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Tears
Of Joy
Parshat Vayigash: Genesis 44:18-47:27;
Ezekiel 37:15-37:28.
I
n this week's portion, our Torah
of the sun, the moon and the stars bow-
describes a dramatic meeting
ing down to him. From the brothers'
between an aged father and his
perspective, this was nothing short of
beloved son who had been separated for megalomania.
22 years: "And Joseph went up to greet
How different were those dreams
Israel his father; he fell on his neck
from that of Jacob's dream of uniting
and he wept on his neck exceedingly"
heaven and Earth with God at the cen-
(Genesis 46:29).
ter stage (not Joseph), prom-
Indeed, the father, who
ising to bring Jacob home to
had been led to believe that
Israel (not to Egypt). They felt
his beloved Joseph had been
that they had to prevent this
torn apart by a wild beast, had
recipient of the coat of many
been engulfed by inconsolable
colors from ever receiving the
mourning for more than two
firstborn's legacy. He was a
decades. The son, who had
"turncoat" to the Abrahamic
basked in the glory of paternal
tradition.
favoritism, had been consumed Rabbi Shlomo
The Bible concludes
Riskin
with the agonizing possibil-
Joseph's dream sequence with
ity that his father had been so
"his brothers were jealous
angered by his dreams that he had sent
of him, but Jacob observed the matter
him on a suicide mission "to seek after
and anxiously anticipated its coming to
the welfare of his brothers ..."
pass." Jacob, as well as Joseph, under-
They stand together now with unan-
stood that Abraham's mandate was a
swered questions, but each with unfath- universal one, to spread "compassionate
omable joy at their reunion. But which
righteousness and moral justice to all
one of the two wept on the other's neck? the families of the Earth" (Genesis 12:3,
Our most classical commentary,
18:18-19), allegorically speaking to the
Rashi, maintains that it was Joseph who sun, the moon and the stars.
wept on his father, Jacob. Our sages
At the end of his life, with his very
say that Jacob was reciting the Shema
last breath, Joseph makes his brothers
prayer at that time. Was it then early in
take an oath that when the Hebrews
the morning or late evening that at that
leave Egypt, they will take Joseph's
emotionally poignant moment, father
remains to be buried in Israel. Egypt
Jacob had to recite the Shema? Ramban
is merely a way-station on the road to
(Nachmanides) maintains that if indeed world redemption; the great powers
only one of them was weeping, logic
must learn the importance of vanquish-
dictates that it most likely was the aged
ing terror and depravity if divine peace
Jacob who wept, rather than the much
and morality are to reign supreme.
younger and more calculating Joseph.
Hence, when Joseph meets his father
If indeed Ramban is correct, then
— who 22 years before seemed to have
it was Joseph who was reciting the
been vexed at him for the arrogance
Shema, while father Jacob was weeping.
of his dreams — he responds to his
But why the Shema at this particular
father's tears with the fundamental pur-
moment? Let us return to Joseph's ini-
pose of Jewish being; "Hear, Israel my
tial dreams (Genesis 37:5-11), which
father, the God who is now our God,
ignited jealous hatred unto death
the God of love and peace who is now
against the `dreamer:' How can we justi- accepted by the family of Israel, will
fy the sons of Jacob being overwhelmed one day be the one God of the entire
with such base emotions?
universe' In effect, his recitation of the
What upsets the brothers is not
Shema is telling his father that Egypt
merely Joseph's vision of his economic
was a necessary way-station in bringing
and political superiority over them; it
our God of redemption to the world. *
is rather Joseph's hankering after the
Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone
fleshpots of Egypt in all of Egypt's cul-
and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.
tural ramifications. Joseph then dreamt
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