Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"...and he took Shimon from them and had him bound before their eyes."(42,24)

Jewish power

A wonderful explanation on what happened in Egypt is found in the Midrash: Yosef sent a message to Pharoh and said, "Send me seventy mighty people for I found people and I want to put them in jail". When they came he told them: "Take these chains and put them on his neck". When they came close to Shimon he shouted at them and they all fell before him and their teeth broke. Menashe was standing next to his father. He told him, "Take that chain and put it on his neck". He (Menashe) hit him (Shimon) one blow and put it on him. Shimon said, "That was a blow from Father's home!"

Rabbi Yosef Pachnovsky learned a wonderful lesson from this Midrash: The Nation of Israel is like a sheep amongst seventy wolves in the world who always want to destroy us; however, as we have been promised, "when the voice of Yakov is found in the synagogues the hands of Eisav do not have power."

When we pray to G-d in Heaven to save us from their hands, they fall down slain at our feet (like Shimon who overpowered the seventy mighty men of Paroah by shouting at them).

This applies when the trouble befalls us from the Gentiles of the world, however, when G-d forbid the trouble comes from people amongst us, then we have to worry very much (like Menashe who overpowered Shimon in one blow). The verse tells us "Your destroyers and destructors come out from you."

SHABBAT SHALOM!!!