The parasha Vayigash concludes the saga of the sale of Joseph. After a dramatic negotiation, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, disclosing that he is indeed their lost brother, sold into slavery 22 years earlier.
Joseph reassures his brothers by revealing a steadfast faith in the divine providence over human affairs, telling them that despite their belief that they influenced his personal situation by selling him into slavery, it was, in fact, guided by God: “It was not you who sent me here, but God.”
Immediately afterward, Joseph proposes a solution to their famine problem in the land of Canaan. He invites them to come down to Egypt with their father, Jacob, the elderly patriarch, and live near Joseph, who controls Egypt’s food reserves.
Indeed, the entire family descends to Goshen in Egypt, but not before God reveals Himself to Jacob, encouraging him: “Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again” (Genesis 46:3-4).
As the family approaches Egypt, we read the following verse: “He sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen” (Genesis 46:28).
Judah's secret spiritual mission in Egypt
At first glance, it is unclear why the Torah emphasizes this detail. The Torah typically conveys stories concisely. We are not privy to many details of Jacob’s journey with his family to Egypt, yet this detail is highlighted: Jacob sends Judah ahead to the land of Goshen.
The words “to direct him to Goshen” are explained by Rashi, based on the translation of Onkelos: “to clear a place for him and to show him how to settle in it.” Judah is sent to arrange for Jacob’s family the procedural aspects of settling in a new and foreign land. However, Rashi adds an explanation derived from midrashic aggadah: “And midrashic aggadah explains: ‘to establish for him a house of study, from which teaching would emanate.’”
Judah is not sent on a mission to arrange procedural matters but rather on a spiritual mission – to establish in Egypt a spiritual center ready for the family when they arrive.
Now we understand why this detail is emphasized in the narrative. Jacob and his family descend to Egypt, a land steeped in idolatrous culture, distant from Jacob’s faith and values. How will the family preserve its values and faith? To do so, there is a vital need to precede and establish in Egypt a spiritual center that will serve as a foundation for the extended family when they arrive.
Jacob’s family did not descend to Egypt willingly but out of necessity due to famine, which made it impossible for them to sustain themselves in the land of Canaan. It was a physical salvation, yet one fraught with spiritual danger. The family’s continued existence could jeopardize its values if it were to assimilate into Egypt and adopt Egyptian idolatry.
Jacob’s family had a mission, a faith that carried with it the purpose of raising the banner of monotheism and the values of justice and morality. Could this mission be accomplished in Egypt? Is the descent to Egypt a forfeiture of the family’s spiritual future? Only a spiritual center that binds the extended family together can provide spiritual stability, and that is why Judah is sent ahead to Egypt.
This understanding illuminates our path for generations. When we speak of the existence of the Jewish people, especially as we are contending with enemies seeking to annihilate us, we must remember that the existence of the Jewish people is not merely a physical survival. The Jewish people carry a faith spanning thousands of years, a faith with a message about the purpose of human existence and the values that should guide us in our life’s journey.
The spiritual existence of the Jewish people demands effort from us, and we must not settle for a physical existence devoid of spiritual significance. ■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.