HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu is Chief Rabbi of Tzfat
The Sages and the classical commentators hint that the root of dispute between Yehuda and Yosef is already embedded in the generation of the Matriarchs. Rachel represents the revealed dimension: “Now Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance” (Genesis 29). Her beauty and fine character traits are open and visible to the eye. Jacob sees Rachel: “And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel… and Jacob loved Rachel” (Genesis 29).
Afterward Jacob encounters Leah: “And it came to pass in the morning, behold, it was Leah” (Genesis 29). The Holy Zohar explains:
“All the ways of Leah are concealed, for the upper world is concealed and not revealed; therefore the death of Leah is not mentioned as is the death of Rachel. Come and see that this is certainly so: for the upper world - all its matters are concealed; and the lower world - all its matters are revealed. Therefore Leah was buried concealed in the Cave of Machpelah, and Rachel was buried in the openness of the road - this one in concealment and that one in revelation. And in concealment the upper world is imprinted” (Zohar I, 158).
Together They Built the House of Israel
Here a great principle becomes clear: it is impossible to build the House of Israel upon only one kind of rectification. Revelation without concealment can become empty; concealment without revelation can detach from reality. When one aspect stands alone, it weakens; and when they do not unite, jealousy and hatred are born - forces capable of destruction.
When the Kingdom of Israel went into exile, the Kingdom of Judah descended to a state lower than that of the sinful Kingdom of Israel: “And Samaria has not sinned half of your sins” (Ezekiel 16:51). The fall of one side draws the other down after it. This is not a competition, but a single system.
The Tree of Joseph and the Tree of Judah Together
The prophet Ezekiel describes Redemption as a joining of forces: “And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it, ‘For Yehuda and for the children of Israel, his companions’; and take another stick and write upon it, ‘For Yosef, the stick of Ephraim, and all the House of Israel, his companions.’ And bring them near, one to another, to yourself, into one stick, and they shall become one in your hand” (Ezekiel 37).
This joining brings a great Redemption and cleanses them of all their sins:
“Speak to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them to their land. And I will make them one nation in the Land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall no longer be two nations, and they shall no longer be divided into two kingdoms. And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols and with their abominations and with all their transgressions; and I will save them from all their dwelling places in which they sinned, and I will purify them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. And My servant David shall be king over them, and one shepherd shall be for them all; and they shall walk in My judgments and keep My statutes and do them” (Ezekiel 37).
The unity of the two parts constitutes a great attachment to God, as is explained there further in the chapter.
Clarification for Our Generation
Parashat Vayigash teaches us several important foundations for our generation. First, we must know that great disputes are not necessarily evil; they rather represent differing perceptions of our mission. The solution is not silencing, but clarification.
Second, we must understand that both sides are necessary. Without Yehuda there is no sanctity and boundary. Without Yosef there is no leadership and no practical rectification of the world.
Third, we must recognize the necessity to guard the covenant of circumcision and the covenant of the holy conversation. Corrupted speech can tear a kingdom apart. In contrast, the language of the Sages can heal.
Fourth, we must strive to ground our national mission in justice and compassion. If we come “to call in the name of the Lord,” yet appear tyrannical, we have missed the goal.
When Yosef and Yehudah unite, it becomes clear that the People of Israel can both maintain boundaries and illuminate the world. Two trees and one tree in our hand.
A Story
Visiting to Pollard
During the term of my father, the Israel Chief Rabbi, HaRav Mordechai Eliahu, of blessed memory, the late and dearly remembered, Rabbi Shmuel Zaafrani, headed the Rabbi’s office. Rabbi Zaafrani related that on my father’s first visit to Jonathan Pollard in a Maryland prison, the Chief Rabbi entered the prison, looked Jonathan straight in the eye, and said:
“My dear son, Jonathan, you must know that one of our earliest forefathers who sat in prison was named Yosef the Righteous. I see in you the Yosef of this generation. Remember, Yosef emerged in a moment from prison straight to kingship. In light of everything you have done - and I know all that you have done - I am certain that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring you out of here like Yosef, and you will go forth to kingship like Yosef.”
Jonathan was deeply moved and kissed the Rabbi’s hand.
Most of the conversations the Rabbi conducted with Jonathan were about words of Torah, about prophets and leaders who acted on behalf of the People of Israel and who suffered for it. Thus the Rabbi encouraged Jonathan, speaking about selected chapters of Tanach. At one of the meetings, the Rabbi noticed that the American security agent who was present understood everything without waiting for translation. The Rabbi was not entirely sure, so he decided to test her and told something humorous. He noticed that she immediately smiled to herself without waiting for translation. Thus he understood that she indeed understood Hebrew and was listening very attentively.
After three hours the visit was supposed to end, but the FBI agent stood up, visibly moved. “I am a Protestant Christian,” she said. “We studied Tanach extensively, but I have never heard such wise teachings about the Bible. I ask the Rabbi to extend the visit. I want to hear more.”
Unfortunately, we had to catch our flight and could not extend the visit. But we can see from this that the Torah is a beacon to all people. May the day soon come when mankind casts away its false beliefs and comes to know that only from the God of Israel can universal truth and justice be found.