Parashat VaYigash

(Genesis 44:18 - 47:27)

Yehudah, already taking up the scepter as the spokesman, risks his life like Hadassah (Esther) on behalf of his brother. He does not even try to explain anything about the cup, for the evidence seems to stand against them, but recognizes it cannot hurt to ask for mercy, since this man must have had a father as well, and just might understand their plight. He lowers himself rather than foolishly saying, "No one will enslave us!" This man, though clearly much younger than he, and a clean-shaven pagan, no less, still has a great measure of control over his life right now, so he does choose his words more carefully this time. One of the disadvantages of living in a democracy is that we have very little sense of how to show respect for authorities. One of the few vestiges is that if we address a judge wrongly we will be charged with contempt of court. When the Kingdom comes, many who try to be "buddy-buddy" with Yahshua without showing him the respect due a king (no, more than that--an emperor), will have a rude awakeneing. Yehudah also confesses that Yoseyf (a picture of Yahshua) is LIKE Pharaoh (a picture here of YHWH). Yochanan/John 14:9 echoes this. The Son is not the Father, but everything that can be humanly known about the Father is visible in Yahshua. Anything that could be seen of Him was revelaed by Him who was His "image". (Col. 1:15) For our stage in history this also represents Yehudah recognizing Efrayim (Yoseyf's descendants and Yahshua's body) as a righteous people even before he knows they are really his brothers. My master: Yehudah's house will walk with the house of Israel (Yoseyf)--i.e., follow the same interpretation of how Torah tells us to "walk" (Yirmeyahu 3:18), after the latter has grown as wise and discerning as Yoseyf.

20. "And we told my master, 'We have an aged father, and a young boy born to him in his old age; his brother is dead, and he alone is left [of those] belong to his mother--and his father loves him [best].'

The brothers did indeed consider Yoseyf to probably be dead. At least figuratively, for all their purposes he is, even as among Yehudah's descendants today one who leaves the faith is considered dead to the community. Yahshua must seem this way to many, because they seem to have lost all benefit of his being a Jew.

22. "But we said to my master, 'The young man cannot leave his father; for if he did leave, his father would die.'

23. "Yet you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.'

24. "So when we had gone back up to your servant, our father, we did indeed tell him what my master said.

25. "When our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food',

26. "we told him, 'We can't go down there! If our youngest brother is with us, then we can go down, because we cannot appear before the man if our youngest brother is not with us!'

Appear before the man: or "see the man's face". Somehow only Binyamin can reveal Yoseyf's true face to Israel. Some Orthodox Jews, including those who follow Yahshua, seem to be fulfilling this role.

Again we see that although he had four wives and thirteen children, he only counts one wife and two children as his actual family, though he has lost two out of the three. He seems to think of the rest of them as problems.

Torn to pieces: Yaaqov was a prophet, and indeed Yoseyf's descendants were torn apart, though Yoseyf himself was not.

30. "So now, if I come back to your servant, my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up with the lad's,

Allegorically, Binyamin is someone whom Yaaqov cannot afford to lose. Thus he must represent those who seem to be preserving the heritage of Israel most fully, and who would be the default heirs to the birthright after Yahshua was "lost". The nationalist Orthodox in Israel do not wish to be separated from the Land, unlike the Hasidim, and are more closely related to Yoseyf's descendants, being more open to recognizing that they are indeed being called back from among the Gentiles. Somehow even these must be risked in order for the whole community to be fed. His life...with the lad's: or "his soul is bound to the lad's soul".

Yehudah himself had lost two sons, and could truly know how his father would feel.

Bear the guilt: literally, "sin" or "miss the mark"; i.e., his father would never consider him an "on-track" man. And if his father did die before he had occasion to make amends for this failure, there would indeed be no way to settle the matter with him, and it would indeed remain unresolved forever.

Yehudah has already lost two sons because he did what he wanted rather than what should have been done; he cannot afford to lose another who is under his protectorate. But all he can do is state his case. Yehudah lays down his life for his brother--just as his descendant Yahshua would. This earned him the scepter.

