Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 10 Tevet, 5784
Parsha Va-Yiggash (Genesis 44:18 – 47:27)
Sixth Portion: Genesis 46:28 – 47:10

Good morning! As we are heading quickly to the light of the full moon next week, things are starting to shift and come to light – the chaos and order and coming together in a way to for our healing!  We have only 9 portions of Genesis left before we turn the page and enter Exodus.  I am curious to consider what other “beginnings” we will find in these next 9 portions!  Let’s Go!

The context is Jacob is going to Egypt. Everything is set. We learn 70 souls are going to Egypt. Let’s dig in:

28He sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen.

29And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and he went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and he appeared to him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck for a long time.

The first thing I notice is Jacob’s name.  He was referred to as Jacob in verse 27.

27And Joseph’s sons, who were born to him in Egypt, two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.

The Torah quickly shifts to Israel two verses later. Joseph’s reuniting with Jacob has shifted Jacob spiritually once again. And I reflect on this month. Chaos and Repair.

How chaotic was Jacob’s life after he lost Joseph?  His early life was controlled. Powerful. He got the woman he wanted. He took all of laban’s best cattle. He and Hashem were TIGHT.

Then – they LEFT the safety of Laban’s house – and in a sense, “paid” for it with chaos. The chaos was designed to repair. Because Jacob (as I wrote about with his brother Esau) had struggles with Esau.  Esau grieved – but Jacob’s reality was to not see that grief. Jacob was afraid. Jacob lived this previous portion of life in fear.  Before going to Egypt, Hashem meets with him and tells him not to be afraid.  Joseph’s reuniting with Jacob has transformed him. Healed him.  He is back to Israel.  Let’s keep going:

30And Israel said to Joseph, “I will die this time, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”

Israel knew he had healed. He had finally grieved his past. And Hashem gave him back his son – because in Jacob’s reality – it appeared that Hashem had taken him away.

My takeaway here for us:

• What do we believe Hashem (the Universe) has taken away from us? What do we feel like we’ve lost?
• Have we fully grieved this loss? Have we felt it to the depths of our soul to the point of letting it go and no longer being afraid? Jacob DEMONSTRATED this trust in a sense when he let go of Benjamin.
• What are we holding onto that represents something from our past we are unwilling to let go of? What are the Benjamins in our life we won’t risk because we believe we’ve lost Joseph?

To put into more clear terms –

What things are we holding onto that we’ve lost from our past that we’ve found a survival mechanism to hold onto – a lifeline – that we are unwilling to let go of?

• From our past: Is it a past relationship? Is it a career? Is it the loss of friend?
• Presently holding onto: A new relationship we should be letting go of? A job we are clutching? A friend who we need to release? A habit that helped us survive?

What do we need to risk losing (remember Jacob didn’t ACTUALLY lose Benjamin – he just had to be willing to lose him – and trust Hashem in the process)?

Ok. Let’s go further:

31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and I will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me.

32The men are shepherds, for they were [always] owners of livestock, and their flocks and their cattle and all they have they have brought.’

33And if it comes to pass that Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

34You shall say, ‘Your servants have been owners of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our ancestors,’ so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians.”

Joseph shows his political prowess here. And Israel has to trust Joseph. As do his brothers. Here is what happens:

1Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and he said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their cattle and all that is theirs, have come from the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”

2And from among his brothers he took five men, and he presented them before Pharaoh.

3And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our forefathers.”

4And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for your servants’ flocks have no pasture, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

And Pharoah responds:

5And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

6The land of Egypt is [open] before you; in the best of the land settle your father and your brothers. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen, and if you know that there are capable men among them, make them livestock officers over what is mine.”

And Pharoah does exactly as Joseph predicts he would do. This emboldens Joseph:

7So Joseph brought his father Jacob and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob greeted Pharaoh.

8And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojournings are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and miserable, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my forefathers in the days of their sojournings.”

10So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left Pharaoh’s presence.

What really is interesting here. Israel is BACK to being Jacob. In the presence of Pharaoh – Israel is Jacob. I am wondering – would it ever be possible for Jacob to be Israel in the presence of Pharoah? Or is there something about connecting with Pharaoh where Jacob has to be in that form?

It is almost as if the Torah is indicating the shifting of energies for Jacob/Israel – when Israel is in his higher self version – connecting with Hashem, connecting with his Neshama – in a safe space – he is Israel.  When he is in the space/time he is living in, he’s Jacob.

That’s really fascinating to me.  And I reflect on where are the spaces I feel more Israel? More Jacob?

