Inner Torah

  Parshas Miketz, which often coincides with Chanukah, is filled with many deep and profound ideas. I’d like to touch on one of them, namely the discussion about Yosef and his marriage to Asnath. As we explained in the article HERE this union was very unique. Asnath in fact was the daughter of Dinah and Shechem. The marriage of Asnath and Yosef represented a cosmic reunification and planted the seeds for the final redemption.  But that was just the beginning. Let’s see how this marriage is depicted in Parshas Miketz and allow us to gain even deeper wisdom and understanding. The Torah, in Genesis 41:45 states: וַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֣ה שֵׁם־יוֹסֵף֮ צָֽפְנַ֣ת פַּעְנֵ֒חַ֒ וַיִּתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אֶת־אָֽסְנַ֗ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֛רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֹ֖ן לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃  Pharaoh then gave Joseph the name Tzafnas-paneach; and he gave him for a wife Asnath daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On. Thus Joseph emerged in charge of the land of Egypt. What does Yosef’s new...

  One of the most tragic and perplexing stories in the entire Tanach takes place in Parshas Vayishlach, Genesis 34, with the abduction and rape of Jacob’s only daughter Dinah.  While it is clear that the Torah is communicating many layers to this story including the condemnation of rape, abuse, and the support of female victims, there is a deeper mystical layer as well, one that touches on the Secrets of Creation and the Roots of Redemption.  There are many intriguing details that can be gleaned from the text that hint to us that there is a hidden layer within this narrative. One of these facts comes out right in the beginning of the story in Genesis 34:3, where it describes, after the son of the local ruler Shechem ben Chamor abducts and violates Dinah, things take an unexpected turn: וַתִּדְבַּ֣ק נַפְשׁ֔וֹ בְּדִינָ֖ה בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֶּֽאֱהַב֙ אֶת־הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל־לֵ֥ב הַֽנַּעֲרָֽ Being strongly drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and in love with the maiden, ...