the contents of Eisav's aggressive discussion, and wanted his Grand-Father Yaakov to be buried in peace , so Chushim, lifted up a heavy branch and hit Eisav hard enough to kill him ( some say Yehudah did the final blow ) . So was Rivka ,their Mother's prophecy words fulfilled, that she doesn't want to be bereaved of both of them ( her two children ) on the same day Bereishis 27:45 ) . 
When they were all returning to Egypt, on the way, Yosef passed the place and pit his brothers had thrown him into . They thought he was bearing a grudge against them , Chas Ve Shalom , but he wasnt , for his sole reason, was to go to a place a miracle had happened and to bless that place . This is Halachic Jewish Law. So when the brothers got back to Egypt,they decided they would tell Yosef a story that wasn't true, that their Father had asked of Yosef , that he forgive them .
Yosef bore no grudge against them and so, Yosef said he would sustain them and their children .
Yosef remained viceroy for close on 40 years and then that Pharaoh passed on as our Midrash shows and Yosef ran the country for again another close on 40 years .Yosef passed on before his brothers did , possibly because of letting his Father be referred to as 'servant' while the brothers and Yehudah were pleading with Yosef before ,while they stood in front of him as viceroy . Levi was the last of the brothers to pass away .
Yosef passed on at 110 years old , and before he passed away,he adjured his brothers to ensure that when they left , they would take his coffin with them to Canaan .
Yosef's body was embalmed and placed at the bottom of the Nile . Yosef also told his brothers that they would be redeemed eventually from Egypt and that the redeemer will utter the words "Pakod Yifkod ," - " Surely Remember you ," , ( Bereishis 50:24 ) , and then the people at that time would know that this was a future prophecy of how to recognize a true redeemer. Our Parsha and first book of the Torah ends at the passing of Yosef at 110 years old.
It is interesting that a Parsha that talks of the passing of Yaakov, calls it "Vayechi," - " Lived ." 
The Time Yaakov spent in Egypt with no heartache, were his happy years and it is as though he " Vayechi." Happiness is so important in a life - to live each day in sweet happiness and harmony- that is true 'Living.' 
We also often see the word "Vayechi," to do with a Patriarch's passing. We see the same in discussing Sarah's passing .
The fact is that our Patriarchs had the truest form of life, and that is , working to be close to HaShem . That is True Living , one can take with one as the soul transmigrates. Every day that we gain Torah Knowledge and become more Holy , That is True Living .Also, when a Righteous person passes away Chas Ve Shalom , they continue living within us and the Jewish people as a whole .
There is another explanation too about using the word "Lived" in this Parsha about the passing of Yaakov. If we take the Hebrew word " Vayikra," and break it up into its parts, we get " Va " (And) ," Yi" ( My ), [ in reference to HaShem ] and "Chai" ( which means life ) . Putting this together, we get , " And HaShem Lives within me . This is the case with a holy person. This is what HaShem Wants - To Live within us and Be At One With us and Carry us to heights of holiness. The more we learn of Torah , the more we learn what to do in Torah and life, till we eventually open up ourselves to HaShem to let Him in .That is true " Vayechi ," - " Living ." This is what every human being is to strive for, to make a place for HaShem within . That way, one truly lives , even after one's passing , Chas Ve Shalom . We literally take HaShem in and we can carry HaShem within, for centuries, through the travelling of the soul's physical journeys on the way to G-D .
Thus proper " Vayechi ," is that part of "Living " that is real living and never spiritually dying, but taking one's Torah holiness and lessons with one . So, Yaakov continues to live in each and every Jew, helping us carry Jews to HaShem . Thus even though Yaakov passed away very long ago, we can help him , by studying HaShem's Holy Word .
May the time come , when we have the Eternal Shabbos in Moshiach's time with HaShem . This too is in the word "Vayechi," that has a Gematriah of 7 ( 6+10+8+10 =34 and 3+4 = 7 ) and the Gematrical value of Moshiach is also 7 thus , True Spiritual Living , and Learning Torah , carries us over to ' Olam Habah ' the ' World to Come . '
I wish HaShem with Love , a Sweet Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all my fellow Jews with love , a sweet and holy Shabbos Kodesh with love .

Parashas Vayigash

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Vayigash . 
In last week's Parsha, Yosef's brothers were brought back to Egypt , and brought before Yosef, after the planted silver cup was 'found' in Binyamin's Sack . Yosef ( still not yet revealing his true identity to his brothers ) told his brothers , Binyamin would have to stay behind as a slave, and now the brothers would have an opportunity to show that they had learnt from their mistakes , by fighting for the rights of their youngest brother, an opportunity to somewhat atone for what they did to their brother Yosef, who unknowingly , now stood before them .
Yehudah, who was the one to suggest selling Yosef and who revealed the sad news to their Father, and who had now pledged to their Father, that he would protect Binyamin, this was Yehudah who now stepped forward to defend Binyamin.
Yehudah makes a heartfelt plea for Binyamin and in the course of doing that, Yosef allows his Father Yaakov, to be referred to as "your servant , my Father ." Because Yosef allowed his own Father to be referred to as a " a servant , ( even though it was meant more as an honor to the viceroy and not literally meant as a servant ) , Yosef lost 10 years of his own life for allowing this ten times , thus Yosef passed on at the age of 110.
Yosef waited for Yehudah to make the specific statement that would go against what Yehudah had done before by going to their Father with a garment dipped in animal blood and asking his Father to identify Yosef's garment . So as soon as Yehudah said ," how can I go up to my Father if the youth is not with me,lest I see the evil that will befall my Father ,"- this was almost the exact opposite statement Yehudah had previously hurt his Father with ." Bless HaShem for Allowing us to repent for our wrongs . It was at this point that Yosef saw, that Yehudah had truly learned his lesson , so now Yosef could reveal himself to his brothers.
