Vayigash

After Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, he sent them back to Canaan to bring his father back with them to Mitzraim. Filled with joy that his son was still alive, Yaakov begins his journey down to Mitzraim. Along the way, he stops in Beer-sheva to offer sacrifices before proceeding. The posuk tells us ויאמר אלוקים לישראל במראות הלילה Hashem spoke to Yaakov in night visions, telling him not to fear going down to Egypt for it was there that he would become a great nation.

The משך חכמה brings our attention to something quite unique in this posuk. We never find that Hashem talks to Avraham & Yitzchok at night. Only by Yaakov do we find that Hashem talks to him at night. What's the significance of this; why does Hashem talk to Yaakov at night?
The answer relates to the fact that Yaakov is now headed outside of the land of Canaan to live, the first exile of the Jewish people. Therefore, Hashem came to him at night to show him that, even in the darkness of the exile, Hashem can still be with Klal Yisroel. As the gemara says, when the Jews went to Bavel, the Shechina went with them.

We see Yaakov's connection to לילה by the korbanos, too. The gemara tells us that Avraham instituted the Shachris prayer, Yitzchok the Mincha prayer while Yaakov instituted the evening prayer, which represents the burning of the limbs on the mizbaiach which, unlike any other sacrifice, could be done at night too.
Chazal tell us that the Shechina doesn't rest on a Navi outside of Eretz Yisroel unless the Navi had already prophesied in Eretz Yisroel; just like the burning of the limbs on the Mizbaiach can be done at night only if the korban was started during the day.

‎Continues the משך חכמה, when the Jews hold on to the ways of their forefathers & uphold the ancient traditions, Hashem will be with them even in the most troubling, darkest of times. However, when we don't hold on to our fathers’ ways & forget the treaty we have with Hashem, then the Shechina leaves us & we’re on our own.
How can we avoid this? What can we do to ensure that we don't forget the ways of our fathers & keep Hashem with us in this bitter exile?

When Yosef brings his brothers to Pharaoh, he tells Pharaoh that they are shepherds, upon which the posuk says, that was כי תועבת מצרים כל רעה צאן, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians. The Chidushei Harim says that Yosef was giving the brothers advice that would be good for the Jews throughout the ages in exile. He said that they had a profession that was abhorrent to the Egyptians so that the Egyptians would stay away from them. He was telling the brothers not to try to imitate the lifestyle or culture of the Egyptians. Rather, the secret to Jewish survival is to remain on the outside, not getting too close to our host country.
‎
As Reb Chaim Volozhin used to say "if a Jew doesn't make Kiddush, to sanctify one’s self by maintaining a Jewish lifestyle, then the non-Jew will make Havdala for him & then he will realize that he's truly different. Nowadays this ‎is especially true with all the Anti-Semitism that's rampant in the streets. We have to make sure that we separate ourselves & maintain a holy lifestyle so that we will have Hashem on our side to combat the hatred & bring us to the final redemption!

MIKEITZ / CHANUKAH

‎Pharaoh summons Yosef to interpret his dreams; Not only does Yosef interpret the dreams, but he also offers advice on how to try to avoid the impending catastrophe, ועתה ירא פרעה איש נבון וחכם וישיתהו על ארץ מצרים. “Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man & set him over the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh had only asked him to interpret the dream. Why was Yosef offering advice too, even specifying what kind of person he would need to find to carry out the task. Ramban asks, isn't that a little presumptuous to start offering his own advice? He explains that Yosef understood that the reason Hashem had revealed to Pharaoh what he was about to do was so that he would take action. Yosef was a wise man & החכם עיניו בראשו " the wise man has eyes in his head" so he was subtly promoting himself to get the job.

Rav Tzvi Hirsch Farber explains this with a parable. There were two princes that were riding the train to the next town. Each one of the princes was more infatuated with himself & his honor than the next one. When they got to the station, an orchestra began playing to greet them. Each one of the princes, in his great quest for honor, was convinced that the orchestra was there for him. They couldn't convince each other, that the other one was more honored.

