Parshat Vayigash
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Rashi comments that when Yaakov and Yosef were finally reunited, Yaakov recited the Shema. (46:29, from Medrash) Many commentators are perplexed as to why Yaakov needed to recite the Shema at this juncture.

When Yaakov was initially informed of Yosef's apparent death, Rashi comments that Yaakov thought that he would be sentenced to Gehinom, as he had been told by Hashem that he would be spared from such punishment if all of his children outlived him. (37:35 from Medrash Tanchuma) Now that Yosef was gone, Yaakov assumed that he was to be severely afflicted in the afterlife. What does this mean?

Yaakov had high hopes for Yosef. He felt that Yosef would succeed him and lead the nation to further growth and success, confident that Yosef would carry on the mission staked out by Avrohom, then entrusted to Yitzchak and subsequently to Yaakov himself. Furthermore, Yaakov knew that the period of Yosef and his brothers was to be one of major expansion of Klal Yisroel, with each son developing into an entire shevet (tribe), as evidenced by his dialogue with Lavan years back. (29:21 with Rashi from Medrash) The seeming demise of Yosef was therefore not only a personal tragedy for Yaakov; it reflected to him the dashing of plans for the future of the entire nation.

Moreover, we see that no one else seemed able to assume the mantle of prospective leadership of Bnei Yisroel. Reuven's actions with Bilhah's bed and his castigation by Yaakov upon his offer to guarantee the return of Binyamin by the life of his (Reuven's) sons demonstrated to Yaakov that Reuven was not to be the next leader. Yehuda was demoted from his temporary prestige and potential leadership upon the sale of Yosef (see Rashi on 38:1 from Medrash), and Shimon and Levi were already disqualified from leading due to their direct involvement with the sale. Thus, we see that prior to the "re-discovery" of Yosef, the very future of the nation looked quite bleak. There was none to lead, and the apparent death of Yosef - who seemed to Yaakov to be the natural leader - made Yaakov feel that his life's mission to build and generate a future for Bnei Yisroel had utterly failed. Yaakov thus sensed that he was to be punished in Gehinom, as it was his direct responsibility to carry on the mission of the Jewish People, and he had miserably failed. Having the future leadership of the nation (any of the brothers/shevatim) predecease Yaakov indicated an irreparable lack of continuity.

We now understand why Yaakov recited the Shema upon being reunited with Yosef. The Shema is not merely a statement of monotheism - that there is but one God. Rather, the Shema proclaims that it is through the Jewish People that God's oneness is made known. Mankind prior to Avrohom Avinu did not succeed in transmitting the oneness of Hashem to the world. At the time of Enosh, the world began to sink into idolatry. Only Avrohom and his progeny were charged with carrying on the message of Hashem's oneness. Thus, when Yaakov again saw Yosef, he proclaimed, "Shema Yisroel...", knowing that the Jewish People had a future and the message God's oneness was thus to live on.

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