Parshas Vayigash 5775
This week’s parsha documents the reunion of Yaakov and Yosef. Of note is that the verse (46:29) describes how Yosef prepared to set out to meet his father, embraced him and fell onto his shoulder, crying excessively, but says nothing about what Yaakov was doing during this extraordinary event in his life. Wasn’t Yaakov crying, too?
Rashi explains that at this moment Yaakov was saying keriyas shema. Many ask, if this is the case, why wasn’t Yosef saying keriyas shema also? If the time for keriyas shema was just then, both of them should have said it, and if this was not the required time, why did Yaakov say it?
The Maharal answers that this was not a standard keriyas shema, the one said at morning and night. That keriyas shema both Yaakov and Yosef had already said. Rather, he explains, this is the way of tzaddikim — when they see an exceptional revelation of Hashem, they channel the lofty feelings that arise within them into a special recitation ofkeriyas shema. All of the years that Yaakov had been mourning over Yosef changed in one moment into the realization that during this time his son had become viceroy of Egypt, in fulfillment Yosef’s nevuah! Therefore, he said keriyas shema, which has in it yichud Hashem — Hashem’s hand in all that transpires in the world — and also ahavas Hashem, to bring out his great feelings of love for all that Hashem had done for him.
This, says the Maharal, is the way of tzaddikim, to seek out ways to strengthen theirdeveikus to Hashem. Instead of concentrating on personal emotions of joy as a father re-discovering his long-lost son, Yaakov focused on developing a stronger connection to G-d.
Another dramatic meeting takes place in our parsha: Yosef finally meets Binyamin (45:14), this time not posing as an Egyptian viceroy. Here the brothers’ behavior seems more understandable — they both cry on each other’s shoulders. Only, Rashi explains that these tears were not an emotional response to their years of separation. Yosef was crying for the two mikdashim that would be in Binyamin’s portion that would be destroyed, and Binyamin cried because Mishkan Shilo would be in Yosef’s portion and would be destroyed. Despite years of separation and yearning, the two brothers were not concentrating on their personal sentiments. Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman explains that each brother was focused on the ruchniyus of the other, and both were searching very deeply into this, so much so that they even reached the awareness that the other would merit having the Shechina dwell in his territory, but would later lose it. This realization is what brought them to tears. They were crying because the other’s great spiritual level would ultimately not endure.
This was the spiritual level at which Yaakov and his sons lived. Even in the most emotional circumstances, avodas Hashem was foremost in their minds. Needless to say, this is not the spiritual level at which we live, but we should strive for this. How can we?
Mashgiach of Yeshivas Kol Torah Harav Yerucham Bordiansky suggests that the answer is found, appropriately, at the very beginning of the Shulchan Aruch, where the Rama states (first quoting Tehillim): ” ‘I have placed Hashem before me always’ — this is an over-arching principle of the Torah.” We should try to keep in mind as much as possible that we are standing before Hashem. “Placing Hashem before us always” demands more than simply believing that Hashem exists. Many goyim believe in Hashem, too, but what’s required of us is to live with His presence before us at all times and bring Him into all of our actions.
If the Rama brought this halacha at the very beginning of the Shulchan Aruch, it means that this is the essence of being a Jew. We cannot claim that by believing in Hashem we have fulfilled his mitzva of emunah. A Jew is required to walk with Hashem, to live constantly before Him and be aware of this.
Rav Bordiansky suggests that the very first place to start instilling awareness of Hashem’s presence is when we daven Shemona Esrei. Rav Chaim Brisker says that while kavana for what we are saying is imperative only for the first bracha of the Shemona Esrei (of course, one should try to have kavana for more or all of it), the essence of the entire amida prayer is that we are standing before Hashem. And the way to achieve this is by pausing just before the amida to remind ourselves that we are about to enter into a dialogue, as it were, before the Melech Malchei Hamelachim Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hopefully, reminding ourselves of Hashem’s presence just before davening will plant a thought that will continue throughout the davening and from there throughout the day, until we are aware of Him at all times.
It is told of the Beis HaLevi that he worked very hard to feel Hashem’s presence always — 24 hours a day. This brought him to a very high level of yiras Shamayim. Although the Beis Halevi learned with great hasmada, his talmidim recalled that he would often go to a corner of the beis hamidrash and speak briefly to himself. When asked what he was doing, he explained that perhaps he had committed some sin in either his thought or words, and he wanted to say vidui for this immediately. They saw him say such viduim as often as 10-15 times every day. When G-d is right before a person’s eyes, he realizes that every single action of his must be perfectly clean of any trace of sin or stray intention.
May we be zoche to put Hashem before us always!