Yehudah takes responsibility for not only Leah's sons but Rakhel's as well. He takes responsibility for what the father loves most, and this has a profound effect on Yoseyf. It gives him hope that maybe he will see his father again after all. Because Yehudah asked this very important question, his descendant Yahshua would also be able to take responsibility for his brothers who are in captivity. Yehudah has the same dilemma Yahshua had--his Father had entrusted him with his greatest treasure. He could he go back to his Father if the one he had come to redeem was not with him? (Yochanan 6:39; 17:6ff) Now Yoseyf sees that Yehudah has changed from being willing to profit from his brother's injury to being willing to give up his own freedom and inheritance to spare his brother and father their own pain. Whether or not he sees Rakhel's children as important to himself, he does recognize their importance to their father, and is willing to trade himself for them. Because he did not fail, he earned the trust of his father and merited the scepter for the whole house of Israel, having sons like David and Yahshua, who would give his life for Yoseyf's children, as well as the fact that Yehudah was the only tribe to preserve the observance of the Torah for all these centuries. This selflessness makes Yoseyf realize that he no longer needs to test their worthiness to know who he is. Every move he made had been to jog their memory of something they had done, and finally they got the point.

CHAPTER 45

Withdraw: He must have said this in Egyptian, since his brothers did not leave. This is a very touching story about an emotional time in the lives of our ancestors, but it is also extremely significant prophetically. Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 1:9-10 tells us that there is nothing occurring now that has not already taken place in ancient times. At least the patterns are the same, if not every detail. When we read the Torah we can transcend time, as the story is always so fresh that it seems as if it just took place. But it is indeed taking place in our own day. As many recognize that Christianity does not line up with the very Scriptures they use, they have searched for someone who treats the text more responsibly, and Yehudah has again proven, in general, to have hearts inclined to the Father and to want to protect what He holds close to Himself. Binyamin (the son of the right hand) was first called Ben-Oni (son of my sorrows). Likewise, the Torah can be a source of sorrow or our most prized possession, depending on whether we look at it selfishly or not. Christianity blurs the lines between him and the Father to such an extent that many focus only on the Son. As we hear from Yehudah, we realize that we have all but forgotten the Father and also have lost track of who we are and who we are meant to be. Though Christianity has often demonized the Jews because they do not believe in "Jesus", when we look at them, we realize that many are very righteous, because we can see their lives in the Scriptures, while we cannot find the ways of Christianity there. Theirs is a story worth hearing. There is no way such a small group could accomplish so much in the earth if YHWH was not protecting them, just as they protected what He holds most dear. This changes our theology quickly, for we realize that we hardly know who the Father is. And as a great Jew, also named Yaaqov (but better known by the Gentile corruption, James), wrote in a letter expressly addressed to the twelve tribes of Israel in exile, if we merely hear the Torah and do not carry it out, we will forget who we are. If we see that it says the seventh day is the day of ceasing labor, yet we stop on the first day instead, or if we see that it says pigs and shellfish are not food, yet we eat them anyway, Torah sounds vaguely familiar, but we will not recognize ourselves in it. As we started realizing that it was for us after all, we looked at Yehudah (the Jews) and had to wonder if we were one of them, since we were being drawn to the same things. As we start carrying out the Torah, we no longer have to ask, "Who was that in the mirror?" As Yoseyf heard the story from Yehudah's perspective, the memory of his family came back to him. He had dealt with the bitterness of the bad things they had done to him, but when Yehudah, not knowing who Yoseyf was, said, "You are just like Pharaoh", this pricked his heart deeply. A Hebrew telling him he was just like an Egyptian? He remembers that that is not what he was born to be. When he sees Yehudah, who clearly loves not only his father but his brother, he finally recognizes his face in the mirror. Though they are not dressed like him, he realizes that these are his brothers in the truest sense. He remembers who he really is. Yoseyf's descendants are again realizing who they are--not Jews but closely related to them--and are also beginning to reveal themselves to Yehudah, the spokesman for all the brothers. And the sequence of events here shows us how it will most effectively be done. No man stood with him: i.e., no attendants remained in his presence. This was no secret meeting, but it was a family gathering, not a media event, so the other people did not need to be there, since it had nothing to do with them. As it was here, so now our reunification with Yehudah is beginning with very small-scale encounters as trust is rebuilt between long-estranged brothers; it is not meant to be turned into a public display or a circus act. But as with the time Moshe struck down the Egyptian man, yet "no man" was there, and when Yaaqov wrestled with the "man", yet he was "alone", and when Y'hoshua went up Mt. Sinai with Moshe, yet there was "no man" with him, there is a deeper meaning here. The term used is "ish", which was only used after Chavvah was split from Adam, and so in a sense refers to the man in his separated state--an individual. Now, however, all the brothers are finally together again, and so the congregation is complete, mystically forming an "Adam" again instead of an "ish". "No man" is therefore present when self-serving is surrendered to unity. He must have now been speaking Hebrew for them to understand. We, too, as Yoseyf's descendants cannot reveal ourselves to our brother until we are totally separated from Egypt. (Compare Deut. 7:1-4; Ezra 9, 10; Neh. 13:23-25.)

