Vayigash — He Approached
Hebrew: וַיִּגַּשׁ | Book: Bereishit (Genesis)
Summary
Judah’s speech to Joseph; Joseph reveals himself; Jacob and family descend to Egypt.
Chabad Chassidic Teachings
Judah’s Approach: Ahavat Yisrael in Action
Judah’s impassioned speech (vayigash eilav Yehuda) — his willingness to sacrifice himself for Benjamin — is read in Chabad as the supreme expression of ahavat Yisrael. He puts himself completely in the place of another.
The Rebbe taught: Judah is the ancestor of Moshiach precisely because of this quality — the ability to feel another’s pain as one’s own and to act on it completely.
The Reunion: Tzimtzum Revealed
When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he immediately says: “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me.” This is the ultimate revelation of hashgacha pratis (Divine Providence) — what appeared to be human cruelty was actually Divine orchestration for a higher purpose.
Descent to Egypt: Galut Begins
The descent of Jacob’s family to Egypt marks the beginning of the national exile. The Zohar teaches that this descent was necessary — to gather and elevate the sparks of holiness embedded in Egyptian civilization. The longer and harder the galut, the more sparks there are to elevate.
Key Concepts
Sources Cited
Bereishit 44:18; Zohar I:207b