Yosef had everyone but his brothers removed, so when he revealed himself to his brothers , Yosef would not shame them .
Yosef says something that will be a future prophecy statement in Moshiach's Time, where Yosef says , " Ani Yosef " - " I am Joseph. " So will the True Mashiach say ," I am Mashiach ."
Yosef does the brotherly thing by not blaming them , but trying to put their minds at rest, saying how HaShem Sent Yosef ahead, to prepare the way and sustain his family .
Yosef instructs his brothers to go and fetch their Father and to bring dear Yaakov to Egypt . Yosef told them to ," Maharu Va'Alu ," - to - " Hurry - Go up ," so that the brothers would hurry and not delay, incase they were embarrassed to reveal to their Father Yaakov what they had done to Yosef all those years ago , and thus might delay. Yosef told them to Hurry and also to "Go Up," for they would be leaving Egypt and spiritually going up to a Holy Place - the Land Of Israel ( Egypt being the lowest spiritual Place at the time . Yosef told them of the last lesson ,their Father had taught Yosef, just before he was sold by his brothers - The Laws of the Egla Arufa,where a ritual is performed should a person be found murdered on the road and perhaps was not escorted out of the city in safety ,so that when they went to their Father, their Father would now believe them that Yosef is still alive, physically as well as spiritually .
Yosef assures his brothers of the place in Egypt they will stay, in Goshen , the place originally given by the Pharaoh to Sarai, in Avram's time . Also, Yosef wanted to ensure that his family stayed separate form Egyptians and not intermarry with them , but remain pure to our Holy Yiddishkeit .
Pharoah too gave perrmission for everything Yosef had said .
The brothers headed home to Canaan and when they neared home, they sent in Serach bas ( Daugher of ) Asher ( daughter of their brother Asher ) to go into Yaakov's tent first and softly sing , 'Yosef is alive ,' while playing the harp, so Yaakov could learn of the news gently . The news revived Yaakov, and Serach bas Asher was granted longevity , still being alive in King David's time . Our Midrash tells us she entered Shamaim alive .
Yaakov and the family set out for Egypt and HaShem Reassured Yaakov that this was the right step to take to go into Egypt . 
We are told that the sons of Yaakov took turns carrying their Father there . They reached the borders of Egypt , with 69 souls ( if you count the names ) , yet Torah tells us there were 70 souls. The reason for this is a tenet of Judaism, that tells us that HaShem Always Goes with his people into Galus Exile and so, HaShem Made up the 70th one .
Also , HaShem always sets up the solution to issues we make , and so , HaShem Focused on the Redeemer who , with Hashem's Nissim and Love and Help , would redeem us from Mitzrayim - Egypt , and so started the family of Moshe Rabbeinu , from Levi ben Yaakov Avinu , and so , the 70th soul was born just as they were going into Egypt . This soul person just born, was Yocheved, Moshe , Aharon and Miriam's Ima'le ( Mother ) so even when we go into exile, HaShem has already set a plan for our return to home . All depends on our faithful following of HaShem and His Torah .
As Yaakov approached Egypt, Yosef told Pharaoh and the people of Egypt went out to meet Yaakov . In order not to frighten Yaakov, Yosef first sent one son ahead and then the next . The time of the sweet meeting had arrived, when Yaakov came to meet his beloved son Yosef . We are told that just as Yaakov and Yosef came closer to each other , Yaakov stopped focusing on Yosef at that moment , for Yaakov, being a most holy Tzaddik, stopped to read the Shema, for It's Time was nigh . Also, Yaakov first stopped to Bless HaShem for Yosef still being alive, not just physically, but spiritually too, for Yosef , Yaakov could see, had not lost his Yiddishkeit , even in such exile . This is what Yaakov also meant when saying , "his son is still alive." 
Yosef then brought his Father Yaakov to meet Pharaoh and that day, Og was sitting to the side of Pharaoh . Og thought this must be Avraham and so , mentioned this quietly to Pharaoh , but when Yaakov spoke, he realized it wasn't. So Pharaoh then asked Yaakov's age .
Yaakov responded about the negativity in his life, and HaShem punished him the exact amount of negative complaining words , and caused Yaakov to thus end up passing away that many years earlier as the number of words of complaint Yaakov uttered , losing a year for a word he uttered in the complaint , for HaShem Wanted Yaakov to appreciate the times HaShem Saved him .
Yaakov Blessed Pharaoh which certainly changed a few things for Egypt from HaShem' Blessing via Yaakov. 
Yaakov had sent Yehudah ahead as they entered Egypt , to ensure there was a Mikvah and Learning Centre would be set up . This is the way when Jews move into a city, that first a Mikveh and then a Shul and place of learning needs to be built. Thus holiness must always precede personal wishes.
Yosef took some of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh , picking them for specific reasons .Yosef made sure to have his brothers kept separately and thus kept pure from foreign ways , by various means, like telling Pharaoh they were Shepherds, something abhorent to Egyptians . 
.The Famine then caused egyptians to have to sell and give a portion of their fields and so, Yosef acquired them for Pharaoh , with a prophecy of how we Yidden would leave egypt after the exile with our many years of pay . 
Yaakov Yisrael settled in Egypt in Goshen .So ends our Parsha.
This Parsha is called " Vayigash as mentioned . 
Here , Yehudah " Vayigash ," - " Approached " Yosef .
But if we look closely at the order of the Hebrew, " Vayigash Eilaiv Yehudah ," it can also be translated as ," And Approached Unto Him , Yehudah ." Thus , the 'Him ' can refer to HaShem and so , even though Yehudah was approaching Yosef, he was also approaching his own need for repentance, and thus was one of the reasons for this test. Every time we face a test, we are facing HaShem's Test to better ourselves. 
