Summary Vayigash 5762
The Torah Portion of Vayigash begins on a most dramatic note: Judah's confrontation with the Egyptian viceroy, who later turns out to be Joseph. At the end of last week's sedra Miketz, Joseph's missing cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Joseph had demanded that as punishment, Benjamin should remain in Egypt as his slave. When the cup had been discovered in Benjamin's sack, the brothers, led by Judah expressed great remorse and offered that they should all serve as slaves to Joseph. The brothers knew that Benjamin had been framed, but they felt that G-d had punished them for abandoning Joseph years earlier.

But when Joseph said that only Benjamin should remain, Judah protested. To face their father Jacob without Benjamin was more than he could bear, since he had specifically guaranteed his brother's safety. Judah's moving and eloquent speech can be seen in chapter 44, verses 18-34. His speech covered five stages:

1. Setting out the family background, the loss of Joseph, and therefore the preciousness of Benjamin;
   
2. Joseph's demand that Benjamin should nonetheless be brought before him;
   
3. The aged father's protest at this demand;
   
4. The fear of Jacob's demise should Benjamin not return home, and finally
   
5. Judah's proposal that he should take Benjamin's place as a slave to Joseph.
   

Judah's emotional speech was punctuated with a picture of the frail, aged father and his young son, no less than eight times!

And then - Joseph could restrain himself no longer. He banished all the Egyptians from the room, cried and revealed his true identity to his brothers. "I am Joseph, is my father still alive?" The brothers were stunned, particularly after Judah's depiction of the frail, aged father and his young son. He had asked Joseph to show mercy, but where had been their mercy 22 years earlier?

Joseph assured his brothers that he had forgiven them, and that it was clear to him that the entire saga was part of the Divine plan that he should sustain the family during the years of famine. He urged his brothers to hurry back to their father Jacob, and to bring him to Egypt. The family would live in Goshen and would be sustained during the difficult years ahead.

When the brothers returned to their father with the good news, at first he refused to believe. But when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent laden with supplies, the Torah tells us that Jacob's spirit was revived.

Jacob and family moved to Egypt, stopping in Beersheba overnight. G-d came to Jacob in a night-time vision, assuring him of His support for this move (see below for discussion).

The rest of the sedra describes the emotional reunion between Joseph and his father, Jacob's meeting with Pharaoh, and Joseph's management of the country during the years of famine.

Points to Ponder.
Chapter 46, verses 1-5:

1. On the way to Egypt, Jacob offered sacrifices to 'the G-d of his father Isaac'. Why does the Torah emphasise Isaac, to the exclusion of Abraham? Why mention Isaac at all?
   Answer: During a previous famine, Jacob's father Isaac had been told not to leave the land of Israel. Our sages suggest that when Jacob arrived in Beersheba, which is close to the southern border of the biblical land of Israel, he was perhaps worried that he was doing the wrong thing by going to Egypt.
   
   
2. Why did Hashem tell Jacob not to be afraid of going to Egypt? Surely Jacob was happy at the thought of seeing his beloved Joseph again, so why should he be afraid?
   Answer: Some say that he was worried that his offspring would assimilate, become absorbed in Egyptian society, and not return to the Land of Israel -see the last verse in the sedra for corroboration of this fear. Others say that he realised that the exile foretold to Abraham was now beginning, and he was afraid for the future.
   
   
3. What is the significance of the fact that Hashem appeared to him 'in a vision at night?'
   Answer: Exile and darkness are synonyms for each other. This vision at night indicated that the exile was indeed beginning.
   
   
4. There seems to be a constant interchange of the names Yaakov and Yisrael. For example: As Jacob set off from home, the Torah says "and Israel journeyed to Be'er Sheva...". Then he had the dream, in which Hashem appeared to him and said: "Jacob, Jacob". Then we are told that the next morning: "and Jacob arose from Be'er Sheva". And the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father". Why were the names changed and what happened during that night that Jacob had to be carried by his sons, whereas previously 'Israel' had journeyed from Be'er Sheva?
   Answer: Briefly, the name Jacob is more synonymous with exile, while the name Israel indicates a closeness with G-d, suggesting redemption. So Israel, redeemed from his great sorrow, travels to Beersheba, but in the dream, he is addressed as Jacob, indicating exile. The children of Israel then have to carry Jacob their father, as he is weighed down with the burden of the exile of his children.
   

The Haftarah
The rivalry of Judah and Joseph in Jacob's family flared up after the death of King Solomon. Jereboam of the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph's son) broke away from the main kingdom, taking nine other tribes with him. This dual leadership lasted until the Kingdom of Ten Tribes was destroyed by the Assyrians, some years prior to the destruction of the First Temple in 586BCE.

The Haftarah for Vayigash relates Ezekiel's prophecy that one day, there will be a united kingdom of Israel once again, under one sovereign.

Shabbat Shalom