Vayigash - 3rd Portion

Join me in learning Torah for today the Humash for Tuesday chapter 45 verse 8. Yesterday we learned that Joseph identifies himself to his brothers. They are hesitant at first and embarrassed and bewildered of what's going on. He lets them know that this was all God-ordained and preordained by God that he should be here to be able to help them survive through the years of hunger. Today we continue with Joseph instructing his brothers what they should do now that they know that he is the viceroy of Egypt. Verse 8. And now you have to remember you're not the one that sent me here. It is God that made that I should be here. Verse 11. I will provide for you because there's years of famine that are still coming. So that you should not become impoverished. Not only not you not your household or anything that belongs to you. What does the word mean? Rashi explains in verse 11. Maybe this will cause you to become impoverished because of the famine. It comes from the word that God desires who will be poor and who will become rich. So you see the word is Verse 12. And behold your eyes can see and >> [snorts] >> that you'll see it's the mouth that you see speaking to you. It is me Joseph who is really talking to you. What does this mean? Rashi explains they all see that means they all see the great honor that I have. I'm your brother. I'm circumcised like you. Do you notice now I'm talking to you in the Hebrew tongue? Before when you came I had a translator it was all a show as if I didn't understand but now I'm talking to you in your language. Who else would know Hebrew if not your brother? The eyes of your brother Benjamin the eyes meaning he compared all of them all the 12 brothers together all 11 brothers the same way I don't have any hatred or animosity towards my brother Benjamin. did not participate in selling me down to Egypt. So too I have no hatred or animosity against you even though you were the ones that sold me and he did not but the same way we're all equal. The same way I don't have anything against Benjamin. I don't have anything against all of you. It is God that made that we should all be here. Verse 13. You got to tell your father our father about all my honor the great honor that has been accorded to me here in Egypt and everything you have seen and you should hurry up and therefore bring my father down here. Verse 14. And he fell with that he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and he cried. Benjamin wept on his brother's neck Joseph as well. Rashi explains what were they really weeping about? Something later on that each one of them saw with divine presence. Rashi explains what were they crying on the two holy temples that were going to be in the territory that was being allotted to the tribe of Benjamin and unfortunately will be destroyed as well. So why did Benjamin cry on Joseph's neck? For the Mishkan the Tabernacle that was in Shiloh that was going to be in the area and the plot of land of Joseph and will also eventually be destroyed. And he then kissed all his brothers and wept on their necks as well. Afterwards his brothers when they reconciled they started having a conversation with him and they conversed with him as well. Verse 15. He was crying and they understood that he really loves them that his heart is complete with them and he has no hatred or hate towards them. At first they were embarrassed. Once they saw that everybody was getting along and that he had no hatred towards them he was beginning to speak they spoke to each other and had a nice conversation. Word of their arrival reached Pharaoh's palace. The brothers of Joseph came and Pharaoh and his courtiers were pleased with that as well. As we mentioned earlier it doesn't mean the house of Pharaoh it doesn't mean actual home but it means the family of Pharaoh the household of Pharaoh they found out. With that Pharaoh tells Joseph. Pharaoh tells Joseph tell your brothers this is what you should do. your animals and go directly to the land of Canaan. Verse 17. Meaning the Torah loaded up with lots of grain that you should bring it home with you. Verse 18. And therefore bring your father and all your household and come to me. I will give you the choicest part of the land of Egypt and you'll be able to eat of the fat of the land. Rashi verse 18. I'm going to give you the choicest land which is the land of Goshen. Pharaoh prophesied and didn't realize he was even prophesying. Because what's going to happen is that the Jewish people are going to take the choicest part of the land of Israel and eventually also take everything that the land of Israel has and make it like a net that has no fish meaning they can empty it out of everything that's there. The fat of the land means the best part of it as well. Verse 19. Moreover he tells them you should hereby command this is what you should do. Take from yourself take for yourselves from wagons from the land of Egypt for the children for the wives and you should bring your father and come down to Egypt. What he says over here is Pharaoh tells Joseph I am telling to you tell them in my name that you should continue to tell your brothers the following things. Don't you worry if Pharaoh's not going to get angry. This is Pharaoh's command. Pharaoh wants that you should do this as well. Verse 20. The Rebbe explains that the Jewish people are going to take the choicest part of the land of Israel and eventually also take everything that the land of Israel has and make it like a net that has no fish meaning they can empty it out of everything that's there. The fat of the land means the best part of it as well. Verse 19. Moreover he tells them you should hereby command this is what you should do. Take from yourself take for yourselves from wagons from the land of Egypt for the children for the wives and you should bring your father and come down to Egypt. What he says over here is Pharaoh tells Joseph I am telling to you tell them in my name that you should continue to tell your brothers the following things. Don't you worry if