Parashat Vayigash
Tevet 9, 5773 ~ December
22, 2012
By Bill Berdux
Vayigash
to V'Zot HaBerachah
From exit gate to entry portal
To appreciate Vayigash, juxtapose it
with V’Zot HaBerachah. In the former,
the Hebrews depart from their promised land (Bereishit 46:5-7) and in the
latter, B’nai Yisroel makes final preparation to return as a nation, forged in
the furnaces of Mitzrayim and annealed in sequestration, in the wilderness
(Maharil of Sanz in Birkas HaShir; Devarim 34:4-9).
Of the many questions that Vayigash
raises, one concerns the inner nature of Man and whether descendants share
character traits with each other and their ancestors.
At the beginning of creation we get a
glimpse of Man’s nature when Chavah eats from the Tree of Knowledge (Bereishit
3:6) and induces Adam to do the same, soon to be followed by the slaying of
Abel by his brother Cain (Bereishit 4:8).
It should not be surprising when Joseph’s brothers plot to kill him
(Bereishit 37:20). So we ask; is this
man’s spiritual nature or, is it the result of the influence of His physical
DNA? Many people never kill, others
never commit adultery and some are careful not to offend in words or
deeds. There could be a propensity for
negative behavior that surfaces in some and not in others, just as some
children inherit the red hair and blue eyes of one parent while siblings
inherit the black hair and brown eyes of the other parent. During their inhabitance of Eretz Yisroel,
post-exodus, the Jews married within their tribes, ostensibly to keep their
respective lands within their families.
This would also help to ensure that outside influences, i.e. DNA,
wouldn’t affect the spiritual propensities of each tribe.
In Vayigash, Hashem gave Joseph the
wisdom to position the Hebrews separate and apart from the Egyptians. Sforno explains that, “If you remain here
your children will intermarry and become absorbed by the Caananites but in
Egypt they will not be able to do so because the Egyptians may not eat bread
with the Hebrews (Bereishit 43:32); therefore they will be a separate, distinct
people…” Thus, Joseph brought them to
Goshen (Bereishit 46:28), in the Eastern Nile delta. The Hebrews did possess flocks and herds so;
it was an easy matter to convince Pharaoh that they were shepherds, which were
repugnant in the eyes of the Egyptians (Genesis 46:31-34). This helped to establish a respectable
distance between the two societies.
B'nai Yisroel’s journey and the
evolution of the nation were foretold before entry into Mizraim, “… I am the
Omnipotent G-d of your father. Do not be
afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation.” (Bereishit 46:3) Something was going to be performed. The Hebrews are going to be “formed,” so to
speak.
If we first look to Bereishit 2:7, we
learn that “…G-d formed (וַיִּיצֶר - vayyitzer) man….” Vayyitzer is spelled with two Yods where only
one would be sufficient. One explanation
for the use of the double yod is discussed in Bereshit Rabbah 14, (4) where
Chazal explains that they stand for the word "yetzer," which means
impulse, and this existence of two Yods illustrates that Man was “formed” with
two impulses, the yetzer tov (good impulse) and an the yetzer ra (evil
impulse). From this we can see that Man
is born with innate characteristics.
Before descending into Mizraim, all of
the descendants of Jacob that went with him are listed, with no
differentiations being made between the families. The statement is simply “…And these are the
names of the children of Israel who were coming to Egypt: Jacob and his sons…”
(Genesis 46:8). No characteristics were
attributed to the descendants.
Unlike Bereishit 46, in parsha V'Zot
HaBerachah, the 12 tribes are listed but, with distinguishing characteristics
for each tribe (Devarim 33:1-26).
Through the succeeding generations, the twelve tribes would bear the
names of the sons of Yaakov and each would exhibit the characteristics revealed
in Moshe’s blessing. Each tribe would
have its unique strengths and weaknesses and role to play within the Jewish
nation. Some would be priests, others
would be seafarers and traders while some would be farmers or herdsmen and some
would provide warriors for the defense of the nation. For example; “And of Dan he said: ‘Dan is a
young lion, streaming from Bashan.” This
tribe would require the quality of bravery while it inhabited a region located
on a hostile boarder. Each tribe has its
own quality which would be apparent over the generations.
