Tag: Vayigash

Exilic Prayer

motzei Shabbos: parasha Vayigash 5783

 

 

The divine yearning within us seeks to be consoled, by uniting ourselves with H’Shem. Therefore, rather than ignore the natural affinity that the soul has for the Creator, we should acknowledge this vital element in our personal makeup. That is to say, that without nurturing the soul’s need to connect to H’Shem, we deprive ourselves of the true source of our life. Yet, the question remains, how to properly access this source, the root of our essential selves

Judah makes an impassioned plea, for the sake of Benjamin, while addressing the Egyptian prince (Joseph) that stands before him: “Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears” (Genesis 44:18, JPS 1917 Tanach). Nesivos Shalom renders the passage in a symbolic manner, ascribing Judah’s words to a conversation with G-d. Rather than the plain meaning, wherein Judah is addressing the prince that stands before him as lord, he is addressing H’Shem. This passage is an allusion to the essence of prayer during the current exile; we seeking to consolation from the Shechinah – the presence of G-d Who dwells with us, for he is with us in the midst of our nisyanos as is written, “I will be with him in trouble” (Psalm 91:15).

.During this current exile, we may seek consolation through prayer; and, G-d’s presence will be with us, even in the midst of our suffering. Let us speak in G-d’s ears, all that troubles us, even offering our very selves as servants, as Judah offered to be a servant in place of his brother, Benjamin. Let us serve as surety for our brethren, K’lal Yisrael (All of Israel), and lead the way, towards redemption from Galus (Exile). Just as Joseph was reconciled to his brothers, may all of Israel be reconciled to H’Shem, through the unity that will be brought about only through Moshiach.

Exilic Prayer

“Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears.”

– Genesis 44:18, JPS 1917 Tanach

The divine yearning within ourselves seeks to be consoled by eliciting our concern for the part of ourselves that seeks to unite with the L-RD. Therefore, rather than ignore the natural affinity that the soul has for the Creator, we should acknowledge this vital element in our personal makeup. That is to say, that without nurturing the soul’s need to connect to H’Shem, we deprive ourselves of the true source of our life. Yet, the question remains, how to properly access this source, the root of our essential selves.

In parashas Vayigash, Judah makes an impassioned plea, for the sake of Benjamin, while addressing the Egyptian prince (Joseph) that stands before him. Nesivos Shalom renders the passage in a symbolic manner, ascribing Judah’s words to an imagined conversation with G-d, as if instead of addressing the prince that stands before him as lord, he is addressing H’Shem. Within this framework, we can understand through a nuanced perspective, the essence of prayer during the current exile; inasmuch that our prayers should be for the sake of the Shechinah, Who suffers with us during exile. By seeking to console the Shechinah, we console ourselves as well.

Therefore, in recognition of Joseph’s suffering, as well as the suffering of his brothers – who see the troubles that fell upon themselves in Egypt as divine recompense – as akin to our nisyanos (troubles), during this current exile, we may seek consolation through prayer; and, G-d’s presence will be with us, in the midst of our suffering. Let us speak in G-d’s ears, all that troubles us, offering our very selves as servants, as Judah offered to be a servant in place of his brother, Benjamin. Let us serve as surety for our brethren, K’lal Yisrael (All of Israel), and lead the way, towards redemption from Galus (Exile). Just as Joseph was reconciled to his brothers, may all of Israel be reconciled to H’Shem, through the unity that will be brought only by Moshiach (Messiah).

parashas Vayigash 5782

Suffering and Renewal

“I will go down with thee into Egypt; and, I will also surely bring thee up again.”

– Genesis 46:4, JPS 1917 Tanach

“I am He who in My Word will go down with thee into Mitzraim; I will regard the affliction of thy children, and My Word shall bring thee up from thence, and cause thy children to come up.”

– Targum Jonathan on Genesis 46:4, sefaria.org

Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, to bring him as well as his entire family down to Egypt. On the way to Egypt, Jacob made offerings to G-d in Beersheba. “G-d spoke to Israel in the visions of the night.” Jacob had been disconcerted, wondering about this descent of his family into Egypt; he was concerned about the eventual plight of his descendants. Yet, he was told, “Fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation.” G-d further reassured him, “I will go down with thee into Egypt; and, I will also surely bring you up again” (Genesis 46:4).