The world would in due time find out about this, but it had to be done in the proper order. They are not invited to watch, though it cannot ultimately be hidden. To everything there is a season (Qoheleth/Ecles. 3); now it is time to reveal ourselves to Yehudah only in private, small-scale encounters like this, not to make money writing best-sellers about this amazing phenomenon. Some rabbinic writings surmise that the reason he closed the doors, then, was to "reveal himself" (v. 1)--that is, to show them that he, too, was from the only family on the earth that was then circumcised. (The term "known" in v. 1 often means in an intimate sense, as in 4:1 where the term is used of Adam "knowing" his wife in such a way as to conceive a child.) Who else would have this sign of the covenant (17:10ff) on him at that time? So, like the family of Yeshayahu the prophet (Yesh. 8:18ff), he himself is the sign to them--and a wonder, since they had thought he was dead. Now circumcision is a common procedure, so something deeper will be required in order to show Yehudah that we are his brother. Most spiritual religions of the world have some physical connection to Avraham. But just as Nakdimon said of Yahshua, "We know that no one can do these signs unless Elohim is with him" (Yochanan 3:2), there are indeed other unmistakable signs of the covenant which very few people bear, which prove that we are who we say we are: the Sabbath (Ex. 31:13) and other festivals (Ex. 12:13; 13:8), and most of all, having circumcised hearts (Deut. 10:16; 30:6, not stubborn to go our own way), ears (Yirmeyahu 6:10, discerning of what YHWH is saying, and not approaching His Word like a swine), and lips (Ex. 6:12; 23:13, not letting the names of pagan deities be upon them, ultimately speaking only a pure language, Ts'fanyah 3:9; Neh. 23:25). Most of Yehudah, whose leaders "consigned us to Egypt" by declaring us to be no better than Gentiles, still do not consider us "one of them", though they recognize our power (like Yoseyf's) to assist them now. But as we begin to live in Torah-based community, have YHWH's priorities, exercising the "new" (never-yet-used) commandment to love one another (Yoch. 13:34-35), and teach YHWH's words to our children (Deut. 6:4ff)--when we live Torah so fully that we have no reason to envy Yehudah any longer (Yeshayahu 11:13)--we thus "reveal our circumcision", and some from Yehudah are already recognizing who we are. We are ultimately not doing it for them, but for YHWH, but we cannot be fully united with Him until we are reunited with one another.

Though the "congregation" of brothers is all together again, the first thing he asks is about the one man that must still be included for the family to be whole in every way. Similarly, now that Yahshua's emissaries have nearly wrapped up the task of regathering lost sheep from every nation, it must be asked whether their foundational principle--Israel--is still operative among them. If the congregation sees itself as other than Israel, it cannot thrive. They had already told him that their father was alive. So he was probably asking a deeper question. Was Israel still alive in all of them as he clearly is in Yehudah? Do the rest of them have anything in common with him? They all had the same father, but except for Binyamin, they had different mothers. So YHWH therefore gave all Israel the Torah--His true "wife"--so all of Israel could have the same mother. It teaches us who our Father truly is--and is not. No wonder, then, that Jews today recognize kinship by one's mother. The pope and many others claim to be heirs to Israel, but if they do not follow the Torah, there is no true relationship. His presence: the fact that he was actually among them, but also the one whom they had mistreated now had power over whether they ate or not, so of course they were full of fear. Would he provide for them, as the one once considered the firstborn, or kill them? It is understandable, then, if Yehudah is somewhat nervous or suspicious of people who look just like those who perpetrated pogrom and crusade, and who still claim Yahshua as king, yet also call ourselves Israel.

