Shabbos Vayimaen | Rabbi Nachum Binder

For thousands of us across the globe, this coming Shabbos, Parshas Vayeishev, is a very unique Shabbos. And no, not only because Parshas Vayeishev is Shabbos Chanukah. That happens from time to time. I'm talking about something unique that we have never experienced before in our lifetime. Up until now, when the בעל קורא would start reading the Parsha of Yosef and the terrible Nisyonos that he faced, so many of us would start feeling a little bit guilty. So many of us would think about our own personal Nisyonos, and how we're fighting this battle alone, how difficult it is for us, and how many נפילות we experienced over the past year. But this year, מוריי ורבותיי, for so many of us, when the בעל קורא is going to read the story of Yosef, and the בעל קורא will read those words, We will begin to think of all the successes that we've had in the last year. We will begin to realize and appreciate the fact that we're not alone in this battle. We are fighting it together with thousands of Yidden, thousands of Yidden across the world, day after day, are fighting this battle together against the Yetzer Hara. And are overcoming this Yetzer Hara, in the footsteps of Yosef HaTzaddik. Just a year ago, Vayimaen was launched. And in that one year, what an effect it has had on us and on our lives. But מוריי ורבותיי, if we can picture what will be taking place in Shomayim when the בעל קורא reads the story of Yosef HaTzaddik. The Sefarim HaKedoshim tell us that When a Parsha is read in the Torah that causes a התעוררות of that Parsha, again and again and again every year. And this year, when the בעל קורא will read וימאן, and the Ribono shel Olam will call פמליה של מעלה together. And the Ribono shel Olam will say, חזו בניי חביביי! Look at my precious children! After so many years in Galus, such a bitter Galus, so many Nisyonos, and they are not only not getting worse, they are getting better. They are working on themselves. Yes, it's a struggle. Yes, we don't always win, but we're all fighting, and many times we are overcoming. We can't begin to imagine what type of רעש this will cause in פמליה של מעלה. And we can only daven that this should be the final רעש in פמליה של מעלה. And in this zechus, we should all be zoche together as one to go out of this terrible Galus, and together with all of Klal Yisroel, be משמח in the Simcha of ביאת משיח צדקנו, במהרה בימינו, אמן.