Overview of the Weekly Reading: Vayigash
To be read on 9
Tevet 5764 (Jan.3
)
Vayigash is the 11th Reading out of 12 in
Genesis and 11th overall, and 34th
out of 54 in overall length.
Torah Reading: Gen. 44:18-47:27;
Haftorah: Ezekiel 37:15-28 (a prophecy of the ultimate resolution
of the division between "Yehuda" and "Yosef")
Pirkei Avot: not
till after Passover
Vayigash
opens with Yehuda begging Yosef (who had yet to reveal his true
identity) to allow Benyamin to return home to Yaacov, and to keep
Yehuda, 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 journeyed
to Egypt to meet 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 parsha concludes
describing 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 MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:11-64/Vayigash
)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:10-64/Miketz
)
Come
and see. "And Judah approached him [Joseph] and said..." (Gen. 44:18).
This is the approach of one world with another to unify each with
the other and become one, because Judah is a King and Joseph is a
King, they drew closer, one to the other and united one with the other
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:9-64/VaYeshev
)
In
the idiom of our sages, peace is termed the ultimate vessel for containing
blessing. This is clear because acrimony will cause any blessings
- whether of health, prosperity, or fulfillment - to be squandered.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:11-64/Vayigash
)
After
that period of refinement, Israel would ascend from Egypt spiritually,
having witnessed G-d's miracles and judgments on the Egyptians. They
would see the guardian angel of Egypt humbled, as in described in
"G-d executed judgments upon their gods." (Num. 33:4)
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:11-64/Vayigash)
"For
in order to preserve life has G-d sent me before you...to prepare
for you a posterity on the earth, and to save your lives by a great
deliverance." (45:5,7)
The darkness of the exile makes it hard to perceive G-dliness, or
to arouse the natural, innate love for G-d that is the birthright
of every Jew. But G-d has mercy on His people Israel, and in every
generation sends us one tzadik (righteous person) like Joseph, whose
function is to diffuse light to each individual soul and enable
it to contemplate G-d's greatness.
(Torat Chaim)
"I will also surely bring you up again"
(literally, "I will bring you up and also up"). (46:4)
The Torah's repetition of the word "up" is an allusion
to the two spiritual ascensions of the Jewish people. The first
occurred with the Exodus from Egypt; the second will take place
with Moshiach and the Final Redemption.
(Sefer HaMaamarim 5709)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent 
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:11-64/Vayigash )
We are now after Chanukah when each of us has been invested with new
strength to be innovative in our Jewish observance. The warmth of
Chanukah is needed especially now, during the month of Tevet, the
coldest of the months. This is why this week's Reading begins with
the words "And Judah approached" (Gen. 44:18). He did not
wait to be called. He took the initiative to do something. Similarly,
each of us has to get out there and use some of the new potential
we have acquired.
Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber of Lubavitch interprets Judah's approaching Joseph
that it describes the merging of two essentially different ways of
serving G-d. "Judah", in Hebrew "Yehuda", comes
from the Hebrew word "hodaah", meaning praise and nullification,
referring to the quality of a person who "serves G-d with his
body" - not by partying, but by making his body and physical
needs submit to G-d's Will by focusing on the observance of the commandments.
This person takes the mundane and material parts of the world and
makes them divine by raising them up to holiness.
On the other hand, "Joseph", in Hebrew "Yosef",
means "adding" and represents a different manner of serving
G-d - that of "serving G-d with his soul". This Jew cleaves
and unites to G-dliness by immersing himself more and more in Torah
study, binding to G-d. Through his efforts he traps the highest spiritual
energies and brings them down into the physical plane.
When Judah approached Joseph, the aspect of "Judah" was
elevated to the level of "Joseph". Thus, what had been elevated
through transforming the mundane to the holy, was then processed a
second time, causing these same elements to descend and reveal their
spiritual light in the world. It is written in Midrash Rabba, "there
is no 'approaching' except for peace". This means that one who
works elevating the material is essentially at war with physicality,
whereas the one whose service is more learning-centered can not help
but be transformed to a higher spiritual level. Therefore the learning-centered
person has a more peaceful and calmer path through which to connect
to G-d. So too, when the aspects of Judah and Joseph came together,
it was to enable all methods of service of G-d to be in a peaceful
manner, not requiring difficult conflicts and trials presented by
the physical world. This combination of efforts is the ultimate service
of every Jew. Each person has to work to see both aspects expressed
in his life.
On those words "And Judah approached him" the commentaries
ask, "To whom is the word 'him' referring?" The Mei Hashiloach
says that Judah penetrated the depths of Joseph's heart in order to
convince him to release his brother Benjamin. The Kotsker Rebbe says
that the 'him' refers to himself, i.e. Judah examined his own heart;
he repeated what he had already said earlier to drive the words deep
into himself in order to fulfill the ancient Jewish teaching that
"what comes from the heart, enters the heart". He wanted
his words to be so true and powerfully charged they would be understood
and accepted by Joseph. So too each of us have our moments when we
seek to communicate and influence others. The key element is a true
belief in what we are saying. This can only be accomplished by being
honest with ourselves.
Later in the portion we find that Jacob blesses Pharaoh. The Shem
Shmuel asks why Jacob blessed Pharaoh (see Gen. 47:7). He answers
by saying that when Pharaoh received from Jacob, i.e. became a vessel
for Jacob's blessings, spiritually he was restrained from dominating
Jacob. This explains why Pharaoh did not start making trouble for
Jacob's descendants until after Jacob died. This is another reminder
that this week is a good time to be proactive.
Long winter nights are meant to be set aside for Torah study. Rabbi
Joseph Yitzchok of Lubavitch discusses the qualitative difference
between the laws of the Torah whose purpose is to show us how to act
properly and the inner dimensions of the Torah, whose purpose is to
teach us to know G-d. Even though the inner dimension helps connect
us to G-d, still we are limited because we can never really know what
G-d is, only that He exists. The advantage of the laws of Torah when
seen in the abstract, is that we know their essential nature, we can
understand them in their entirety, not only how and what we are to
do, but also why we should do it.
I would like to close by bringing one Jewish law to encourage everyone,
including myself, to learn more Jewish Law (halacha):
Two details were explained about Shabbat by the prophets: The honor
of Shabbat and the pleasure of Shabbat. They are derived from the
verse "And you called Shabbat a pleasure to sanctify the honorable
G-d". (Isaiah 58:13). How do we honor and take pleasure in Shabbat?
The Rabbis wrote that we honor Shabbat with clean clothing and clean
table coverings and we make it a pleasure by the enjoyment of eating
and drinking. Many other laws have been extracted from these principles,
such as bathing and lighting candles, all of which will be explained.
- from "A summary of the laws of Shabbat", translated and
published by Machon Ohaley Shem, chapter 242
Try teaching a law at the Shabbat table each week. You will be surprised
at how much ground you will cover!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
For all our insights for this parsha:
from last
year
from two years ago