With the descent of Jacob’s family into Egypt, G-d promises their eventual redemption from the future enslavement that will occur centuries later. With this understanding, “I will go down with thee into Egypt,” pertains to the nisyanos (trials) that the children of Israel later faced in their enslavement. This may also reflect the understanding that G-d was with them, during the entire time of their “spiritual descent,” while living in Egypt: a low point in their lives, spanning several generations. As is written elsewhere, “In all their affliction He was afflicted” (Isaiah 63:9, JPS).

The children of Israel were not abandoned by H’Shem, nor forgotten during their years of servitude in Egypt. Additionally, the people remembered what Joseph had told his brothers, before he passed away, “G-d will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Genesis 50:25). In like manner, may our lives also be renewed by G-d’s promises, as we look forward to being brought out of the current exile, otherwise known in Hebrew as Galus.

May we place our hope in the Final Redemption.

Judah’s Teshuvah

shiur for parashas Vayigash 5782

Joseph, as an Egyptian prince, had arranged a scenario, whereby he was able to take Benjamin captive. He told his servant to place his silver cup in Benjamin’s pack on his donkey. Then, when the brothers were leaving, the servant overtook them, searched their packs, and “found” the cup. “The man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant” (Genesis 44: 17). Joseph arranged for this “test” to see if the brothers would stand up in defense of Benjamin. Indeed, Judah took the lead in stating his intent to replace Benjamin as a servant to the Egyptian prince (Joseph). “Judah approached him and said, O L-RD, let your servant speak; I beg you, let your servant remain instead of the lad” (Genesis 44: 18-33).

When Judah approached the Egyptian Prince (Joseph) to make an appeal for the sake of Benjamin, he offered himself as a slave unknowingly to the very one whom he had sold as a slave twenty-two years prior to this moment. Joseph was so moved by his self-negation on behalf of Benjamin, that he could no longer contain his emotions. Although his brothers had sold him into slavery so long ago, it was clear to him at this point in the test that they had done teshuvah (repentance) over their transgression against him.

Joseph requested all of his Egyptian servants to leave his presence so that he would be alone with his brothers when revealing himself to them: “And he wept aloud; and, Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph” (Genesis 45: 2-3). “G-d sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance” (Genesis 45: 7, JPS 1917 Tanach). Joseph knew that all that had happened to him was ultimately for the good: despite the circumstances of each situation wherein he suffered, he had persevered and saw G-d’s hand at work.

Engraved Words

“This do, and live; for I fear G-d.” – Genesis 42:18

“The fear of the L-rd is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do his commandments; his praise endures for ever.” – Psalm 111:10

Where to begin on the road to freedom? Elsewhere, it is written, “Serve the L-RD with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). Here, we see that serving H’Shem in awe and reverence will lead to rejoicing. Yet, not to get too carried away with our rejoicing, we must balance this emotional expression with “trembling,” that will lead to a healthy respect and fear of H’Shem.

Instead of pursuing happiness, by whatever means might be pleasing to us, we are to embrace discipline (Psalm 2). It is important to bring an attitude of sincerity into our hearts, for the sake of remaining within the bounds of the guidelines of life given to us by kitvei kidesh (holy scripture). Then, happiness may ensue, as a result of our devotion to H’Shem. When we put our trust in H’Shem, rather than in the things of this world; pursuing righteousness, instead of material pleasures, then, we will be on the right path towards true freedom.

The sages explain, that the word cherut, meaning to engrave, as in the commandments were engraved on two stone tablets, may also mean freedom, with a slight change in the vowels. The consonants remain the same, forming the shoresh, the root word ChRT.  And, so when we adopt the commandments as an ethical means to approach life, we take it upon ourselves to live the way that G-d intended us to do so. Yet, these are more than a set of ethics, derived by a human source; these are commandments that imply a divine authority as their author.

When Jacob arrived in Egypt with his family, his son, Joseph, harnessed his chariot and went out to greet him. Joseph provided for his family to live in the land of Goshen – a land removed from Egypt proper. As a consequence of their living in this location, they were isolated to some extent from the rest of Egyptian society. They had more freedom to follow in the footsteps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as opposed to getting caught up in the idolatrous ways of their neighbors. Yet, even in the midst of the uncertainty, doubt, and fear, that settled in years later, after the children of Israel became enslaved in Egypt, there was the promise of hope in the redeemer.