B"H
Friday, Tevet 6, 5782 / December 10, 2021
This week's Parsha, Vayigash, tells us how Joseph was finally, after 22 years, reunited with his brothers. He proclaimed to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?"
Joseph tells 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...'"
To dispell any doubt which the brothers may have about Joseph's identity, he adds, "And behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother, Binyamin, see that it is my mouth which speaks to you."
Our sages explain that the fact that Joseph was circumcised and that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language ("it is my mouth that speaks to you") was proof that he is indeed Joseph.
The Torah continues, "And he [Joseph] fell upon his brother Binyamin's neck and wept; and Binyamin wept upon his neck."
Why did Joseph weep? Our sages explain that Joseph wept because he saw that the the Holy Temple (Beth HaMikdash), which will be on the land of the tribe of Binyamin, will eventually be destroyed. Binyamin wept for the destruction of the Temple in Shiloh, which will be on the land of the tribe of Joseph.
The Torah tells us that Yaakov was at first skeptical when he heard the wonderful news that his beloved son, Joseph, was alive and ruled Egypt. But in the end, “the spirit of Jacob their father was revived!"
Later in the Parsha, G-d appeared to Yaakov "in the vision of the night and said to him, 'I am G-d the G-d of your fathers; fear not to go down into Egypt, for into a great nation I will make you there. I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will surely bring you up again."
Yaakov and his family totaled sixty six when they came to Egypt. His granddaughter Yocheved (Moshe’s mother) was born as they entered Egypt. Together with Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt, Yaakov's family totaled seventy people. From Yaakov's arrival in Egypt until the Exodus wastwo hundred and ten years.
The Torah relates that Yaakov sent his son Yehudah, before him to Goshen "L'horot." Our sages explain that the word "L'horot" comes from the same root as "Torah” - teaching. Yaakov's first priority, before settling in Egypt, was not his families material welfare, but to insure that his children and grandchildren would have the proper educationto follow the traditions and values of their ancestors, based on the Torah and mitzvot.
Just as in the Egyptian exile G-d said, "I will go down with you into Egypt," so too, G-d is with us and suffers together with us in all our trials and tribulations. The prophet Jeremiah (30:7) says, "In all their afflictions He [Hashem] is also afflicted!" Just as G-d promised Yaakov that I will surely bring you up again, so too will He bring Moshiach to lead us to the final redemption speedily in our days. Amen.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 3:52 / Shabbat ends: 5:01