Welcome from Eugene, Oregon, where, even though it is below freezing and there is talk of snow, we are ready to rejoin our heroes. The parsha (weekly Torah portion) from last week ended with Yoseph (Joseph) ready to take Benyamim (Benjamin) because it appeared that he had stolen Yoseph’s divination cup.
This week’s parsha continues from this point with Yehuda (Judah) pleading with Yoseph to take him instead of Benyamim. When Yehuda finishes explaining why Benyamim is so important to their father, Yoseph is overcome with emotions and sends everyone away (except for his brothers). He then reveals himself to his brothers who are speechless.
Yoseph then explains that he doesn’t hold them responsible for anything because he understood that it was haShem’s (god) will that Yoseph be in Egypt to provide for the family during the famine. He tells his brothers to go and get his father.
At this point Pharaoh hears the news that Yoseph’s brothers have arrived and commands them to take wagons and get their father and their families, and that the best of Egypt will be available to them. They go and get Yakov (Jacob) and, after a stop in Baer Sheva so Yakov can, “Talk with god,” they continue to Egypt.
As they arrive in Egypt, we get a listing of the children of Yakov grouped according to their mothers, and we find the total is 70 souls. When they get to Goshen, where they will be living, Yoseph takes his chariot and goes to meet them.
After an emotional reunion with his father, Yoseph tells them that they will meet Pharaoh and, when he asks, they are to say that they are shepherds. We then hear of the meeting and of a second meeting, this one being between Yakov and Pharaoh where Yakov blesses Pharaoh twice.
The parsha ends with the family being provided for, and the rest of Egypt, except for the priests, selling themselves and their land to Yoseph/Pharaoh in order to have anything to eat. And at the very very end, we read that Israel acquires land in Goshen and becomes fruitful and multiplies rapidly.
Please keep in mind that I am just giving a brief overview of the parsha; there is a lot of flesh I am leaving out that is very interesting. I heartily recommend reading it for yourselves.
One of the things that always bothered me about this parsha is why Yoseph has to tell his brothers to answer Pharaoh by saying that they are shepherds. Now perhaps it is because he is afraid they will lie because shepherds are an abomination to the Egyptians. But he also tells them that Pharaoh already knows they are shepherds, so why would they lie? Is this just another way of Yoseph showing he knows best?
One shabbat, a few years back, it finally hit me. They are going before the king, and there are certain protocols that one has to follow when going before the king. All Yoseph is doing is explaining to them the protocols: “Of course the king knows what you do, but he will ask you anyway. And the proper way of responding is…” I remember reading that even the Beatles were instructed how to talk before the queen of England when she gave them their MBEs.
An interesting theme I see here, a theme that started back in the days of the creation, is someone/thing being told how to do something and then seeing how they actually carry out the task. Here, we have Yoseph telling his brothers what to say to Pharaoh, and then we read what they actually said to Pharaoh. One reason I have heard for this is that since the trees didn’t get created the way god told them to be created, we cannot assume anyone/thing will do things the way they are told. So, we not only see what they are told, but also how they actually complete the task. I am sure there is a deep meaning to it, but I don’t know it yet. I do welcome any and all ideas. Please leave them as a comment below.
And then we have Yakov meeting with Pharaoh. Here, Yakov doesn’t get briefed on what to say. I get a sense that this is an informal meeting of two elders who are wise men. I find it interesting that Yakov greets Pharaoh with a blessing and takes his leave of Pharaoh with a blessing (and of course we are not told what those blessings are).
To me, what we are seeing is an example of what god told Abraham: the other nations will be blessed through you. Yakov, the father of the tribes, is showing that the job of the tribes is to bless the other nations when those nations are kind to the tribes. And this Pharaoh was certainly kind to Yakov and his family. In fact he tells them they can have the best that Egypt has. This is an important thing to remember, because when the family of Yakov leaves Egypt, they take with them the wealth of Egypt. Some people might have a problem with that, but they are just taking what was offered to them by Pharaoh himself, when they arrived.
I have no ideas on how all this ties together; these are just the thoughts and ideas that struck me as I was reading the parsha. I am certainly open to anything that any of you wish to share in regards to this.
May all of you find the long lost parts of you and have a joyous reunion in a field of plenty.
If you want to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.