Drawing Down the Light

This week’s Torah portion is Vayigash, which means, “and he approached.” Joseph, viceroy of Egypt, had framed Benjamin, his youngest brother, in order to take him into custody and find out whether his brothers would abandon Benjamin, as they once abandoned him. As this portion opens, Judah, the fourth brother, who had promised their Father, Jacob, to return Benjamin unharmed, comes forward to plead for Benjamin’s freedom. When Joseph learns that his brothers love and support Benjamin, Joseph reveals his identity to them and forgives them. He then arranges to bring his father and his brothers’ families to Egypt so that they will be sustained during the continuing famine.

Judah’s speech to the Viceroy Joseph is said to be one of the most eloquent orations in the Torah. Judah begins by recounting the story of how they came to be in Egypt, standing before Joseph. Judah uses the word, father, 14 times in 17 verses, to arouse his pity. Joseph appears to be unmoved through much of the speech. Judah tells Joseph that their father would be devastated by the loss of Benjamin, the youngest son and Joseph’s only full brother, the only brother who was not a part of putting Joseph into the pit and planning to sell him. It is not until Judah pleads with Joseph to imprison him in Benjamin’s place, saying “Now therefore, I beg you, let your servant remain instead of the lad to be a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad is not with me, lest I see the evil that shall befall my father.”(Gen 44: 33-4). Only then Joseph cries out and reveals himself to his brothers.

It was Judah’s compassion for his father and his being willing to suffer for the well being of his father and brother that moved Joseph so greatly. Judah’s act of nobility, his compassion, showed how much he had changed. In the book, Messengers of God, Elie Wiesel says: “One is not born a tzaddik. One must strive to become one, and having become a tzaddik, one must strive to remain one (P. 67-8). Judah had changed so greatly from the young man whose idea it was to sell Joseph. After experiencing the death of his wife and two eldest sons he almost had his daughter-in-Law, the pregnant Tamar burned, she who carried his own two additional children. His confession that he had not kept his promise to Tamar; his grief at his enormous losses, changed him into the man who stood before Joseph, able to sacrifice himself for his father and brother. Joseph, too, had changed so greatly, from the callous teenager who tattled on his big brothers, to the person who needs and wants his family and is willing to forgive them completely.

The Midrash quotes Proverbs, “Counsel is like deep water in the human heart. The wise one draws it forth (20:5).” The S’fat Emet speaks of drawing water as drawing new light from the heavenly root. This is our task: in uncertain times there is a deep well of wisdom that is available to us, working on our behalf if we, like Judah and Joseph, are able to draw the light from its heavenly root. Judah says in his speech, “If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again (43:5).” The Berdichever Rebbe interpreted this as: if you are not concerned for your brother, (understood as our neighbor), all our brothers and sisters, all those who we can have compassion for, we will not see God’s face.

There is a lovely story from the Talmud about a tzaddik: R. Abba was one day sitting at the gate of Lydda when he saw a man come and seat himself on a ledge overhanging the ground. Being weary from traveling, he fell asleep. R. Abba saw a snake glide up towards the man, but, before it reached him, a branch fell from a tree and killed it. The man then woke up, and catching sight of the snake in front of him stood up; and no sooner had he done so than the ledge gave way, and crashed into the hollow beneath it. R. Abba then approached him and said: ‘Tell me, what have you done that God should perform two miracles for you?’ The man replied: ‘Never did anyone do an injury to me but that I made peace with him and forgave him. Moreover, if I could not make peace with him, I did not retire to rest before I forgave him together with all those who vexed me; nor was I at any time concerned about the evil the man did me; nay more, from that day onward I exerted myself to show kindness to such a man.’ Tears came to R. Abba’s eyes and he said: ‘This man's deeds excel even those of Joseph; for Joseph showed forbearance towards his own brethren, upon whom it was natural for him to have compassion; but this man did more, and it was thus befitting that the Holy One should work for him one miracle upon another (Zohar I:201b).

Our caring, our compassion for each other is priceless in the Universe, priceless to God. Our forgiveness is crucial to our growth and our own being forgiven. May we strive to find that center of caring and compassion in ourselves that draws down the light and love and compassion of the world. May we become greater than we are, more blessed than we can imagine.