Torah Portion

God's Redemptive Promise
In 'Visions Of Night'

goes first to Beersheba, where he builds
an altar, offers up sacrifices to "the God
of his father Isaac," and has his last
direct encounter with the divine: "God
called to Israel in a vision by night (lit-
erally in visions of night) 'Jacob, Jacob!'
He answered, 'Here I am.' And He
said, 'I am God, the God of your
his week's sedrah is, in the
father. Do not be afraid to go down to
words of Rabbi Lawrence
Egypt, for I will make you into a great
Kushner, "surely the emo-
nation. I Myself will go down with you
tional zenith of the (Joseph)
to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring
story if not of the Hebrew Bible itself."
you back; and Joseph's hand will close
(LearnTorah With 5755 Torah Annual)
your eyes." (Genesis 46:2-4)
It opens with one of the most dra-
Why does Jacob go to Beersheba?
matic scenes in all of world literature, as
Why doesn't he go directly to Goshen
Judah steps forward to plead with the
to see Jospeh for whom he's been griev-
Egyptian viceroy for the life of
ing for more than 20 years? The answer
Benjamin; and the viceroy
lies in Beersheba's special role
responds by bursting into
in the lives of both Isaac and
tears and revealing himself as
Jacob. Isaac went to
the long-lost Joseph. The fam-
Beersheba following the
ily is reunited and begins a
akedah. Years later at
new, prosperous life in
Beersheba, God appeared to
Goshen, the "ghetto of
Isaac and reaffirmed the
choice" according to Nehama
covenant (Genesis 26:24).
Leibowitz (Studies In Bereshit),
Isaac also would naturally be
where Joseph believes they
on Jacob's mind at this
NAN CY
will be tolerated by and kept
moment because God had
KAP
LAN
safe from the host culture.
expressly forbidden Isaac
Spec ial to
Without a doubt, this
himself to go down to Egypt,
The Jew ish News even when there was an earli-
story is one we can relate -to.
We know from our own lives
er famine in the land of
how sibling jealousy, parental
Canaan (Genesis 26:1-2).
favoritism, emotional abuse and family
Beersheba also is significant for Jacob
feuds can pull people apart and wreck
as the jumping-off point for his first
their lives. We identify with Judah,
journey outside the land as a young
Joseph and Jacob as they experience the
man fleeing from his brother's wrath;
cathartic moment of truth and reconcil-
and it was just after he left Beersheba
iation. We, too, yearn for the strength
en route to Haran that he stopped for
to break down the emotional walls
the night, fell asleep and dreamed of a
between parents and children, brothers
ladder and guardian angels. Now he is
and sisters, to express our love for each
about to leave the land, never to return
other and our remorse for the mistakes
in this life. As Professor Nahum Sarna
of the past.
writes in the Jewish Publication Society
This story also operates on a much
commentary on Genesis, "Jacob's
deeper level. Our patriarchs are not just
odyssey began at Beersheba; it fittingly
members of a particular family. They
concludes at the same place."
are also archetypes and their lives fore-
Why does God tell Jacob not to be
shadow the history of the Jewish peo-
afraid of going to Egypt when Jacob
ple. Parshat Vayigash is not merely the
himself has not expressed any such fear?
story of how Jacob's family was reunit-
According to Nehama Leibowitz, "It is
ed. It is also a dramatic bridge in the
as if the Torah wishes to teach us that
history of the nation. It gets the charac-
nothing is hidden from God. The fear
ters where they need to be — Egypt —
of the mighty and the confident that
in order for God's master plan to be
lies deep down in their hearts stand
implemented.
revealed to the all-knowing God."
We see this in chapter 46, after the
Why was Jacob afraid, consciously
brothers have returned to Canaan and
or unconsciously, to go to Egypt?
told Jacob that Jospeh is still alive and
Putting together the insights of com-
that the family must go to Egypt.
mentators, Leibowitz explains that as
When he recovers from his initial
the "founder of the nation" Jacob had a
shock, Jacob packs up his possessions.
"symbolic or archetypal dread ... of the
Instead of going directly to Egypt, he
spiritual consequences of leaving the
homeland and going to Egypt ... Jacob
Nancy Kaplan chairs Adult Jewish
was
concerned for the future of the
Learning at Congregation Brlai Moshe.

Shabbat Vayigash:
Genesis 44:18-47:2Z
Ezekiel 37:15-28.

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