Parashat Vayigash

'''Parashat Vayigash'''

==Confrontation==
Yehuda approached Yosef to both appease him but if necessary make war with him.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18">Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18</ref> <ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:20"/> He requested to please speak and that his words should enter<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18">Rashi Berashis 44:18</ref> into his ears. Despite his harsh words,<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18"/> Yehuda asked Yosef not to get angry at him and his face should not wrath,<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18"/> for he is important to him like king Pharaoh.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18"/> By comparing Yosef to Pharaoh, Yehuda was also threatening Yosef that if he would continue to detain Binyamin he would be afflicted with Leprosy, just like the original Pharaoh had been punished because of his great grandmother Sara for the one night he detained her.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18"/> He was also comparing Yosef to Pharaoh who  issues decrees and does not carry them out, makes promises and does not fulfill them, so too Yosef said he just wanted to 'set his eye' on Binyomin and now wanted to detain him as a servant.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18"/>  Yehuda was also threatening that if Yosef was to provoke him, he would kill him and his master Pharaoh,<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:18"/> starting with him first.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18"/> Yehuda also told Yosef that he was equivalent to him for he too was a king.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18"/>

Yehuda reminded Yosef how he had asked them if they had a father or brother. As they were not looking to marry his daughter and since he was not looking to marry their sister, all these question were unneeded an proof that from the start Yosef was looking to accuse them.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:19">Rashi Berashis 44:19</ref> Despite this the Brothers had not concealed from Yosef anything<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:19"/> and responded that they had an elderly father with a  young child of his old age who was loved by their father and whose older brother has died, leaving him as a single remaining child from his mother with no other brothers.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:20"/> Although Yehuda knew that the other brother (Yosef) was still alive, out of fear that Yosef would command them to bring him as well, he made a false statement that he had died.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:20">Rashi Berashis 44:20</ref> He also reffered to Binyomin a child of the 'elderly' because Yackov had passed on to him all the teaching that he had learned from the elders Shem and Ever.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:20"/>

Yosef had then requested them to bring him so he can set his eyes upon him. To this they had replied that the boy can not leave his father out of fear of him dying on the road, just like his mother who had passed away on the road<ref>Rashi Berashis 44:22</ref>. Yosef had then warned them not to return and see his face or even travel the route to Egypt again<ref>Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:23</ref>without their younger brother.

They had gone back to their father and told him the words of Yosef. When he requested that they go back and buy a little food,  they responded that they can not return without Binyomin and see the face of the ruler without their younger brother. Yackov had responded that his wife Rachel had born him two children. One of them disappeared and was surely  torn to pieces, and he had not seen him since. Now if they take Binyamin too away from him, and misfortune befalls him, for the Satan accuses at the time of danger,<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:29">Rashi Berashis 44:29</ref> they will bring down his old age in misery to the grave. Now that Binyamin is with Yackov, he comforts himself over the loss of his mother and brother. Were Binyamin to die, it would seem to him as if all three of them died in one day.<ref name="Rashi Berashis 44:29"/>

Yehuda then asked how he can proceed to return to Yackov without Binyomin since their souls are connected. When he sees that that Binyamin is gone, he will die out of suffering<ref>Rashi Berashis 44:31</ref>. They will cause to bring down their father's  old age in misery to the grave. Binyomin will also pass away because the two can not survive without each other<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:20">Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:20</ref> Yehuda argued that even if Binyamin did steal the goblet, it was only because his youth and it should be overlooked.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:30">Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:30</ref> In fact that was even more of a reason that he should be returned to his father, so he can continue educating his manners.<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:30"/>

Yehuda then explained that he personally had assumed responsibility for Binyomin and would be a sinner forever is he did not return him. He then offered to take the place of Binyomin and be a slave in his place and he can do with him as he wishes,<ref name="Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:18"/> so Binyamin could return with the Brothers since he could not return and see the misery that would befall Yackov.

==Revelation==
Yosef could not bear the Egyptians surrounding him witness his revelation to his brothers and called out asking them to step out of the room. He wept out loud and was heard by the Egyptian and the house of Pharaoh. Then he revealed to his brothers that he was Yosef and asked if Yackov was still alive. The brothers could not answer him because they were startled by his presence. Yosef asked his brothers to step closer and repeated that he was their brother Yosef whom they sold into Egypt. He then told them not to be sad or troubled due to the sale, since Hashem had sent him there to preserve their life since two years had already passed from the famine and there were five more to go where there would be neither plowing nor harvest. Hashem had therefore sent him before them make for them remnant in the land and to preserve it for a great deliverance. They had not sent him to Egypt but rather Hashem who made him a father to Pharaod, a lord over all his household and a ruler over the entire land.

==Sending for Yaackov==
Yosef instructed the Brother to go and get Yacckov and tell him that Hashem had made him a a lord over all the Egyptians and he should not delay. Let him come and dwell in the land of Goshen, where he can be near him. Yackov should relocate with all his children, grandchildren, flocks, cattle and possessions. Yosef will then sustain them since there are still five years of famine, lest they become impoverished.

Yosef then pointed out that both the Brothers and Binyomin saw how it his mouth speaking to them. They should tell Yaakov of all his honor in Egypt and all they had seen. They should hasten and bring Yackov down to Egypt.