Deep down , a soul knows it has done something wrong and so , it faces HaShem .Thus in Yehudah's case here in our Parsha, his Neshoma was facing or approaching HaShem , for forgiveness , which his physicality fought for the right of what he wrongly didn't fight for before . The verse can also be rendered as HaShem 'Vayigash' Yehudah, where HaShem Longs for our repentance, and when He Hears us doing something to repent or make up for what we have done , HaShem " Vayigash " - " Approaches " us with His closeness . HaShem is always ready to hear us make up for what we have done . We can never go too far in Aveirahs that we can't fix ourselves , for we can always do Teshuvah and return to HaShem . One of the reasons of our Beautiful Torah is to work on ourselves and so , get ourselves and our Nehomas to " Vayigash ," - " Apprach " closer and closer to HaShem all the time . When we try correct a wrong we did, we light for ourselves a Candle in Shamaim . HaShem Has Made the First Step in Creating all things around us . What we need to do is Approach Him every time we are to do a Mitzva , a Commandment , and so bring ourselves to Holiness. If we want HaShem to Approach us, we must make ourselves Approachable, by following all His Laws and making this World as HaShem Wants it to be .
In an Approach, it is a step toward Peace. In Mashiach's time , the Twelve Tribes of Israel , will be at peace again, unlike it was after the split of Yehudah and the other Ten Tribes after the reign of Shlomo HaMelech , sometimes referred to as Ephraim .In Mashiach's time, these will be at peace with each other . The Ten tribes were known as Israel and the other was known as Judah from who they were descended from Yaakov's sons Yehudah and Yosef . So in Mashiach's Time , these two splits will come together again and Peace will reign . 
It simply starts with an Approach .So " Vayigash " - " Approach " HaShem always ,in every moment and HaShem Will Come and Approach you and surround you with His Love and Shamaim .
I wish HaShem with Sweet Love , a Beautiful Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all my fellow Yidden , a beautiful blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .

Parashas Miketz

This Shabbos on Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh, we read Parashas Miketz as well as the Torah reading for this day of Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh .
In last week's Parsha, we read how the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers forgot Yosef and so Yosef spent another two years in prison, making it 12 years that he was in prison altogether.
This Parsha continues on,relating to what happened before, with the Hebrew letter "Va." Because Yosef did not have faith in HaShem to Let him out,he had to spend an extra two years there. And so, it was 2 years to the very day that his time had come for release .
This Parsha of "Miketz," starts out with Pharaoh having dreams. It was the night of Rosh HaShanah, when HaShem Judges the World, that the World then was to be affected by plenty and then a famine . The narative tells us how Pharaoah was standing "Al Ha Ye'or " - " Over the river . " This tells us about the arrogant characters of the Pharaohs . At that time, the River Nile was looked upon as a deity, supposedly supplying Egypt's water needs and so , Pharaoh saw himself , "Over " even the River, their deity , so Pharaoh saw himself above even their deity at that time .If only they knew , it is G-D who Makes all . In the first dream, Pharoah saw seven well fed cows come out of the River and graze in the marshland, a place not usual for grazing .Thereafter, came seven other cows , quite the opposite and scrawny, and they came and stood next to the healthy cows and then ate them . Pharaoh then awoke . He fell asleep again and dreamed a second time , of seven ears of grain, sprouting on a single stalk, healthy and good and then after them , grew seven ears of grain of the opposite appearance thin and scorched by the East Wind and they swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears . Then Pharaoh woke up and realized , seeing that it appeared so real, that it had been a dream .
Pharaoh knew these dreams had great import and so , summoned many to try interpret their meaning . Deep down, HaShem Had given Pharaoh the interpretation of his dream but hidden it, so Pharaoh would recognize that none under him could guess its meaning, even if he only knew it subconsciously , and so, when HaShem Through Yosef , Gave the correct interpretation , Pharaoh knew to trust it .
Each one tried to make up their own meaning, one saying he will have seven new sons and others saying he would lose seven children , but Pharaoh knew it was none of their interpretations.
It was then that the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers spoke up about Yosef and his ability ( from HaShem ) to interpret dreams .
The time had come , with not a moment to waste, for Yosef to rise to power . Yosef was summoned , rushed from the prison ,shaved ( for he had remained a nazirite since he came to Egypt ) and he was brought before Pharaoh , and as guests were seen, put to stand on the bottom few steps of the 49 steps leading up to Pharaoh .
Pharoah tested Yosef , by telling him he had dreamed a single dream with two parts , but Yosef proved himself by saying it was two dreams of a similar meaning .Yosef said it is HaShem Who Gives Knowledge and Will Answer for Pharaoh's welfare . When Pharaoh related the dreams to Yosef, he mentioned he had awoken yet made it sound like it was a single dream. Yosef, by HaShem straight away said it was two dreams. Pharaoh also never told Yosef how the lean cows first stood next to the healthy cows before they ate them, yet by HaShem, Yosef knew and said so .
Pharaoh saw that Yosef knew . HaShem through Yosef , related the meaning of the dreams , of seven years of abundance coming very soon ,being followed by seven years of extreme famine . The two dreams alike, showed that HaShem Would Hasten it . Yosef also knew from HaShem, that in Pharaoh's dream , Pharaoh was standing over the River, and not on the bank, as Pharaoh had said, when he related the dreams at first to Yosef . Yosef was shown beyond this, how our Jewish people would also have a redeemer, Moshe , who would be hidden in the 'marshland ,' for Moshe was hidden in the bullrushes .Also, the well fed cows, symbolized egyptians who would fall to HaShem's Jews, who were their slaves, emaciated and gaunt .The seven , relates to the idea of a redeemer that would come , by HaShem's Sending, and help bring our people out of bondage.
