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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- VAYIGASH
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
There are of course, those most unpleasant of times, when individuals must ‘come clean,’ or, ‘face the music,’ in order to extricate themselves from a larger predicament into which they have fallen. Such action is basically the acceptance of the unpleasant results of one's own exploits. And, unless one comes completely clean with himself and others who are involved, the initial problem he created is never resolved.
How very interesting that the only manner in which to disentangle so many of life’s annoying problems, is by introducing the factor of truth, which not only causes an immediate understanding of the situation, but, can also lead to reconciliation and forgiveness. This is clearly seen in this week’s Sidra, wherein the brothers return to Eretz Canaan from Egypt, to inform their father Ya’akov that Yosef still lives:
“And they (brothers) told him (Ya’akov), saying, ‘Yosef is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt!’ And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.” (B’raishis 45:26)
Ya’akov would not believe that Yosef lived, because the lie of ‘Yosef is without doubt torn in pieces’ (ibid. 37:33) was never admitted to by the brothers. And, as long as the truth of having sold their brother remained concealed from their father, Ya’akov would never believe anything his sons had to say about Yosef, as can be seen in the Avos D’Rabbi Noson (end of chapter 30):
“Rabbi Shimon stated, ‘The punishment of the liar is that even though he speaks the truth, no one listens to him. For, so we find with the sons of Ya’akov, who lied to their father. Initially, he believed them, as it states, ‘And they took Yosef’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.’ (ibid. 37:31) And, it is stated (afterwards), ‘And he (Ya’akov) recognized it (coat), and said, “It is my son’s coat.” (ibid. 37:33) But, in the end, even though they spoke the truth (that Yosef lives) before him, he did not believe them, as it is stated, “And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.” (B’raishis 45:26)’”
Ya’akov’s reluctance to believe his sons caused the brothers of Yosef to acknowledge that as long as the lie of having sold their brother remained undisclosed, they would never be successful in anything they did. It was in a manner of a cliché, time to ‘fess up,’ and seek forgiveness and pardon for having sold their brother, as we see from the following Passuk (verse):
“And they (brothers) told him (Ya’akov) all the words of Yosef, which he had said to them; and when he (Ya’akov) saw the wagons which Yosef had sent to carry him, the spirit of Ya’akov their father revived.” (ibid. 45:27)
Once the brothers told their father all the words of Yosef, Ya’akov finally believed them. But, what did the brothers mean by ‘all the words of Yosef’? It is as the Passuk informs us, when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers:
“And Yosef said to his brothers, ‘Come near me, I beg you!’ And they came near. And he said, ‘I am Yosef your brother, whom you sold into Egypt!’” (ibid. 45:4)
Only when the brothers told their father that they sold Yosef, as was stated to them by the words of Yosef, would Ya’akov finally believe that Yosef still lived.
In a very fitting conclusion to this entire matter, the words of the Mai’Ain Bais HaSho’Aiva, by Rav Shimon Schwab of blessed memory (1908- 1993), are offered. But first, some degree of background information is necessary, concerning the Mitzvah of Egla Arufa (the beheaded heifer):
“If one is found slain in the land which HaShem your G-d gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has slain him.” (D’varim 21:1)
After a process of measuring, the Z’kainim (elders) of the city which is closest to the slain body, do the following:
“And it shall be, that the city which is nearest to the slain man, the Z’kainim of that city shall take a heifer, which has not been worked with, and which has not pulled in the yoke. And the Z’kainim of that city shall bring down the heifer to a rough ravine, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the ravine. (ibid. 21:3-4)
At the completion of Egla Arufa, we find:
“And they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. Forgive HaShem, your people Yisroel, whom you have redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to Your people of Yisroel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them!’” (ibid. 21:8-9)
As we have earlier seen, when Yosef’s brothers returned to their father Ya’akov, they came with wagons sent by the Pharaoh, in which to carry Ya’akov to Egypt. It was through these wagons, that Yosef sent a hidden and personal message, based on a double entendre, to his father, to believe what his brothers were telling him, as is seen in the Midrash B’raishiis Rabbah 94-3:
“Rabbi Levi expounded in the name of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Shaul that he (Yosef) had told them (his brothers), ‘If he believes you (that I live), that is well! But if not, say to him (in my name), “When I left you, was I not engaged in studying with you the chapter of the beheaded heifer (Egla Arufa)?”
And, it just so happens that in LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue), the word Agala is of the same linguistic root as either heifer or wagon. Hence, the Midrash explains, Ya’akov suddenly believed the brothers when they informed him that Yosef still lived.
Yet, expounded Rav Shimon, there was still much more involved in Ya’akov believing his sons, than a simple double entendre. For what the brothers were saying was ‘Forgive HaShem, your people Yisroel, whom you have redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to Your people of Yisroel’s charge,’ as is found in conjunction with the Mitzvah of Egla Arufa.
The brothers then, were fully confessing that even though the blood of their brother Yosef was not upon them, they did in fact, sell him into slavery. More than simply playing a word game with his father, Yosef wanted to stress to Ya’akov that his brothers were now fully remorseful and repentant of the selling into slavery of their own flesh and blood, and, were finally prepared to ‘come clean’ to their father, a process not dissimilar to Egla Arufa.
And so, only the disclosure of truth can resolve many of life’s very annoying difficulties, into which we foolishly stagger on occasion. The continuation of that which is false on the other hand, never frees us from the torment of our own imprudent actions. All in all, a very good lesson to keep in mind.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendence- speedily, and in our times.
Good Shabbos. Happy Chanukah.
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