Family Reunion: Parashat Vayigash

0:03The whole interaction and meeting between the brothers and Yosef is at its climactic point where Yosef sent them back home with some food, but in order for them to bring Binyamin. Why? He needed to test them. He needed to see if the brothers have actually done teshuvah or if they still harbor hatred towards the sons of Rachel. Do they still hate Yosef? Are they still willing to throw him under the bus? In essence, he wants to see if they're going to do the same thing with their brother, with Binyamin. In order to save their lives. And what's a better proof than to get them to bring him there? After they bring him there, of course, everyone who has followed the parashah knows about the whole setup that Yosef orchestrated to test them. It puts them in a situation where the brothers are surprised that they now have to face Yosef again. which, obviously, they don't know he's Yosef yet and they want to, you know, fix their public image. Simply put, becoming slaves to show that they didn't do it. They can't prove it, so they said, "Listen, we'll do what we said. We'll do what we said. We said that if you find this cup among us, we're all going to become slaves, so we're all here to become slaves."

1:29We see here how important the value of words is to these righteous brothers of Yosef. Yosef never told them, "You're all going to be slaves." And even his son Menashe said he was not going to make all of them slaves. But they are saying, "No, we're all going to become slaves." Why? Because that's what we said. That's what we said. But at this point, all of the brothers are of the opinion that this is a punishment from God, for all of them, for what they did in the past. At this point, all of the brothers are of the opinion that this is a punishment from God for all of them, for what they did in the past, brothers that sold Yosef, threw him into the pit without having any mercy. Even though Reuven wasn't involved in the sale and really actually wanted to save Yosef, still he didn't act fast enough. He didn’t fight for it, and obviously, being their leader, everyone feels like they're being punished for it. the brothers that sold Yosef threw him into the pit without having any mercy. Even though Reuven wasn't involved in the actual sale and he really wanted to save Yosef, still, he didn't act quickly enough; he didn't fight for it. Obviously, being the leader, everyone feels like they're being punished for it, and everything is about to change when Yosef says, "No, no, no, I don't want you all to be slaves. I'm just going to take Binyamin to be a slave because he's the one in whom we found the cup." So now, the deal changes, and everyone is still of the opinion that this is a punishment, but perhaps it's a lesser punishment. So Yehuda, the leader, steps up and says, "Fine, you want a slave? Take me as a slave."

2:27Everything is about to change when Yosef says, "No, no, no. I don't want you all to be slaves; I'm just going to take Binyamin as a slave because he's the one where we found the cup." So now, the deal changes, and everyone still thinks this is a punishment, but perhaps it's a lesser punishment. So Yehudah, the leader, steps up and says, "Fine, you want a slave? Take me as a slave." take me as a slave instead of Benjamin. I am stronger than him. I'm smarter in matters of managing a war, a battalion, an army—anything you want. I'm more skilled than he is. He's just a young kid. And Yosef says no. Yosef says no, and at that point, when Yehuda hears that Yosef says no, this visceral in front of him says no. Yehuda tells his brothers, "Go check all the different locations that are key locations of where the army of the Egyptians are, and bring back a report." This is in the Me'am Loez. Naftali, who had... When Yehuda hears that Yosef says no to him, this visceral statement in front of him. Yehuda tells his brothers, "Go check all the different key locations where the army of the Egyptians is positioned and bring back a report." This is found in the Me'am Loez. Naftali, who had what's considered superpowers in today's world of speed, was able to do that in just a matter of moments to go into all the points of power of Egypt and came back with the report. At that point, Yehuda, the Midrash says, roars such a roar.

3:55what's considered superpowers in today's world of speed, was able to do that in just a matter of moments to go into all of the points of power of Egypt and came back with the report. At that point, Yehuda, the Midrash says, roars such a roar that the whole building shakes, but oh, that's completely in a different building. He falls off his throne, and so does Yosef. Yehuda is about to go to war, he tries to take his sword out, but it's stuck; something supernatural is holding him back from being able to take out his sword. ...that the whole building shakes, but that's completely in a different building. He falls off of his throne, and so does Yosef. Yehuda is about to go to war. He tries to take his sword out, but it's stuck. Something supernatural is holding him back from being able to take out his sword... And at that moment, Yehuda realizes that this viceroy in front of him is not just some Egyptian. This public image he's had until now is understated. There's something else here. He must be righteous because God is helping him win the battle. And at that moment, Yosef realizes that this situation is about to go too far.