Yosef went a step further , by giving advice on how to handle the years of famine by appointing one who will ensure during the years of abundance, grain would be stored.
Pharoah instantly wanted to promote Yosef, due to his discerning soul,but the ones in power , under Paraoh , objected that no outsider was allowed to take a high position in egypt unless he knew all the 70 languages of the nations. The Angel Gavriel came that night to teach Yosef every language and so , the next morning, Yosef appeared again before Pharaoh on the first step . Pharoah asked him a question in Mitzri ( Egyptian ) and Yosef answered and climbed a step. Pharaoh asked him another question in Aramean , and Yosef again answered in Aramean and so, climbed another step . Every few languages that Pharaoh tested him on, Yosef climbed a step until he was on the same level as Pharoah and then Yosef asked a question of Pharaoh in Ivrit Hebrew, but such a Holy Tongue, impure Pharaoh couldn't learn and so , he asked Yosef to keep that a secret the Yosef knew one more language than Pharaoh . It was at this point, that Pharaoh made Yosef Viceroy and only by the throne would Pharoah outrank him.
Yosef was given Pharaoh's Ring and dressed in fine linen garments with a gold chain around his neck .
Pharoah also gave him a name " Zaphenat Paneach " which meant ' Revealer of Hidden Things ," and Yosef , was led through the city on the second royal chariot ( similar to the inauguration of Mordechai when he was promoted over haman ) . While Yosef was being presented through the city, young Osnas ( his sister Dina's daughter ) threw down to him a locket he had given her when they were young and still in Yaakov's home , and for the first time, Yosef looked up at the crowd toward her . They were married and had two children , Manasseh and Ephraim . These things would allay any false charges put on Yosef before by evil Zulaicha ,Potiphera's wife .
The Seven years of Abundanve happened as predicted and straight after that the Seven years of Famine hit like a tidal wave, for while the bread was still on the table, it suddenly became moldy and so Yosef opened up the store houses to sell grain .
Yosef knew the famine would stretch to Canaan and so, instituted certain laws to ensure that his brothers would be highlighted and brought before him , when they came . He ensured that no more than one bag of grain be sold to one person, that grain was not to be used for trade, that all those entering the gates of Egypt, had to give details of their names, family names and name of their Father and place from where they came .
Every night, Yosef had his sons bring him the lists of newcomers , hoping his family would arrive .
The Famine in Canaan became severe, and Yaakov called his sons except Binyamin to go to Egypt to buy grain . Yaakov uses the Hebrew word "Shever " which does not just mean " Provisions/grain" but also "Hope" ( Rashi ) for subcosciously Yaakov never gave up hope of finding his Yosef and prophetically he spoke this word ,saying , " Maybe hope ( Shever ) and provisions will be found in Egypt ."
The brothers never gave up hope of finding Yosef and knew he may have been sent to Egypt and so they decided to enter separately in different gates .
That night, the records were brought to Yosef and he noticed his brothers names from Canaan, son of Yaakov , entering through separate gates, for they hoped to look in lower parts of Egypt for Yosef. Yosef had them brought before him, and so his dreams were starting to be fulfilled.
Yosef decided to test them to see if they repented of what they did and to give them the opportunity to atone .He recognized them but they did not recognize the man he had become . He accused them of being spies , highlighting the fact they had entered through different gates . He got them to admit they had lost a brother and saw their remorse. He had them all put in prison for three days and then let them out telling them they were to bring their youngest brother there to prove they were not spies and Yosef had Simeon ( the one who had wanted to kill him and who had thrown him in the pit ), put in prison and sent the brothers off, filling their bags with grain and returning their money to their sacks . The brothers talked among themselves how, what they had done to Yosef before, was coming back at them . When they reached an inn, it was Yehudah who first discovered the money and so, they were punished middah knegged middah for the anguish they had perpetrated on Yosef by selling him .
On returning home, they told their Father Yaakov what had happened and Yaakov refused to let his youngest son go, remembering how his wife Rachel had died on the road and Yosef had disappeared on the road and thus refused to let Binyamin go with them . Even when Reuvein put up his own two sons as collateral, Yaakov still refused to let them go with Binyamin .
. The famine worsened and Yaakov saw he had no choice and agreed only on condition of Yehudah's assurance. Yaakov had them take gifts and the money that was returned and also, wrote the Viceroy a letter pleading to let them go and free Simeon and not hold Binyamin .
They arrived back in Egypt and Yosef had them brought to his house . They gave the money they had brought back, to give to the Viceroy and Simeon was brought out to them . They were brought into Yosef's home. Where they prepared their gifts for when Yosef was to come .
Yosef amazed them , as he put their seating in order of their age , except for Yehudah who he put at the head of the table saying that a king must sit at the head and except for Binyamin , whom he said that seeing they both are without a Mother, they would sit together . Yosef showed them his silver cup, which he made out he uses to divine with it and asked Binyamin if he had any children , to which Binyamin responded that he had . Binyamin let him know that he had named his sons with names that would remind him of his brother Yosef . Yosef turned aside then and wept and then returned . Yosef then asked Binyamin if he learnt the sciences of the world . Binyamin said that yes he had .Yosef asked if he had studied astrology and Binyamin said that he had . Yosef then asked him to look at the astrology chart and to define where his lost brother was . To Binyamin's amazement , he saw that his brother Yosef was sitting right next to him and Yosef took him aside and revealed to him the test he was about to perform and that he wanted to know if the brothers would now stand up for their other brother.