This was a wise response. The realization that the one they had wronged was in a position of such power frightened them. What would it mean? Is it a blessing that our relative is in charge of all this food, or will this be only one more source of retribution for their sins against him? So he invited them to come closer and inspect him, to see that he wouldn't bite! And so we must say the same to Yehudah, not because we need their approval, but to show that we are not the foreigners we appeared to be. Yet he reminds them that they sold him, for the reason "Gentile" believers have been away from Torah for so long is that very few in Yehudah--Yahshua being the most notable exception--have been willing to look past the dangers inherent in getting close to us in order to be a light to the nations. This is changing today, and thus the reunion is beginning to take place again. But Yoseyf does nfot say, "You need to accept me!" He lets them take a closer look and examine whether they really see their family in him. If Yehudah looks closely at what we are becoming, we will not have to prove anything; they will be convinced by our lives. Some may think we are just lost Jews, not recognizing the distinction between the two Kingdoms, but that distinction is only meant to be temporary anyway. (Y'hezq'el 37:22) They should not see a big difference. But Yoseyf could not reveal himself until he was fully convinced that he was as much an Israelite as they were, no matter how different they now looked.

His first conversation with them after he makes himself known gives testimony that there is something bigger at work here than themselves or himself. He is telling of YHWH's marvelous works. (Psalm 9:1) All that he has gone through--not just his exalted position, but the slavery and imprisonment--have been YHWH at work, for all these things befell him not for himself but for the sake of all Israel. (Compare Yochanan 9:3.) It all took place so he could be in this position when they needed him most. We, too, must not rob Israel by failing to tell of YHWH's wonders. Yahshua was sent ahead of his dispersed brothers so they would find the fear of Elohim among some Gentiles who would protect them in times of crisis. After centuries of appearing to be a Gentile ruler himself, even seeming to single the Jews out for "special treatment", Yahshua too will reveal himself to be the brother with another name, whom they never recognized as such. As we are revealed to be Yoseyf's sons, he must not be left out of the equation, though he is revealed for who he is most accurately through the Torah, which he, too, follows. We cannot know him without following it. It is his mother, too. Like Yoseyf, we are the proof that this kinsman-redeemer did not fail his brothers. Preserve: or revive, which is indeed taking place with Yoseyf's descendants.

Prophetically, does this mean it will not be until two years into Yaaqov's trouble that Yoseyf's identity today will be revealed to his brothers?

Insure a means for your survival: literally, "lay a foundation for something to be left over". Without Yoseyf, Yehudah cannot defeat all its enemies. (Ovadyah 18; Yeshayahu 11:10-16) There is something far bigger at work than the hardships he has been through. They put him in the position to do something that still has ramifications today. Preservation: the term has the sense of a remnant escaping, yet it is for the sake of the Land. This was really for the sake of Israel, not so much Egypt, just like Yahshua's coming, though both had benefits that spilled over to others as well (Mark 7:28). Yoseyf's descendants were sent out into the world so they would have access to what was needed to provide for the homeland, but also keep the people of Israel alive as well, as all but Yehudah's identity has largely been hidden and thus not targeted with the same type of hostility, and thus has had the space to develop a solid foundation that can serve the whole community in the seven years of "Yaaqov's trouble" (Yirmeyahu/Jer. 30:7).

Now he is speaking like the Yoseyf they used to know--yet those "delusions of grandeur" have now all proven to be the truth after all! Here the term "father" is used more as a "mentor" or "counselor", or one who provides for his family. This may be why one of the titles for Yahshua (Imanu-El) is "the everlasting father" or "father of eternity". (Yeshayahu 7:14; 9:6) In Zech. 13:7, he is also referred to the "man who is [YHWH's] companion" or "associate".

Master over all of Egypt: Yahshua, who was also seen by Jewish scholars as a Gentile ruler, is now at last being recognized by the Orthodox as truly originating from their context after all.

Goshen: Egypt's best pastureland, east of the delta, but the name itself means "drawing near"! Its very name speaks of a place of togetherness. It is eastward from modern-day Zagazig, and was the nearest they could be to Israel and still be under Yoseyf's protection. Their whole purpose in leaving was to become able to return and claim the whole Land. Yoseyf's capital was actually what is now Al-Lisht, west of the Nile. In the area southwest of there, now known as the Faiyum (land reclaimed from a lake by regulating the inflow of water from the Nile), there is a river known as the "Canal of Yoseyf" (Yusuf in Arabic). Yeshayahu 11 says the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Yehudah would one day come back from Egypt and Ashur again. It appears that a "Goshen" will again be provided where we can live together while still outside the Land while we await the Messiah's final victory.

Impoverished: overthrown or dispossessed; i.e., "You will lose everything if you do not come out now so that you can remain strong". This was YHWH's answer for now. The remnant of the Land is preserved outside the Land.

I.e., "Read my lips!" He has sent his interpreter away, so he must be speaking Hebrew at this point--another skill Yoseyf must acquire before we can be at home in the Land.