5:14and he uncovers who he is by speaking to them in Hebrew, in Lashon HaKodesh. This shocks the brothers in more ways than you can possibly imagine. But why does he do it? Why is this the main point? Why did he do it? Five minutes before it, or perhaps even ten minutes before it, or maybe a day, why did he choose this specific point in Chapter 44 in the book of Bereishit? Yehudah says to Yosef, "You put us through this whole process of bringing our brother. I told you that I can't because his soul is connected to his father's soul." And his father would die if I didn't bring him back. And then it says, should you wonder why I, of all my brothers, am advocating for the youth? Meaning for Binyamin. It's because your servant, meaning Yehudah,

6:27Your servant has pledged for the youth, having accepted the responsibility for my father, saying, if I do not bring him back to you, then I will be considered a sinner to my father for all time. Here, Yehuda discloses something that pretty much breaks the heart of Yosef to make him realize they have done teshuva. This test has been completed. Why? Because Yehuda tells Yosef, I have put my eternity on the line as a promise to my father that I'm going to bring back his son, Binyamin. And I'd rather stay here as a slave to you for the rest of my life than... has been completed. Why? Because Yehuda tells Yosef, I have put my eternity on the line as a promise to my father that I'm going to bring back his son, Binyamin. And I'd rather stay here as a slave to you for the rest of my life than to come back to my father without him, without Binyamin, and thereby lose my eternity, lose Olam Haba, go to Gehinnom forever. The fear of Gehinnom, Rabotai Yekarim, was very much a real fear in all of the tzaddikim, from then till now. And Yehuda here is telling Yosef, I have put that on the line. If I don't fulfill the promise to my father by bringing back his son Binyamin,

7:56Don't have an alarm about it, and not having an alarm doesn't mean you just disappear like some people think. Rather, it's important to understand that if you go astray, you're going to face consequences forever. That's why it's critical not to be considered a sinner forever. What the Torah is telling us is that it's better to be a lifelong servant of Hashem than even one moment as a wicked person in the eyes of God. Woe to us on the day of judgment. Woe to us on the day of rebuke when each and every single one of us has to face HaKadosh Baruch Hu and He has to determine whether we are really righteous or wicked. Many people think that they're much more righteous than what they really are until they start learning Torah, and they realize that the list of required fulfilled tasks in order to be righteous is very different from what their imagination was. See here, Yehudah is telling Yosef, I'd rather be enslaved so that you could do whatever you want. Yosef could not keep his face straight anymore, and he cried out, saying to them, "I am Yosef, I am Yosef! Is my father still alive?"

8:57see here Yehudah is telling Yosef, "I'd rather be a slave. Do whatever you want with me. Yosef could not steal his face anymore, could not keep his face straight anymore, and he cried out. He says to them, 'I am Yosef. I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?'" The brothers could not respond to him. And the Chachamim say the reason why is because as soon as they realized that this is really Yosef, every one of them had a heart attack and died. All of them died, and HaKadosh Baruch Hu resurrected them. This was one of the few resurrections that actually happened. Another famous one was at the time of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).

9:59The famous segment of the Navi called the Dry Bones, the multiple times that Hashem resurrected the dead: This was one of them. He also resurrected Am Yisrael after they died at Mount Sinai from the fear of God's voice. Here, the brothers died from the fear of embarrassment, realizing that all this time... It's Yosef, which means that the dreams he had 22 years ago, or at this point, 27 years ago, 29 years ago, were right. He was right. He was righteous. We made a mistake. In so many words, we've been living a lie for 30 years. We are meant to be a light. unto the nations not to follow their misguided practices. Remember, every Jew has to remember that he's a Jew and she's a Jew. We don't celebrate non-Jewish holidays, even if they seem harmless. It's a zilzul, a disrespect to the Torah.