Vayechi - Miracle of Good Livelihood

You're listening to the weekly partial podcast with Ari Goldwag recorded with Hashan's never ending assistance in Vish Israel 5786 2026. This week's part is par. It's the last para in s bracius in the book of Genesis. And we have the bra the blessings that Yakov gives first to to Yoseph and his and his sons and then to all of his sons. I like to focus in on the Hashem that Yakov channels Hashem's power into Yseph and his sons. It's a that we say every day in our Jacobu gives Abra to his kids and he talks about specifically to Manash to his grandchildren and he speaks about the Malik, the angel that protected him, who redeemed him, the angel that redeemed him from all evil. Bless these children. Call upon them my name and the name of my forefathers and they should prosper like fish. They should be like fish in in midst land. And we say this and we also refer to this when we bless our children on Friday night. We say we say to our kids to our sons, let you may Hashem make you like these two sons who were blessed in this way by Jacob. So we need to understand what the braha is because we're kind of extending the braha to our kids. So we need to know what is the blessing? What is this malik? What is the angel? What is the concept of the angel? Why does he say the angel that protected me and redeemed me? Why does he talk about Hashem? He's talking about an angel. And we also need to understand what is concept of they should be like fish of all things to be like fish. What is the idea of fish? What is the special blessing of the fish? So, I'd like to share with you what the Medish says seemingly on two different topics, but I think that they're very much related. One has to do with the Malik, the redeeming angel, and one has to do with the fish. Major says an important thing. The mag says that in this blessing there's a blessing for guula redemption. Okay. And and cuz he's talking about the angel that redeemed me should bless the kids the kids bless these children. Redemption. There's two things that we're going to speak about and they're connected. There's redemption and there's parnosa. Parnosa means livelihood and there's also a concept of lea of giving birth. So measure starts off telling us about parnas about livelihood and tells us that our involvement in livelihood is more difficult the as we'll see the curse that was given to Adam to Adam the first man after he sinned that he should have difficulty with paras with livelihood it was deeper that was a a deeper problem than the curse of kava which was that she should give birth with pain. This is very interesting. Listen carefully when it comes to birth. So the says as a result of the meeting from the tree of knowledge of good and evil what was the result with sadness sounds like the word sadness you'll have kids. We'll see shortly that doesn't mean exactly sadness. It actually means something else. But for the moment, let's let's translate it this way. There's a sadness when a when a woman there's a difficulty. There's a pain that a woman has in childbirth. And the men also speaks about the pain of child rearing and the pain of the menstrual cycle. There's certain pain that's a result of that original sin that did. And for the woman, the pain was it's called which means sadness. He uses the same word which means sadness or actually more more accurately toil and pain. Toil and and effort it adds the extra onto it. By the woman that says by the man it says eat with sadness or with work or with effort you'll have to eat your bread. When it comes to livelihood it involves. So the man has the one has in her tap in life in her giving birth. [snorts] But the word so in regards to the man which which has to do with the livelihood with the parnoso has a deeper level. There's a doubling of the sadness. There's a doubling of the effort. It's it's a constant issue. A woman giving birth is something that happens in a cyclic way, right? Or her having her menstrual cycle. It's a cycle. There's times where it's more difficult and times where it's fine. Times where she has pain in childbirth, but most of the time she's not giving birth. But the man has a has an he has a sadness or a difficulty because he's constantly involved in now. So that's that's going back to braces for a moment. But now we're going to go come back to our para which speaks about speaks about redemption. And we're going to say that there's a concept of redemption and there's a concept of parnosa and somehow they're related just like parnosa for the man and child birth for the women are related that they have to do with the central perhaps purpose of each of each of the people [clears throat] says we have a connection between redemption and and paraso and livelihood. What's the connection in our the which means doubling but elsewhere in the in in braces. So he uses which is doubling which we find by there's a double language in regards to redemption be consoled be consoled I it is I who will console you Hashem says there's a doubling by and there's a doubling by as well right the speaks about in in we we say the paracon shab is kilas Over and over again it talks about redeems us from our enemies. His kindness is forever. He gives bread to every living flesh for his kindness is forever. So there's a connection between redemption and parnosa. So there's a doubling and there's also a ploy. There's something does wonders. These