Parshat Vayigash 5781
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha that Yehuda comes forward towards Yosef (Chapter 46, Pasuk 18), Vayigash Eilav Yehuda, and asks Yosef to take him as a slave instead of his brother Binyamin. In doing so, he basically reviews the events from when they first arrived in Mitzrayim, adding that he took personal responsibility for Binyamin, which is why he is the one speaking before him. And immediately after Yehuda completes his speech, Yosef can no longer control himself and reveals his true identity to his brothers.
The Sfas Emes asks, what did Yehuda say that caused Yosef to lose control? As we mentioned, Yehuda primarily rehashes their previous interaction. Why suddenly does Yosef now feel he must reveal himself? What was Yehuda’s winning argument?
The Medrash Rabbah (93,1) on the beginning of our parsha quotes the pasuk in Mishlei (Chapter 6, Pasuk 1) Bni Im Aravta L’Rayecha, Takata L’Zar Kapecha. Rashi explains this pasuk to mean that even though you involved yourself with Hashem at Har Sinai and made a covenant with Him, you stuck your hand with foreign elements and pleasures that contradict your bris with Hashem. Though you have this spiritual connection with Hashem, you have chosen a path which leads to darkness and struggle.
What does this pasuk have to do with Yehuda speaking to Yosef?
The Sfas Emes teaches that this encounter between Yehuda and Yosef is a metaphor for one’s Avodas Hashem. Yehuda and his brothers were struggling throughout their encounter with Yosef in Mitzrayim. But this was a darkness they created; they hated Yosef and distanced themselves from him. Therefore, they encountered a Yosef they didn’t know or recognize (though he recognized them), who presented himself as an adversary. Yosef’s distance was a result of their actions. Similarly, when we sin we create a darkness, yet we wonder why we can’t see. We don’t realize we are responsible for the result of our actions.
This is all the more difficult because Bni Im Aravta L’Rayecha; we made a commitment to Hashem at Sinai. We are supposed to live our lives on a higher plane. And we have tremendous light within us, but we cover it in darkness from poor choices and perverted priorities.
The importance of Yehuda’s coming forward is that he accepts responsibility and he acts submissively. Yehuda tells Yosef (Chapter 44, Pasuk 32), Ki Avdecha Arav es Ha’Na’ar; I accepted responsibility for the young man and I am not allowing him to remain here. And he continues in the next pasuk, V’Atah Yeishev Na Avdecha Tachas Ha’Na’ar Eved La’Doni. Since it’s my responsibility, I myself will be the slave in his stead. I am willing to submit myself to you as a slave in order to fulfill my arvus, my responsibility towards my father.
Similarly, we need to accept responsibility for our arvus we accepted at Har Sinai, as the pasuk in Mishlei states. And we need to be more submissive to Hashem and be slaves to Him in order to fulfill those obligations we accepted. We need to realize we are responsible for the darkness we create.
After Yehuda approaches Yosef with submission and Emes, the immediate result is (Chapter 45, Pasuk 1), V’Lo Yachol Yosef L’His’apek. Yosef can’t control himself and reveals himself. The revelation of Yosef is the revelation of light. Yosef represents the inner Kedushah, the inner light contained within us. We see from Yosef’s actions that he represents the hidden light and holiness. With the wife of Potiphar he was Shomer Ha’Bris, a private struggle of maintaining purity, and it was a sanctification of Hashem’s name in private. He hid his mother’s beauty from the wicked Eisav, and there are other expressions of this principle represented by Yosef.
The darkness and the struggle of the brothers finally comes to an end with the light of Yosef’s revelation. And it comes about from Yehuda’s own actions; through taking responsibility for himself and by being totally submissive to the king, as represented by Yosef. And it began with the words Vayigash Eilav; and he drew close to him. Though the simple meaning is he came close to Yosef, the Sfas Emes teaches it means he came close to Hashem. Or perhaps it might even mean he came close to himself. He introspected and realized that he needed to take responsibility for his own actions and realized that just as he brought the darkness, he can easily reverse that with responsibility and humility. And whenever we ourselves do that, the immediate result is V’Lo Yachol Yosef L’His’apek.
Good Shabbos
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