Parshat Vayigash 5778
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week's parsha Yehuda steps forward to speak to Yosef. The first pasuk says Vayigash Eilav Yehuda, and Yehuda approached him, referring to Yosef. He beseeches Yosef to allow him to be a slave to him instead of Binyamin in order to save his father Yaakov from despair and possibly even death. And in explaining why he was the one coming forward to speak to Yosef, Yehuda says to him (Chapter 44, Pasuk 32), Ki Avdecha Arav es Ha'Na'ar. Yehuda tells Yosef that he personally guaranteed to his father Yaakov the safe return of his brother Binyamin. As a result, he was coming forward and approached Yosef asking him to accept him as a replacement.
The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha begins by quoting a pasuk from Mishlei which states (Chapter 6, Pasuk 1) B'ni Im Aravta L'Reiyecha, My son if you accepted yourself as a guarantor to your friend. The chapter describes the case of one who accepts upon himself the responsibility of being a guarantor on a loan and how he should conduct himself in such a case. One needs to be diligent and responsible and submissive before his friend in order to ensure that he fulfills whatever obligations he undertook.
This is the simple meaning of the pasukim in Misheli. Rashi, however, brings a second interpretation and says that the word Reiyecha which typically means your friend, is referring here to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The pasuk is saying, my son you accepted yourself as a guarantor to Hashem at Har Sinai to keep the mitzvos. Therefore, be submissive before Hashem and be careful to fulfill all your obligations with alacrity and diligence.
Based on this explanation of Rashi, the Sfas Emes teaches that all of us are guarantors for the holy Neshamah which is placed inside each and every one of us. We must return our souls as we received them, yet we have sinned and sullied our souls. How can we return our souls to our Father in heaven in such condition? As Yehuda says to Yosef (Chapter 44, Pasuk 34), Ki Eiych E'eleh el Avi, how can I return to my father?
The answer is that by doing Teshuvah we can purify ourselves and our aveiros will be changed into merits. When Yehuda comes forward because he is the guarantor, Vayigash Eilav Yehuda, the Sfas Emes teaches that the word Eilav, to him, is meant to be understood as to himself. One needs to find that place within himself, that spark of Kedushah within in order to do Teshuvah and cleanse his soul which he has accepted to return in a pristine state. This is why Yehuda stepped forward; he represents every Jew who needs to look within himself in order to fulfill his role as a guarantor.
This same understanding is consistent with learning the words Vayigash Eilav Yehuda in its simple meaning that Yehuda approached Yosef (as opposed to he approached himself). This is because Yosef himself represents the notion of the inner holiness of a Jew. We have explained in the past that the brothers erred with Yosef in that they viewed his exterior alone and saw him as a young lad who was involved in Ma'aseh Na'arus. Yosef's greatness though was his inner strength. Yosef was Shomer Ha'Bris; in his encounter with the wife of Potiphar he was Mekadesh Shem Shamayim B'Seiser. His great act of sanctifying the name of Gd was done privately.
When one submits himself to Hashem he is able to find that holiness within him. This is the formula described in the sixth perek of Mishlei of how to fulfill our obligations as guarantors. And this is the approach Yehuda took with Yosef; he submitted himself before him and was willing to be his slave.
Only when he accepted full submission was he able to see the light. For it was at that moment of submission that Yosef reveals himself to the brothers. And the pasuk tells us the brothers response was (Chapter 45, Pasuk 3), Nivhalu M'Panav, they were astounded by his face. The Sfas Emes teaches that this was because they didn't understand the inner greatness of Yosef, for they were too focused on the external, on Yosef's face. But when we submit ourselves to Hashem, then we can find the inner light of Hashem and see the inner Kedushah of the world which is most profoundly found within ourselves. Vayigash Eilav Yehuda; we need to approach Hashem and ourselves in order to find the Yosef within ourselves.
Last week Clal Yisrael lost its great leader, Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, ztz"l. Anyone who merited to be within his daled amos was able to experience his great holiness and humility. This humility was publicized to the entire world with the publicizing of his tza'va'ah, an incredible lesson of humility and modesty for the ages. We are all orphaned by the loss of this great leader who truly embodied the inner beauty and holiness of Yosef HaTzadik.
Good Shabbos
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