All the honor given me: or "how much weight I carry".

Embraced: literally, "fell upon the neck of". The Hebrew word for neck comes from "binding up", i.e., what forms a bond between the two of them.

Conversed with him: freely, their fears being assuaged. This reconciliation has a future fulfillment as well: Yeshayahu/Isa. 11:12ff.

They finally learned what all of his crying was about! Of course they were concerned with what was in it for them, but if Yoseyf had brought so much benefit, how much more would eleven more like him bring! But with Pharaoh as (on one level) a metaphor for YHWH and Yoseyf for Yahshua, "it was pleasing in his eyes" echoes YHWH's view of His creation (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), and shows us what His attitude will be when all of Yahshua's brothers arrive in His house together--it will be "life from the dead"! (Romans 11:15)

18. "'and bring your father and your households, and come back, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the best [produce] of the land.

19. "'And you are commanded to do this! Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt, to carry your little ones and your wives, then get your father and come!

You are commanded: i.e., don't even try to decline--on my authority! This is the first mention of wagons in Scripture. Egypt may have been the only nation using wheeled transport at that time. Pharaoh tells the brothers to do just what Yoseyf told them, only in more general terms, i.e., he did not specify which part of the land, while Yoseyf chose the part that meant "coming close". But he was so confident of what Pharaoh would do that he made the offer first--just as we can be assured that whatever Yahshua tells us is also YHWH's will.

"Leave your property behind with no regrets, for here you have a far better inheritance!" (cf. Heb. 11:16) The best of Egypt: If Yoseyf had said this, it would simply mean "there are some things you won't need here, so do not overburden yourselves to bring all you own." Here they would live in houses, so why bring their tents? But it is Pharaoh speaking, so they must still remember that however poor it might look on the surface, the heritage of Avraham and Yitzhaq far outweighed the best Egypt had to offer. (Compare Mark 8:36.) "Equipment" could just as well be translated, "containers" or "vessels". It is pottery that identifies to archaeologists what culture they are dealing with. So the brothers' "vessels' represents their culture. Pharaoh wants them to adopt a completely different lifestyle, for they are shepherds, and shepherds were not liked in Egypt. They would "share" their culture with Israel. The term for "equipment" also often means "weapons". If Pharaoh had heard of the incident at Sh'khem, he would certainly want Israel to come unarmed. And today in exile we are accepted as long as we do not fight for what is true. The word for "equipment" is closely related to the word for "kidney", which is the filter that distinguishes what should be in our blood and removes impurities. Once we start discriminating and judging what should be part of our lives, it is time to expect trouible from our hosts-in-exile. The best of Egypt was also brought along when the whole community left Egypt, even though they were enslaved in the meantime. Thus when the Israelites left Egypt with their neighbors' wealth (Ex. 12), it was not stolen, for Pharaoh had deeded it to them here, though they were later denied it. The best of Egypt also included some of its people, who left at the Exodus as well. Prophetically, this is the same concept as possessing the remnant of Edom (Amos 9:12) and the honor and glory of the nations being brought into the holy city (Rev. 21:26). Even in the paganized church YHWH has a remnant that will become part of and add onto Israel (as per Yoseyf's name).

"Go-ahead": literally, at his mouth. If all they could carry on donkeys lasted them quite some time, he was sending them with a feast every day!

Changes of clothing: something more suitable to wear before the king (Zech. 3:4; Rev. 3:5; 6:11). Fit for dignified men: or to each of them, to a man. 300 pieces of silver: the price for ten women who make a vow (Lev. 27:4)--i.e, a complete congregation, and perhaps the basis for the ten virgin bridesmaids (Matt. 25). Compare the Hebrew tradition of the host of a wedding feast providing garments in advance to invitees, and expecting that they be worn (Matt. 22), and the five out of ten bridesmaids who did not prepare themselves adequately. Five: a number that usually represents favor bestowed on someone, as well as the five books of the Torah. The high priest also changed his clothes five times on the Day of Atonement.

24. And he sent his brothers off. When they left, he told them, "Don't quarrel on the way!"

He uses a bit of humor to show that he still remembered their tendencies. He both puts them at ease and challenges them to rise to a higher level. He wants them all to come back alive. But he also realizes that they will probably now have to confess to Yaaqov what they had done to him, and he does not want them to blame one another, but accept collective responsibility as one people. Fixing the blame on one or another would only detract from accomplishing their mission, and so it is for us. If they did not confess to Yaaqov their sin against him, could this have been why their descendants were enslaved? The more quickly we "come clean", the cleaner we become.

