Vayigash - 6th Portion

Join as we learn together the Kumish for Friday Pares the sixth Torah reading of paras chapter 46 chap verse 28 in yesterday's in yesterday's we learned about Jacob and his family traveling down to Egypt And in total there were 70 people with including Yoseph and his family that were in Egypt. And today the Torah continues to tell us of how Yakov prepares to come down to Egypt. Verse 28. And he sent Yehuda ahead of him to YF to make advanced preparations Gishna in the city of Goshan. And they arrived in the place of go. The simple interpretation is to prepare to make the place appropriate to make a place where he would be to decide of where he would settle. What does it mean before him? In advance of Jacob arriving there. The medish says what does it mean that he went before him to make sure that there was a yeshiva there a place of learning that from there they would come the laws and the knowing and the knowledge of what to do and how to practice. From here we learn a very important lesson. As the Reb tells us that when the Jewish people were going into exile, Yakov saw they were leaving the land of Israel going into the exile of Egypt and he understood what would keep and sustain Jewish identity throughout their exile in Egypt is the study of Torah. Verse 29. And then Yoseph harnessed his own chariot and he went to greet his father, his father is gishna in the city of Gos and he appeared himself. He presented himself to his father and he embraced him and fell on his neck around braced him around his neck and he cried and wept on his neck for a long while. Rashi because of his love that he had for his father and respect. He didn't tell his servants to do it. But whoa, he himself was the one that harnessed the horses that he should be able to ride on them to be able to show that he was anxious and and quickly to get there to be able to show respect to his father. appeared to his father. What does it mean that he cried on his neck more a lot of crying like we find this in other places the word doesn't mean stop but it means more for example in other places the same way we find in other verses for example where he talks about in Job where no other liable God put on placed on him so too over here when we talk about that Yseph cried on his father's neck even more than usual. If you look over here, if you look detailed in the verse, you'll find something very interesting that Yseph is the one that cries on his father's neck. However, you don't find that Jacob fell on Yoseph's neck or doesn't say that he kissed him as well. Our rabbis tell us what's the reason why Jacob did not sh at the time he was reading the shama. There are many different commentaries of why Jacob was specifically saying the shama at the time when his father was coming to why and his son was coming to greet him. And over here Yakov was also teaching us the very fact that though he sees his son and he hasn't seen him for such a long time the concept of the shama was saying that the pain that he had because of his and not seeing his son and the greatness that he sees his son today is all because of thanks to God and it was all God's plan and va and he loves God unconditionally regardless of the torment time that he went through and therefore specifically at this time. Well, Yseph was hugging him. Was he saying the shama recognizing that everything that happens in life was from God? Verse 30 is said to now I can die and at this moment after now I haven't seen your fa now seeing your face that you're still alive. What does it mean now I can die? The simple interpretation of the verse is like like the says now that I see you I can die. The medish explains I've thought that Jacob was actually saying here that I would have two deaths. one in this world like everybody else and also in the second world in the world to come because the divine presence left me and I was saying and that God that this was caused because of your passing because you passed and I didn't see you and I was sent to but now that I see that you're still alive I know I only die once in this world but not in the world to come because until now I thought it was because of you that I would lose my portion in the world to come as well. Verse 31 says to his brothers to his father's home, "Let me go and tell Pharaoh that my father and my brothers from the land of Kanan have come to me." verse 31. And also I will tell him as he goes on into the next verse and he tells them I'm going to tell him that my brothers and my father came from the land of Kanan as well as I will tell him about who you are that you are people are that are shepherds that always owned livestock and that's what your position is as we're going to see in verse 32. And these men are shepherds because they've always been owned livestock and their livestock and their sheep and their cattle and everything they have and all their possessions they view they brought with them. Verse 33 and it will be when Pharaoh calls you and it will summon you and ask you and he will say what is your occupation? Verse 34 respond servants of livestock dealers from our youth until now both we have been shepherds also our forefathers this way you'll be able to settle in the land of go because shepherds are aboard to the Egyptians rash Verse 34. This way you'll be able to settle in the land of go because that is a land which is a land which is good for you. It has a place which is good pasture for the for the sheep. So when you'll tell Pharaoh that you guys don't know about any other type of occupation, they'll therefore keep you there in a distance and allow you to stay in the place of go. The reason why they consider the uh why was it aborant for people that are shepherds because they consider sheep and livestock as their god. And therefore those who shepherd the sheep were considered disgusting and aborant in their eyes. Chapter 40 chapter 47 verse one came and told and he said my father my brother their sheep and their livestock and everything that they own came from the land of and they settled in the land of go. [snorts] Verse two. And he selected from amongst his brothers. He took with him five men and he presented them in front of Pharaoh. Verse two. Rashi [snorts] from the ones that weren't so strong, the weak ones. And they didn't seem strong. Because if they