In the Egyptian exile as well as every other stage of Jewish history, we have experienced good times as well as hardship. The common thread that has run continuously throughout all our experiences has been our faith and tradition, encapsulated in this heroic proclamation of "Shema Yisrael." We have never abandoned our firm belief in the one God who has the power over both good and evil, wealth and poverty, joy and sorrow, light and dark. This faith has enabled us to hope for better days during times of hardship.

After Yaakov Avinu arrives in Egypt, Yosef takes his father and introduces him to Pharaoh, who inquires as to the patriarch's age. Yaakov's response strikes us as somewhat peculiar: "Yaakov answered Pharaoh, 'The years of my dwelling are one hundred and thirty. Few and hard have been the years of my life, and they do not come up to the life spans of my fathers during their days of dwelling'" (47:9). Why doesn't Yaakov simply answer the king's question? Why does he bemoan his difficult life rather than simply telling Pharaoh his age?

As Yaakov makes his way to Egypt to reunite with his son, Yosef, God appears to him in a prophetic vision and offers him encouragement. Among the promises the Almighty makes to Yaakov is, "Yosef will place his hand over your eyes" ("ve-Yosef yashit yado al einekha" - 46:4). What does this mean?

Towards the end of Parashat Vayigash we read of Yosef's management of the Egyptian economy during the devastating seven-year famine. As the famine intensified, the Egyptian people offered more and more of their own possessions - and, ultimately, themselves - in exchange for food. At one stage, they retained ownership over their lands but sold their cattle: "They brought their livestock to Yosef, and Yosef gave them bread in exchange for the horses, for the stocks of sheep and cattle, and the donkeys; thus he provided them with bread that year in exchange for all their livestock" (47:17).

Amidst its description of Yaakov's resettlement in Egypt, Parashat Vayigash digresses to list the names of Yaakov's children and grandchildren who joined him. This list includes the lone son of Dan (the eldest son of Bilha), Chushim. Curiously, however, the Torah employs the plural form, as if Dan had more children than just Chushim: "U-vnei Dan Chushim" (literally, "The sons of Dan: Chushim").

Parashat Vayigash introduces us to the Egyptian city of Raamses: "Yosef settled his father and his brothers, giving them holdings in the choicest part of the land of Egypt, in the region of Raamses, as Pharaoh had commanded" (47:12). As some commentators have noted, however, a verse towards the beginning of Sefer Shemot implies that this area was built only later, after Benei Yisrael's bondage began: "They set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh - Pitom and Raamses" (Shemot 1:11).

Yaakov hears that Yosef is still alive and exclaims, "I will go and see him before I die!" (45:28). The next verse tells that indeed, Yaakov took his family and all his belongings and embarked on his trip. Instead of proceeding directly to Egypt, however, "he came to Be'er Sheva, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Yitzchak." Why did he stop in Be'er Sheva to bring sacrifices rather than traveling straight to Egypt?

In Parashat Vayigash, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers and bids them to bring their father and families to Egypt where he will support them through the devastating famine. When ordering their return to Canaan to bring Yaakov, Yosef says, "Quickly, go up to my father… " (45:9). Rashi here cites the famous comment of Chazal that "Eretz Yisrael is higher then all other lands."

When Yosef introduces his father, Yaakov, to Pharaoh, the Egyptian king inquires as to the saintly patriarch's age. Yaakov answers with not only a number, but also a description: "Few and hard have been the years of my life, nor do they come up to the life spans of my fathers during their sojourns" (47:9). The Midrash criticizes Yaakov's complaint, commenting that thirty-three years were taken from his life as punishment for the thirty-three words of self lamentation he spoke to Pharaoh.

Parashat Vayigash opens with Yehuda's impassioned plea to Yosef that he allow Binyamin, who was charged with stealing the viceroy's silver goblet, to return to Canaan. The parasha opens, "Yehuda approached him and said, 'Please, my lord, let your servant speak something in the ears of my lord, and do not be angry with your servant… '"