26. And they reported to him, "Yoseyf is still alive! And not only that, he's the ruler in all the land of Egypt!" But his heart froze up, because he did not believe them.

Froze up: went numb, rigid, torpid, or inert. It was as if he had a heart attack and died--ironically, not as a result of losing him but as a result of finding out he was alive! Note that they were speaking to him as Yaaqov. (Compare v. 28.) He may not have believed them, and simply shut down his response to yet another potential stressor.

The same message--that Yoseyf is still alive--revived our spirits as well. But what was it about the wagons that convinced him? Recall that in chapter 32 he had had a vision of Elohim's two camps--not just his own camp, but also the camp of Israel in the wilderness generations later on their way back to this Land. The only other mention of wagons in Scripture using the same term as here is in Numbers chapter 7, in which the leaders of Israel in the wilderness brought six covered wagons with offerings for the Tabernacle. Yaaqov had seen these same wagons in his vision, and recognized them here, so he knew that their story was true.

Too much: or, enough. Israel: he is now speaking from his "new self", for he is no longer acting as a natural man. Yaaqov did not believe it, but Israel does. Even before the Sanctuary was built, YHWH was bringing Israel back to life--the very thing it was designed to do. (Y'hezq'el/Ezek. 43:10ff) But before Israel can rest, he must see Yoseyf alive--a fact which remains true to this day.

CHAPTER 46

[c. year 2240 from creation; 1760 B.C.E.]

1. So Israel departed with all who belonged to him, and when he came to Be'er-Sheva, he offered up sacrifices to the Elohim of his father Yitzhaq.

To Be'er-Sheva: to renew the covenants of his fathers which were made there (21:32-33; 22:19; 26:23-25) and affirm their connection with the land to show that their departure was only temporary. The very name means "clarification of the oath". He undoubtedly offered these sacrifices on the altar his father had built. This was his childhood home, but now he had been mourning Yoseyf and feeling sorry for himself for years. It was as if he had been dead for as long as he had thought Yoseyf was dead. Though YHWH gives special favor to mourners, there is a time for this to come to an end. Now that he had revived, needed to reconnect with the Land, recall the path on which his fathers set him, and get back in touch with YHWH again. We, too, thought the Torah was dead, but now that we know it is not, it is time to leave behind the death in which we have been walking.

Visions of the night: the word night in Hebrew comes from a root meaning "staircase", which would remind him of Beyth-El, where he had the dream of a stairway. YHWH brings him back through familiar territory to confirm that it is the same Elohim addressing him. Why does He speak to Israel, yet call him Yaaqov? With so many descendants already, he might have been tempted, before the famine, to think the promise of inheriting the Land had been fulfilled. But there was a physical, mundane job to do first. Though the fact that we, too, are alert to YHWH makes us Israel, but we cannot do the Torah only spiritually; we must live out the covenant. YHWH wanted the whole community back together. But his descendants would indeed become more like Yaaqov than Israel while they were there, because they grew dull in their contact with YHWH, being "down" in Egypt--a lower place spiritually.

Be afraid: i.e., to leave the land of promise again. Elohim had given it to him, and yet he had to leave it and go to a place whose rituals focused on death in order to have his son restored. He must have had strong misgivings about this. His grandfather had run into trouble there, and his father had been specifically told not to go there. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan links this fear with his remembrance of the prophecy (15:13-14) that his descendants would become slaves in a foreign land. The last time Yaaqov had left the Land, he had been gone a very long time. And that time when he left, there were still others, his father included, who remained to "anchor" the Land as their own; this time none of their family would be left there. Why couldn't Yoseyf come to him? He had been commanded to come, but by Pharaoh, not by YHWH, and so he had to inquire of the eternal One as to whether this was the right thing. Of course, now that he knew Yoseyf was alive, he would want nothing more than to go see him again. But he had his whole family to consider now, not just his own wishes. So he went to Be'er-Sheva, whose name means, at root, "a complete clarification". He came to YHWH for a ruling, because he was now awake and knew that if he did not, it could have adverse effects on his relationship with YHWH or on the entire community he now led. This time, Elohim gave His overt permission to go. He told him to trust Him with the enslavement, because in order to come back out with great possessions (spiritually, not just physically), his people must learn to become servants. "Elohim" emphasizes the judging side of YHWH, and if Yaaqov had treated his other sons better, they might not have had to go through the hardships that awaited them there, even if YHWH had told Avraham that his descendants would be enslaved. Yonah (and eve Moshe's intercession when YHWH condemned all Israel) shows us that prophecies can be rescinded if there is true repentance. Maybe they could have had the Kingdom right them already if Yaaqov had not let the root of bitterness grow down so deep.