I will say – writing and thinking about the Torah each day? That is DEFINITELY an Israel space for me.  By the end of my day? I am more in a Jacob space.  And I am curious as to whether that is happening organically, or whether I can return to the Israel space in the evening?  Or whether the darkness is the place Jacob dwells, but Israel dwells within us – in the light. Just a thought.

So there you have it! May our shabbat preparation be meaningful and may we have rest this weekend as we turn to the Full moon next week, the turning of the page of Genesis and moving into Exodus, the changing of our sun calendar from 2023 to 2024, and the new moon coming on January 11 – and we enter Shevat. Which – to prepare us – remember is half shadow, half light, with Tu B’Shevat being the fulcrum of the month. The chaos of Tevet will become ordered in Shevat.

Enjoy your day!

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 6 Tevet, 5783

A year ago in reading this post, I had no clue for what was to come in 2022. This year has been one long journey home for me. I am excited this weekend to engage my inner child by going to Philly and ending 2022 with my high school friends, and then living out my boyhood dream of being in the Mummers parade.

This is important healing work. This isn’t just some fun trip home. It’s engaging with parts of myself; like Jacob, that have been “dead” for a long time. The inner child within me is waking up. It’s having fun. It’s being seen. And that spiritually it has kept its fervor is healing.

What things are being reconciled in our hearts today? What is being reconciled in this transition from 2022 to 2023? Let’s be focused on them this weekend!

And let’s bless one another. That we may all find our “home” this weekend and get an opportunity to see our inner child and remind them that they matter!

Many blessings! Posting this weekend may be a smidge irregular as I am going to be busy spending time with my younger self!

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Tevet 6, 5782

Yesterdays portion recounted the souls that entered Egypt with Jacob. Today we have the reunification of Jacob with his lost son Joseph.

Jacob sends Judah ahead to meet Joseph to have Joseph meet them in Goshen. Joseph gets in his chariot and went to Goshen to reunite with his dad.

Joseph met his dad and “fell on his neck, weeping profusely.”

What is interesting here is that Rashi points out that Jacob did not fall on Joseph’s neck and kiss him because he was likely reciting the Shema – which is the Jewish affirmation of faith.

Israel (Jacob) then says to Joseph that he can now die comfortably because he has seen the face of his son.

Why did Jacob need to see Joseph’s face in order to be comforted? The idea here from Kabbalah – which I think is super interesting, is that although Jacob knew Joseph was physically alive; he was unsure of his spiritual status. When Jacob saw Joseph face to face he could see Joseph remained spiritually sensitive after all of his years of political life in Egypt – and this brought tremendous comfort to Jacob.

The possibility of assimilation and losing your spiritual sensitivities by engaging with the world is real. How Joseph was able to keep his connection with Hashem while navigating Egyptian politics is a real miracle we don’t often discuss. I’m really reflecting on that!

Joseph then tells his family; he’s going to Pharaoh and explain who the family is; and he lets them know how they should respond. The reason was Shepherds were abhorrent to the Egyptians; because they worshiped sheep. Joseph knew that this would provide the opportunity for the family to live in Goshen; because (I’m guessing) he was worried Pharoah may declare the family give up their flocks to live in the cities so everyone would be closer.

In addition, as we are about to read, Joseph didn’t want his family enlisted in the army (warriors).

Joseph is a shrewd politician!

So Joseph takes five of the weakest men among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh did what Joseph predicted he would do; he asked them their occupation. They responded as shepherds.

Pharaoh decreed that they can live in the choicest land AND if Joseph knows any of his brothers are good at being shepherds, Joseph should make them officers over Pharaoh’s sheep as well!

Joseph then brings Jacob before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asks Jacob his age. Jacob tells him he’s been alive for 130 years; but that compared to his fathers lifetimes, his days have been “few and miserable.” Jacob then blesses Pharaoh that the Nile should irrigate the land and then left Pharoah’s presence.

So. This exchange between Pharaoh and Jacob seems a little odd to me at first. But I start to consider the future – Jacob blesses Pharoah that the Nile would irrigate the land; and we learn that it really does. Recently, as we’ve been discussing about what is about to happen and the Jews becoming slaves, I find it interesting that a lot of this starts with Jacob giving Pharaoh a blessing – and that the FIRST plague Moses and Hashem do is to turn the Nile into blood; pretty much undoing the blessing that Jacob gives to Pharoah.

Why didn’t God intervene sooner when the Jews became slaves? Is Hashem cruel in that? The lesson of how our gifts given to others can be used for blessing and gratitude, but can also be a source of pain and suffering is interesting to me.

I’m still chewing on some of what we’ve been discussing, but I do find it interesting the story of the exile and slavery in Egypt begins with a blessing of the Nile here!

What are everyone’s thoughts here? I’m really interested!