Category — Vayigash

We all have had those awkward moments which we wish would never have happened, and which we later tried unsuccessfully to forget. But the story of Yosef meeting his brothers definitely takes the cake as one of the most awkward moments in the Torah.

It’s so awkward, that it’s almost surreal.

Here we have siblings who took the term ’sibling rivalry’ to a whole new level (save for Cain killing Abel), and after tormenting and harassing their brother Yosef for the longest time, they then plotted to kill him. Only with some last minute intervention did they change the ‘punishment’, and instead sold him to wanderers as if he were an animal.

Jump forward 22 years. Yosef had spent portions of those years as a slave, another few years incarcerated in prison, and now he’s been appointed as second to the most powerful person in the world for the latter decade.

And now the brothers have returned, and unknowingly found themselves at the mercy of the one person whose life they had all but destroyed.

By now the sparks were flying between Yosef and his brothers. Yosef had just given his brothers a real run for their money, playing with their nerves and testing their commitment to family. And at the moment of the greatest tension…

Yosef breaks the news: “I am Yosef your brother! Is my father still alive?”

Like I said, awkward is the only way to describe that moment.

It lasted for barely one moment.

The next moment however, turned out to be (one of the) the most forgiving, mature, holy and thought provoking moments in the Torah.

“Oh, don’t be sad about what you’ve done to me, it was all a plan of G-d! Here, let me hug you! Take these presents, they are for you! Please won’t you all come down to Egypt? I will support you and your families! I love you my dear brothers, there is not a grudge in my heart against you!”

How great was this man who took the most awkward moment and turned into the greatest moment of reconciliation.

It was a moment four thousand years ago, but remains as a lesson for all time.

***

A guy had been feeling down for so long that he finally decided to seek the aid of a psychiatrist.

He went there, lied on the couch, spilled his guts then waited for the profound wisdom of the psychiatrist to make him feel better.

The psychiatrist asked him a few questions, took some notes, and then sat thinking in silence for a few minutes with a puzzled look on his face.

Suddenly, he looked up with an expression of delight and said, “Um, I think your problem is low self-esteem. It is very common among losers.”

Hakhel:

We are all part of one body. Each limb is needed for a compete body.

This guy enters the maternity ward with his wife.

He turns to the nurses and warns them that the baby better be a boy, or else he will destroy the hospital!

Ten minutes later a nurse walks out shivering: “Umm… Umm… your wife…. Had a beautiful……. girl……..”

BAM! SMASH! Within five minutes the waiting room looks like it has been hit by a hurricane scoring 8 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Suddenly a doctor runs out and says, “We made a mistake; it’s a boy!”

“Ah!” The guy smiles, “I told my wife you can only get your way with violence…”

***

Brother against brother.

The younger brother Joseph sits on the Egyptian throne, while the older brother Judah is a native who came down to Egypt to bring some food for his starving family.

Fast-forwarding the story, we find ourselves in the palace.

There is tough talk happening; threats are being thrown around. And Joseph is not the one talking. Strangely enough, it’s Judah who is acting like the big shot.

“If you insist on taking Benjamin as prisoner, I will destroy Egypt, kill every living being, and you will be the first order of business!”

Yo! Relax, kid! You’re talking to the second-most powerful man in the world. I know he wants to kidnap your brother, but hey, where is some diplomacy? And you’ve got to learn to calm your temper – it isn’t good for the blood pressure!

Besides, instead of one man down, you’re now putting all the brothers in jeopardy! How would your father handle that?

What was Judah thinking?

Answer is that he wasn’t!

All Judah knew was that he had promised his father Jacob to bring back Benjamin alive and well. He had guaranteed that this Jewish child would come home. And now someone planned on ruining the deal.

Cries Judah : I don’t care who it is, and why. I promised my father! Whatever it takes!

Yes, diplomacy is often a better choice; however, there comes a time when we must cast it aside and scream: Enough is enough!

Terrorism in the Holy-Land.

Genocide in Darfur.

Murder in Ethiopia.

Destruction of morality the world over.

Diplomacy is not the solution. You are.