I.e., "The one you thought was dead will outlive you and be the one to close your eyes when you die." This was comforting, for Yoseyf would thus outlive him. But metaphorically, "placing his hand on your eyes" could also mean that being together with the dreamer again would restore his spirit of revelation after he had "seen" very little for such a long time. As we will see, when he met Yoseyf's sons, the spirit of prophecy came back to him in an even greater way. Bring you back: a promise of the resurrection, because to this day only his bones have returned to the Land.

Prophetically, Israel will again be taken out of the Land during the time of "Yaaqov's trouble". (Yirmeyahu 30:7)

Although Pharaoh had said they would have better things in Egypt, and did not really want the Hebrews' livestock there, the wealth of "Egypt", no matter how beautiful, can never fully make up for the heritage YHWH gives Yaaqov in His own Land. Pharaoh would expect them to leave everything behind, including their lifestyle, and be honored as royalty. But these were the ways YHWH had established in their forefathers, so they refused to be fully assimilated into the Egyptian world. This same strategy is what has preserved Yehudah to this day, though some of their recalcitrance has seemed absurd at times. This has made them a cohesive people for 2,000 years despite exile, and is what we celebrate at Hanukkah. The Northern Kingdom, who was assimilated with the Gentiles even before leaving the Land, who did not bring our possessions into our "Egypt", is left with nothing but Egyptian possessions, so we must all the more search the historybooks and go to the archaeologists to recover our lost heritage.

All his descendants: therefore we were included, so we too could come out of Egypt, just as Paul said we all stood at Mt. Sinai (1 Cor. 10:1). Literally, all his seed--not just his physical family, but everyone into which he had planted himself, all who had become part of what he was cultivating, who had joined his people, though they were not technically his descendants.

Yaaqov and his sons: This phrase defines who the children of Israel are. It is no longer Yaaqov OR his sons. No longer are his children one thing and he another. He is no longer keeping his distance from them because he did not like the way they did things. He sees that he is going down only as one part of the whole that he has not very well taken responsibility for in the past.

Yaaqov's firstborn was Re'uven,

9. And Re'uven's sons were:

Chanokh [dedicated],
Pallu [distinguished],
Hetzron [surrounded by a wall], and
Karmi [my vineyard].

10. The sons of Shim'on:
Yemu'el [Elohim's day],
Yamin [right hand],
Ohad [united],
Yachin [he will establish],
Tzochar [tawny, reddish], and
Sha'ul [desired] (the son of a Kanaanite concubine).

Kanaanite:This means there was intermarriage between the Israelites and the Kanaanites. We might ask, where else were Yaaqov's sons to obtain their wives? But though this would be allowable, the wives would be expected to become Israelite. This woman apparently did not become what Shim'on was in order to marry him, but remained a pagan rather than converting.

11. The sons of Levi:

Gershon [exile or stranger],
Q'hath [assembly], and
Merari [my bitterness].

12. The sons of Yehudah:

Er [awake],
Onan [strong],
Shelah [a petition],
Paretz [breach], and
Zarach [rising]. (But Er and Onan had died in the land of Kanaan.)

Yehudah had not given Thamar to Shelah as a wife, and he was still childless when they came to Egypt.

Hetzron [surrounded by a wall] and
Chamul [spared].

Thus apparently Yehudah already had two grandchildren by the time the family went into Egypt.

13. The children of Yissachar:

Tola [scarlet],
Puwah [splendid],
Yov [persecuted], and
Shimron [watchman].

14. The sons of Z'vulun:

Sered [fear],
Elon [mighty oak], and
Yachle'el [Elohim waits].

15. These were all the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Yaaqov in Paddan-Aram, along with his daughter Dinah [judgment]. All the persons comprising his sons and daughters through Leah numbered 33.

Daughters: Puwah (v. 13), Yimnah, and Beri'ah (v. 17) appear to be feminine names, and we are told directly that Serach (v. 17) was a daughter.

Tzifyon [lookout],
Chaggi [festive],
Shuni [still, at rest],
Etzbon [very willing],
Eri [alert, watchful],
Arodi [my refuge or my breaking loose], and
Ar'eli [my valiant one].

