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Parshas Vayigash - Clothes Make the Man

By BJLife/Reb Dovid Fink

Posted on 01/03/20

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

After revealing his true identity, Yoseph and his brothers, once getting over the initial shock, are able to share a brief reunion.  Yoseph reassures them that his sale was brought about by Hashem in order that Yoseph would be in Mitzrayim ahead of time to prepare for the famine. (Vayigash 45:7) Yoseph is quite preoccupied with bringing his father Yaakov down to Mitzrayim to join them and immediately begins gathering wagons and provisions for the journey back to Be’er Sheva.  (45:21) Surprisingly, Yoseph while providing changes of clothing for all the brothers, gives Binyamin five changes of clothing and three hundred pieces of silver.  Wasn’t this precisely the type of favoritism which brought forth the brothers jealously in the first place?  After enduring being hated, sold, falsely accused, imprisoned and separated from his father for so many years, was Yoseph really prepared to travel down that same road by showing such obvious favoritism for his brother Binyamin?


This question bothered many commentators who attempt in different ways to explain this seeming oddity.  The Vilna Gaon answered that the value of Binyamin’s five garments was the same as the other brothers one garment so no jealously was aroused.  The Gemara in Megilla (16a) says that this was an intended symbolism and allusion to the fact that generations later Mordechai, a descendant of Binyamin, would be escorted through the streets of Shushan in five royal garments.  Nevertheless, no clear consensus arises from our greatest sages as to what Yoseph was really thinking. 


One thing that does emerge from the actual psukim is that Yoseph apparently harbored no ill will towards his brothers for their mistreatment of him.  In fact, Yoseph goes out of his way to assure the brothers that they bore no guilt both in words and in deed.  (44:5-11)  Perhaps this sterling midah of Yoseph, in not bearing any grudge against his brothers, provides the rational for the extra gift to Binyamin.  The Rambam instructed in Hilchos Teshuva (2:1) that one has successfully done a complete Teshuva when one is in the precise same predicament where he previously faltered and resists the temptation the next time.  Yoseph in recognizing the Yad Hashem in everything that had transpired wanted to make sure that the brothers had this opportunity to demonstrate that they had genuinely regretted their actions, that they had in fact resolved not to do such a thing in the future.  As the final part of their Teshuva, Yoseph presented them with the same predicament so their lack of any jealousy established the completeness of their repentance. [1]  In Yoseph’s mind, there was no question that the brothers believed they were acting Leshem Shamayim.  He knew that simple jealousy never played a role in his sale.


As we near the end of Sefer Bereishis, the multitude of lessons we can learn from our Avos and Imahos are in many ways simple, practical and inspiring.  We all understand that forgiveness is something we should not withhold from a fellow Jew.    But do we really love the “perpetrator” enough that we want him/her to have complete


absolution.  Most of us view forgiveness as something which we bestow out of our good hearts.  Yoseph wanted his brothers to have complete forgiveness, no matter the severity of the wrong they may have committed.    He understood that the Bnei Yisroel are all in this together.  He may have had fundamental disagreements with his brothers but that did not devalue them as people in his mind. Despite the negative impact on him, he never doubted his brothers’ motives.  Achdus has served us very well in our past.  When we are divided is when we truly face challenges.  Yoseph had every right to harbor some resentment, even if he gave his forgiveness.  But his actions showed us how much he valued the unity of the family and of Am Yisroel above all else.  We shall not question his wisdom.                                       







[1] The Rambam Paskins that one should not deliberately place themselves in the same predicament lest one might fail the test!!