The brothers were given , to their amazement , a Kosher meal . The men were sent off and the silver goblet put into the youngest one's sack and their money returned. Just after they had left the city, Yosef had them brought back and said to them ' Why do you repay evil for good .' ( Words that echoed Yosef's original good intentions for his brothers that was taken wrong when they repaid his good intentions with a wrong action, for the silver goblet was of course found in Binyamin's sack , purposefully placed for this very reason .A silver goblet was used to let them atone via anguish , for the silver they had received in Yosef 's exchange .They returned to Egypt by Yosef , ready to be slaves . The dream fulfilled. Yosef said they could go but leave Binyamin there as a slave. Now they would prove whether they had repented . So ends this Sedra .
The word " Miketz ," is related to Mashiach and the End of Days , and means ' At the End Point ,' which does refer to Olam Habah The World To Come .In Torah , it is a reference used for the End of Days , when the Final Redemption will take place . Though we wait every day, ongoing like it feels it is so far away, when it does come, it will be like what happened with Yosef, suddenly in the midst of suffering ,Yosef was suddenly rushed out of prison to take his Rightful Place . So will it be with Mashiach's time . It will suddenly come like a flood when we least expect it , not waiting a moment longer . The very word 'Ketz' means ' End Point ' and with the 'Mi' in front that means 'Who,' it asks , for Who will it be the ' End?'. For our enemies . If we take the word ' Ketz ' in Gematriah, we get 100+90=190 and 1+9+0 =10 - the number of completion and also the number of the Ten Commandments to help us get to the End of Days and also the number of Pronouncements HaShem Made to Create Creation in the Beginning . So you see, all things come back to the Beginning . We all are traveling on a path from the Beginning after the aveirah, in Gan Eiden , to follow with Torah , the path back to where we were in the Beginning , Gan Eiden , the place of the ' Ketz ' - ' End Point ' so we can return to the Beginning step where we deviated . The very word before it ," Vayehi," - " And it Happened ,' can also be rendered " And it was," a word mentioned after each day of Creation, in the beginning . So it shows us again, that this Miketz is a stepping stone to the final Miketz at the End Of Days , where we can return to our path , we started on , just before that Eternal First Shabbos, so we are to work toward finishing that final step that has awaited Creation, to bring it to its Completeion , since Adam Ve Chava left the Garden and couldn't step into the Eternal Shabbos.
Like what happened to the brothers via Yosef, not everything in life is as it appears . We are given opportunities constantly to fix wrongs and that is a sure way to prepare ourselves for the Miketz , at the End of Days . HaShem Wants us all to get there and Puts Ways in our lives to correct ourselves .
The Story of Yosef and his brothers teaches us that all things have a reason for happening, though we may not understand it at the time, they do have reasons. Yosef showed how he still cared for his brother's spiritual welfare , by giving them the opportunity to atone .The Final result is for our benefit even though we cannot see that yet .This World is , as Pirkei Avos says , the Antechamber to prepare us for the Banquet Hall, Olam Habah . This is the Wolrd of Growing, to bring is to The Miketz and Olam Habah . We are here to prepare ourselves for Shamaim . HaShem Loves us and Walks with us always , Wanting us to work ourselves up to Him .
But first we have to ' Ketz ' which also means ' Cut ourselves ' off from all that is negative and focus purely on the Good and Righteous Path of His Holy Torah , the Sweet Light to His Miketz at the End of Days . We saw this in the Story of Chanukah, where a small cruse of pure oil, lit the Menorah for Eight Days, So far can Holy Actions go . We just need to turn back to HaShem and His Holy Laws. If each of us can do actions of holiness and purity, we can bring this World to Light .
So each and every day , we need to give of ourselves to help bring Creation around us into Olam Habah.
We need to all work together to correct ourselves and those around us. We need to start with loving HaShem and His Torah and follow Him Always , and our destination with His Love , will be the Miketz of Olam Habah .
I wish HaShem with Love , a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh and Chag Chanukah Sameach and Chodesh Tov with Love , and to all my fellow Yidden, a beautiful Shabbos Kodesh and Chag Chanukah Sameach and Chodesh Tov with love .

Parashas Vayeishev just before Chanukah

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Vayeishev , just before Chanukah .
At the end of the previous Parsha,Eisav's progeny was mentioned. Now, in this Parsha of Veyeishev, we carry on with the Jewish line through Yaakov .This is the connection between the two Parshas and thus the 'Va' - ' And,' at the beginning of the word ''Va'yeishev .' 
Yaakov felt content, to feel at ease now in the land of his Father's Sojournings and so , anguish hit him with the pain of Yosef's sale, for as Rashi says, 'For as the Righteous seek tranquility,the Holy One , Blessed Be He Says, 'Are the Righteous not content with what they will be rewarded with in Olam Habah ( The World To Come ) , that they would dare to want to live at ease in Olam Hazeh ( This World ) too . ' '
Thus, did this tragedy occur, yet , it had its purpose, in the scheme of our Final Redemption from Mitzrayim, as all things do, even though we can't always see the final meaning and result. Thus , true "Vayeishev," - " Settling," is with HaShem , for then all things are Entrusted to His Hands.
Yosef at the time, was seventeen years of age . It mentions that he was a youth with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah , for they treated him with more caring and understanding, unlike the others, and so respected his youth , for they too, felt more humbled, not having come from Yaakov's first wife Leah , who had just passed on . When Yosef's Ima had passed away, it was Bilhah who had raised him. She was a woman of humility and thus, anything that Yosef did, in reporting his brothers for wrongly assumed infringements, was not out of a lack of humility, but was purely for the sake of trying to ensure that Yaakov, his Father would help them also spiritually grow and also he meant it for their benefit to improve and continue the Family line of Holiness . 
Even though he misunderstood his brother's misdemeanors, his sole intention was to correct them and keep the family holy, even though he should have told them directly and then misunderstandings could have been avoided , not that they were always approachable be him.
