No Time to Slack Off

In Parshat Miketz we read about the rise of Yosef into the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Torah tells us that Yosef got married and had children (41:50): “And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of the famine set in, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti phera, the governor of On, bore to him.”

The Talmud (Taanit 11) notes that Yosef’s sons were born before the onset of the famine in Egypt and learns from here that a person is not allowed to have children during a famine. This is codified in Shulchan Aruch (YD 240:12). Tosfot in Taanit asks how it can be forbidden to have children during a famine, if we have a tradition that Yocheved, Moshe’s mother, was born to Levi as Yaakov and his family arrived in Egypt- during the second year of the famine! Tosfot suggests that not having children during a famine is actually a “Midat Chasidut”, a pious yet voluntary practice. The Ohr HaChayim finds it problematic to suggest that Levi did not observe this pious practice in light of the pasuk in V’Zot Habracha:  וּלְלֵוִ֣י אָמַ֔ר תֻּמֶּ֥יךָ וְאוּרֶ֖יךָ לְאִ֣ישׁ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ “And of Levi he said: "Your Tummim and Urim belong to Your pious man”. The Ohr HAchayim therefore explains that the restriction only applies to those who have already fulfilled the mitzvah to “Be fruitful and multiply”. The consensus is that this mitzvah is fulfilled by having (minimally) one son and one daughter. Since Levi had not yet had a daughter he was not bound by this restriction. According to the Ohr Hachayim Yosef was also not obligated to observe this restriction because he had not yet fulfilled the mitzvah of Pru Urevu, but he did so for some other reason that was not relevant to Levi.

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig suggests a different reason for the difference in practice between Yosef and Levi. Refraining from having more children is an expression of empathy with the plight of those who are suffering from hunger. Rabbi Zweig suggests that this restriction only applies to those who have enough to eat, but must abide by this restriction as a way to feel the pain of others. However those who are actually impacted by the famine share in the actual pain of those who are hungry. They do not need to adopt practices to show solidarity and empathy with those who are suffering- because they themselves are suffering too. If they have the perspective that God is the ultimate provider of sustenance, whether it’s a lot or a little; and children are a blessing, no matter the circumstances- then they would not be bound by the Talmud’s restriction and they would be allowed to have children during a famine. Levi was impacted by the famine in Egypt, so he was not bound by the Tamud’s restriction. Yosef had access to as much food as he and his family needed; he was therefore subject to the Talmud’s restriction meant to demonstrate empathy.

As we pass the two month mark for the war in Gaza, we must not lose sight of our obligation to empathize with Israel and her citizens, to keep them at the forefront of our minds and to fight the urge and the natural proclivity to return to normal life. The situation in Israel is just as abnormal and serious today as it was on October 7 and 8. In the immediate aftermath of Simchat Torah, many of us were paralyzed. Then we became mobilized. I fear that we are now becoming fatigued, losing our momentum, and unsure of how much longer we can “keep this up”. We need to find new outlets, and strengthen old ones, to show our empathy, solidarity and support until Israel is victorious and the threats to our homeland have been eliminated.