are considered wonders. The fact that you could have a the Jewish people after 2,000 years can re return to Israel almost 8 million strong after not being here for 2,000 years 100 years ago. There's only 30,000 people here. 30,000 Jews. That's unbelievable. But no less unbelievable and perhaps even more unbelievable is the fact that I have parasa every single day. I continue to be able to have the bread that I need and for my family to eat. Says in reverse as well just like when it comes to you need livelihood every single day. There's also an aspect of gula redemption that happens every single day. And we think about what is redemption. Redemption is my oppressors are are oppressing me. Difficulties are mounting. Hashem redeems me from that situation and takes me out of there. So there's something like that. Every single day we can think about it just in in the simplest form. I'm I'm asleep and I wake up every day. New redemption, new day. In a certain way, livelihood is even greater than redemption. When we talk about gul, we talk about redemption. So there is a messenger, there's an angel in in the times of mit, the redemption of of the Jewish people out of Egypt. There was a Mosher Rabenu. There was somebody. It wasn't as clear as when it comes to parasa Jacobina speaks the maliky the angel that redeems me. There's some other form that Hashem has sent that I experience an indirect redemption. But when it comes to livelihood it's not indirect. It's direct. Hashem is hands on in my livelihood making sure that I have the money that I need today for my family for bread. How do I know right? Like we said how do we know that the it's the redemption comes through an angel says the angel that redeemed me redeems me present tense. How do I know that it's Hashem who's directly giving me every single thing that I need? This is the the correct understanding of reality, folks. This is the real deal. This we see every day, three times a day. It's an it's why we say you open your hand, Hashem, and you provide. You satisfy the needs of every single living creature. Okay. It's not clear if is harder or or equal to is is the accomplishment of livelihood something on a higher level than than redemption than miracles? Is it more miraculous? He says it's it's the same says Hashem splits the sea into pieces for the Jewish people to pass through. You see the puzzle also says as an equal and and perhaps greater than miracle Hashem provides bread for every living creature. Because that's the first part of the mish parnasa. Our livelihood is is unbelievable what it's an unbelievable miracle that we have what we need and it's an open direct Hashem is sticking his hand down into our lives and moving things around. Don't make a mistake. Don't think it's the boss. Don't think it's your efforts. The money that you have is a matana from Shmayim. It's a gift Hashem's hand is giving directly to you. That's the medish. I was thinking just a little bit about before I get on to the second part which has to do with the fish. You talking about the fish. But before we get to the fish, I just want to point out that there's an etsv and a sav. There's a sadness in child birth of a woman. [snorts] In child rearing, in the menstrual cycle, there's a sadness. There's a toil. There's a pain. [snorts] And in earning a livelihood, there's also an it. There's a pain, a sadness, a toil. Year. words of Rashi and the Kalis which is I saw brought down in the Rashi he used the word YaV is it means something that the word Ya means to work but it also means to be preoccupied I become preoccupied there's a ya his says there's a preoccupation with my occup occupation right it becomes something that involves my mind that's the curse when which means the tree of knowledge of good and evil before that there was no judgments I think we've spoken about this before that there was no judgments there was just whatever was everything was just there was no negativity within the mind of the human being there was no that chatter box that's always talking in our minds most of the time we're not in control of not even aware of. We've been we've gotten lost in our minds. That's the ya. That's the preoccupation. There's a preoccupation that our mind is now involved in because he from there's now judgment of good and evil. There's this constant judgment going on in our minds and sometimes we misdirect our judgment. So or often times the judgment of our mind is off and wrong. That's called das malabat versus das. But [clears throat] there's a preoccupation. I keep using that word because it's important and and there's a disconnect through the preoccupation. I think that I'm the one who has to earn the money. It used to be right originally was supposed to love. It wasn't like he wasn't going to work. Right? The curse of Adam wasn't that we would work. The curse of Adam was that there would be this mind game going on. this disconnect from this belief that I'm doing it. It's not Hashem or even in in in child rearing I've perhaps I've shared the story would tell a story about his sister and my sister Esther Tendler. So she she had a third kid. She ended up having I think 11 kids something like that. And uh she called his her mom, little exasperated, three kids, ba a gun, a lot of lot of uh lot going on. And um and she said to her mother, "How do I do this? I don't know how I could do this." And and Rebbitson Pere senior le my mother