The Setting: Joseph is now the Viceroy of Egypt. During a famine,
Joseph's brothers come down
south to Egypt from Canaan to procure grain that Joseph had conserved
during seven years of plenty. Joseph recognized his brothers but they
had no clue who this almost Royal was. It's a very long story and you
can read it in the original - the Torah - but Joseph appears to
take his one full brother Benjamin captive. His purpose is to see
what his other brothers' response would be.
Judah, who took a leadership role
amongst the brothers, designates himself to appear before Joseph to
plead for his brother Benjamin's release. And that brings us to the
opening of this week's Parsha Vayigash.
In Hebrew, the opening three words
are Vayigash aylav Yehudah. Judah approached him. Who is the "him"
here? The context makes it clear that "him" is Joseph. Judah
approached Joseph. That is what is called the Peshat of the text, the
literal, plain meaning of the words. We read the Torah not only for
the literal meaning but also for Derash, lessons we can learn out of
the text. There is a wonderful Hasidic Derash on these three seemingly
simple words "Judah approached him."
Why doesn't the Torah clearly say
Judah approached Joseph? What is the deeper meaning of the less direct
words "Judah approached him?" This Hasidic homily suggests that Judah
first approached himself before he could appear before Egypt's
Viceroy. Judah had to connect with the best within himself in order to
argue his case.
Judah was a man of multiple
blemishes, but at the core of his being, he was better than these
blemishes suggest. Judah needed to approach his best self to take on
this daunting task.
I remember a Jackie Mason routine
some years ago about a guy who goes to a psychiatrist. The doctor
tells him that they have to begin a search for the real me. "But what
happens if I find the real me and I don't like him? If I'm not the
real me then why should I pay you, let the real me pay you. What
happens if the real me is you? Then you can pay me?" For Jackie Mason
this is a big joke because he knows that this is also the most serious
stuff. The most important thing we can do is connect with the real
me, the best in us.
There is a famous story about the
Hassidic Rebbe Hayim of Tzans. One day, the students of Reb Hayim see
their master sitting on his bed crying. "Why are you crying Rebbe the
talmidim, students ask? I am crying because I know what I will
be asked one day and I don't know what I will say. I also know what I
will never be asked. I will never be asked "Hayim, were you as great
as Moses or Rabbi Akiva or Rashi. I will be asked however, "Hayim,
were you as great as Hayim?" In more modern parlance, Hayim, did you
actualize all of your potential? Did you become the best that you
possibly could in life? Are you living your life true to yourself or
did you get sidetracked and reach a dead end?
Before we can move ahead and live a
full and meaningful life, we have to approach ourselves. This idea
presupposes that our real self is good and noble. This is, in fact,
Judaism's approach. In the morning service, we say "The soul you have
given me is pure." Somehow, however, impurities seem to set in along
the way and we are separated from the best within us. Then we need to
approach ourselves and become reunited with our highest nature. It is
a personal reunion.
Judah approached him. According to
this Hassidic commentary first Judah approached himself. He accessed
the sparks of divinity within him. Having done that he was more than
equal to the task of appearing before royalty.
We will also never be asked if we
are as great as.... as anyone else, but we will be asked if we were as
great as we each could be. However short or long the journey is, we
can follow Judah's lead of approaching ourselves. A personal reunion
with our real and best selves.
