VAYIGASH 1990

In the Torah portion Vayigash we learn about the reconciliation of Joseph
and his brothers.  We learn how Judah steps forward and how he pleads his
case against what he thinks is the viceroy of Egypt, how he proposes that
he take the place of Benjamin and that Benjamin be allowed to go up to
Israel to the land of Canaan to see his aged father who will surely die
if the boy does not come up.  The rabbis all ask the question, what is
it that Judah says different here than he said before?  After all, in the end of last week’s Torah portion after the cup is found in the bag of
Benjamin (it had been planted there by Joseph) Joseph tells them, "What
is this that you have done?  Don’t you know that I can divine what is happening,
a man like me?"  Judah said, "What can we say to my lord?  We will be servants
to my lord, also we and also the one In whose bag the cup was found."
Joseph answered by saying, "Far be it from me to do something like this.
Only the one in whose bag the cup was found will be for me a servant but
you will go up to peace to your father."  Then Judah steps forward again
and this time he makes an offer which seems to be less attractive than
the first offer.  He says he will stay and let the boy go.  Before he said
they would all stay.  Why is it that Judah would make such an offer?
Second of all, at the end of the Torah portion we learn how Joseph manages the affairs of Egypt and how he serves Pharaoh very, very well.  In fact, some of the rabbis says that he serves Pharaoh too well.  What he does is he breaks the power of the nobility and gathers together all the property of Egypt under the control of Pharaoh except for the priestly class.  He collects all their money.  In fact, some of the rabbis explain that he even transferred populations around Egypt.  This served the administrative powers of Pharaoh very well.  Now Pharaoh could do what he wanted without the opposition of the nobility, but, of course, this was a two-edged sword

because later when a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph there was
nobody among the populace who complained when he started to enslave the
Jewish people.  This has happened throughout almost all Jewish history
that we Jewish people have served our exile masters too well.  In Poland
we served the Poles so well that when the Ukranians, Cossacks, revolted
under Kolmaninsky they took out their wrath more against us than against
the Poles.  A third of the Jews of Poland were killed.  We see this throughout
Jewish history.  Even in America today we Jews who play by the rules, who
do what you are supposed to in America, has risen way beyond proportion
to our numbers to high places of power and influence.  After all, being
only 2% of the population we are 25% of the lawyers.  We are probably almost
30% of the doctors, and how many accountants  nd people in high business
positions?  Of course, people will look at us and claim that we somehow
cheated to get these positions, that we are in league with the devil, etc.
if times get bad in America.  Many times we play by the rules and we do
exactly what we are supposed to do but this creates jealousy and hatred
among the masses.  Joseph, here, it says, "And Joseph collected all the
money which was found in the land of Egypt." Why did the Torah have to
tell us these things?  After all, many of the Jewish people were prominent
in government.  Abraham was supposed to be prominent in the government
of Nimrod.  There are many other instances in the early history of the
Jewish people in which our forefathers make significant contributions to
the countries in which they lived.  In fact, it is hinted in the Torah
by Rabbi Yitzchak and Bror, etc., but nowhere do we have a full explanation
like we have here about Joseph.  Usually the Torah is not interested in
what we do necessarily for the other peoples and governments.  It is interested
in teaching us how to live moral and decent life, so what is going on here?
The rabbis say that really here we are learning something very important for Jewish existence, too.  The rabbis say that the money that Joseph acquired was really three fortunes, and these three fortunes later on, one was taken by Korach and one was taken by Antonius Pious, a Roman emperor, and the third awaits for the Messiah.  What we are speaking about here is not really the money that Joseph took.  Joseph taught us how we Jewish people can survive in the world, and he left behind three fortunes for the Jewish people to seize upon, and if any one of them is missing then the Jewish people cannot exist in exile and cannot really exist in the land of Israel either.
Actually, this whole Torah portion is teaching us how the Jewish people, in order to survive, need both the qualities of Judah and the qualities of Joseph.  The qualities of Joseph are summarized in these three fortunes, in these three attributes which allowed him to be a successful administrator in Egypt, but which also are necessary for the Jewish people to survive. That is why we learn about this particular section.  The rabbis tell us that we need the brilliance of Joseph.  We need the dogged determination and leadership of Judah if the Jewish people are to survive.
What are these three fortunes of Joseph?  The first one, the rabbis say, is exemplified by the statement that Joseph made when he sent his brothers back up to Canaan to fetch their father.  It says and he said to them, "Don't quarrel unnecessarily on the road." Unfortunately, many times people struggle over power and not over things of real substance, things of real value, and they create all sorts of havoc in Jewish institutions and in Jewish life.  Joseph is warning the brothers, don't unnecessarily engage in recriminations as to who was at fault, who was responsible for selling me to Egypt, who was responsible for causing your father to suffer for
so many years.  Don’t engage in all sorts of acrimony.  It will never work. It will destroy Jewish unity.  Therefore, it says that the first fortune was taken by Korach.  Korach was a man who was a cousin of Moshe who started a revolt against Moshe for no real reason except he wanted to have power. He used all sorts of clever arguments to manipulate people, but Joseph said to stay away from that.  If you get involved with that you are going to destroy the Jewish people.  If you encourage unnecessary acrimony in any type of institution you are going to destroy it.
