B"H

Tuesday, Tevet 5, 5777 / January 3, 2017

In this week's Parasha, Vayigash, Joseph reveals his true identity and is reunited with his brothers, proclaiming, "I am Joseph!"  In order for his brothers to believe him, he adds, "And behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother, Binyamin, see that it is my mouth which speaks to you."  Joseph now spoke to them in Hebrew, which also proved his true identity, that he was their brother.

The Torah continues, "And he [Joseph] fell upon his brother Binyamin's neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his [Joseph’s] neck."

Joseph encourages his brothers, "Hasten and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus said your son Joseph; G-d made me ruler over all Egypt, come down to me, do not delay.  And you will live in the land of Goshen and you will be near to me... I will sustain you there, for there are yet five years of famine.'"

G-d appeared to Yaakov and said, "I am G-d the G-d of your fathers; fear not to go down to Egypt, for into a great nation I will make you there.  I will go with you into Egypt, and I will surely bring you up again."

Yaakov together with his descendants, for a total of seventy people, came into Egypt.  With Yaakov's coming to Egypt began the Egyptian exile which lasted 210 years.

Q.   Why is Binyamin singled out more than the other ten brothers?

A.    Binyamin, not like the other brothers, was Joseph’s brother also from the same mother, Rachel.  Also, Binyamin, who was the youngest, was at home and wasn’t with the rest when they sold Joseph.

Q.    How old was Joseph when he finally met his brothers and his father?

A.    He was 39.  Joseph was away from his father for 22 years.

Q.  Why did Joseph and Binyamin cry on each others shoulders?

A.  Our sages explain that Joseph wept on Binyamin's shoulder because he saw the destruction of the Holy Temple (Beth HaMikdash) which would be situated on the land of the tribe of Binyamin. Meanwhile, Binyamin wept on Joseph's shoulder for the destruction of the Temple in Shiloh which was on the land of the tribe of Joseph.

Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir asks, "Why did each of them cry on the destruction of the other ones Temple and not on their own Temple?  He replies, "This teaches us that true "Ahavat Yisrael" (love your fellow) is when someone else's pain is felt even more than one's own pain!

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY