Parshat Vayyigash, Genesis 44:18–47:27 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
With this week’s portion, Israel moves to Egypt. After Joseph has revealed himself to his brothers (and they recover from the shock!), Joseph invites the brothers to get their father Jacob and return to Egypt. This invitation was not only Joseph’s desire but also the invitation of Pharaoh himself.
But this presents a dilemma for the brothers. The secret that they have kept from their father Jacob, namely wild beasts did not kill Joseph, but rather that Joseph alive and is now second in command only to Pharaoh in Egypt must be revealed. The brothers have a chance to come clean. And yet, the Torah does not exactly say that the brothers told their father of their betrayal of their brother so long ago. It says instead “they recounted all that Joseph had said to them,”(Gen 45:27). Did the brothers recount the whole story? Did they tell of selling him into slavery as retaliation for his favorite son status? Or did they merely pick up the story of Joseph’s rise to power, shading the story to alleviate their guilt and their sin?
As you can imagine Jacob the father was incredulous at the news. For years he mourned the death of his favored son, Joseph. He believed he had died. And now the brothers brought new not only of that he was alive but the most powerful person in Egypt save Pharaoh. This is a lot to take in at one time. And Jacob seems to have fainted. The torah says, “His heart went numb, ” (Gen 45:26) and then we are told later, “ The spirit of their father revived.” (Gen 45:27). Such shocking news to an old man was bound to have that effect. The father can only think of being reunited with the son and demands to be taken to see him.
And thus Jacob and the entire household go down to Egypt. Setting in motion the beginning of our stay that would culminate more than 400 years later in the Exodus from Egypt.
The Midrash teaches an important lesson however from this week’s parasha on the effect of dishonesty. The brothers’ deception of their father in the “death” of Joseph comes back to haunt them. When the brothers lied and told him Joseph was dead he (Jacob) believed them; when they spoke the truth and said that Joseph was alive he (Jacob) disbelieved them. This is the punishment of liars; even when they speak the truth they are not believed. (As quoted in URJ Plaut Chumash, p. 292)
Thus we learn that the lies the brothers told come back full circle to haunt them at a later time. This no less true today. An endeavor that begins in falsehood will only end at a later time in falsehood and deceit. It takes courage to come clean. It is too bad the brothers have not come clean with their father about their role and their betrayal of both Joseph and Jacob for they have permanently damaged their relationship with both of them.
Lies have a way of doing that. It damages the fabric of our relationships and ultimately our world. Lies twist and turn the truth and twist and turn our character into shreds of what we once were. Only in confronting our own lies can we rebuild our character and our esteem in the eyes of others.
Posted by Lee at January 3, 2006 03:37 PM
