There is always an endless
amount to learn from the Torah HaKdosha. Packed with Mussar (characteristic trait refining rebuke) in the story of Yosef and
revealing to his brothers’ his true identity to Yaakov coming down to Eretz
Mitrzayim (Egypt) after 22 years of mourning his son’s ‘death.’
What is one tiny
thing we can learn that we can use today from our Parasha, Parashat VaYigash?
Yosef HaTzadik reveals
to his brothers’ after 22 years of non stop suffering and pain “Ani Yosef, Ha’Od Avi Chai…” (Bereshit
45:3). I am Yosef, is my father still
alive? Yosef spun around his borthers figuratively for months,
taking Shimon captive and then claiming all the brothers are spies. After that
he sent all the brothers back home to force Binyamin to come down to Mitzrayim.
Binyamin comes down and Yosef invites the entire group to his mansion (after
claiming they’re spies) and then has them leave with gifts on full stomachs. On
the way out of the land, Yosef makes up a scheme that Binyamin stole a Gold
Goblet from Yosef’s mansion. Yehudah argues endlessly about Yosef’s cruelty and
how if they do not bring back Binyamin to their father, Yaakov, they will cause
him to die.
After this Yosef reveals himself
and after 22 years of being hidden and enslaved and put in jail (which was a 30
foot underground pit), the first thing he asks is if his father is still alive.
Yosef in fact is giving huge Mussar to his brothers. He tells them: “this whole
time you all are worried about your father’s emotions and reaction if Binyamin
does not come home (remember Yaakov thinks this is Rachel’s only son that is
left and Yosef has died, so Binyamin not coming home is triple the pain for Yaakov).
But what about 22 years ago when I was thrown into a pit and then sold as a
slave?! Yehuda, do you remember that you
were the one who instructed all this?! Why didn’t you care for Aba’s health and
reaction when giving him my trenchcoat soaked in blood?!”
Yosef is telling the brothers
here, and the Torah is telling us that one should always be searching in his
past actions in a healthy manner to find where they can improve. And the Torah
HaKdosha is telling us that one should always remember to do Teshuva
(repentance) properly so they will be forgiven by Shamayim (the Heavens). No
matter what the person has done, they should know Od Avi Chai, translated literally: still my father is alive.
Our
father is Hashem, no matter what low levels we have G-d forbid reached, no
matter how badly we have distanced from Hashem, no matter how messed up of an
education we have received that is completely anti-Torah values; we can always return to Hashem, He is always ‘alive’
and always listening to our Tefillot.
Everything
Hashem does for us is for our own good.
Judaism=Think.
SHABBAT
SHALOM!
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