Was Yaakov Wrong to Talk about his Age?

The Torah in Parashat Vayigash tells of Yaakov’s meeting with Pharaoh after moving to Egypt. We read that upon seeing Yaakov, Pharaoh inquired about his age, to which Yaakov responded that he was one hundred and thirty years old, adding, “few and bad have the years of my life been, and they did not reach the years of the lives of my fathers…” (47:9).

The Tosafists, in Da’at Zekeinim, explain that Pharaoh posed this question to Yaakov because of Yaakov’s appearance. Yaakov looked especially old and worn, and Pharaoh was thus curious as to his age. In response, Yaakov explained to the king that although he was not as old as his forebears lived to be, he looked aged and frail because of the numerous difficulties he encountered over the course of his life. Da’at Zekeinim then proceeds to cite a well-known Midrashic passage in which Chazal are critical of Yaakov for describing his life as difficult: “At the time when Yaakov said, ‘Few and bad,’ the Almighty said to him, ‘I rescued you from Esav and Lavan, and I returned Dina to you; you are complaining about your life?!” The Midrash concludes that God punished Yaakov for uttering these words of complaint by ending his life at the age of 147, thirty-three years before he reached the age at which his father, Yitzchak, had died.

We might raise the question of how to reconcile the Midrash’s comments with Da’at Zekeinim’s explanation of this exchange. Da’at Zekeinim does not appear to present the Midrash as reflecting a different reading, and it thus seems that it can be read in conjunction with, and not as opposing, its explanation. If, as Da’at Zekeinim claims, Pharaoh was asking Yaakov to explain his exceptionally aged appearance, then why was it wrong for Yaakov to speak of his years of hardship and sorrow? Wasn’t this the correct answer to Pharaoh’s question? Can we criticize Yaakov for giving an accurate explanation for why he looked so frail and worn?

Rav Chaim Elazary, in his Mesilot Chayim, suggests that even though Yaakov was correct in pointing to his travails as the reason for his appearance, he was nevertheless to have added a word – or several or many words – of gratitude for the many blessings he enjoyed. It is not necessarily wrong to bemoan one’s hardships, but such expressions of grief must be offset by expressions of appreciation. We all both enjoy blessings and endure difficult challenges. There is no person whose life is perfect and filled with only joy, and there is no person who only suffers and has nothing for which to be grateful. Even when we have good reason to speak of our lives as “me’at ve-ra’im,” and to take note of the difficulties and hardships we have suffered, we must also take note of the blessings which we enjoy. And thus although Yaakov was justified in explaining to Pharaoh the reason for his frail appearance, Chazalcriticize him for failing to add an expression of gratitude for all that the Almighty had done for him.

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Yosef's Brothers and Pharaoh: What is Your Profession?

We read in Parashat Vayigash of how Yaakov and his family moved from Canaan to Egypt, where they would be supported by Yosef during the famine that struck the region. The Torah relates that Yosef brought his brothers to meet Pharaoh, and that he gave them “instructions” before the meeting: “When Pharaoh calls you and asks, ‘What is your profession?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants [we] have been men of cattle from our youth until now – both us and our forefathers’” (46:33). Yosef then explained to his brothers why he wanted them to tell Pharaoh that they worked as shepherds: “so that you will live in the land of Goshen, as all shepherds are an abomination to Egypt.” It seems that Yosef specifically wanted his brothers to be seen as an “abomination” so they would be compelled to live specifically in the Goshen region.

We find several different explanations for Yosef’s strategy. Chizkuni suggests that Yosef here was protecting his own interests. Recalling how his brothers’ jealousy was triggered by something as trivial as a special garment, to the point where they sold him as a slave, Yosef feared that if they held positions in Pharaoh’s government, they would again be envious of his stature and conspire against him. He therefore wanted them to present themselves as something “abominable” in the eyes of the Egyptians so they could not rise to any positions of stature.

