Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayigash 5772 by Juli Goodman

In the beginning of parshat vayigash Yoseph's brothers encounter him in Egypt. After a while he just can't take the secret he's been keeping from them and passionately reveals his true identity. He reveals that he is in fact their brother and not some unknown heartless Egyptian bureaucrat. Identity is a funny thing; it's malleable and constantly changing. The Torah, especially in the preceding chapters, reflects this concept: Avram become Avraham, Sarai become Sarah, Yakov becomes Yisrael. Yet, when Yosef reveals himself to his brothers he reveals himself as their brother. Despite having been sold into slavery and imprisoned in Egypt only to rise through the ranks of Egyptian society, he is still Yoseph. Avraham and Sarah get their names changed as a symbol of the future of their descendants and the added responsibility that goes along with it for them. Yaakov gets his name changed after he quite literally struggles with God and comes out through it. In these instances the name change reflects a change.

So where's Yoseph's?

While it's indisputable that he went through a lot he did not necessarily change in the ways the others did. He changed who he was, but at what cost? At the cost of abandoning his roots. While the others advanced who they were Yoseph seems to have only moved forward and as such merits no name change. The message here is simple: changing your identity is fine, even good, but when you do it make sure you do it right without abandoning who you are. I would like to wish everyone a Shabbat Shalom and may you all continue to advance and not just move forward.