We are told how his Father Yaakov loved him more than the others,which increased their resentment to him. Torah says, it was because ,"he was a child of his old age," which meant , that Yaakov saw in Yosef, many similarities to himself , like for example, both Yaakov and Yosef, were disliked by their brothers. Both Yaakov and Yosef,spent their time learning.Both Yaakov and Yosef ended up being estranged from their Father and Family. Both Yaakov and Yosef looked similar. And of course, Yosef was the son of Yaakov's very beloved Rachel . Yaakov saw in Yosef , a great holiness and a very spiritual purity that made him worthy of leading the family to its true Jewish destination , and so , Yaakov made him a ' fine woolen tunic,' which at the time was a garment worn by people in royalty. This angered the brothers more and so they feared he would completely dominate them, which he would never have done .In this Parsha we learn that all children are special in their own way and a Blessing and Parents should never have favorites, but appreciate the gift of every child HaShem Gives . In this case, the Parsha shows that such an action led to exile of a people. 
Some time later, Yosef dreamed a dream , of him and his brothers binding sheaves in the middle of the field and how his sheaf rose up and remained standing while his brothers sheaves gathered around his sheaf and bowed to his sheaf . Such a dream was not out of arrogance, but a future prophecy of how his brothers would one day stand before him, when he would become viceroy in Mitzrayim, and he told his brothers , not out of arrogance at all,but purely so they would have respect for him. Instead of constantly mocking him . They did not understand this and so, hated him more .
Later on, Yosef again dreamed another dream , of the sun and moon and eleven stars bowing to him and he related it to his Father and brothers. Yaakov realized that these were not mere dreams for at one time , HaShem had quietly referred to Yaakov as the sun, so Yaakov knew Yosef could not know this on his own, and so he openly scolded Yosef, yet kept the matter within. The Mother referred to here in the verse was Bilhah, who had brought Yosef up .
Yaakov would teach Yosef more depth in Halacha , for he saw in Yosef a depth so holy , so he taught Yosef secrets he had personally learnt in the Yeshiva of Shem and Aiver.
After these things, Yaakov's sons had gone tp pasture in Shechem and Yaakov called Yosef to go and see after their welfare . Yaakov escorted Yosef part of the way and while escorting him, taught him the Law of the Egla Arufah , the Law of if a man is found murdered , the closest town must perform a certain ritual , and state that they are innocent of that man's murder, for it is very important to escort a guest for safety. So Yosef said he would go, being spiritually ready to continue our history.
On the way, Yosef came to the place, but they were not there. Gavriel, the Angel met Yosef there in the form of an elderly man with a long white beard and paiyos and with an unusual faint glow behind his back and head , and tried to warn Yosef of their intention, saying they have gone to Dothan, for within this word is the word 'Dat' - 'Law,' meaning they have gone to Judge you. But Yosef did not realize the deep import of this 'man's ' words. Also, said the 'man' , "They have journeyed on from here, " meaning they have gone on from any caring for you as a brother . Yosef continued on to Dothan and there they were.
It was Levi who said ' Look, the dreamer comes,' and Simeon who wanted to kill Yosef and throw him into a pit.
Yosef pleaded with them to let him go, but they beat him repeated and kicked him, and ripped off his coat .Simeon, physically grabbed him and pushed him toward the largest pit , knowing there were snakes and scorpions within , wanting to ensure his death . Yosef tried to run to Bilhah and Zilpah's sons, who themselves were put down by Leah's sons , but they too refused him help, in the face of the aggressive Simeon. Reuvein was not a part of this, for he had been praying , which he did constantly , to beg forgiveness day and night for disarranging his Father's Couch . Reuvein thus tried to save Yosef from their hands, suggesting a way he could come back later and save Yosef. Reuvein , who would have been the one most personally affected if Yosef would have been put at the head of the Family , for Reuvain was the First born and he lost this position after the incident with the Couch , was so humble that he never minded if Yosef was to take his position .They stripped Yosef and Simeon personally pushed Yosef into the pit . Yosef was terror stricken knowing that these pits especially this one he was thrown into , was full of snakes and scorpions , yet Torah Says it was empty, for as soon as Yosef was thrown in, HaShem Sent an Angel, to ensure Yosef would be safe and thus empty the pit of all snakes and scorpions . Simeon thought this pit would be full of danger, for he, had had a bad experience himself previously with this pit , which Yosef had helped him with. 
Yoseif cried and wept and pleaded but his anguish was ignored .
Both Ishmaelites and Midianites and Medanites were used to exchange Yosef after he was sold by his brothers , in order to finally get Yosef to Mitzrayim. In fact , Yosef was sold a number of times from the time his brother sold him, till he finally got to Mitzrayim .
The first set of travelers, had spices as their wares, very unusual , for traders of that area, this being so a more pleasant fragrance may ease a bit of Yosef's pain . 
The brothers killed a goat and dipped Yosef's tunic into it's blood and Yehudah was chosen to bring it to his Father. Thus Yaakov, was reminded of his own actions of wearing goat-skins to his Father Yitzchak . 
Yaakov was inconsolable for his son Yosef . 
Yosef reached Mitzrayim , and a Courtier of Par'o , Potiphera ( or Potiphara as he was called then in Egypt) took an interest in this pure looking slave . He was called Potiphar, which means the mutilated one, referring to his medical act done on him when he was younger . Potiphara took a personal liking to the looks of Yosef and had designs on Yosef himself, so only when he was shown the sale contract signed by the brothers, did he agree to buy him . Yosef was brought to his house and he saw in time, the purity and honesty of this man Yosef . Yosef was put to work inside and outside the house in the field, six months each . Potiphara noticed that all Yosef touched was Blessed by Hashem , for Yosef would spend time teaching about HaShem , for Yosef spoke and explained about HaShem , even to Potiphar . Yosef got so trusted , that Potiphara gave him rights over everything he had, except his wife Zulaicha .