The Radak, however, explains differently, suggesting that Yosef was looking out for his brothers’ interests, not his. He feared that Pharaoh would enlist his brothers into his service, and thus for their own benefit he urged them to describe themselves as shepherds, which all but ensured that Pharaoh would not want them as servants.

Others, including Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, explain that Yosef foresaw his family’s extended stay in Egypt and knew that their isolation would prove vital for their survival in a foreign land. He therefore instructed his brothers to specifically highlight the quality that made them disliked so they would live separate and apart from Egyptian society and survive as a distinct people.

We might also suggest a different explanation, by first asking, why did Yosef find it necessary to tell his brothers to respond to Pharaoh’s question by informing him they were shepherds? After all, as we know from earlier in Sefer Bereishit, Yosef and his brothers indeed did work as shepherds. Wouldn’t they have thus told Pharaoh this if they were asked? The answer is that the brothers knew very well that “to’avat Mitzrayim kol ro’eh tzon” – the Egyptians despised shepherds. Yosef feared that his brothers might want to hide or distort the truth about their occupation while speaking to Pharaoh, in order to protect their reputation and standing, or perhaps to earn the king’s favor and respect. He thus urged them to speak the truth and divulge that they worked as shepherds. When Yosef concluded his instructions to his brothers by saying, “lema’an teishvu be-eretz Goshen,” this does not mean that his goal and objective was that they would live in Goshen, but rather that this would be the inevitable outcome. (The word lema’an, though normally translated as “in order that,” can also mean, “with the result that.”) Yosef was urging his brothers to tell the truth and not be tempted to mislead Pharaoh for the sake of avoiding the stigma associated with their profession.

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Do Not Be Angry at the Road

Yesterday, we noted Yosef’s vague final instruction to his brothers as they prepared to travel from Egypt to Canaan in order to bring Yaakov and their families to Egypt, where they would settle to escape the famine in Canaan. Yosef told his brothers, “Al tirgezu ba-darekh” (45:24), which appears to mean, “Do not be angry along the way.” The Gemara in Masekhet Ta’anit (10b) cites different interpretations to this verse, one of which explains it to mean, “Al tafsi’u pesi’a gasa” – “Do not take big steps.” In other words, although Yosef had earlier urged his brothers to quickly return to Canaan to bring Yaakov and their families (“Maharu va-alu el avi” – 45:9), he now warns against journeying too quickly, and urges them to travel at a reasonable, measured pace.

The question arises as to how this interpretation accommodates the text. How did Chazal arrive at this reading based on the words “al tirgezu ba-darekh”?

An enlightening answer to this question is offered by Rav Chaim Yirmiyahu Plansberg, in his Divrei Yirmiyahu commentary. He writes that this Midrashic interpretation of the verse reads the words “al tirgezu ba-darekh” in a purely literal fashion, to mean, “Do not be angry at the road.” When a person rushes hurriedly and frantically to his destination, he shows that he affords importance only to the destination, to his goal and objective, and looks askance upon, and even feels “anger” towards, the road he needs to travel to reach his destination. When we rush, we naturally feel embittered by the time and effort required to reach our goal, as we are interested solely in achieving the final objective. In interpreting Yosef’s admonition to mean, “Do not be angry at the road,” Chazal urge us to recognize the value and significance of the derekh, of the process, the journey we need to take in pursuing our goals. We should not look disdainfully upon the road, with our eyes turned solely to the finish line, but should instead try to appreciate and capitalize on the process we must undergo to get there. We should embrace, rather than feel contempt for, the derekh, the many journeys we need to take and achieve our goals, and we will then be able to find meaning and joy in every station at which we arrive over the course of our lives.

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Yosef's Appearance to his Father

The Torah in Parashat Vayigash tells of Yaakov’s dramatic reunion with his son, Yosef, after twenty-two years of separation. We read that Yosef went to greet his father, and “he appeared to him and fell on his neck and cried…” (46:29).

