Friday, December 25, 2020

What More

 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֛ב עוֹד־יוֹסֵ֥ף בְּנִ֖י חָ֑י אֵֽלְכָ֥ה וְאֶרְאֶ֖נּוּ בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת.  The Emrei Menachem (Alexander) asks that the word עוד is extra, it could just say רב יוסף בני חי? 

The possuk in Tehillim (37:10) says וְע֣וֹד מְ֭עַט וְאֵ֣ין רָשָׁ֑ע וְהִתְבּוֹנַ֖נְתָּ עַל־מְקוֹמ֣וֹ וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ. Rav Boruch M'mezbutch explained that even in the rasha there is a ועוד, a inner spark where there the wickedness doesn't reach; Dovid prayed to look at that ועוד and then there is no sin.  The same idea is in the famous teaching of Rebbe Nachman (182) אזמרה לאלקי בעודי, the עוד that is not contaminated will sing to Hashem.  The Emrei Menachem says that was the intent of Yaakov.  He saw that the עוד of Yosef was not only contaminated in Egypt, rather it was רב עוד, it grew to greater kedusha.

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