===Serach Bas Asher===
When the brothers sold Yosef they made a group oath of excommunication, were any to reveal what had occurred. Later this was revealed to Serach bas Asher through prophecy, who used it to gently break the news to Yackov that Yosef was still alive. Asher was wrongly excommunicated by the Brothers for revealing this to his daughter, since the conversations of a child originated from either his father or mother. Moshe completely absolved the excommunication with his blessing to the Tribe of Asher that countered all restrictive laws of an excommunication.<ref>Baal Haturim Devarim 33:24</ref>

==Embracing the Brothers==
Yosef fell on his brother Binyomin's neck and wept, Binyamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, afterwards his brothers spoke with him.	

==Instruction of Pharaoh==
The voice was heard in Pharaoh's house that Yosef's brothers had arrived. It pleased Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh told Yosef to instruct his brother to load their donkeys and return to the land of Canaan. They should take their father and households and come back and he will give them the best of Egypt so they can eat the fat of the land. Yosef is to command them to take wagons and bring their young children and wives as well as their father. They should not be concerned about their utensils for the best of all the land of Egypt is theirs.

==Return==
Yosef gave them wagons by Pharaoh's orders and provisions for the way. He gave them each several pairs of clothes. To Binyamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five pairs of clothes. For Yackov he sent ten male donkeys carrying from the best of Egypt and ten she donkeys carrying grain, bread and other food, for his father's trip. Yosef instructed his brother not to quarrel on the way.

The Brothers went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Yackov. They told him Yosef was still alive and he ruled over the entire land of Egypt. Yackov's  heart changed, for he did not believe them. When they told him all of Yosef's words and he saw the wagons that he had sent, the spirit of their Yaackov was revived. Now that Yosef was alive he would go see him before he died. Yackov had not wanted to go to Egypt but now that he heard his son Yosef was there he traveled immediately, like a cow that does not want to be slaughtered but when her son is brought in she follows.<ref>Baal HaTurim Berashis 44:29</ref>

==Stop at Beer Sheva==
Yackov and his family set out and came to Beer Sheva where he slaughtered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak. Hashem to Yackov in visions of the night, calling him 'Yaakov, Yaakov' and telling them that He is G-D the G-D of his father. Yakov should not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for there He will make him into a great nation.

===The Promise===
Hashem promised to go down with him to Egypt and also bring him up. Yosef would place his hand on his eyes.

==Descent==
The Brothers carried Yaakov, their wives and young children in the that Pahraoh had given them. Yackov and all his descendants took their livestock and their possessions that they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came to Egypt.

===The 70 Souls===
These are the names of the children of Yisroel who came to Egypt, numbering 66 and along with the family of Yosef totaling 70. The wives of the Tribes were not counted.
 
'''Sons of Leah''' (totaling 33)
* 1 - Reuvain, Yackov's firstborn
** 2 - Chanoch
** 3 - Pallu
** 4 - Chezron
** 5 - Carmi
* 6 - Shimon
** 7 -Yemuel
** 8 - Yamin
** 9 - Ohad
** 10 - Yachin
** 11 - Zohar
** 12 - Shaul the son of the Canaanitess.
* 13 - Levi
** 14 - Gershon
** 15 - Kehas
** 16 - Merari
* 17 - Yehuda (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan)
** 18 - Shelah 
** 19 - Perez
*** 20 - Chezron
*** 21 - Chamul
** 22 - Zerah
* 23 - Yisaschar
** 24 - Tola
** 25 - Puvvah
** 26 - Yob
** 27 - Shimron
* 28 - Zevulun
** 29 - Sered
** 30 - Elon
** 31 Yachleel
* 32 - Dena, his daughter
'''Sons of Zilpah''' (totaling 16)
* 33 - Gad
** 34 - Ziphion
** 35 - Chaggi
** 36 - Shuni
** 37 - Ezbon
** 38 - Eri
** 39 - Arodi
** 40 - Areli
* 41 - Asher
** 42  - Yimnah
** 43 - Yishvah
** 44 - Yishvi
** 45 - Briah
*** 46 - Chever
*** 47 - Malkiel
** 48 - Serach, their sister
'''Sons of Rochel''' (totaling 14)
* 49 - Yosef who married Asnat the adopted daughter of Potiphera, the governor of On
** 50 - Manasheh
** 51 - Ephraim
* 52  - Binyamin
** 53 - Bela
** 54 - Becher
** 55 - Ashbel
** 56 -  Gera
** 57 - Na'aman
** 58 - Echi
** 59 - Rosh
** 60 - Muppim
** 61 - Chuppim
** 62 - Ard
'''Sons of Bilhah''' (totaling 7)
* 63 - Dun
** 64 - Chushim
* 65 - Naftali
** 66 - Yachtziel
** 67 -  Guni
** 68 - Yetzer
** 69 - Shillem

==Introduction to Pharoh==
Yosef took with him Zevulon, Gad, Dan, Naftali and Asher because they looked weak, so that Pharaoh should not appoint them as his war officers. These were also the Tribes who has their names doubled in the Blessings of Moshe<ref name="Rashi Devarim 33:18">Rashi Devarim 33:18</ref>

==References==
<references/>



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