Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayigash 5768 by Joshua Rabin

Shalom, my name is Joshua Rabin, and I am a Rabbinical Student at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Welcome to KOACH’s Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Parshat Vayigash represents a moment when the entire Joseph narrative comes to a climax. After the brutal assault by his brothers, the cries of Potiphar’s wife and his subsequent imprisonment in Pharoah’s jail, and his dramatic rise to power in Egypt, Joseph now has the opportunity to deal out retribution to the brothers who caused all of his hardships. And yet, after a dramatic speech from his brother Judah, Joseph ultimately realizes that there is something more important than getting back at his brothers.

One of the most important aspects of the Joseph narrative is epithets, where a character will identify another person as something more than just their name. When Joseph finally decides to reveal himself to his brothers, his two statements each contain an important epithet. First, Joseph says, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" Notice that Joseph’s first statement of identification makes the claim that Jacob is not the father that unites all the brothers, but rather is Joseph’s father alone. This response, however, results in no reaction on the part of his brothers. Thus, in his second statement, Joseph says, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." In this instance, Joseph’s second statement elicits the dramatic reunion between himself and his brothers. As a result, the question should be asked, what is the connection between these two statements?

Our Medieval Commentator Rashi points out that, when Joseph makes his first statement, his brothers are silent due to their shame. However, as pointed out by the modern commentator Aviva Zornberg, "while shame, in classic theological thought, is often considered as forerunner to a positive rearticulation of one’s life, it is also a volatile, potentially dangerous response." But Joseph does not want a volatile reaction, and instead of allowing the shame of his brother’s to persist, Joseph then gives a second, cathartic statement, evoking the reality that, in spite of everything, Joseph is still their brother. While the silence of the brothers was meant to show their shame, Rashi points out that Joseph’s second statement makes clear to the brothers that, in spite of everything, there is no hatred in Joseph’s heart. The brothers can now focus on rebuilding a relationship that was shattered for far too many years. In a moment when Joseph could easily have acted vengefully against his brothers, Joseph ultimately acknowledged the greater truth that love, not hatred, ultimately heals all wounds. May we all have the merit to recognize this essential truth in our everyday lives.

Shabbat Shalom.