Parashat Vayigash – 5785

04 January 2025

Week of 04 -11 Januaryr 2025

Dear friends and readers, the Parasha of this Shabbat (Gen 44:18-47:27) contemplates the great tragedy of Jacob’s family life. The preferences and jealousy among Jacob’s sons resulted in the sale of one of his brothers (Joseph) to Egypt. Today’s story shows two important aspects: on the one hand, through a natural phenomenon (a great drought), God provokes the meeting of those who lived apart, on the other hand, the meeting of brothers who no longer recognised each other, highlighting the great compassion of the one who was wronged (Joseph) by the other brothers. Joseph’s unreserved forgiveness of his brothers re-established all the family’s fraternal bonds.

Any attempt to replace the Jewish commentaries on the Torah with other commentaries would be unwise as well as a missed opportunity to let oneself be enriched.

I bring some comments from Rashi (Rabbi Shelomo Ben Itzhak 1040-1105) who brings in his comments the great oral tradition that preceded him, adding his comments highlighting the literal (obvious) meaning of the text.

Just to taste a little of the richness of his comments and which also covers this Parasha on Genesis 45, 12 it says: “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you” (Gn 45:12). Rashi brings out new elements (Hidush) in the text that are not evident in a cursory reading of the text. Therefore, Rashi applies the rabbinical principle: to scrutinise the Torah, to seek it without ceasing. In this verse, Rashi comments: ‘You can see for yourselves’ – The glory to which I have attained. You see that I am your brother, for I am circumcised like you. You also see: ‘that it is really I who am speaking to you’, since I speak to you in the holy language. ‘And so, can my brother Benjamin’, After having mentioned them separately, he places them all on the same plane of equality, as if to say: “Just as I have no hatred on my part against Benjamin, since he had no part in my sale, so I have no hatred in my heart against you.” Here Rashi quotes Megillah 16b.

In another verse we can see Rashi’s humanity. He always seeks to bring a practical lesson to the community’s life of faith. An explanation or commentary that can nourish communitarian religious practice. Let us see in Genesis 46, 29: “Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time”.

Rashi comments: ‘Joseph had his chariot made ready’: It was he himself who harnessed the horses to his chariot, out of concern for wanting to honour his father (Bereshit Raba 55,8). Rashi continues his comment: ‘he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time’: He does not bring with him accusations, but his faults. Here we learn that Joseph weeps a great deal, more than usual. As for Jacob, he did not fall on Joseph’s shoulders and embrace him. Our Masters taught that he was at this time praying the Shema Israel.

I add a final quote from Rashi’s commentary on the following verse, 46:30: “Israel said to Joseph, now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive”. Rashi comments: ‘Now (hapa’am) I am ready to die ’The simple meaning (pashut) corresponds to the translation made by the Targum which says: since I am comforted.  But Rashi, as is his method, seeks in the Midrash a better clarification of this verse, that is, for him what matters is making the word, expression or idea clear, and understandable to the reader. This is what Rashi comments in the sequence: Explanation from the Midrash (Tanhuma Waygash 9): I feared that I would die twice; in this world and in the world to come. The Shekhinah, indeed, withdrew from me and I feared that the Holy One, Blessed be He, would hold me responsible for your death. From the moment you are alive, I will not die but once (pa’am a’hat).

We can learn from Rashi in this Parasha that separation or rupture between people can be the cause of eternal death and, on the contrary, reconciliation between people, in the case of Jacob and Joseph and their brothers, is the source of eternal life.

The Haftarah (prophetic reading that accompanies the Parasha) of the reading for today is Ez 37: 15-28. It practically resumes the theme that is read in the Parasha about the relationship between Judah, representing the brothers who oppose Joseph and sell him and that in the end the great reconciliation and unity of the great family of Jacob takes place. In the same way, the prophet announces the reconciliation between Israel (north) and Judah (south), forming one people, serving the One and Unique God, in one place, in the Temple in Jerusalem.

May the lights of Christmas and Hanukkah illuminate us all in this new year that is beginning. May it be a year of greater encounter between people!

This week’s Parasha Commentary was prepared by
Elio Passeto, NDS, Israel, Director

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