English translation — מקץ א

Sicha 1<pg>176</pg>

A.

And he sent<sup>1</sup>

Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they rushed him from the pit, and he shaved and changed his garments, and he came to Pharaoh,

And Rashi: "And he shaved — because of the honor of the kingdom."

And the commentators asked²

— why did Rashi explain "because of the honor of the kingdom" only on "and he shaved"³,

and behold also "and he changed his garments" was because of the honor of the kingdom

[and as is explicit also in the commentary

(attributed to)

Rashi in Midrash Rabbah⁴

(on the teaching of our Sages "And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph etc. — to give honor to the kingdom")

— "and he shaved and changed his garments⁵

to give honor to the kingdom

(which is a kind of likeness of above,

that He gave of His honor to flesh and blood⁶)

".

And one cannot answer that it is a simple matter that the changing of garments is because of the honor of the kingdom⁷,

and Rashi did not need to explain it,

and in the language of the verse⁸

"for one cannot come to the king's gate in sackcloth"⁹

— because ostensibly also the lack of honor in entering the king when he is disheveled with an unshaven head is a simple matter¹⁰.

At first glance, one could say based on what is explained in the commentaries<sup>11</sup>

the reason that Rashi generally needs a commentary — for at first glance it is simple that before coming to a king one shaves and changes clothes — but it is difficult for Rashi: in the verse it says "And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph",

that this was after "and his spirit was troubled" by his dreams and there is no one to interpret them for Pharaoh<sup>12</sup>,

that is,

that Joseph's coming to Pharaoh was most necessary,

therefore "and they rushed him from the pit",

with haste and running<sup>13</sup>.

And based on this it is difficult,

how did Joseph delay to shave himself etc.,

that it is not proper conduct and from the ways of etiquette that the king and his servants should sit and wait for him,

and furthermore,

this is like rebelling against the kingdom and why was he not afraid for his life that the king would kill him for delaying to come?

Therefore Rashi explains that he did this "for the honor of the kingdom",

and accordingly he acted lawfully and Pharaoh would not blame him for this.

And according to this one could say,

that the need to justify Joseph's conduct is primarily regarding "and he shaved"<sup>14</sup>,

which requires time and more effort,

unlike changing clothes which does not involve length of time<pg>177</pg>

and great involvement,

because of which his explanation to Pharaoh will be delayed.

But at first glance this explanation is a bit forced,

because after all, even the changing of the garments,

and especially to garments fit to come in them before the king,

requires preparation etc.

(And furthermore,

that surely such garments were not found in the prison,

and it would have been necessary to have involvement to find such garments¹⁵).

And even more difficult,

that even if you say that the main need for the interpretation "because of the honor of the kingdom" is in "and he shaved",

nevertheless,

why did Rashi not at least hint to the words "and he changed his garments" that are in the verse in "etc."

(from which it would be understood,

that its interpretation "because of the honor of the kingdom" also applies to this).

And since Rashi quoted from the verse only the word "and he shaved"

(without adding "etc."<sup>3</sup>),

it implies,

that according to Rashi,

only "and he shaved" was because of the honor of the kingdom,

and not "and he changed his garments".

2.

And it seems to me simply,

that even though before Joseph's coming to Pharaoh he needed to shave and also to change his garments,

nevertheless there is an essential difference between them:

The order of sitting in the prison is,

that all prisoners do not wear their own clothes

(regular clothes),

but they have special clothes,

prison clothes; and shaving of hair is not forbidden to those sitting in prison,

but they shave them from time to time,

and especially those who are there for a long time,

who shave their hair from time to time¹⁶.

And based on this it is understood simply,

that when Joseph left the prison,

even though he did both,

"and he shaved and changed his clothes",

this that "and he changed his clothes" was not only for the sake of the honor of the kingdom,

but because he left the prison to another place¹⁷

(even if this is not a final exit from the prison,

an exit to freedom,

for Joseph did not then know that he was leaving entirely¹⁸),

therefore he changed from prison clothes to regular clothes¹⁹

; but regarding <pg>178</pg>

Shaving of the head,

it is obvious that he cut his hair when necessary,

but here it was a special shaving²⁰

— not because it was necessary

(the regular shaving common to all prisoners from time to time),

but a special shaving²¹

"because of the honor of the kingdom".

