Vayigash
This portion contains the next instalment of the Joseph story. Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers. The men are instructed to bring their father and their households to reside in the region of Goshen in the land of Egypt.
Raphael Zarum
Dr Raphael Zarum is the Chief Executive and Head of Faculty at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS).
Make no mistake, our sedra opens with the climactic showdown of Genesis. From the beginning, the book has been brewing a horrid theme: Cain killed Abel (4:8), Esau craved killing Jacob (27:41), and Joseph's brothers were intent on killing him (37:18). Fratricide runs deep in Bereishit, one midrash even holds Abraham responsible for the death of his brother, Haran (11:28).
Brother killing brother is fated in nearly every ancient mythology, but the first book of our Torah wants to redeem that tragedy. And so begins Vayigash: "Then Judah approached Joseph..." (44:18). Both men have been through life-changing experiences in the previous chapters. Joseph had learned to master his dreams for good (41:34) and recognise their Divine source (41:6). Judah had learnt to take real responsibility for his choices (38:26) and for his family (43:9).
Last week’s sedra, Miketz, ended with a shocking cliff-hanger. Joseph, dripping with poignant irony, says that only the one who actually stole his goblet had to stay behind, the rest of the brothers were free to "go up in peace to your father". (44:17). As if Jacob could ever recover if Benjamin was returned! As if that household would ever know peace again! As if!
So Judah stands up to Joseph and mounts a show-stopping 17-verse soliloquy. It's High Noon and you can feel the tension as the two brothers stare each other down. In the midrash (Genesis Rabbah 93:6-9) this is an epic and violent face-off. Judah threatens to paint Egypt red with blood. In response Joseph gets his son, Manasseh, to physically intimidate Judah. When Judah's yelling and stamping are heard throughout Egypt, Joseph can take no more and declares himself (45:3).
And what happens next? There is reconciliation, there is intimacy, and there is a future. Words failed the first ever brothers leading to murder. But here, in Vayigash, words do not fail. Each side manages to openly and painfully express their intense feelings. Despite everything, they find a way to make peace.
Another Voice
Abi Dauber-Sterne is the Director of the Mandel Jerusalem Fellows program at the Mandel Leadership Institute. Before moving to Israel in 2007, she worked as the founding director of Limmud NY.
Why are we Jews (Yehudim) named after Judah (Yehudah)? Judah, who sold his brother Joseph; Judah who had an illicit relationship with Tamar, the prostitute. Each of these egregious acts was followed by weighty signs of repentance. Upon discovering who Tamar was, Yehudah exclaimed in deep remorse: "Tzadkah Mimeni - she is more righteous than I."
When Judah meets Joseph in Egypt, the Torah's words: "Vayigash elav Yehudah", similarly demonstrate Judah's willingness to come forward. Judah's readiness to take responsibility for his actions is a model for how we live as Jews.