Summarily, Yaakov’s extended family
left Eretz Yisroel in Vayigash, with no disclosure of distinguishing characteristics
and returned in V'Zot HaBerachah where ingrained predispositions, talents and
skills were delineated for each tribe.
This is analogous to young recruits that enter military service as an
untrained, undisciplined mob and are first broken down then, “re-formed” into a
well-trained, highly skilled, cohesive unit.
The Jews were now a nation.
Thus, a good case can be made for the
concept that each person is born with unique characteristics and abilities that
help to shape the life that they will lead.
Some will be proficient at generating wealth, others at providing
artistic talent, some will use interpersonal communication skills to inspire
and lead others. Each of us has unique
characteristics and talents. If we look
closely at the Beth Jacob community we see Torah exemplified in helping hands
being offered, inspiration being provided and respect being shown for
others. Different individuals exhibit
different traits.
There is the family that invited me
into their home for lunch just a few weeks after my wife and I had moved to
Oakland. Later, that week I needed a
kippah and found one in a box next to the shul’s back door. It had a tag sewn into it, commemorating
their son’s recent bar mitzvah. I’ve
been wearing that kippah every day since and it’s the first thing I see each
morning as I get ready to leave the house.
It’s a daily reminder of the kindness and hospitality that I found at
Beth Jacob, reminiscent of Abraham’s hospitality.
There is the gregarious, jovial member
that knows all of the children’s and parents’ names. He could spend his time with any one of
dozens of people during kiddush meals.
He chooses to spend time with me discussing Torah, answering questions,
challenging interpretations and making it possible to bring the Shechinah to
our table. He took an interest in me and
helped with my introduction to a new community, reminiscent of Asher’s joyous
nature and concern for harmony.
There is the gabbai who ensures that
everyone is treated fairly and included in the services according to their
needs. He puts extra effort into
ensuring that there are daily minyans for those saying kaddish and he juggles
honors to make sure that all members are able to meet their obligations,
reminiscent of Isaac who, even though he may have favored the first-born,
selected the son that would remain true to Torah.
There is the Rabbi that that leads
classes through detailed analysis of Torah text, disclosing minutiae that are
generally overlooked and parsing alternative meanings and interpretations. An hour spent on only a few sentences passes
as though it’s only a few minutes and leaves one with even more questions than
when the class started. This would be
reminiscent of Rambam who toiled endlessly to ensure that Jews everywhere could
understand and apply Torah in their lives.
There is the summer study group with
members who invest time and effort into research and preparation of
presentations for the group. Each one is
fully capable of researching and learning the lessons alone, with little or no
assistance, but they choose to invest their valuable time and efforts in
helping others and in listening to what others have to say about Jewish ethics,
halacha and philosophy. A mutual respect
and appreciation is shared by everyone in the group and everyone is encouraged
to fully participate. This is typical of
so many at Beth Jacob, who live Torah as they study it, reminiscent of the
Rishonim who dutifully dedicated their efforts for the sake of their communities.
This community is a savory stew. The spices, sauces, vegetables and meats
blend together to result in a unique flavor; forming an essence unlike any
other. Some members are more amenable
like the seasonings that dissolve into the whole while some provide solid
substance, firm in their positions. The
pepper stimulates the taste buds to open them to the subtle nuances while the
sugar takes the edge off of the sharpness of the vinegar. Remove one ingredient or increase the amount
of another and the stew loses its flavorful balance, its harmony. All ingredients (individuals) are important
contributors, in their own measure.
Through Vayigash we learn that people
can overcome grave mistakes and that goodness can be found even in those who
have gravely harmed others. Levi, after
plotting to kill Joseph, offers himself up, for the sake of Benjamin. Yosef named his firstborn Manasheh, from
Nashani which means "caused me to forget.”
Levi showed us that one’s inner goodness can prevail and Yosef taught us
that forgiving others is an achievable virtue.
Perhaps, we have it in our DNA to follow in these footsteps; on the
other hand, perhaps it’s due to our study of Torah and obedience to our
laws. Therein lays the dilemma, is it
inheritance or conditioning? Either way,
we have to do it together. As the 12
tribes did in their day, it’s within us to succeed in our day.