The Ramban raises the question of why the Torah found it necessary to inform us that Yosef “appeared” to his father. Clearly, once he went to greet him, and before Yosef cried on his father’s shoulder, they saw one another. What did the Torah intend to convey with the expression “va-yeira eilav” (“he appeared to him”)?

The Ramban explains that Yaakov did not initially recognize Yosef, as he had not seen him since he was a teenager, and because Yosef was now adorned in the attire of Egyptian royalty. The Torah thus tells that after a few moments, “he appeared to him” – meaning, Yaakov recognized Yosef and identified him as his son. At that point, Yaakov felt on Yosef’s shoulder and wept. (Unlike other commentators, the Ramban understood the verse to mean that Yaakov wept on Yosef’s shoulders, not the other way around.)

A different approach is taken by Seforno, who explains “he appeared to him” to mean that Yosef stepped away from his entourage so his father could see him. According to this interpretation, “va-yeira eilav” should be understood as “he made himself visible.” This seems to be the approach taken by Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, who translates this phrase to mean that Yosef “presented himself unto” Yaakov. Somewhat similarly, the Radak explains (citing his father) that Yosef made himself visible to Yaakov from a distance rather than appearing to him suddenly.

An intriguing explanation is offered by Rav Avraham Horowitz, in his Netiv Yashar, where he suggests that the phrase “va-yeira eilav” might be understood as an allusion to Yosef’s “revelation” of his true self to his father. Ordinarily, people should not be putting their piety and religious devotion on public display. Genuine spirituality is not flaunted or openly broadcast. A truly righteous person conducts himself with a “normal” persona, engaging with other people without condescension or detachment. However, when Yosef reunited with his father after spending twenty-two years in Egypt, fully integrating in Egyptian society and even rising to become the country’s second-in-command, he “appeared” to him in the fullest sense of the term. He openly displayed to Yaakov his faith, his morality, his devotion to his family traditions, and his commitment to the spiritual legacy of the patriarchs. On this occasion, Yosef made no attempt to humbly keep his religious devotion private, as we normally should. Instead, he presented himself entirely to Yaakov, reassuring him that despite living and integrating in a foreign culture, he remained steadfastly committed to his family’s spiritual heritage.

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Tosafists on Yosef's Ascent to See Yaakov

We read in Parashat Vayigash of Yaakov’s relocation in Egypt, where he was reunited with his beloved son, Yosef, after a period of twenty-two years during which they had not seen each other. The Torah tells that upon Yaakov’s arrival, “Yosef harnessed his chariot and went up to greet Yisrael in Goshen” (46:29).

The Tosafists, in Da’at Zekeinim, suggest several reasons for why the Torah speaks of Yosef’s excursion to Goshen to greet his father with the verb “va-ya’al” (“went up”). Their first suggestion is, “He experienced an ‘ascent’ by going to greet his father in order to honor him.” The fact that Yosef made this trip for the noble purpose of showing honor and respect to his father lent it an “elevating” quality, such that he can be described as having “ascended” as a result of this excursion.

Remarkably, despite who Yosef was and all that he had accomplished, the Tosafists felt that making a trip to greet his father resulted in an additional “ascent.” Yosef had already overcome the harshest forms adversity, withstood difficult challenges, and literally saved the lives of millions of people through his foresight and skill as the Egyptian vizier, by storing grain during the seven surplus years. He extended a hand of friendship to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, and offered to support them and their families during a period of harsh drought and economic crisis. Yosef had, by all accounts, already established himself as an extraordinarily pious, capable and accomplished individual. And yet, the Tosafists teach that he achieved yet another “ascent,” he elevated himself just a bit higher, by going to show respect to his father.

The Tosafists’ remark perhaps reminds us of the inestimable value of each and every good deed we perform, how even seemingly simple and self-understood acts are significant and impactful. We grow not only by overcoming difficult challenges and achieving outstanding accomplishments, but also through the ordinary, day-to-day goodness that we do, such as by showing respect to parents and elders. As the Mishna in Pirkei Avot (2:1) teaches, “Exercise care with regard to a ‘light’ [mitzva] as with regard to a ‘serious’ [mitzva], for you know not the reward given for mitzvot.” We should never underestimate the significance of even acts of goodness that appear “light” and ordinary, for each and every act is valuable and has an “elevating” effect upon us.