The Torah then switches to Yehudah, to show , that Midda Knegged Middah, for Yehudah's actions, of Yosef, he was punished himself, by losing his sons. Also, as the Midrash tells us, while HaShem was bringing us to Egypt so we could finally be redeemed in the future, at the same time, HaShem was bringing about the beginning stages of our Final Redemption at the End of Days , with the coming of King David's Line and the progeny of Mashiach .
Yaakov's anguish over his son Yosef could not be calmed , and the brothers of Yehudah blamed Yehudah, for they said, as leader , had he told them not to do this thing they would have listened, so they chased him away from them and so TheTorah From HaShem Tells us that he went down from his brothers . Yehudah married a woman who , here, is referred to as a 'K'na'ani' which in this case does not mean a Canaanite, for we are forbidden to marry into the Canaanites, so in this context the word refers to a ' Merchant , or daughter of one .'
They had three sons, Er ,Onan and Sheilah. Yehudah took his firstborn a wife , daughter of Noach's son Shem, whose name was Tamar . Er, did not want to affect her beauty and so did not want to impregnate her and so he died. The second son did similar and so, he died too. Thus Yehudah was punished for the anguish he caused his Father Yaakov over Yosef .
Yehudah feared losing his last son, and so kept Tamar for a long time without giving her his third son . Now Tamar was so modest that she always covered her face in the presence of Yehudah, so when she devised a plan to ensure she continues progeny with the family of Yehudah, she played the role of a woman at the cross-roads . Yehudah bever knew her, for he had never seen her face out of her modesty. Tamar's reason, was purely to bring about the progeny of David and Mashiach for the prophesied line of Yehudah and so as a pledge she asked him for his signet, wrap and staff, all symbols of royalty to come from this line . After a while Yehudah heard his daughter in law was pregnant and brought Tamar for Judgement . So Tamar, without wanting to embarrass Yehudah directly, showed him the symbols which Samael the evil Angel of Amalek tried to hide, but with her pleading to HaShem, HaShem Sent the Angel to reveal them . Tamar said of the symbols, it is by this man, whose the symbols are, that she was with child. Yehudah showed great courage in admitting it was him, and there was no union with then again. The line of David came from these holy people .
Tamar had holy intentions, unlike Zulaicha who, these events are compared with, for Zulaicha too, saw by her Astrology that a member of her family would procreate with Yosef. It was actually her adopted daughter Osnas ( who was in reality Yaakov's daughter Dina's daughter with Shechem ) and not her, who she mistakenly perceived. This was one of the reasons she pursued him. Yet her motives were not pure as Tamar's were . 
The Narrative returns then to this very incident with Yosef and Zulaicha, Potiphara's unfaithful wife .
Yosef had acquired the beautiful purity of looks of his Mother Rachel and Father Yaakov . Zulaicha, was completely taken with him, and hounded him every day . Yosef started to feel at home in his new environment , and so , HaShem Sent him a reminder that this was not his home, and that even in exile, he must long for his holy home in Eretz Yisroel. 
Zulaicha tried everything to win him over, changing her clothes three times a day,putting on all kinds of garments and perfumery, but nothing would make Yosef lift his head and even look at her in her eyes, for he remained holy and pure to HaShem and his Father . 
She began to get ill with obsessing over him and her friends noticed her health decline and questioned her why. She invited them over and then called in Yosef and they were so taken with his looks that one or two of them even cut their fingers without realizing it and concentrating as they were trying to peel a fruit , after he was called in
They persuaded her to command him to obey and look at her, and no matter how she tried, she could not persuade him to look at her eyes and drop his purity.
It happened on the day of Par'o's birthday, that she ensured she would be alone in the house with Yosef, sending all the servants away . She cleaned herself and put on revealing wear that was see through and blew in the wind , a garment of wraps of different thin see-through fabric colors that she thought would entice Yosef . She made sure to sit where she knew Yosef would have to go past, and sure enough, when Yosef came past, she hounded him again . Trying all forms of verbal and even physical attempts to entice him . He stepped back and reminded her that he would not insult G-D and His Father and the progeny that would be symbolized by the Choshen Ha Mishpat and Holy Stones that the High Priest would eventually wear so that his Tribe's Stone should stand holy like the rest. She continued to use persuasion and then went onto threatening him that if he doesn't , she would make false accusations against him, yet he continued to say no . Through her physical attempts, she hoped to affect his Yetzer Horah and try to entice and weaken him yet he saw a vision of his Father and felt HaShem With him, and so, after reminding her that he would not take the only thing Potiphara had denied him, and after her attempt to threaten that she would even go as far as to to kill her own husband so her husband would never know, Yosef turned to walk away.
As he did, she grabbed the back of his garment and it tore in the back as he fled.
She ripped her own garments herself and persuaded her friends to falsely say that Yosef had supposedly made attempts on them too, and so when Potiphara came home, a barrage awaited him . He wanted Yosef killed , but his adopted daughter Osnas, told him that Zulaicha was lying and that Zulaicha had pursued him day after day and he had turned her down. Potiphara was not sure who to believe and so he called the egyptian priests, who examined the garment and when they noticed it was torn in the back, they knew and told Potiphara, that Yosef was telling the truth and Zulaicha was not . But Potiphara wanted to save face for him and his wife and so , Yosef was put in the prison, and let out only at night to clean his house, only to return to prison again in the morning. Zulaicha continued to pursue Yosef , yet Yosef held strong .Zulaicha had an iron bar tied to Yosef's neck under his head to ensure his head would remain lifted so he would be forced to look at her, but still he refused .Yoseif now understood the danger of false or incorrect claims, that he had himself mistakenly done to his own brothers . Yosef , being an honest man, , by HaShem's Help of Being with Yosef ,won the favor of the heads of the prison , the prison warden , who just so happened to have been Potiphara and others , and so it became Yosef's task to make at ease all new prisoners that came into the prison . So HaShem Had put Yosef in position to rise to power , for two prisoners were put in prison , who came under Yosef's care , that would lead Yosef to Viceroyship in Egypt .