said to her, "You make a mistake. You think that it's your job to to take care of these kids, but you are actually a junior partner. Hashem is the main one gives the soul. You have your husband and then there's you. So you're a junior partner who's in charge of this child. Your job is to facilitate perhaps. But that changed that changed it. And I think that that's true in our minds. We think that we're not the junior partner. We're the senior partner in raising our kids. We think we're the senior partner in our livelihood and we're not. That's the that's the adv that's the it's a y that's the word of rashi there's a a an overinv involvement of our mind in thinking of how we can do it and if you want to know what it looks like just read unfortunately most Jewish magazines read the business section [gasps] there's a over occup preoccupation with how do I do it how do I do it. And it's really not about me doing it. It's really about me moving out of the way so that Hashem can do it. That's what it's really about. That's what I take out of this thing. It's it's like um parnosa is a miracle. What does that mean really? It means there's a ya. My mind is involved in it, but I need to step aside and let Hashem be the one who does it. My parnasa raising my kids. Let Hashem be in charge of it. I I'm not going to control anything. Certainly not with my mind. I'm not going to control my prasa. Not going to control my kids. Step aside. You recognize that you cannot. If you're standing in front of Yamsu, if you're not going to cause the seat to split that you get that's clear. It's a harder thing. It's a harder thing to step aside when it comes to parasa and say hashem's gonna do this one not me that's much harder that's perhaps upshot that's I was thinking about now I want to take you to the second part of the art the says and I'm going to connect it it doesn't sound like it's connected but I think it's really much very much connected to to the first part of the medish mahogen What's unique about a fish? Why does Jacob give a blessing? And why do we extend that blessing to our kids saying that our kids should proliferate like fish? What is what is unique about the fish? Why did Yakob say that they should be like fish? Fish. No one's looking at the fish. We're all worried about what are people people are looking at me. What are they going to think? No one's looking at fish. fish don't worry what what is other other fish thinking of me or what are people thinking of me don't see fish they're under the water Yakob is saying just like there's no eye inhara there's no negative look right and it's a real concern there's a power in the way that we look at others we can cause them damage with our thoughts sometimes with our actions but also with our thoughts we can cause damage we have to be careful about ayura not looking at others negatively not judging. Move out of the space of judgment. But there are people who have special power not to not to be affected by other people's judgments. And that's the children of Yoseph. If that was the braha that Yakob gave them, they should be like fish. Fish don't get judged. They're not they're out of sight. They're out of mind. They don't get judged. You should be like that, too. whole conversation between Yeshua and the people the the offspring of of Yoseph they they speak about the fact that there are a lot of people and Yeshua says aren't you worried by saying that you're going to draw an Ihara you they said no we're from Yoseph we don't have to worry about that we don't have to worry about Ayanhara there's something special about Yoseph that although though he's a good-looking person. He's a a successful person. He's a leader of Egypt. There's no Ayanhara on him or doesn't have power over him. Look at the brothers. They tried to destroy him. They couldn't. He he he breaks through it all. He ends up on top, right? Yseph has that unique ability. How did he get that? So, we spoke about that a few weeks ago. They got that by being completely connected to by being completely always speaking about I was talking last night with my son Moshov and talking about feeling Hashem in our hearts. That was a topic of conversation and he said that Rashi says in the puzz that Yoseph was able to overcome his nissan with Potifar's wife because he felt Hashem in his heart. One shot is because he saw a vision of his father Jacob. But another shot is because he felt Hashem in his heart. How did he do that? He was constantly speaking about his master hears him always talking. Hashem's name is always on his lips. His mind, the chatter of his mind, he's quieted down. He's he's letting go of the of the mind. And when a person lets go of the chatter of the mind, the the incessant nitsara talking and just says, "Thank you very much. I'm moving on." And just lets it go. Spoke to be talking podcast. When a person does that, don't read the news. I don't need to know what's going on in the world. I don't even need to get knocked over because my co-workers said something to me, my friend said something to me, my spouse says something to me. I don't need to get knocked over by anything. I'm okay. Hashem is with me. Reminder, Hashem is creating all of my situations right now. He's here with me right now. So, that's something that Yoseph had and that's something that Yakob was blessing his sons with. Another beautiful little thing kind of aside, the fish, they grow in the water. They