would see strong, Pharaoh would see that their brothers are very strong them into the people for his war. Verse two, and from he selected from amongst his brothers five men and he presented them in front of Pharaoh, introduced them to Pharaoh. [snorts] from he selected from his brothers the ones that were not as strong. They didn't seem strong because Pharaoh would see that they are strong men. He was concerned. He'll take them and make them for people for his war. And who are the ones that he presented? Who are these uh weaklings if you want to call them? Not the strong ones. And how do we know that they weren't strong? That's because these are the ones that Moshe did not repeat their name when he bled them. The people that were the strong ones repeated their name. For example, he says and then he continues and says and so forcious. This is what the gracious says which the bracious is the is the madrashic interpretation that [snorts] was learned in the land of Israel. However, in the Babylonian Talmud, we find something a little different. Those that Moshe repeated their names, they were in fact, they were the weak ones. And that's why Moshe had to repeat their names because they were weak. And who is that? And those are the ones that he had to bring to peril. However, the only one which he repeated that was not weak was Yehuda. However, he did not repeat his name because he was weak. There was another reason why Moshe repeated his name as it's explained in the tract of the shin and therefore those that their names that were doubled, they were the weak ones as we've discussed in the Babylonian Talmud and as it's explained in the par of Abraham. [snorts] So you have here a difference between the way it's learned in the Babylonian Talmud versus the the Med which the weak ones whether were they the ones that their names were not repeated or their names that were actually repeated. Verse three said to the brothers, "What is your occupation?" Pharaoh your servants are shepherds. So both we areu and so are our forefathers. [snorts] Verse four and they told par we've come here to sjourn in the land because there is no pasture there is no grazing for our sheep that our that your servants have because the famine is severe in the land of cananan. So now please allow your servants to settle in the land of Gan. Verse five saying now that your father and your brothers have come to you. Verse six, you have the land of Egypt is at your disposal. Settle your father and your brothers in the choiciest part of the land, the best part of the land. Give them the better and therefore they'll settle in. They'll settle in the land of Gos. But if you know, you have people that are capable that they are capable shepherds but who are capable for war. You must appoint them as stewards. the meaning of capable shepherds then make them as stewards people in charge of ali on this flock livestock that I own as well [snorts] what does this mean generally the word can sometimes come from the word war or army here that we know that he presented those that were not fit for the army so what does an mean here so explains it does not mean strong people but on the contrary of means people who are very wellversed and are very well trained and capable in their work as being shepherds alim meaning to be in charge on my sheep. Verse seven brought his father Jacob and he and he placed them before Pharaoh and Jacob blessed parro. Verse seven, what did he bless him? [snorts] What does it mean that he blessed him? Did he literally bless him? So the blessing here tells us he asked him how he's doing. He inquired meaning respectfully saying how he's doing. So too as the people that every so often coming before a king, they give their opening statement so to speak that they greetings that they give to the king. Not necessarily literally that he blessed him. says to Yakov, "How old are you? How many years are there in your life?" [snorts] And Jacob says to Par, "The years of my life, the years of my journeying have been 130 years. They were few but difficult." Were the years of my life. But I've not yet equaled the happiness of the years of my forefather's lifetime in their days of sjourney. Nine. What's he telling him here meaning the days that I sjourned in a strange place? The whole my whole life I was like a stranger in a foreign land because I worked really hard. I did not reach meaning doesn't mean that he had less years than his previous parents but in years that he was able to enjoy was less than his father. [snorts] One of the interesting things here you find why does Pharaoh ask him his age the medish explains over here is because when he brought him before parro there was a pharaoh was considered small. So there was a little archway that would force every person to bend and bow before Pharaoh. And when Yakov came, the archway extended itself. The last time the archway extended itself was when Aram came to parro. And there was a legend in Egypt that was this great man who came and the archway extended because of him. So when Yakov came and the same thing happened. He asked him how old he is because this same legend that happened in the past. Is it the same person or is this somebody else? Verse 10. and Jacob blessed parro and he left before parro's presence what did he actually bless him with so this is an actual blessing before we said it was only a greeting this is a blessing like all the people that leave before respectable people they bless them and then they take permission they take leave before them what was the blessing that Yakov gave paro What blessing did he give him? That when he goes to the Nile River, it should rise towards him because Egypt does not get any rain. The way the um the way the they watered all the different fields and everything else was that the Nile River would come up over its banks and that's the way the water would then run at the different canals and it would then give water to all the different fields. However, from the blessing of Jacob and onward Pharaoh would come to the Nile River whenever he wished the and the Nile River would rise and then give water to the entire surroundings and fill the banks and fill the rivers and canals and that's the way the entire Egypt had water. This concludes the Torah reading for Friday, the sixth Torah reading of Parases Figash.