In another style: That "one may not come to the king's gate in sackcloth",

when he is dressed in a garment that is not appropriate for entering to the king,

this is a negative matter,

that he should not enter to the king in a degrading manner,

and so in our case,

that since he did not want to come to the king in the garments of a prisoner,

therefore he changed his garments so as not to degrade the king; but this special shaving before his coming to the king,

did not come to negate entering to the king in a degrading manner

(for he cut his hair from time to time),

but he did a special action "because of the honor of the kingdom".

3.

And along the lines of the hint, one can say,

that in Rashi's commentary here, a matter of halachah is hinted at:

Joseph's going out from the prison was in order to become king over Egypt,

as it is said²²

from the prison he went out to reign.

And from the aspect of the obligations and laws of the king, there are these two matters —

(a)

shaving,

for the "king²³

gets a haircut every day..

king²⁴

in his beauty your eyes shall see"²⁵,

(b)

wearing garments of honor

(and as it is stated in the Gemara²⁶

"one who shaves his head in a dream — it is a good sign for him" and Rashi explains: "one who shaves — it is a sign of greatness and glory for him, like 'and he shaved and changed [his garments] etc.'").

And this is the hint in Rashi's commentary,

that what Joseph did "out of respect for the monarchy" was primarily "and he shaved,"

and not that "and he changed his garments" — because&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;

his royal garments were not given to him then but only later&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;,

when Pharaoh appointed him over his house and over all the land of Egypt,

but not so shaving

(of royalty)

was immediately upon his leaving the prison.

4.

And according to this, one can explain

(in the inwardness of the matters the)

the "wine of Torah" that is in Rashi's commentary,

based on our Sages, may their memory be blessed,&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;

that on Rosh Hashanah Joseph left the prison:

It is known³⁰,

that Rosh HaShanah is the time of "the building of Malchut"³¹,

that is³²

that the vitality of all worlds is from the attribute of His kingship,

for from the side of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself there is no place at all for the existence of worlds,

and in order that the worlds come into being from nothing to something, there must be a tzimtzum and concealment of the light and flow of the Ein Sof, blessed be He,

so that there will be revelation only from the aspect of the attribute of His kingship,

as it is said³³

The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty,

<pg>179</pg>

that in order that He be King over the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed Himself in a garment of majesty, that His name be called King,

and the light and flow of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, was concealed and hidden in this garment.

And this matter of "G‑d is King, He has clothed Himself in majesty" was for the first time on the sixth day of creation,

the day when the first man was created,

and so it is every year on Rosh Hashanah,

for the general life-force of the previous year is in a state of withdrawal at the beginning of the night of Rosh Hashanah,

and through the service of the children of Israel on Rosh Hashanah, the building of the kingdom is renewed.

And it can be said,

that this matter is hinted at in what is written, "And he shaved and changed his garments,"

and as an introduction:

It is known³⁵

that there are two aspects in the matter of "hairs",

that sometimes we find in the Torah that there is a great virtue in the matter of hairs,

as in the nazirite about whom it is said³⁶

"Holy shall he be, letting the locks of the hair of his head grow long",

and sometimes we find that the Torah degraded hairs,

and they are called secondary to his flesh³⁷.

And to note from the words of our sages, of blessed memory,³⁸

Hair in a woman is nakedness.

And so it is in the aspect of the "hairs" above,

that the hairs of Atika Kadisha are the source of vitality of all the worlds,

and the hairs of Nukva

(of the sefirah of Malchut)

from them is the nourishment of the external forces.

