“Judah approached him . . . (Genesis 44:18)
Said Rabbi Yehudah: The verb “he approached” (vayigash) implies an approach to battle, as in the verse “So Joab and the people that were with him approached unto battle” (II Samuel 10:13).
Rabbi Nechemiah said: The verb “he approached” implies a coming near for conciliation, as in the verse “Then the children of Judah approached Joshua” (Joshua 14:6).
The sages said: It implies coming near for prayer, as in the verse “It came to pass, at the time of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet approached . . .” (I Kings, 18:36).
Rabbi Eleazar combined all these views Judah approached Joseph for all three, saying: If it be war, I approach for war; if it be conciliation, I approach for conciliation; if it be for entreaty, I approach to entreat.”
“In Vayiggash, through a series of revelations, movements and dramatic meetings, all the threads come together. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and then meets his father, both very dramatic moments. He introduces his father and brothers to Pharaoh and the family is settled in Goshen with the encouragement and assistance of Pharaoh. They prospered there, as the closing verse indicates, almost as if it’s “happily ever after.” Not quite.”
Revealing Oneself in Order to Heal
“As Parashat Vayigash begins, Joseph still has not revealed his identity to his brothers. With Joseph having framed his younger brother Benjamin for stealing his divining goblet, and consequently declaring that as punishment, Benjamin will be enslaved in Egypt, his brother, Judah, now beseeches Joseph to enslave him instead (Genesis 44:33). His plea comes after Judah reminds Joseph that he has an elderly father and describes in detail, why Benjamin did not initially go down to Egypt with the brothers and why, should he not return to Canaan, their father literally would die (Genesis 44:31). Joseph is so moved by Judah’s love for Jacob and Benjamin that he is unable to hold back any longer and after ordering that all but his brothers leave, tells them, in Hebrew, that he is their brother Joseph.”
“One of the abiding themes of the book of Genesis is that of family conflict and reconciliation. Each biblical generation tells its own version of the story of sibling rivalry, from the disastrous conflict between Cain and Abel at the beginning of Genesis, to the happy reunion of the sons of Jacob at the end of the book. In a broader context, this story is the story of all humanity and symbolizes the biblical dream for the now feuding human family to be reconciled with each other as loving brothers and sisters. In the specific context, each version of the story is a case study in family dynamics and ethics. Each time that Genesis replays the story, it holds up a mirror within which we can study our lives. ”
“Joseph and Judah, whose conflict began with Judah’s sale of Joseph into slavery, ends with their reconciliation in this week’s parashah when Judah stands up for his brothers’ welfare before Joseph, who has become the Egyptian viceroy. This story foreshadows the perpetual struggle between the two nations that made up the Jewish people in biblical times, the northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom, Judea. These nations constantly wavered between conflict and conciliation.”