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Did Yosef intend to Keep Binyamin in Egypt - and Why did He Change his Plan?

We read in Parashat Vayigash of how Yosef finally revealed his identity to his brothers, after hearing Yehuda’s impassioned plea that he allow Binyamin to return home to Canaan. The Torah introduces this dramatic stage of the story with a difficult verse that has been subject to different interpretations among the commentators: “Yosef was unable to control himself in the presence of all those standing in front of him, and he called, ‘Send everybody away from me!’ – and so no person stood with him when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers” (45:1).

This verse speaks of Yosef as being unable to “control himself,” but it is unclear to what precisely this refers and how this relates to Yosef’s demand that everybody leave the room. Rashi explains that the word “le-hit’apeik” – which is commonly translated as “control” – actually means “tolerate.” Yosef decided at this point to reveal his identity to his brothers, but he could not bear doing so in the presence of his servants and advisors in the room, who would see his brothers in their moment of shame. He therefore ordered everybody to leave. The Radak explains that the Torah refers here to Yosef’s need to cry. He could no longer restrain himself from crying, and so he ordered his servants to leave the room. Ibn Ezra suggests that Yosef did not want to wait to reveal his identity until everybody else present left the room on their own, and so he ordered them to leave.

A different approach is taken by the Ramban, who claims that Yosef’s servants, who heard Yehuda’s plea, were prepared to pressure him to yield and free Binyamin out of consideration for his father. Yosef therefore felt compelled to send his men away so he could continue with his plan without coming under pressure from his servants who were moved by Yehuda’s emotional petition. He then broke down and cried, and in his outburst of emotion, he felt compelled to reveal himself.

The clear implication of the Ramban’s comments is that Yosef did not plan on ending his scheme at that point and revealing his identity to his brothers. His intention was to refuse Yehuda’s plea and keep Binyamin with him in Egypt, but he broke down in tears and revealed himself. This gives rise to the question of what else Yosef planned to do, and until when he had intended to withhold his identity from his brothers.

One possibility, suggested by Netziv, is based upon the Ramban’s earlier comments explaining that Yosef’s intention all along was to bring about the fulfillment of his dreams. Viewing his dreams of his family prostrating before him as prophetic, Yosef felt obliged to ensure their fulfillment. This is why he forced the brothers to bring Binyamin, and this is why he was going to have them bring Yaakov, as well – so that his dream of the entire family bowing to him would be fulfilled. But Yosef broke down and revealed himself without fully realizing his dreams.

This approach works off the questionable assumption that Yosef’s prophetic dreams necessitated his brothers and father bowing to him without knowing who he was. Seemingly, it would suffice for the family to bow before him under any circumstances, and not specifically without knowing that he was Yosef.

A different possibility (noted by Rav Eliyahu Meir Feivelson, in Va-yavinu Ba-mikra) is that Yosef’s intention was to ensure that the brothers had regretted their mistreatment of him. He arranged a situation which challenged the brothers to stand up to protect the youngest and most cherished son of Yaakov – the exact opposite of their having conspired to eliminate Yaakov’s other cherished son over twenty years earlier. Yehuda’s plea, and his offer to remain in Egypt permanently as a slave in Binyamin’s stead, proved to Yosef without a doubt that he, Yehuda, had experienced a change of heart and was prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of Yaakov’s most beloved son. However, Yosef wanted to ensure that all his brothers, and not just Yehuda, had undergone this transformation, and for this reason, he had planned to persist. His plan, however, was disrupted by his rush of emotion wrought by Yehuda’s impassioned appeal and the warning of Yaakov’s death should the brothers return to Canaan without Binyamin. Yosef therefore discontinued his plan, and revealed himself at this point.

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