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Rabbi Chaim Coffman
Rabbi Coffman has helped people from all across the spectrum to prepare themselves properly for Orthodox Conversion to Judaism. His students admire his vast knowledge and appreciate his warm, personal attention and endearing sense of humor.
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Followers

Welcome to Rabbi Chaim Coffman's Blog!

I would like to thank you for visiting my blog, Beyond Orthodox Conversion to Judaism.

The conversion process can be a lengthy and daunting one to say the least and I want you to know that I am here to help you through it.

I have been teaching newcomers to Judaism for over a decade and over the last few years I have seen that conversion candidates really lack the support and knowledge they need to navigate the conversion process and successfully integrate into the Orthodox Jewish community.

I created my mentorship program in order to help make this whole experience as smooth and as painless as possible! (Can't do much about the growing pains, though ;)

Feel free to get to know me a little through the posts on my blog and visit the mentorship and syllabus page if you are interested in possible joining us.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your search for truth and spiritual growth.

Looking forward to meeting you,
Chaim Coffman

My Rebbe, Rav Moshe Sternbuch

In case you were wondering why I have all of these articles written by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, he is my Rebbe, and one of the gedolei hador (greatest Rabbis of our generation).

Rav Sternbuch fully endorses me and supports my mentorship program.

He is the address for all of my halachic or hashkafic (practical and philosophical) questions that I or my students may have.

The articles are based on his weekly talks on the Torah portion that the Rav gives in Jerusalem in his kollel. As a member of the kollel I get first dibbs on the photocopies and I type them up for my blog so you can all benefit from the Rav's erudition and insight.
Friday, December 6, 2013

Parshas Vayigash: Know how to use your wealth

"And you should tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen and you shall hasten  and bring my father down" (Genesis 43: 13)

How could it be that Yaakov would be that impressed that the non-Jews honored Yosef and made him second in command to Pharaoh? Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita in Chochmah V'Da'as explains that even though Yosef was in charge of Egypt, he never forgot the teachings of his father and of the holy Torah.

Sometimes a person in their life has the trial of poverty or wealth. Yosef tells his father that he had both trials and even though he was now very wealthy, he didn't leave the path of his forefathers. Rav Sternbuch further explains that the gemara Brachos 32a tells us that Moshe claimed to G-d that all the silver and gold that the Jews took out of Egypt caused them to sin and make the golden calf.

After the trial of poverty in Egypt, G-d gave them great wealth and specifically they were not able to withstand it until G-d wanted to obliterate His chosen nation. This can also be explained by what transpired at the end of World War Two where many Jews were slaughtered just before the war ended.

Rav Sternbuch heard from the Telzer ilui (genius) Rav Mordechai Pogramansky that now was the beginning of the test of wealth. There were thousands of wealthy Jews that had tremendous fear of heaven and this is the final trial before the coming of the Messiah. The test will be if these Jews will use their wealth to help out other Jews and help fund the yeshivos and girls schools. If they give to Jewish causes, Rav Pogramansky said, then the final redemption will come quickly.

Yose was able to succeed in the trial of wealth and made known to his father that with all his honor and grandeur that befell him in Egypt, he still remained steadfast in his beliefs in Torah! Yosef was able to do what he wanted in Egypt without interference and would be able to organize and help his father in all his spiritual endeavors. This would be able to be done even in a society that was filled with immorality!

Wealth is a tremendous test and not everyone succeeds in doing the right thing with their money. Many try to guard their wealth to make sure it will stay intact for generations when in reality the healthiest way to insure that would be giving to Torah institutions and helping needy people. The problem is that the more we have the more we want.

We should learn from Yosef who had such a trial that he was able to retain his humility and stay close to the Torah even though he had tremendous wealth and power.

Shabbat Shalom

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