Parshas Vayigash 5765

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 up before Joseph and begged him to have mercy on their elderly father, who would not be able to 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 his brothers were so concerned 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 told them that although their intentions had not been proper, G-d had used the incident as a means of putting 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 would be the beginning of the exile foretold earlier to Abraham.

When Jacob heard that not only was Joseph still alive, but that he had also been able to maintain 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 him and his family down to Egypt, and that they would become a great nation there. Eventually they would return to Canaan.

Jacob and his family came to Egypt, where Pharaoh cordially greeted them. They settled in Goshen, a suburb of Egypt, where they would be able to 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 have to feel like strangers if everyone else had also been 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.

...he called out, "Remove everyone from before me." Thus no one remained with him when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. (Gen. 45:1)

Rav Sroyah Deblitzky came to the Chazon Ish to be released from a vow he had made. The Chazon Ish asked him to bring two more people to be used for the Beis Din (court). Rav Deblitzky brought in the first two Jews he met outside and the Chazon Ish presided over the Beis Din and released him from the vow. After the two people left, the Chazon Ish told Rav Deblitzky to find another two men to create another Beis Din, since he believed that one of the original two people had no knowledge of Halacha whatsoever and could not be part of the Beis Din. The Chazon Ish explained that he had gone through the whole process of releasing Rav Deblitzky's vow with them just in order not to embarrass the disqualified individual, but it had to be done again.

Did You Know...

There is a mitzvah to accompany one's guest upon his departure. The Talmud says that escorting one's guest is greater than providing him with food and lodging. Part of this requirement includes providing food for the trip. Many authorities believe the obligation of escorting only applies to a guest from out-of-town, since he does not know the roads very well, or that it only applies to somebody traveling alone, to provide extra protection, which generally is not the case today since the roads are usually filled with other travelers. Nevertheless, one should be careful to accompany guests for at least several feet when they depart. According to Kabbalistic sources, one should not take leave of a person amidst tears.