The second fortune that Joseph left to us was that Joseph, himself, never gave up and even though he, himself, was imprisoned and was a slave he still never gave up and still tried to rise.  This is also something that the Jewish people always have to recognize.  No matter what position they are put in they can still rise.  If the government will not allow you to own land, you can become a banker or a lawyer or a tailor.  If they will not let you be in the professions, then become skilled tradesmen, jewelers and clothiers, etc.  Never give up.  Always try different means and different ways.  Always remember that we do not know who among the Jewish people will bring the salvation from a certain type of persecution or will bring new words of comfort and encouragement and new interpretations which will allow you to live in the world.  Never look at the Jewish people as a people that is divided by wealth or class or even learning.  We never know where the next spark is going to come from.  The Baal Shem Tov came with a great message and was unexpected.  Nobody knew that it would come from this person who seemed to be nothing more than a teacher's assistant, that we should not divide our people up and say that these are good Jews and these are bad Jews.  I cannot associate with this kind of Jew or that kind of Jew. Or this is only an immigrant.  He does not know anything, etc.  If we do
that we are going to destroy the Jewish people.  That is what Antonius Pious did.  He was very friendly with Rabi and to him Rabi was a good Jew. The other Jews he did not have much use for.  It is similar to what they say here in America where you say, "My best friend is a Jew but...11 as if that Jew is the exception and all the other Jews are bad.  We have to work together.  We cannot separate ourselves into Sephardim and Ashkenazim and Russian immigrants and established Israelis and so on.  We have to realize that we work together and need the strength of all groups in society. We do not know who is going to be elevated and who is going to be brought low and from whence our salvation will come, from which Jewish group and sub-group that we will derive such great benefit that we will be able to flower and flourish.
The third fortune that Joseph left us is his dreams.  Without Jewish dreams the Jewish people will disappear.  That is why it says only the Messiah will take that fortune because until the Messiah comes Jewish dreams are not fulfilled so if anybody tells you that the Jewish dream is already fulfilled that means that is the end of Jewish history.  That means we might as well assimilate, that we are all through, we are all finished. Of course, if any Jewish group says that the Jewish dream has already been fulfilled in this nation or that nation then there is no reason for the Jewish people to survive.  Only the Messiah can take the third fortune. Then we have Judah.  We must have the brilliance of Joseph combined with the dogged determination and leadership of Judah.  Judah does not give up when he sees that the ruler will not accept them all as slaves but that the ruler has a sense of morality so, therefore, he says, "Accept me instead of Benjamin.  You do not want to take all of us because only one of us sinned?  Then take me instead of Benjamin." He does not give up.  He tries
one area and then another area.  He does not say it is too late and he cannot do anything.  Many times you find people who say, "Well, I know that I should do it but it is too late now.  I can't do it.  I don't want to do it now." You should never do that.  You should say, "Well, if it is possible to rectify the error I am going to rectify the error." A person says, "Well, I have already insulted the guy.  I can't do anything about it." Yes you can.  You can go make up with him.  You do not have to be bound by a reckless or foolish decision.  Also Judah had one other great trait.  Judah always admitted when he was wrong.  We all know that success has many fathers but failure is an orphan.  Of course, if you want to be a leader of our people you cannot just take credit for the successes; you have to take responsibility for your failures.  Many times it happens in Jewish organizations, even in the shul and, of course, throughout the politics, that people want to take credit for the successes but they do not want to take credit for the failures and they try to push off the failures on their subordinates or on other people and then nobody wants to work with them.  Who wants to work with somebody if you are only going to get blamed for things when they go wrong but will get no credit when they go right? It is a terrible situation.  You cannot be a leader in that type of situation. Judah was willing to say that he was wrong.  He was wrong when he did not give his third son to his daughter-in-law and his daughter-in-law became pregnant with him.  We all know that story of Tamar.  They took Tamar to be punished but he said, "No, she is more righteous than I am," even though he did not know at the time that he had had relations with her.  Judah, too, says that we are guilty of selling our brother to Egypt.  He was willing to admit guilt.  He was able to relate to his brothers because he did not put himself above them.  He says, "I, too, make mistakes.  I, too, am not
perfect."  If we realize that we need those qualities of never saying it is too late and always admitting your failures as well as taking credit for your successes then the Jewish people can survive with that type of leadership.  They need the brilliance of Joseph but nowhere in the Bible does Joseph ever say that he was wrong.  He does not say, of course, he did not harm his brothers as they had harmed him but, after all, he had acted like a spoiled brat when he was young.  He tattletaled on them, but no place does it ever say that he was wrong.  The brothers admit they are guilty.  We need both these traits.  We need the leadership and the dogged determination of Judah plus the three gifts of Joseph if the Jewish people are to survive.  We need the gifts of Joseph never to quarrel unnecessarily, even though you have a good reason to quarrel.  Joseph could have really given it to his brothers.  He had good reason to be angry, but he did not quarrel unnecessarily unless it was for a very important ideological point. Joseph, too, never looked down on any Jew.  The sons of Bilah were to him like the sons of Leah.  He never gave up his dreams.  If we Jews will have these qualities plus a dogged determination and leadership of Judah we will survive.  It is sometimes disheartening when we see all these wonderful miracles happening today with the Russian Jewry coming out that you will see that sometimes one Israeli minister is blaming another Israeli minister who is blaming another Israeli minister.  We should not blame anybody. We should just get together and do the job so the Mashiach will come.
I am reminded of the story they tell about a two bums who were talking. One said, "You know, I wasn't a bum before.  At one time I lived the life of Riley.  I spent the winters in Rio and the summers at the Riviera. I had fancy hotel rooms and I used to ride in chauffeured cars.  I had the best meals."  The other bum asked him what happened.  He replied, "Well,
Riley reported his credit card was stolen." Many times we, too, want to live the life of Riley without assuming the brilliance and fortunes of Joseph and the leadership of Judah.  We need them both.  Let us hope we will have them both so that the Jewish people will survive.  Amen.