Parsha Summary
This week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, opens as Judah pleads with Joseph (whose identity is still disguised) to free his brother Benjamin. Judah says that his father Jacob will surely die if Benjamin is not brought home and asks to be enslaved in place of Benjamin. Joseph does not accept the offer. The confrontation intensifies.
Finally, Joseph clears the room of Egyptians and reveals his identity to his brothers. He tells them that he bears no grudge against them for selling him into slavery years before. "Your actions were part of a Divine plan," he assures them. "I was sold down to Egypt for a greater good: to provide our family with sustenance during this terrible hunger."
Joseph sends his brothers back to Israel, along with chariots to bring Jacob and their families down to Egypt. Before Jacob leaves Israel, G-d appears to him in a vision, and assures him that He will be with him in Egypt. G-d promises that eventually the Jewish family will return to Israel as a mighty nation. When Jacob and his family arrive in Egypt, Pharaoh asks to meet them. On Joseph’s advice, they tell him that they are shepherds who wish only to tend their flock. Pharaoh offers them the land of Goshen, a region far removed from the immorality that pervades Egyptian culture – a location they had desired.
The portion concludes by explaining how the Egyptians survived during the years of hunger. Joseph sold all the food supply he had stored over the seven abundant years and saved the money in Pharaoh’s treasuries. When the Egyptians ran out of money, they sold their properties to Joseph in return for food. He allowed them to use their previously owned fields, but they now had to pay a 20% flat tax to Pharaoh’s treasury .
The Brothers’ “ Eureka” Moment
We all encounter situations, whether on a personal or communal level, that leave us wondering why they’ve occurred. These issues can run the gamut, from losing a job, a loved one, or pondering broader issues, such as why tragedies occur in the world.
Then suddenly, we may have a “eureka” moment, where disparate events suddenly make sense and fall into place. When we see seemingly random occurrences in context, it gives meaning to what has transpired and we are able to understand and move on.
In this week’s portion, the Torah that this was exactly how Joseph’s brothers felt when Joseph revealed his identity to them.
The brothers had been perplexed. They had been treated harshly by this ruler, who seemed to know everything about them. He had concocted a story that put their youngest brother in jeopardy, just what their father had feared and had hoped to prevent by forbidding Benjamin from traveling with them. In the back of their minds, they thought about their brother, whom they had sold years before, and wondered if the manner in which they were being treated had any connection to the way they had treated their own brother.
When Joseph proclaimed, “Ani Yosef, I am Joseph” everything immediately fell into place. They instantly recognized that all the events through the years made sense. Joseph’s dreams, where he was the ruler and they bowed to him, had come true. They at once understood why he had treated them harshly and made them bring Benjamin to Egypt, to see if they still harbored any ill will toward him and to see if they had overcome it with his brother (both Joseph and Benjamin were the sons of Rachel, while the other brothers had different mothers). Suddenly, it all made sense. It was their “eureka” moment.
Sometimes we have our own personal “eureka” moments, and other times we don’t. Things occur in life for which we have no answers. And sometimes there are no answers. Yet the Chofetz Chaim says that when G-d will reveal Himself to mankind at the coming of the Messiah, He will proclaim “Ani Hashem, I am G-d,” and the entire world will experience a “eureka” moment. Everything will become clear once and for all. Just as Joseph’s cry “Ani Yosef” instantly clarified everything for the brothers, G-d’s call will clarify everything for us.
Our belief in the Creator carries with it the understanding that everything that takes place, on the personal or communal level, has a purpose, whether we understand it or not. May we all merit the day when we will hear G-d’s proclamation, “Ani Hashem,” when we will completely understand and truly appreciate His infinite wisdom.