Before Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, as told in Parashat Vayigash, he weeps, as he had done several times earlier throughout this story. Here, he cries so loud "that the Egyptians could hear" (45:2). Perhaps it is the Torah's emphasis on the volume of this sob that led Chazal to afford it symbolic significance. The Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 93:13) comments, "Just as Yosef appeased his brothers only with weeping, so will the Almighty redeem Israel only with weeping, as it says, 'They shall come with weeping, and with compassion will I guide them' (Yirmiyahu 31:9)."

The Torah tells in Parashat Vayigash (46:28) that Yaakov, as he made his way towards Egypt, sent his son Yehuda ahead "to point the way before him." According to one view in the Midrash, cited by Rashi, this refers to the establishment of a Torah educational facility. Understandably, Yaakov made Torah education his priority in preparing for his family's sojourn in the foreign environs and culture of Egypt.

Parashat Vayigash tells of Yaakov and his family's migration to Egypt, where they would be sustained by Yosef, who is now second-in-command to Pharaoh. The Torah here lists by name the members of Yaakov's family who joined him as he relocated from Canaan to Egypt. In this list, we find the names of the four sons of Yissakhar: Tola, Puva, Yov and Shimron (46:13).

   The question arises as to the intent and purpose of the Torah's description of Yosef's economic policies in Egypt, a section that glaringly disrupts the narrative of Yosef and his brothers.  This section does not begin with a new parasha – or paragraph break – in the Torah scroll, perhaps suggesting that it is somehow part of the story of Yaakov and his sons, and does not comprise an independent textual unit.  In what way does the narrative of Yosef's management of Egypt form part of the story of Yaakov's family's resettlement in Egypt?

   We read in Parashat Vayigash of Yaakov's descent from Canaan to Egypt, where he settled to escape the famine that devastated the region.  The Torah tells (beginning of chapter 46) that Yaakov stopped along his journey in the city of Be'er Sheva.  According to the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 94:4), in Be'er Sheva Yaakov cut wood from the sycamore trees that his grandfather, Avraham, had planted in that city many years earlier.  Yaakov brought this wood with him to Egypt in anticipation of his descendants' construction of the Mishkan from sycamore wood after their departure

        In Parashat Vayigash, Yosef reveals his identity to his brothers and instructs them to return to Canaan and bring Yaakov to Egypt, where Yosef – who had risen to the position of viceroy – will support him and his family during the remainder of the famine years.  Just before they leave, Yosef gives one final instruction: "Al tirgezu ba-darekh."  This difficult phrase has earned many different interpretations.  Rashi begins by citing two Midrashic interpretations from the Gemara (Masekhet Ta'anit 10b).  One view explains this instruction to mean that the brothers should not e

מזמור יג חוזר לתאר את רגשות דוד בנדודי בריחתו מפני שאול, תוך כדי קרבות עם גלית הפלשתי ואחיו, ובייחוד את החרדה.

מזמור י"ג מתאר את המשבר שחש המשורר אל מול הרשעים ובו בעת גם את ביטחונו ושמחתו של המשורר בישועת ה'. בשיעור נעסוק במבנה המזמור ובמושגים החוזרים לאורכו המבטאים מעבר ממצוקה לישועה וביטחון. עוד נעסוק בקשר בין המזמור למזמורים הקודמים ונראה את החוט הרעיוני החורז ביניהם.

המזמור מתאר את תחושתו הקשה של דוד, המרגיש שמא ההשגחה עזבה אותו. מתוך תחושה קשה זו, פונה דוד אל ה' בתפילה ואומר "ואני בחסדך בטחתי" (ו) - הוא בטוח בישועה שתבוא, הוא דבק בה' בכל המצבים הקשים ויודע שבאמת ה' לא עזבו.

מה הקשר בין מזמור י' למזמור י"א? ומהו הרקע של מזמור י"א?