Arguing with each other as to who the music was for, they came upon a Jew from the neighborhood whom they decided to ask, “whom did the musicians come for”. The Jew, who hadn't a penny to his name for the upcoming holiday, told them that it would cost them fifty rubles for him to arbitrate. They agreed & paid him the fifty rubles. He told them, "the musicians didn't come for either one of you; rather they came for me so that I would have money for the holiday!”

Yosef, ‎ too, thought to himself why did Hashem have to tell Pharaoh what was going to happen in the future? It could only be so that I could rise to power; therefore he offered the advice & Pharaoh offered him the job just as he intended.

Now, wasn't it enough that Yosef was finally freed from jail? Why did Hashem make it that he ended up as king too?

One of the famous questions asked about the miracle of the oil lasting eight days on Chanuka is why did we need to find pure oil to light the Menora? Even if the oil had been impure, the rule that טומאה הותרה בציבור, spiritual impurity is allowed when it's related to the whole klal yisroel, would have allowed it to be used since the lighting of the Menora is a ‎communal obligation. Therefore, what was the reason Hashem had to make the miracle? The פני יהושע answers that the reason Hashem did that was to show his love for the Jewish people. Even at a time when they would have been allowed to use any oil, Hashem made a miracle for them to show that his love for them was still strong & He wanted them to serve Him in purity.

With Yosef too, Hashem could have arranged it for Yosef to get out of jail. Then, the famine would come without preparation & the brothers & Yaakov would end up in Egypt some other way. However, He did it this way to show His love for the Jewish people. Even though they had to eventually end up in Egypt, Hashem made sure it was done in the best way for them by making Yosef the king. Then, when his father & brothers came down, they were treated like royalty, demonstrating Hashem’s love for the Jewish people. Even in times of trial, Hashem is there pulling the strings behind the scene to ensure that it's as positive as could be. We have to recognize this & know that whatever is happening, Hashem loves us & is doing what He knows is best!

Vayeishev

Our Parsha concludes with the imprisonment of Yosef and his interaction with Pharaoh's baker & winemaker in prison. The posuk tells us, ויקח אדני יוסף אתו ויתנו אל בית הסהר, then Yosef's master took him & placed him in the prison, מקום אשר אסירי המלך אסורים , the place where the king’s prisoners were confined , ויהי שם בבית הסהר , and he remained there in the prison.

The הר צבי questions the extraneous wording of the posuk, for it seems that the words , ויהי שם בבית הסהר , and he remained there in the prison, are unneeded. The posuk had just stated that he was placed in prison, so obviously he was there? Also, what's the point in saying מקום אשר אסירי המלך אסורים , the place where the king’s prisoners were confined‎? What's the difference which prisoners were there?
Additionally, when Yosef asks the winemaker to remember him to Pharaoh, he asks him to remember him & get him out of הבית הזה, this house. However, he finishes the sentence by saying, “ I didn't deserve to be thrown into the בור, pit.” First, he calls it a house & then a pit. Why the difference?

The הר צבי explains that there are two types of imprisonment. If one is imprisoned for committing a crime, he has to remain until he can be proven innocent or until he serves the time for committing the crime. Then, he goes free. The second type of imprisonment involves the person who didn't commit any crime but is merely imprisoned at the whim of the king. For him, there is no set time for his release & actually very little hope that he will ever be released.
This is what the Posuk is telling us. Yosef was in the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. The seemingly extra words, that‎ he remained in prison, are telling us that he was to be there forever .
‎ Therefore, he asked והוצאתי מן הבית הזה , just get me out of this house where the king’s prisoners sit with no hope. Get me into the regular jail where I can have a judgment prove my innocence & be freed.

Imagine, Yosef was in a prison with no hope of ever seeing the light of day; one where every moment was absolute torture. Yet, one morning, he is concerned with two other inmates who looked upset.
Instead of focusing on his own problems, he turns to them & says four words that would, in the words of Rabbi Gideon Shloush, change history forever. He says, מדוע פניכם רעים היום , why are your faces downcast today? He noticed that something was bothering them & instead of looking the other way, he asked what's wrong. This led to his interpretation of their dreams; to his interpretation of Pharoh’s dream; to being freed & finally, to becoming the second to the king. Because he saw someone else's pain, he uttered four words that changed the course of history.