And it is explained in this³⁵,

that hairs are the surplus of the brains,

and their virtue is according to the place from which they are drawn,

that in the aspect of Atika Kadisha, which is the Infinite,

behold, surplus from there has in it abundant vitality,

and the hairs are great and wondrous holiness,

and as it is said³⁹

And the Ancient of Days sat, His garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like clean wool,

and likewise is it with the nazirite in the days of his naziriteship, that a great illumination shines and is clothed in his hairs,

behold, in his hairs there is great holiness,

and he is warned not to shave³⁶

and it is a mitzvah to let the hair grow long,

and also in every person, behold, in the hairs of the beard and in the sidecurls an illumination shines from the holiness of the supernal hairs, and they are warned not to shave them⁴⁰.

But not so in the aspect of "Nukva",

Malchut,

which is in the aspect of contraction,

behold from the aspect of the surplus of her intellect can be the suckling of the external forces,

for the vitality is in great contraction,

The hair of a woman is nakedness etc.

And behold, even though the source of vitality of all the worlds is from the aspect of the hairs of Atika Kadisha,

the coming into being is not when this matter shines in revelation; and in order for there to be coming into being of a separate entity and thing in itself, there must be "and he shaved" — the concealment of the revelation of vitality and the drawing down of the Ein Sof Blessed be He into the worlds in the manner of hairs

(since in these hairs shines a revelation of great light),

and through this it is possible afterwards "and he changed his garments",

God is King, majesty He has donned,

the garment of kingship from which comes into being the existence of the worlds as above.

And it is hinted in Rashi's language "And he shaved — because of the honor of the kingdom",

that in order that there be "honor of the kingdom",

there must be beforehand "and he shaved".

And the intention in this is that Israel will affect the world, which is a state of independent existence,

that there be a nullification of the existence into nothingness,

which is through the service of Israel in Torah and mitzvot,

which draws down a revelation of G‑dliness in the world⁴¹.

<pg>180</pg>

5.

And one must say,

that just as it is regarding the vitality of the worlds on Rosh Hashanah,

that then is the building of the supernal kingdom,

so too is it regarding the kingship of Joseph,

who was appointed on Rosh Hashanah,

from the prison he went out to reign:

It is explained in many places⁴²

regarding the difference between Joseph and his brothers,

that the tribes chose to be shepherds of sheep,

to be in seclusion from the world in order that worldly matters not distract them from their attachment to G‑d,

but Joseph was king over Egypt,

"and without you no man shall lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt"⁴³,

and Joseph supplied grain to all the land⁴⁴,

that his dealings were with the entire world,

and nevertheless all these troubles did not confuse him from his attachment to G‑d,

that also during his dealings with them he was a chariot to G‑dliness.

And the reason for this⁴²,

because from the aspect of the level of the tribes

(the lower chariot),

there is a grasp of place for the world,

and if they were to descend and occupy themselves with worldly matters they would not be able to remain in their devotion in the manner of a chariot; but not so the level of Joseph,

in whom shone a Divine light that is completely above the world,

then in this aspect the world does not occupy place,

and therefore even at the time of his occupation in the land of Egypt this did not distract him from his devotion to G‑d.

And beyond this — he acted and influenced also in the people of Egypt themselves⁴⁵,

as emphasized in this that he influenced them to circumcise themselves⁴⁶.

And the way that he arrived at this is hinted in what is said "and he shaved and changed his garments",

that the essence and core of Yosef did not descend and become clothed in the level of Mitzrayim,

and therefore at first it was "and he shaved",

that he "contracted" himself from the revelation that is in the "hairs"&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;,

and afterwards "and he changed his garments",

for all matters of this world did not occupy a place for him,

and it was not relevant that involvement in worldly matters would disturb and confuse him from his self-nullification and attachment to G‑d.

And as it is in the heavenly kingdom,

that the garment of kingship,

from which is the life-force and source of all the worlds,

does not conceal at all relative to the Holy One, blessed be He,

for relative to Him, blessed be He, there is no change, G‑d forbid,

as the saying: You are He before the world was created and You are He after the world was created, exactly the same,

and in any case everything before Him is considered as nothing&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

Thus it is in the level of Yosef below,

that the matters of kingship were only a level of a garment,

that they did not effect any change in the essence of Yosef himself.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Miketz 5748)