Was Isaac alive when his grandson Joseph was sold into slavery?

Answer:

Isaac (Yitzhak) was very much alive when his grandson Joseph (Yosef) was sold into slavery. Isaac lived to be 180 years, but his death is recorded much earlier in the Book of Genesis (in chapter 35 verses 28 and 29 ). Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17 and at that time Jacob was 108 years old and Isaac was 168 years old. Per the timeline, it seems that Issac would have died 12 years later, one year before Joseph was elevated to be the Prime Minister of Egypt.

Joseph was 30 years old when he became the Viceroy of Egypt. Joseph was 39 years old (30 plus 7 years of plenty plus 2 years of famine) and Jacob was 130 years old, when Jacob went to Egypt and settled in Gorshen.

The Blessing of Heaven and Earth -"Veyiten Lekha Haa Elohim"

(It is very good for livelihood to recite"Veyiten Lekha Haa Elohim" on Saturday night after Shabbat is over)

Genesis 27:28-29. And may God grant you of the dew of heaven, and of the riches of the land, and an abundance of grain and wine.  People will serve you and nations bow to you; be master over your brothers and your mother’s sons will bow to you. Those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you, are blessed.

Genesis 28:3-4. May the Almighty, Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and you will become a congregation of peoples. May He give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you inherit the land of your dwelling which God gave to Abraham.

Genesis 49:25-26. From the Almighty of your father, and He will help you; and from Shadai, and He will bless you- the blessings of heaven above, the blessings of the deep that lie below, the blessings of breast and womb. The blessings of your father have exceeded the blessings of my parents to the utmost bounds of the eternal hills; - may they rest upon the head of Joseph, on the head [of the one] separated from his brothers.

Deuteronomy 7:13-15. He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your hand – your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep, on the land which He swore to your fathers, to give to you. Blessed will you be above all people; among you and your livestock, there will not be any sterile man or barren woman. Hashem will remove from you all sickness, and all the severe illnesses of Egypt, which you know about, He will not set upon you but will place them upon all who hate you.

Deuteronomy 28:3-6. Blessed will you be in the city, and blessed will you be in the field. Blessed will be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land; the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your cattle and flocks of your sheep. Blessed is your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed will you be upon entering and blessed will you be upon leaving.

Deuteronomy 28:8. Hashem will command on your behalf the blessing in your storehouses and in everything to which you put your hand; and He will bless you in the land which Hashem , your God, gives you.

Deuteronomy 28:12. Hashem will open for you His good treasure – the heavens to provide your land rain in its proper time, and bless all the work of your hand; you will lend [to] many nations but you will not borrow. 

Deuteronomy 33:29. Fortunate [are you] Israel; who is like you – a people delivered by Hashem- who is your helping shield and the sword of your pride; your enemies will try to deceive you but you will tread on their high places.

*END*

The Blessing of Heaven and Earth (transliteration)

 

The Blessing of Heaven and Earth (in Marathi)

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youtube video on why Israel can't withdraw to its pre 67 borders line

Exodus 20:2 reads "I am God your Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, from the place of slavery."

  Q. The Jews knew that G-d brought them out of Egypt where they were slaves. Why was it necessary for G-d to introduce himself for the first time at Mount Sinai, saying that it was HE who brought them out of slavery?

A. The redemption from Egyptian bondage is something that every Jew experienced personally and it was fresh in their minds and it had a personal meaning to every Jew. It was necessary for G-d to identify Himself as the miracle worker in the freedom the Jews got, because G-d is an abstract G-d who you cannot see. The human being's concept of G-d depends on the circumstances in which G-d manifests Himself.

Why did the Israelites wander in the desert for forty years ?

The answer to that question is found in the 4th book of Moses, The book of Numbers, chapter 14 verse 34, in 'Parasha Shlach.' Please read the complete chapter that details the account of the Israelites spying out the land of Canaan.

Verse 34, ‘[The punishment] shall parallel the number of days you spent exploring the land. There were forty days, and there shall be one year for each day, a total of forty years until your sin is forgiven. You will then know how I act.'

This is simply because of their disbelief in the remarkable power of G-d, considering all that G-d had done for them to that point. The period of forty years was for the unbelieving generation to die off, so that a new generation could rise up and enter the Holy Land of Israel.

Jewish Breathing Meditation – Chedvah (Joy) Breathing Technique

This is one of the very best video on Jewish Meditation as taught by Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh of www.inner.org.  Take 8 minutes out of your busy schedule and watch this video. Its practice is as easy as breathing.

To summarize it in four steps it goes like this

1. Breathe in for a count of 8 (Shema Israel)
2. Hold for a count of 4 (Adho-nai)
3. Breathe out for a count of 6 (El-loh-hay-noo)
4. Rest for a count of 5 (Adho-nai Echad)

Repeat steps 1 to 4.

For details on how to do it watch the video below.

Yom Kippur Parasha

Yom Kippur Parasha Morning Reading
Leviticus 16:1-34 found in Parasha Acharey Mot