>> torah portion Make a gift for IDF soldiers that pays you back each year for life 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. 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