Parshat Vayigash
As the saga of Yosef and his brothers draws to an end in this week’s parsha, we read of the emotional reunion of the children of Ya’akov — of Yosef with his younger brother, and of Ya’akov with his beloved “ben zekunim (son of his old age).” After the struggles and the enmity that have filled the last two parshiyot — after the sorrow and the regret that was expressed in the past seven perakim — the Torah leaves us with a satisfying conclusion. The family is finally reunited!
The Maharal makes an interesting comment regarding the tears shed by Yosef, upon his embrace of Binyamin. Certainly, these were tears of emotion upon Yosef’s long-awaited reconnection with his mother’s only other son. However, the Maharal suggests that the tears were also shed as Yosef foresaw the very prophecy of Yechezkel that we read in this week’s haftarah, the promise that Efrayim — the tribe of Yosef — would eventually reunite with Binyamin, who remained part of the kingdom of Yehuda. More importantly, that meant that the northern kingdom of Efrayim, would return to the kingdom of Yehuda and, therefore, to the Davidic dynasty.
Often, when preparing these articles, I will experience an “epiphany.” Well, not exactly … But I will uncover something about the haftarah that was always there, but that I never realized before. It is a very exciting moment — but also rather humbling (“Why didn’t I think of this before!”). This happened to me; it actually occurred to me while preparing this essay. I suddenly realized that the nevuah of Yechezkel relates to more than the reunion of the brothers alone. In fact, there are parallels between the two stories that we might not see at first glance.
The story of Yosef begins with the clear preference shown to him by his father (“ketonet passim — a coat of many colors,”) which causes resentment and the distancing of the brothers from Yosef. In the same — but reversed way — the resentment of the tribes (led by Shevet Yosef) was caused by the clear preference shown by to Yehuda by Shlomo, in taxing them less than he taxed the other tribes; something which led the tribes to distance themselves from the Solomonic kingship. The brothers’ resentment led to arguments and fights with Yosef (“velo yachlu dabro leshalom”); the tribes’ anger led them to fight and even war against the Judean kingdom.
Eventually, the tribes of Yosef are forcibly exiled to a foreign land and to a different culture, much as Yosef was driven from his land and his family to a foreign land and foreign culture.
Of course, the critical difference between the stories is precisely what we read in our parasha: the reunification of the shattered family, which never took place between the ancient tribes. In fact, the rabbis of the Talmud disagree as to whether the prophesied rapprochement between the kingdoms is even still relevant. Clearly, it has not happened … or, has it?
Today, we see remnants of the tribes of Ephraim, of Dan, of Reuven and others returning to Yehuda — or, more correctly — to a united Yisrael. We witness the very fruition of the prophecy of Yechezkel that we read in the haftarah. We are seeing the words of the prophets and the promises of Hashem coming true before our very eyes! “Mah tov chelkeinu — How fortunate is our portion!”
And so, when you hear the brachot recited over the haftarah, and you hear it said: “Vedavar echad mid’varecha achor lo yashiv reikom — that not one of Your promises will ever go unfulfilled,” — just remember what our haftarot promise. And, just look and see what is happening today!
Rabbi Neil Winkler is the rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, and now lives in Israel.
