A Thought On Parshas VaYigash
A Thought on Parshas VaYigash
"...va'yar es ha'agalos..."
"...and he saw the wagons..." (45:27)
Many of us know the interpretation cited by Rashi that Yosef selected agalos to signal to his father Yakov that he was indeed his long lost son. Rashi says that the last time Yakov had learned with his son, he had taught him the law of egla arufa. The words are homonyms and agala was to hint at egla. This hint would show Yakov that it could only be Yosef, who still remembered learning about egla arufa.
In a brilliant sequence of inductive reasoning, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers us the broader background that makes Rashi's cryptic interpretation exciting! Follow his sequence of logic:
He asks, "how could Yosef assume that the agala would be incontrovertible evidence? Yakov was the patriarch and the Torah scholar of his generation. Any lecture which he might have given on any topic, such as egla arufa, would have been attended by crowds of students and followers! Something that an entire audience learned in public would not be a convincing sign that the sender of the wagons must be Yosef."
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel then observes: earlier on, when Yakov instructed young Yosef to go find his brothers (parshas VaYeshev), he advised him that they were shepherding out past Shechem (37:13). Now, we know that Shechem was a dangerous place. Yakov had to leave there after the incident involving the abduction of Dina and the massacre which followed. The only way that he could have sent Yosef towards a place of potential danger would be to accompany him there. Chazal have told us that when one escorts someone, this is a means of protecting both the host and the traveler from danger (Sotah 46b). Yakov would have accompanied his young son Yosef part of the way towards Shechem.
Now, ultimately he would have had to part ways with Yosef. Yosef was on a mission which required further travel, and Yakov had to return to his camp. Chazal have told us that when one parts ways with someone, he should be careful to depart only after sharing a halacha, a Torah law (Brachos 31a; Eruvin 64a).
Yosef would have urged his father to return home, and Yakov would have first shared a word of halacha. He must have said to Yosef that accompanying someone on the way is not just a nice gesture. He would have explained that one day, the Torah will emphasize the great importance of being me'lava a wayfarer. We will learn it from the declaration made when a murdered corpse is found on the highway, and the leaders will have to assert that they did not fail to accompany a traveler as he left their town (Devarim 21:7). Yakov must have taught Yosef the pertinent law of accompanying a traveler. He told it to him privately en route to Shechem.
That law is found in the parsha of egla arufa! Only Yosef would have known of that lesson. He remembered it and used it as a signal to identify himself to Yakov. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers a midrashic remez to support his analysis: we read in Tehillim (135:4) "For Yakov has chosen HaShem." In Hebrew this is ki Yakov bochar lo Koh. The wording is unique, with the phrase meaning literally that Yakov chose lo (for himself) Koh (spelled yud hae). We have then the letters lamed vov yud hae. They spell levaya - to accompany. What Yakov chose for his lesson to Yosef was the law of accompanying. This is what Yosef hinted to him, and his hint was a success.
Good Shabbos. Chodesh Tov. Chanuka Sameach. D. Fox
"...va'yar es ha'agalos..."
"...and he saw the wagons..." (45:27)
Many of us know the interpretation cited by Rashi that Yosef selected agalos to signal to his father Yakov that he was indeed his long lost son. Rashi says that the last time Yakov had learned with his son, he had taught him the law of egla arufa. The words are homonyms and agala was to hint at egla. This hint would show Yakov that it could only be Yosef, who still remembered learning about egla arufa.
In a brilliant sequence of inductive reasoning, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers us the broader background that makes Rashi's cryptic interpretation exciting! Follow his sequence of logic:
He asks, "how could Yosef assume that the agala would be incontrovertible evidence? Yakov was the patriarch and the Torah scholar of his generation. Any lecture which he might have given on any topic, such as egla arufa, would have been attended by crowds of students and followers! Something that an entire audience learned in public would not be a convincing sign that the sender of the wagons must be Yosef."
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel then observes: earlier on, when Yakov instructed young Yosef to go find his brothers (parshas VaYeshev), he advised him that they were shepherding out past Shechem (37:13). Now, we know that Shechem was a dangerous place. Yakov had to leave there after the incident involving the abduction of Dina and the massacre which followed. The only way that he could have sent Yosef towards a place of potential danger would be to accompany him there. Chazal have told us that when one escorts someone, this is a means of protecting both the host and the traveler from danger (Sotah 46b). Yakov would have accompanied his young son Yosef part of the way towards Shechem.
Now, ultimately he would have had to part ways with Yosef. Yosef was on a mission which required further travel, and Yakov had to return to his camp. Chazal have told us that when one parts ways with someone, he should be careful to depart only after sharing a halacha, a Torah law (Brachos 31a; Eruvin 64a).
Yosef would have urged his father to return home, and Yakov would have first shared a word of halacha. He must have said to Yosef that accompanying someone on the way is not just a nice gesture. He would have explained that one day, the Torah will emphasize the great importance of being me'lava a wayfarer. We will learn it from the declaration made when a murdered corpse is found on the highway, and the leaders will have to assert that they did not fail to accompany a traveler as he left their town (Devarim 21:7). Yakov must have taught Yosef the pertinent law of accompanying a traveler. He told it to him privately en route to Shechem.
That law is found in the parsha of egla arufa! Only Yosef would have known of that lesson. He remembered it and used it as a signal to identify himself to Yakov. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers a midrashic remez to support his analysis: we read in Tehillim (135:4) "For Yakov has chosen HaShem." In Hebrew this is ki Yakov bochar lo Koh. The wording is unique, with the phrase meaning literally that Yakov chose lo (for himself) Koh (spelled yud hae). We have then the letters lamed vov yud hae. They spell levaya - to accompany. What Yakov chose for his lesson to Yosef was the law of accompanying. This is what Yosef hinted to him, and his hint was a success.
Good Shabbos. Chodesh Tov. Chanuka Sameach. D. Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 9:09 PM
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