Pharaoh's not going to get angry. This is Pharaoh's command. Pharaoh wants that you should do this as well. Verse 20. The >> Verse 20. Do not give a thought of your belongings for for the best of all of Egypt will be at your disposal. Verse 21 the Jews Jewish people the children of Israel did as Pharaoh said and Joseph gave them wagons according to what Pharaoh had said according to his instructions and he gave them provisions for the journey. Verse 22 and to each of them he gave a set of clothing. And to Benjamin nothing he gave him 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothing. Rashi sorry verse 23 of his father as I say. And then to his father he sent as such. He sent them first of all 10 donkeys. Carrying from the finest of Egypt's delicacies. And 10 female donkeys that were carried carrying full of grain and bread. And food for his father for the journey to Egypt. Rashi shall I go this According to this account what's the account as the Torah numerates the 10 donkeys the 10 female donkeys and so on. We do mean trying from the best of Egypt. The Gamara. We find that the town that tells us he sent his father old wine because old wine helps the same way the older the wine is the better it gets the same thing is also by the elderly people they like the older wine. The the commentaries explain that what did he send what is the truth with trying? Shall pull. That what he sent them was a type of delicacy of peas or chickpeas a split beans that he sent them as well. Bar of a lackham. >> [snorts] >> Over here commentaries explain why did he send split beans that the same way split beans can only be eaten when they are separated Joseph was saying that the reason why he was separated was telling his father that the reason why he was separated was only for a good cause that ultimately they should be able to come down to Egypt. Food lift on which things to go with the food the bread when he's journeying with them that gives the bread an extra flavor. And he sent his brothers on their way and he told them he went and he told them do not quarrel along the way saying whose fault it may be. Rashi verse 24 meaning don't get so deep into analysis. And thereby making your way long when to get home so that the way home shouldn't become difficult for you and long and there making it a long way road home another explanation. When you go don't take big steps take small steps. Go slowly and go and go into the city when it's still the sun is still shining. According to the simple interpretation one can explain that this is what it means. Being that they were embarrassed of what they did to Joseph he was worried that on their way home they were going to start arguing whose fault it is the very fact that he was sold and today he's king and now to argue with one another and saying it's your fault and whose fault it should be you're the one that said gossip about him and causes to hate him and it's all your fault really we shouldn't have done it and he says therefore don't bicker about it and just go home and bring dad back. Verse 25. And they went up from Egypt came to the land of Canaan. To Jacob their father. Verse 26 and they told Jacob saying Joseph is still alive and he that is the ruler of all of Egypt. But he ignored them. Because he did not believe them. Verse 26. And that he is the ruler of all of Egypt he ignored them what does it mean he ignored them his feelings changed like he wasn't sure if he can believe his children he stopped believing his kids he was not his heart was not ready to listen to what his children had to say like the shame of eating time on like things that you say you ruined the taste in something you can't taste it you can't smell it uses the terminology of pug which is over here when you say you can't taste it you can't smell it uses the terminology of pug which is over here pug. And they spoke to him they told him. It's called all the words Joseph told him that he said to them and then he saw the wagons that Joseph sent to transport him to bring him back to Egypt and the spirit of Jacob came alive in him. Rashi says what does this mean why all of a sudden when he saw the wagons did he believe them what does it mean that his spirit came back to him so Rashi explained as follows. All the words of Joseph in order that Jacob should believe what Joseph told the brothers he gave his brothers a sign. He said remind dad of what we were learning when I left him the parish we were learning the parish of a roof. So therefore the word wagons can also remind you of which is about a calf that it was has to be killed when the person is found dead between two cities. This is what he says he saw the wagons that Joseph sent meaning that he understood what was going on here even though Pharaoh said even though Pharaoh was the one that told the brothers to take it but he says that Joseph sent meaning that Joseph explained that what they were learning in the last subject that they discussed. And what does it mean the spirit of Jacob was alive the divine presence came back to him that during the time of mourning he was not did not have the divine presence on him. The question that the commentaries ask why is it that all of a sudden he saw the wagons and that brought him back to understanding and recognizing that Joseph was alive just because he remembered what he learned that told him that Joseph was alive. But in fact what the explains that Jacob was concerned that the brothers tell him that Joseph was in Egypt he understood Egypt as the most immoral place of the world he had no idea what was Joseph like in Egypt did he assimilate with the people that were there but when he saw the wagons and Joseph reminded him the last thing he learned he recognized that Joseph is still committed to his faith and his belief in Judaism and to the study of Torah. Then the spirit of Jacob came back to him he recognized Joseph's righteousness that notwithstanding the impurity of Egypt Joseph stayed true and just to his commitment to Judaism this concludes the third Torah reading for parshas Vayigash.