Parashat Vayigash 5786
Pride in One’s Path
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Parashat Vayigash opens with a moving and dramatic description of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers, after many long years during which they did not know what had become of him and concealed from their father the painful act of selling him. The Torah describes at length the brothers’ shame at the moment of revelation, and Joseph’s nobility as he comforts them and makes clear that everything that occurred was decreed from Above so that he would be able to help them during the years of famine in the Land of Israel.
This news quickly reaches their father Jacob, who for many years believed that his beloved son was dead. The Torah describes the emotional upheaval, the sharp transition from deep sorrow to astonishment and joy, when Jacob discovers that Joseph is alive and even holds a senior position in Egypt. Jacob and his household gather their possessions and descend to Egypt, a process described in Jewish sources as part of a deliberate historical course that would ultimately lead to the Exodus from Egypt and the formation of the Jewish nation.
Word of the exceptional event spreads rapidly and reaches Pharaoh: Jacob, the father of Joseph the ruler, has arrived in Egypt together with his family and wishes to settle in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh hears this and authorizes Joseph to settle them there. A rare encounter then takes place between our patriarch Jacob and Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt and a symbol of idolatrous culture. The Torah describes this unusual meeting as follows:
“And Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many are the days of the years of your life?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years; few and difficult have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.’”
(Genesis 47:8-9)
Pharaoh is the greatest opponent of Godliness and of the Jewish worldview. He conducts himself as a god and negates all spiritual influence. And here before him stands the greatest symbol of the Jewish faith, the father of the nation, from whom the twelve tribes of Israel emerged. Pharaoh was certainly very curious to understand who he was and to become acquainted with his worldview. Why, then, is the first thing he asks him: “How old are you?” Is this merely a polite question? He could just as easily have asked Joseph this before the meeting.
To understand this, we must examine the surprising words of the Midrash:
“When Jacob said, ‘Few and difficult have been [the days],’ the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I delivered you from Esau and from Laban, I restored Dinah to you, and Joseph as well, and yet you complain about your life that it has been few and difficult? By your life, the number of words from ‘And Pharaoh said’ until ‘in the days of my sojourning’ – so many years will be deducted from your life, so that you will not live as long as your father Isaac. And they are thirty-three words, and by this number they were deducted from his life. For Isaac lived one hundred and eighty years, while Jacob lived only one hundred and forty-seven.”
(Da’at Zekenim of the Tosafists, Genesis 47:8)
These words teach that Jacob did not act properly when he complained to Pharaoh about his difficult life, and he was even punished by a shortening of his years. One who does not know how to appreciate the good in his life, there is no point in extending his days, since in his eyes everything is bad and he finds no meaning in his life. These words are indeed sharp, but such is the standard applied to the righteous: they are judged with precision.
Yet this is perplexing: why was Jacob punished according to the number of words beginning with “And Pharaoh said”? These are Pharaoh’s words – why should they be counted against Jacob? Even if it was indeed fitting that he be punished for complaining about his life and about what the Holy One blessed be He had granted him, logic would suggest counting only from the beginning of his own words, that is, from “And Jacob said.”
The explanation is that Jacob did not appear before Pharaoh with the bearing of a man who rejoices in his lot and lovingly accepts his life. Rather, his face reflected deep sorrow and excessive aging. Had his face been radiant, his posture upright and composed, and his body language conveying vitality – Pharaoh would not have thought to open the conversation with a question about his age. Such a question is neither routine nor polite as an opening remark. Jacob’s appearance is what led Pharaoh to ask the question, and therefore Pharaoh’s words are included in the calculation as well.
All people, especially those who represent a truth or a spiritual path, bear responsibility for how they present themselves and for the message they convey. When one’s physical appearance and manner of speech convey complaint, despair, and self-pity, it is difficult to believe that they represent truth. But when a person radiates positivity, a pleasant countenance, and gratitude, they inspire and draw others closer to their path.
Therefore, one should adopt a positive approach, greet others warmly, express gratitude, and focus on the good in life. This approach affects our appearance, influences how others relate to us, and may even add vitality. One who represents the path of God in the world must convey the privilege and joy inherent in it, and by doing so, sanctify God’s Name.
