A Tidbit of Torah – Parshat Vayigash 5786

“Then Judah went up to him and said,”
B’reysheet / Genesis 44:18

The opening verse in our Torah portion is generally rendered, as the JPS translation above does, to indicate that Judah moves closer to the Egyptian vizier before beginning his impassioned plea on behalf of his brother Benjamin. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk suggests that this may not be the intent of these words, rather he uses a secondary meaning of the Hebrew “vayigash” translating the term as “presented”, namely that Judah is presenting himself to the vizier, showing his essential nature.

Joseph, hiding behind the veil of Egyptian vizier, must reconcile his last image of Judah as the brother who suggested that it would be more beneficial for the brothers to sell Joseph rather than killing him with the man who stands before him speaking passionately in defense of his brother, compassionately on behalf of his father, and demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice on their behalf. Twenty-two years have passed since those events, Joseph has been a steward in the house of Potiphar, falsely accused and imprisoned, forgotten before rising to be second only to Pharoah; experiences that have shaped the current adult Joseph. Joseph must discover how the intervening years have transformed Judah and why he has emerged as leader and spokesman for the brothers.

In the immediate moment, Joseph, now the Egyptian vizier, can accept the new Judah who presents himself for consideration. Eventually, Joseph will learn that Judah has come to fully appreciate the grief he caused his father, Jacob, with the death not one but two of his own sons. It is this shared understanding of loss that moves Jacob to entrust Judah with Benjamin’s safety and well-being; a trust now being manifest. Through Joseph and Judah, the Torah teaches us about personal growth, the necessity of recognizing such change in others, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Shabbat Shalom –

Rabbi David M. Eligberg