The Chamberlain of the Cupbearers was put in prison, for a fly that had mistakenly flown into Pharoah's wine cup, and the Chamberlain of the Bakers, was put into prison, on charges of possibly attempted murder, for a stone that appeared in Pharaoh's bread , according to Rashi and the Midrash Bereishis .
They both came under Yosef's care and day after day, Yosef would see to their welfare. One morning he came in and found them both very despondant . In asking them what was wrong, they both told him they had had a dream. Miraculously, they had also had an interpretation of each other's dream as well as their own dream and its interpretation, but could not understand it .So Yosef asked them to relate their dreams to him , saying HaShem Answers Secrets that are hidden to man .
The Chamberlain of the Cupbearers told that he had had a dream of a grapevine with three tendrils , appearing to bud and blossom. And grapes came from it and that Pharaoh's cup was in the Chamberlain of the Cupbearer's Hand and he took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed it into Pharaoh's palm . This was unusual, as his usual job was not to squeeze the grapes, but to just place the prepared goblet in Pharaoh's palm . Yosef answered from HaShem that the three tendrils were three days, for within three days, on Pharaoh's birthday,the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers would be reinstated at his former post. Yosef also foresaw a prophecy for us Jews, where he foresaw the three tendrils as Moshe , Aharon and Miriam, who would come and redeem our Jewish people , thus the action of squeezing in reference to Pharaoh .
The Chamberlain of the Bakers , who had miraculously from HaShem, dreamed the answer to his partner's dream , agreed that this interpretation was correct , as did the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers, who had also dreamed an interpretation of his own dream, he could himself see. Yosef asked of him to please mention about Yosef to Pharaoh when he got out, but no matter how hard he tried, an Angel kept having him forget, for it is HaShem Who Knows the Right Time of freedom, and when is best and thus needs to be trusted .The Ten years of Yosef's prison time, represented the Ten Tribes he had talked to his Father Yaakov wrongly about.
The Chamberlain of the Bakers then went next, seeing the interpretation was well.In his dream, he saw three baskets on his head and birds were eating from the top one and lower one. HaShem Spoke for the interpretation through Yosef, where the three baskets were three days, and within three days, Pharaoh, on his birthday would lift up his head and hang him , while birds eat from his flesh. Yosef did not mention to them, the Jewish prophecy in these dreams, of the three baskets representing our Three Temples and the last one only would stand eternally .
And so, as HaShem Showed Yosef, it happened as he had said to the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers and the Chamberlain of the Bakers, but the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers did not remember Yosef, but forgot him. 
So ends this Parsha.
This Parsha is called " Vayeishev," - "Settled," which is a term used for remaining permanently in a place , and referred to here as Eretz Yisroel, the place of permanence for all Yidden, Given by HaShem. We see in a later Parsha, when Yaakov comes to settle in Egypt, there, he is referred to with his name Israel ( Bereishis 47:27 ) . A Jew is never truly settled anywhere in Galus, for His only home is Eretz Yisrael. Even Yaakov, who though he settled in Egypt, his name is then mentioned as Israel Yisrael, for wherever a Jew is, his home is only Israel Eretz Yisroel and we Jews always long for home . Yosef too was sent into exile, and never saw his Father for the same amount of years that his Father Yaakov was away from Yitzchak. Everything we do, has a repercussion, not always as punishnent, but as an opportunity to fix our wrongs. This takes a lot of Faith and Emunah, for while negative things are happening, there is always a deep reason for them and HaShem Does things out of Love. 
A Jew's true place to Settle is in Eretz Yisrael and the real place that a Jew must work toward "Vayeishev," - " Settling " in, is with HaShem Himself . A Jew must spiritually work every day to "Vayeishev, " - " Settle," within HaShem and also make a place for HaShem to Settle within us . When HaShem Tells us to ' Build a Temple within which He Can Dwell, HaShem Also refers to the Temple of Us, that we must make ourselves every day and every moment holy and into a Temple to house HaShem's Shechinah within us , so HaShem Can Dwell Within us . This ties so closely with Chanukah , where the miracle was performed that there was not enough pure oil to last and the miracle happened that it lasted the time needed , for to be truly free is to be truly within HaShem's Light and Miracles . The 'Oil' will last as long as we remain pure enough inside and out , to bring HaShem within . 
True " Vayeishev," - " means " Settling within HaShem . That is what we are to work toward every day . To ' Yosheiv' return in Teshuva, every day , to be within HaShem and to let the Light of HaShem be welcome within us , as the Light of our Chanukah Candles Light our Homes at this time . That is true " Vayeishev," - " Settling ." To sit within HaShem and be surrounded by His Love .
When we can do that, we will accomplish the depth within this word " Vayeishev," which can expand itself to the words '" Vayehi Sheva," which means " And it will be the Seventh," in reference to the one who is represented by the number Seven which is Mashiach, so that when we can sit within HaShem's Laws, and Love, we will be at the stage of sitting within the time of Mashiach and thus Usher in The End of Days. 
May It come soon, that we can each sit under our vine and be surrounded in Olam Habah, with HaShem's Light and Love.
I wish HaShem With Love,a Very Beautiful and Special Shabbos Kodesh and Chag Chanukah Sameach with Love, and to all my fellow Yidden, a very beautiful and special Shabbos Kodesh and Chag Chanukah Sameach with love .