Kohen - First Aliya - 13 p'sukim - 44:18-30 [SDT] Yehuda confronted the as-yet-unrevealed Yosef as an equal, It can be said, that whenever one approaches a confrontational situation, it is best to think in terms of facing one's adversary on equal footing. Thinking oneself inferior will often create a self-fulfilling disadvantage. One will tend not to fight with sufficient determination because of the expectation of defeat. Feeling superior to one's adversary will often lead to over-confidence. Remem- ber not to under-estimate your enemy... or yourself. The Torah notes on the opening words of the sedra explain
what was going on. KADMA V'AZLA R'VI'I, ZARKA MUNACH SEGOL (see top row of
ParshaPix, above and to the left). The 4th (son) went forward (to confront
Yosef), because he had thrown away his place among the Chosen (Nation) (when
he guaranteed Binyamin's safe return) - attributed to the GR"A As long as Yehuda expected all the brothers to be enslaved, he viewed the events as G-d's punishment for the sale of Yosef. This he could accept. When it turned out that only Binyamin would be enslaved - the only one not involved in Mechirat Yosef, Yehuda realized that this was not punishment for what they had done. Now his protective instincts and his promise to Yaakov take over. Yehuda boldly faces this "Egyptian" and is prepared to risk all to save Binyamin. [SDT] Yosef heard his father referred to as "your servant - my father" ten times (5 from Yehuda and another 5 from the interpreter) and he did not object and/or reveal his identity to prevent the humiliation of his father. For this, commentators say, Yosef lost 10 years of life and died at 110, before any of his brothers.. [SDT] Chassidic masters see a "layer of messages" for us beneath the wording of Yehuda's plea. "...and (if) he leaves his father, he will die." If a person abandons his Father (G-d), forsakes the Torah, then he is considered dead.
Yosef cannot contain himself any longer and orders the room cleared of all "outsiders". He bursts with emotion and announces to his dumb-struck brothers that he is Yosef. Immediately, Yosef asks, "Is my father still alive?" Yosef repeats his shocking revelation, with details, so the brothers will believe what they are hearing. He then admonishes them not to be angry with each other, since it was G-d's plan that should be properly positioned to save his family from the famine. [SDT] Torah T'mima brings the Gemara in Chagiga in the name
of Rabbi Elazar who makes the following powerful observation: If the
children of Israel were not able to respond to Yosef's short statement of
reproach, imagine how more so it will be difficult for us to respond to G-d's
reproach for the myriad wrong-doings as individuals and as a community. [SDT] When Yosef finally reveals himself to his brothers, he makes the following compound statement: "I am Yosef - Is my father still alive?" Many commentaries ask why Yosef would ask that question at this dramatic moment - especially since he has been hearing about Yaakov from the brothers all along. Some see in it a short but powerful reproach to the brothers, as if to say, "is it possible that my father can still be alive after what you've put him through?" If this is indeed the meaning of his question, then Yosef too must bear some of the burden and shame, since he also caused Yaakov suffering by not having communicated with him that he was alive during his years as prime minister in Egypt. (Although there are various reasons given in the sources as to why Yosef did not inform Yaakov of his well-being, it is difficult not to throw some criticism in Yosef's direction.) Another interpretation suggests that Yosef might have assumed that his brothers had been lying to him about their father. They might have told him that Yaakov was alive to elicit sympathy, but he might have been dead. Therefore, now that he has told his brothers who he really is, Yosef asks the most important question on his mind - Is my father really still alive?
Meanwhile, Par'o becomes aware of the reunion and offers his generous hospitality to the family. Yosef gives his brothers clothing, but gives Binyamin even more (specifically, 5 sets of clothing and 300 silver pieces). Observation... Notice that once again a son of Rachel is being favored by being given a special garment. The first time, the results were disastrous for Yosef and his brothers. Why would Yosef even consider doing this? When a child misuses a book, we don't forbid him to ever touch a book again. The opposite – teach the child how to properly treat books, and as soon as possible give him another. In this way, you will see if the lesson was learned. The "solution" to the problem of the brothers is not reached by avoiding difficult situations. If there is true repentance, then the brothers can be given the exact circumstances to show their change of heart. Seeing things in a proper perspective, the extra gifts to Binyamin do not evoke the jealousy of the brothers; they have repented. This same idea can be seen in Vaychi. Yaakov favors Efrayim over Menashe. Yosef gets very upset. Again we can say that the idea is not to avoid anything that would make one brother jealous, the other arrogant. Menashe and Efrayim showed praiseworthy charac- teristics in the way they handled their different statuses. This is one of the reasons that we bless our sons "may G-d make you like Efrayim and like Menashe..." Yosef sends his brothers back to Yaakov with wagons (which is a personal coded message between son & father based on the topic they were studying at the time of the Sale of Yosef) and gifts. The brothers tell Yaakov all that has happened. He refuses to believe that Yosef is really alive, until he sees the wagons. Yaakov's spirit is revived.
Rashi also points out that G-d promised that Yaakov would be brought back to Eretz Yisrael for burial. The promise of becoming a great nation was not enough to calm Yaakov. [SDT] In explanation of why Yosef never communicated with his father in all the years of separation, one commentary suggests that had Yaakov known about the sale of Yosef, he would have "sentenced" his sons to death for violating the Torah's prohibition against kidnapping. Therefore, Yosef had not told his father what had happened.
THE SEVENTY SOULS... The Torah's total is 66 who went down to Egypt (actually 67 counting Yocheved) and Yosef and his sons who were already in Egypt, bring the total - not counting daughters-in-law - to 70. Remember that the "whole world" that came from No'ach was 70
(nations). We now find the same number in Yaakov's descendants. Their 70
became the Nations of the World. Our 70 became the Jewish People. Think
about it.
When Yaakov and Yosef meet, Yosef embraces Yaakov and cries.
Yosef then prepares (some of) his brothers to meet Par'o. It is a sensitive issue because Yaakov and family are shepherds (sheep being the deity of Egypt). Yosef presents his father and five of his brothers to Par'o. Par'o again offers the best of the land to Yosef's family. Par'o asks Yaakov how old he is. Yaakov replies that he has lived 130 bitter years and that he does not expect to live as long as his father or grandfather. Yaakov blesses Par'o (having done so when first presented to Par'o - Rashi says that these were courtesy greetings to royalty) and Yaakov takes his leave. Rashi brings a Midrash that says that Yaakov’s bracha to Par’o was that the Nile should rise above its banks when he approaches it. And so it was, from then on.
Yaakov's family flourishes greatly. As mentioned earlier, this is the only sedra that does not end with a parsha break (in a printed Chumash, that means no PEI-PEI-PEI or SAMACH- SAMACH-SAMACH. The significance of this is explained by the commentaries of the opening (pun intended, since that’s the whole point - Vaychi is NOT open) pasuk of next week’s sedra. Final 3 p'sukim are reread for Maftir.
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