Vayigash (Gen. 44:18-47:27)
opens with Yehuda begging Yosef (who had yet to reveal his true identity)
to allow Benyamin to return home to Yaacov, and to take Yehuda as a slave
instead. At this point, Yosef could not restrain his emotions any longer
and declared his identity. He sent his brothers to bring Yaacov and the
rest of their families to live in Egypt. Yaacov moved to Egypt to unite
with Yosef. On the way, G-d promised Yaacov that his offspring would become
a great nation in Egypt.
The portion then lists the individuals who went to Egypt
which totaled 70. Yosef went out to greet his father. Yosef then took
Yaacov to meet Pharaoh who allowed the family to live in Goshen as it
was good shepherding land. The concluding section describes how the people
of Egypt used up their money buying food during the famine. Eventually
they had to sell their cattle and livestock to buy food. When this too
was expended, they even sold their land to Pharaoh. Yosef moved the people
from on side of the country to the other, and required them to give 1/5
of their crops to Pharaoh. Only the Egyptian priests were provided with
food at no cost and owned their land. Meanwhile, the Jewish nation grew.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES
"But now, do not be sad." (45:5)
A person must do whatever is necessary to avoid sadness and depression.
This is the meaning of the verse, "My sin I will declare; I am
worried about my transgression"--"worrying" about one's
sins is harmful, and sinful in itself. Rabbi Mordechai Malkowitz used
to say: The only worry a person is permitted to dwell upon is the worry
that he is worried!
(Chassidic sources)
"And Benjamin wept upon his neck." (45:14)
"For the Tabernacle at Shiloh (in Joseph's portion of the land)
that would one day be destroyed," comments Rashi. Why did Benjamin
weep over the destruction of the Tabernacle, located in his brother's
portion of Israel, and not over the destruction of the two Holy Temples,
located in his own territory? Because the sorrow of others should be even
more keenly felt than one's own suffering.
(Rabbi Yechezkel of Kozimir)
From Rabbi Shaul Leiter
(W:11-62/Vayigash
)
Hastening the redemption by spreading Judaism is very important work for
everyone, not just for Ascent. But what are the limits? How far can we
go to interest a disenfranchised friend or a relative in our wonderful
tradition?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe discusses this in connection with a point
in our weekly portion, Vayigash. As the famine intensified,
Yosef, the viceroy of Egypt, offered food on condition that the Egyptians
circumcise themselves (Midrash B'reishit 90/6;91/5)-(also see Rashi,
41/55). The great Kabbalist of Safed, Rabbi Yitzchok Luria, the
holy Ari, said that by adding this element of holiness into the
otherwise debased culture of Egypt, Yosef unintentionally strengthened
their negative energy rather than weakened it, thereby making the Jewish
exile in Egypt more difficult (Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar Chag Hamatzot
ch. 6). Rabbi Emmanuel Schochet explains that since Holiness is the ultimate
source of vitality in everything, the infusion of this sacred act enhanced
the Egyptians' power. Even though his intentions were good, the result
was negative.
Yosef's mistake was that he acted independently, without Divine instruction.
The problem with independent decisions is that often we do not see all
of the results, even if our intentions are the best. We find a similar
event at the time of the exodus from Egypt. Moshe allowed masses of hangers-on
to accompany the Jews (Ex. 32/7); ultimately they were the cause
for the sin of the Golden Calf and many other tribulations.
We have to draw Jews to the Torah way of life, but only in ways prescribed
by the Torah itself, or as we are taught by our teachers, without compromises
and without accommodating Torah and its commandments to the moment. There
are some people that argue that under the present circumstances, it is
absurd to demand all of the details of religious observance. We risk throwing
out the baby with the wash-water. Others say it is all right to change
things to make them more palatable for the uninformed. We have to remind
ourselves that even Yosef and Moshe caused negative results by acting
independently; how much more do we have to be careful. In illustration
of this: At a meeting of Rabbis, one participant said that to extinguish
a fire you don't check how pure the water is! Even dirty water can be
used. The Rebbe's father-in-law answered that compromises in Torah are
not comparable to dirty water, but rather to kerosene which only makes
the fire worse.
It is imperative to love every Jew. However, our job is to bring them
to the Torah, not the Torah to them. The Torah does not require of us
to worry more than G-d does. When we follow the Torah's instructions as
we should, we truly merit to draw Jews to our tradition in a way of happiness
and serenity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shabbat Shalom
