Two Words, Two Years
Please send your feedback to [email protected]
To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the insights of this publication further, make it more appealing or anything else), to support or dedicate this publication which has been in six continents and over thirty-five countries, or if you know anyone who is interested in receiving these insights weekly, please contact the author, Rabbi Yehoshua Alt, at [email protected]. Thank you.
לעילוי נשמת שמואל אביגדור בן יצחק מאיר
Archives: https://parshasheets.com/?s=Rabbi+Yehoshua+Alt
Please feel free to print some copies of this publication and distribute it in your local Shul for the public, having a hand in spreading Torah.
COMING SOON Bez"H
Fascinating Insights—The Sefer (in English).
For Dedication Opportunities (which can be used from Maiser money)—L’Ilui Nishmas, in memory of a loved one, L’Refuah Shleima, Hatzlacha, or for any reason, in addition to sharing in the merit of the Torah learned by each reader—please send an email to [email protected]
Two Words, Two Years The Midrash tells us Yosef
was imprisoned for two years since he said to the שר המשקים, זכרתני והזכרתני, think of me…and mention me to Paroh. However, we are left to
wonder why two years and not two months or two days?[1]
We are taught אין המת משתכח..., a dead person is forgotten from the heart after 12 months.[2]
As a result, we see זכירה means 12 months. For this reason, we have
Parshas Zachor—to remember Amalek,[3]
once yearly. Therefore, if it is a leap year, it is a 13 month year and כונה is necessary at the end of Ki Seitzei where it talks of זכירת עמלק. Since Parshas Zachor comes out Purim time and Ki Seitzei in
Elul, 12 months doesn’t pass without reading the Parsha of Amalek.[4]
Now we can understand why
Yosef was punished for two years since he said זכר(והזכרתני, זכרתני) twice and each זכר is a year. This also
explains why Yosef was released from prison on Rosh Hashana[5]
as it is also known as יום הזכרון. [1] Breishis Rabba 89:3, Breishis 40:14. Kli Yakar,
Breishis 40:23. The Brisker Rav ingeniously postulates what would be if he only
said one זכר,
how long would he have been punished for? We would say one year. But, the truth
is he wouldn’t have been punished at all since he was doing the proper השתדלות.
Now that he said it twice, it shows that even the first time he said it was
also a lack of faith. [2] Brachos 58b. Similarly, the Halacha states (Orach
Chaim 225:1) that if one sees his friend after a lapse of 12 months, he recites
ברוך מחיה המתים (see Mishna Brura 225:4). [3] It is also one of the שש זכירות. [4] See Maharam Shik in his Sefer on the 613 Mitzvos,
Mitzva 605 in the name of the Chassam Sofer. [5] Rosh Hashana 10b, 11a.
