We spoke yesterday about the concept of Keriat Shema, realizing Hashem’s Oneness and control in all situations, even when it doesn't seem like it; when it seems like what's called Hester Panim/God has covered Himself.
It’s interesting that when God tells Yaakov Avinu to go down to Mitzrayim, He says, “I'm going to go down with you, I’ll bring you up, and Yosef will put his hands on your eyes.”
What is that significance of that? The Ibn Ezra says it means when you die, because that's what the living do with the dead. They put their hands on their eyes. So it means Yosef will outlive you. But it’s brought down from the Kabbalists that when we say Keriat Shema, we put our hands on our eyes. Why? What's the importance of that? The rabbis explain that if you say Keriat Shema with your eyes open, you won’t say it properly, because what you see with your eyes is contrary to Hashem Echad. We see with our eyes that Hashem doesn't seem to be in control. So how could I say Hashem Echad, if it doesn't look like it; if it looks like things are out of control?
So we cover our eyes and we say Keriat Shema.
Who taught Yaakov Avinu this lesson that when it looks like everything's out of control and things are going haywire, it's really going to end in a beautiful result? It was the story of Yosef HaSadik. The story of Yosef HaSadik showed how all of the tragedy and all of the challenges over those 22 years brought about a wonderful, happy ending.
So this is the way to read the pasuk: Yosef- the story of Yosef-will allow you to put your hands on your eyes, to close your eyes and realize that what you see doesn't mean anything. You were watching the whole time and you thought you saw the story, but you didn't see the story. The lesson of Yosef will cause you to close your eyes.
Furthermore, there were two friends- Antoninus and Rebbi, the Caesar Anthony and Rabbenu HaKadosh, and the Mekubalim tell us that they were actually gilgulim Yaakov and Esav. Rashi points out that already when they were in the womb, it was hinting at the future, to these two great people that lived the life properly.
That means Rabbenu HaKadosh is a reincarnation of Yaakov Avinu. Yehuda HaNasi stands for Nishmat Yaakov Avinu. The Gemara tells us in Masechet Berachot that Rabbenu HaKadosh was giving shiur and they didn't know what time he said Keriat Shema,as he had started the shiur early and went late. But they said, when you see that he paused and put his hands on his eyes, that's when he's saying Keriat Shema.
So the source for covering your eyes when you say Keriat Shema is Rabbenu HaKadosh, who was, in essence, Yaakov Avinu.
That's the lesson of
Yaakov Avinu, that even when things don't seem right, and what we see with our eyes doesn't match, we don't pay attention to what we see with our eyes. That's the ultimate Hashem Echad.
We’ve brought this out in the past as well. When Yosef HaSadik put Shimon in jail, it says he put him in jail L’Eyehem/to their eyes. What does that mean to their eyes? Rashi says only when they were looking. But once they left, he fed him and gave him to eat. So the word L’Eynehem means to your eyes.
Your eyes don't mean anything. What we see with our eyes is meaningless. A similar explanation is said on the pasuk, in Devarim (9,17) when Moshe Rabbenu said,
וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֑י וָאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖ם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם
I took the Luchot and threw them down. And broke them to your eyes. What does that mean to your eyes? It looked like I broke them. I didn't break them. The Kedusha already left them. I didn't break them. It was,leynechem-that's what it looked like.
That's this important lesson of Yosef HaSadik, and that's what Yaakov Avinu wants us to do when we say Keriat Shema and Baruch Shem…
that's our one two punch from yesterday and today.
Close your eyes and realize L’Olam Vaed, in all situations, even when it looks like it's out of control, it's being totally controlled. Controlled chaos, but controlled.
Have a wonderful day.