Vayigash

Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. It was to save life God sent me ahead of you. God has sent me ahead of you to insure your survival on earth and to save your lives…

45:5, 7

The commentators are clear. Finding out that the vizier is Joseph would only have alarmed the brothers further. This is the man they had tried to kill and then sold into servitude, as Joseph himself remind them…but because they now approach him face to face, the way Judah had, the brothers discover that the potential problem of Joseph’s revenge is non-existent…

Lawrence Hoffman (Contemporary)

A keen student of human behavior, George Halifax has correctly said, “Could we know what men are most apt to remember, we might know what they are most apt to do.”…Joseph is facing a memory problem…Joseph has his brothers has his mercy. He can do with them as he wills…His problem is fundamentally one of memory. What should he remember?... Joseph emerges in heroic stature. He has chosen to forget his brother’s misconduct and to make amends for his own…In making our choices, let us remember that we shall be what we remember. Our memories mold our action, and what others will remember of us will be determined by what we choose to remember.

Sidney Greenberg (Contemporary)

Now that you realize the Divine plan and purpose behind all this, a design which could not have been achieved without the earlier causes (of our conflicts), (then) undoubtedly those earlier causes were also the will of god (Who willed it so in order to achieve (His) goal.

Sforno (15^th Century)

According to Maimonides, each one sees the immediate implications and motivations of his own deeds. We imagine that we are carrying out our own set purpose, without realizing the workings of divine Providence, leading each person towards his destiny.

Nachama Leibovitz (20^th Century)

When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers…there are a number of points which merit our close attention. Joseph said, “Now do not grieve…” Why did Joseph repeat three times in verses 5, 7 and 8 that it was God who had sent him to Egypt?...I have already mentioned that just as God is unique, so is Israel unique, and that this is a reason why there is such a close relationship between God and Israel…the numerical value of God’s ineffable Name amounts to 26, twice the numerical value of “Echad,” “one,” or 13. Israel’s uniqueness added to God’s uniqueness makes 26. If God were to abandon Israel, He would impair His “great Name.”…The result produced that that Israel literally “cleaves” to God.

Shney Luchot Habrit ( (17^th Century)

Rabbi Gedaliah Fleer comments that during the exodus from Egypt, we brought along not only Joseph’s bones for reburial in the promised land, but the bones of all the brothers as well. Along the way, Judah’s bones began to rattle. Moses understood from this that Judah needed redeeming for not being able to keep his promise to his father to protect Benjamin, and made a confession to God asking for forgiveness for Judah…This week’s parsha is a powerful lesson in teshuvah. From the Midrash, we can learn that teshuvah can be assisted by another’s actions, even after death. It is never too late for teshuvah…The most significant lesson seems to be taught by Joseph, who does not blame his brothers or take credit for his achievements, but rather sees all this as God’s will…Joseph has learned to trust God, to look for signs of God’s handiwork in both the good and the not-so-good experiences of life.

Martha & Ken Aft (contemporary)