live in the water. When it starts to rain, the the fish rise to the top of the water to where the rain is coming in and they want to taste that water. Even though they live in water, they want to taste the the fresh the fresh water. The Jewish people are represented by friend. We give that we continue that. They are like fish. We are like fish in that when we we live in the is our life. We're involved in learning. We're involved in seeking Hashem's will. But like that fish, it starts to rain. Something new comes in. We hear a new idea in Tyra. We we thirst for it. We we receive it with with a thirstiness. You hear a good shot. You hear a good idea, a beautiful idea, and you thirst for like you never heard a shot like this before in your life. You never Wow. I know somebody who he has these notebooks. He has a new idea. He hears a new shot, a new voice from somebody. He writes it down. He's saving them for years. [gasps] There's a thirst for Tyra. There's a thirst for the word of Hashem. There's a thirst for how do I connect Hashem again? How do I connect Hashem again? But finally, I want to share with you the last point of the med. There's other things here, but I want to skip to the end. on the there's somebody whose name was like the name of a fish. He had the same name as a fish. And he's the one who brought the Jewish people into the land of Israel. Yeshua Benoon. Yeshua was from the tribe of Yoseph. He was from Ephraim. And he had a name. His name was Yeshua bin Nun, the son of Nun. And the word nun in Aramaic is the word for a fish. So Yeshua's father's name was Fish. We have a Yiddish named Fishel. I don't know if it's related, but the idea of the fish, what does it mean? Yeshua is the one who brings the Jewish people into the land of Israel. He's the fish. And I think that what it's saying is I think what the measure is trying to explain to us is that like we said before the fish the fish is something which is out of sight out of mind. You want to know how you you step into Isel you want to know how you succeed in Israel? The question is on people's minds. People want to come here. People want to succeed here. You know how you succeed here? You succeed with the secret of YSF with the secret of the fish. And the secret is there's no INR on me. Why is there no INR on me? I'm not flaunting my talents. I'm not I'm not flaunting my wealth. I'm not flaunting my success. There's an there's an aspect of modesty of around who I am and my what my are. That's one thing. But the other thing is what we spoke about already that there's a the the aspect of Yoseph is that he escapes Ayanhara. He escapes the destructive gaze of Potifar's wife and his brothers and all those who wish to cause him harm. How does he escape it? With his deep connection. He lives in the water. He's thirsting for the water which is who's the water? Hashem is the water. The Tyra is the water. That's the the the connection. The connection is real. The connection is real. Parasa we spoke about how do I get out of the itself and how do I get out of the darkness the the toil the preoccupation with livelihood. It's who is the real one doing it? Who? It's a real miracle. If I have money to put bread on my table, it's a real miracle. It's not me. Yoseph said it and we we've said it and I want to repeat it. Bill, it's not me. I like national. It's it's Hashem who answers parro, not me. It's Hashem who provides for all the Egyptians. Hashem sent me down here. Yoseseph says his brothers. Mia to be a to be his messenger to provide sustenance. Now think about it. Y says it's not you. It's not you who sent me here. It's Hashem who sent me here. And it's not Hashem who's giving us the parnos. It's I'm sorry. It's not us who's getting the paros. It's Hashem who's giving us the parnosu. It's a greater miracle than than you than Chris Yamsu. I got to internalize that you want to come into Israel, you have to have a different level of you have to have a different type of relationship with Hashem. You have to recognize there's such a thing as miracles. Those miracles are happening every day. Every day. Every day there is a miracle of your prinosa and every day there's a miracle of g of redemption. It's happening to us all the time. We're just not noticing it. Hashem is in our lives. His hand is right here holding our hand. His voice is right here inside of our heart. And our mind is making so much noise. We're so preoccupied that we can't hear the voice inside of us. Let's quiet down the mind. Yoseph did that. He had Hashem in his heart. That's how he faced off with his ns. You want to know how to deal with all the nianis of the world? Yseph tells you in your heart be always connected to quiet down that mind. Mind the incessant mind is not me. I easily identify it. I easily fall for the trap but it's not true and I can always separate from it and I can always listen to my heart. I want to bless you and ask you to bless me. should help us to be like the fish. To be the ones in the water thirsting for the water to recognize that our livelihood is from him. It's not us doing it. Maybe we're junior partners. Maybe not even that should help us recognize that he is the senior partner that he is doing it. Thank you so much for listening. Have wonderful Shabas. This podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you. For more podcasts like this, please visit www.rigoldwag.com or search on iTunes Ari Goldwag.