Parshas Vayigash 5767

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

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Joseph as the viceroy of Egypt had set his brothers up in a situation where their youngest brother Benjamin would have to remain in Egypt as a slave to Pharaoh. Yehuda stood before Joseph and begged him to have mercy on their elderly father, who could not bear the loss of another son. He spoke to him respectfully yet firmly, offering to remain behind in Benjamin’s place.

When Joseph saw how concerned his brothers were about Benjamin and Jacob, he realized that they had repented since the days they had tormented him without regard for their father’s feelings. He no longer had any reason to hide his identity from his brothers. He ordered all the Egyptians out of the room to spare his brothers the shame, and then revealed his identity to them.

The brothers were so dumbfounded they could not say a word. All the pieces of the mystery of their Egyptian experience now came together. They were ashamed of their earlier treatment of Joseph. Joseph, however, consoled them and assured them that although their intentions had not been proper, G-d had used the incident as a means of placing Joseph into the position of being a benefactor to his family. Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan with wagons to bring their father and families down to Egypt where they would be protected from the famine. This was the beginning of the exile foretold earlier to Abraham.

When Jacob heard that not only was Joseph still alive, but that he had also maintained his level of righteousness in the palace of Pharaoh, his spirits were revived. He immediately made plans to travel to Egypt to see Joseph before he died.

G-d appeared to Jacob in a dream and informed him that He would accompany Jacob and his family down to Egypt, and that they would become a great nation there. Eventually they would return back to Canaan.

Jacob and his family came to Egypt, where Pharaoh cordially greeted them. They settled in Goshen, a suburb of Egypt, where they could live apart from the Egyptian culture.

The Torah relates that as the famine became worse and the Egyptian resources were depleted, Joseph took all the Egyptians’ land for Pharaoh in exchange for food. He resettled the whole nation in different areas. This was done in order to make his brothers feel more comfortable. They would not feel like strangers if everyone else was also relocated. He also extended an exemption to the priests. This would serve as a precedent for the exemption of the Levites, once the Jewish slavery in exile began.

...(Joseph said)”Now, don’t be distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me, for it was to be a provider that G-d sent me...” (Gen. 45:5)

Shmuel HaNagid served as an advisor to the King of Spain. The king was once traveling with Shmuel HaNagid and overheard a jealous neighbor loudly cursing the king’s Jewish advisor. The king was furious at the man’s disrespect, and ordered Shmuel HaNagid to cut out the man’s evil tongue.

Shmuel befriended the neighbor and showered him with presents. Several months later the king again passed the neighbor’s home with his advisor and heard him heaping praises upon Shmuel HaNagid. “Didn’t I tell you to cut that man’s tongue out?” the king asked Shmuel.

“Your Majesty instructed me to cut out his evil tongue,” Shmuel HaNagid replied, “I did that, and replaced it with a good tongue instead!”

Did You Know...

One must recite the three chapters of the Shema twice each day; once in the morning and again in the evening. The Shema may be recited in any position, but if one was sitting he should not intentionally stand up before reciting the Shema.

One must understand the meaning of at least the first passage. If he does not understand the words, he has not fulfilled his obligation and it should be repeated silently. If one does not understand the words, he may recite it a different language.

The custom is to cover one’s eyes with the right hand while reciting the first passage, in order to better focus on the meaning of the words. After the first passage is recited out loud, the passage of “Boruch shem” is recited silently.