There's a story told about the בית הלוי. One Shabbos, someone came to him very agitated & upset, telling him that his daughter was in labor for three days & was in grave danger. He asked the Rav to daven for her.
To the man's great surprise, the Rav asked him if he had made kiddush yet. He answered no.
If that's the case, make kiddush with me, then wash & eat the meal with me. The man sat with the Rav & ate with him. The rav spent much time entertaining and conversing with this man. At the end of the meal, the Rav asked the man if he had enjoyed himself. When he answered yes, the rav said, “now go home & see how your daughter is.”

A short while later, the man comes running back announcing, “my daughter had a son. Both she & the baby are fine. Now I have to understand, why did the rav make me sit & make kiddush and eat the meal?”
The Bais Halevi answered that it's a posuk which says והתענג על ה ויתן לך משאלות לבך and delight in Hashem, for He will grant you the desires of your heart. Therefore, I asked you to eat so you would be calm and enjoy yourself. Then Hashem would grant your desires for good.
Yosef’s actions instruct us to look out for someone else, for he, even in his own miserable plight, noticed someone else who was down. The Bais Halevi, too, knew how to bring someone up so he could be helped. We, then, should also do something if we see someone who's down, so that we can bring them up!

Vayishlach

Thirty four years after leaving home, Yaakov is now on his way back.   Despite those years, Eisav's feelings haven't calmed and he is heading toward Yaakov with his army to settle the score.  In an effort to win him over, Yaakov then sends a massive gift. The posuk then tells us ויקח את שתי נשיו ואת שתי שפתיו ואת אחד עשר ילדיו, he took his two wives, his two handmaids, and his eleven sons and crossed the river Jabbok. 

Rashi explains that the reason that the number eleven was specified & not just  את ילדיו which would have then meant all his children, was to tell us that Dina was missing. Where was she? Rashi tells us that Yaakov hid her in a box so that Eisav wouldn't see her & want to marry her.

However, Rashi continues & says that Dina was captured by Shechem as punishment for Yaakov hiding her from Eisav.  Perhaps, if he had married her, she would have helped him change his ways.  

‎The question posed by many commentators as well as by רב אברהם יצחק סורוצקין is why was Yaakov punished since he was merely using common sense.  If Eisav, while living in the house of Yitzchok & Rivka, wasn’t influenced to change his ways, how would marrying this little girl influence him to change?

The gemara in Sanhedrin explains the reason why the prophecies of the destruction of אדום in the future were said by עובדיה.  עובדיה, who was raised by two wicked people & wasn’t influenced by them was chosen to prophecize on the downfall of Eisav, who was raised by two Tzadikim & didn't learn from their ways. This informs us that normally one who was raised by two Tzadikim should have been influenced by them; if he wasn't, then how could we expect that Dina would be able to influence him? 

He answers by bringing the Midrash Rabba that tells a story of two very pious people that were married to each other. For many years they had no children. One day, they turned to each other and said that for us to remain together without children isn't doing anything for Hashem. Let's divorce; maybe with other people we'll have children that will grow to serve Hashem. 

So, with heavy hearts they divorced & found other mates.  Unfortunately, they didn't do so well with their new mates who were way below their standard of piety. 
Interestingly enough, the pious man who married beneath him was slowly dragged down to her level while the pious woman who married beneath her, brought her husband up to her level. The Midrash tell us that this teaches us that spirituality comes from the woman. 

There is a special power that a woman has to influence her husband, whether for bad or for good.  As the posuk says, אעשה לו עזר כנגדו I will make him a helper against him.  Rashi explains if one is worthy, his wife will be a helper & if not she will be against him. That can also be explained to mean, if one is not worthy to go on the right path on his own, then his wife will be כנגדו to push him to go the right way. This is why a woman has that power to influence her husband to put him on the right path. 

This is why Yaakov was punished. He knew this concept and therefore he should have let Dina marry Eisav so that she might be able to influence him & turn his life around. Sometimes, we have to put ourselves out there even though it might not look like the right thing to do.  However, we may have the power to influence other people, so  we have to put ourselves out there to do our part!