Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27) 
 
  The Creator's Master Plan

From the Weekly Parsha Devar Torah on www.KabbalaOnline.org, Ascent Lights, Contemporary illuminations from the director of Ascent-of-Safed,

By Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter 

Close to the beginning of the portion, when Joseph confesses his identity to his brothers, he says, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" (Gen. 45:3) This question seems to make no sense; the brothers had just mentioned that if Benjamin would not be returned home, that Jacob would die! What was the purpose of asking if Jacob was alive? Even more interesting is that Joseph did not wait for an answer. He continued saying, "Quickly go to my father and bring him here." This proves it was clear that Joseph knew that Jacob was alive.

" Being reunited with Joseph was a matter of life and death for Jacob...." 
 
The Lubavitcher  Rebbe explains that Joseph did not pose a question; it was an exclamation. The reason for such an exclamation is that from the moment that Jacob presumed Joseph to be dead, he refused to be consoled.  Rashi explains a very interesting idea: No one can be consoled on the passing of a living person who is presumed dead. When a person passes away, Heaven decrees that as time passes, the deceased will come to be forgotten and the mourners are consoled. However, this scenario cannot work for a living person. Therefore Jacob never stopped mourning! This is what Joseph was telling his brothers: for 22 years my father has mourned for me. He assumes I am dead, but since I am alive, he cannot be consoled, so my father has lived for 22 years in intense and increasing pain. It is a wonder that he was able to survive such agony!

This was Joseph's introduction to telling his brothers to hurry home and return with Jacob to Egypt. It was not just that Joseph wanted them to inform Jacob that he was alive, but also to bring him back. After so many years of suffering, being reunited with Joseph was a matter of life and death for Jacob.

" Joseph...was on a divine mission...." 
 
This also explains all of Joseph's other statements: Joseph understood that he was doing G-d's will in Egypt, as when he said, "G-d sent me here to preserve life!" Joseph wanted to emphasize to his brothers that it was not they that sent him to Egypt - it was G-d's plan for him! This explained why Joseph could not leave Egypt to visit his father. He was on a divine mission, and was therefore forbidden to take leave.

Joseph also knew that the 22 years that Jacob mourned for him was a direct consequence for the 22 years that Jacob himself had not fulfilled the  mitzvah of honoring his parents, during the time he lived by Laban. As soon as this time was over, not a minute was to be wasted. Why make Jacob suffer any more than necessary. This is also the reason that Joseph kept using the name "Avi", meaning "my father", to show that he, Joseph, wanted to also fulfill the commandment of honoring his father. We learn from this that while sometimes situations require of us that we use a heavy hand, we have to be very careful not to overdo it. Joseph is teaching us that at the very first opportunity, we must act with kindness and compassion.

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

Reprinted with permission from www.KabbalaOnline.org and www.AscentofSafed.com. To learn more about the Kabbalistic and Chasidic Perspectives on the Torah, please visit their sites.