B"H

Tuesday, Tevet 3, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / December 27, 2022

In this week's Parsha, Vayigash, Yehuda begs the ruler of Egyptto release his younger brother, Binyamin, who was accused of stealing the ruler's magical cup.  Yehuda doesn't realize that the ruler is actually their long-lost brother, Joseph, whom they sold 22 years earlier, into slavery.

Yehuda pleads for Binyamin’s freedom. "If I return to my father without Binyamin my father will die." Yehuda offers to become Joseph’s slave instead of Binyamin.

After seeing how his brother cares for Binyamin and the extent he would go to protect him, Joseph forgave them for their earlier misdeeds toward him. Joseph then reveals his identity to his brothers proclaiming, "I am Joseph!"

Joseph then 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 of Egypt, come to me, do not delay.  And you will live in the land of Goshen and you will be near me... I will sustain you there, for there are yet five years of famine...'"

The Torah tells us that Yaakov didn't believe them and was at first skeptical when his children revealed that his beloved son, Joseph, was alive and ruled Egypt.  But in the end, "When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him; the spirit of Yaakov their father was revived!"

Later in the Parsha, G-d appeared to Jacob 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."

Q.   Why didn't Yaakov at first believe his sons when they told him that Joseph was alive?

A.   The Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon says, "The punishment of one who lies is that even when he tells the truth no one believes him.  Yaakov's children originally lied to their father. They told him that they found his garment smeared in blood, when in fact, they sold him into slavery.  Thus, when they told their father that Joseph was alive and ruler of the land of Egypt, he didn't believe them."

Q.  Joseph was separated from his father, Yaakov, for twenty-two years.  What did Yaakov do to be punished with the loss of his son for that many years?

A.   This was a punishment, measure for measure, for the twenty-two years that Yaakov was away from his parents (twenty years at the home of his father-in-law, Lavan, and two years it took him to return).

This teaches us how great the mitzvah of honoring parents truly is.  Visiting them and attending to their needs brings great reward.  It is the only mitzvah of the Ten Commandment which has a reward connected to it: "Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long upon the land which the L-rd your G-d gives to you."

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY