Torah Tidbit
Parashah Vayigash (And he approached), Genesis 44:18 – 47:27
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, Jacob is revived, he and his whole family move to Egypt at government expense, the family settles in Goshen, Joseph relocates all citizens of Egypt and obligates all to Pharaoh, Jacob’s descendants become tied to the land of Egypt and its culture.
I am Joseph your brother…and now, be not distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that God sent me ahead of you. …God has sent me ahead of you to insure your survival in the land and to sustain you for a momentous deliverance. And now: It was not you who sent me here, but God; He has made me father to Pharaoh, master of his entire household, and ruler throughout the entire land of Egypt. – Genesis 45:4-8
Walking the Walk
As we develop our awareness of how God works in us and the world, we are occasionally rewarded with a clear understanding of how God used a bad situation to positively change many more things for the better later on. So it is with Joseph in this weeks parahsah. He had many years to build an incredible grudge and plan a great revenge against his brothers, but instead, thanks to his continual development of emuna, he was given the great pleasure and reward of seeing the family reunited in true brotherhood. This brotherhood, which was all but lost when Joseph was sold into slavery, would have been all but impossible to restore at the time or for years to come. However, thanks in great part to the years of separation, all brothers could work through their issues and be prepared to make full amends should the opportunity arise.
Not only that, Joseph was already well aware of how his forced exile in Egypt became a salvation to the people of Egypt and many others around the Fertile Crescent.
We have all had similar gifts of hindsight, but they’re often so easily forgotten.
From the Jewish Sages:
From the child you can learn three principles of service:
He is merry for no reason;
Never for a moment is he idle;
When he needs something, he demands it vigorously.
– R. Dov Baer of Mezritch