17. And the children of Asher:

Yimnah [choosing the right side],
Yishwah [he will resemble],
Yishwi [he resembles me], and
Beri'ah [a new creation], and
their sister Serach [abundance].

And the sons of Beri'ah:

Chever [comrade] and
Malchiel [Elohim is my king].

18. These were the descendants of Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Leah his daughter, and she bore these 16 souls to Yaaqov.

19. The sons of Rachel the wife of Yaaqov were Yoseyf and Binyamin.

Again, only Rachel is called Yaaqov's wife, just as YHWH never recognized Yishmael as fully a son of Avraham.

21. And the sons of Binyamin:

Bela [destruction],
Bekher [young camel],
Ashbel [I will flow or thinking],
Gera [a grain],
Naaman [pleasantness],
Echi [my brother],
Rosh [head],
Muppim [flights or serpents],
Chuppim [protected], and
Ard [I will subdue].

22. These were all the descendants of Rachel which were born to Yaaqov: all the souls totalled 14.

Fourteen: the number which stands out most prominently in Matithyahu chapter 1's genealogy. Perhaps Matithyahu was alluding to this genealogy.

Son: literally, sons, in which case we might not know the actual count, since Khushim is also a plural word, but would have to read, "The sons of Dan were those who were in a hurry."

24. And the sons of Nafthali:

Yachtze'el [Elohim divides],
Guni [my defense],
Yitzer [one who forms], and
Shillem [recompensed].

25. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Lavan gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Yaaqov; all the souls numbered 7.

26. All the souls belonging to Yaaqov who came into Egypt--those who sprang from his loins, besides the wives of the sons of Yaaqov--all the souls totaled 66.

27. And the sons of Yoseyf who were born to him in Egypt were two; thus, all the souls belonging to the house of Yaaqov, who came into Egypt, were 70.

70: counting Yaaqov himself. Only the men are counted. Leah, though mentioned, cannot be counted, since she has already died. (49:31) 70 is the number of the nations listed in chapter 10. Deut. 32:8 correlates this number with the number of the sons of Israel, as listed here, as the factor in determining where and when their borders would be allotted. Was it to allow each nation enough room to be hospitable to Yaaqov's seed? In 32:10 He says He will keep Israel as the apple of His eye. "Eye" here has the numerical value of 70 in Hebrew! (Compare Num. 26:52) Yoseyf's sons were ordained to mingle their seed with them all (Gen. 28:14; 48:19) and this would allow them all to participate in the redemption provided by the Messiah, the kinsman-redeemer from the tribe of Yehudah (Romans 11). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan says the 70th person was Yokheved (Moshe's mother), the daughter of Levi, who was born on the way into Egypt.

Prepare: Point out or teach; Aram., clear. Did he need directions? Possibly, but there is much prophetic significance here. Goshen means "drawing near". Yahshua (from the tribe of Yehudah) was sent on ahead to Yoseyf's descendants to prepare in them a place to "draw near" to YHWH. Likewise, in modern times, Yehudah was the first tribe to return to the Promised Land and prepare it for the return of the other tribes as well. We can find Goshen through looking at what Yehudah teaches about community. Yoseyf took responsibility for what Yehudah brought forth, and later Yahshua (from Yehudah) returned the favor for Yoseyf's descendants. Now it is time for both houses to take responsibility for one another. Yoseyf had a gift for preparation. By preparing all of Egypt, he indirectly prepared salvation for his family, without failing to at the same time live in the moment. Selflessness allows us to prepare the way for all of Israel without fretting about tomorrow. (Mat. 6:33ff)

30. Then Israel said to Yoseyf, "Now I can die in peace, after having seen your face, because you are still alive!"

Still alive: or "alive again"! After 22 years in a pagan setting, he still retained a strong faith in YHWH. Compare Luke 2:25-33, in which the elderly Shim'on feels ready to die once he sees the first evidence of YHWH's keeping His promise to provide consolation to the lost tribes (Yoseyf's own descendants). When he saw the mature face of his finest son, he saw the potential of what Israel was really meant to be all along. He had already seen the "stairway" to heaven on which the messengers of YHWH ascended and descended (which Yahshua identified with himself and Jewish mysticism identifies with the restored Adam"); now he has seen his face. This seems like the perfect ending, and he wants to "quit while he is ahead". Yet, like his father, he thinks he is dying long before his time. It may be that YHWH's promise in verse 4 made him think he did not have long to live. But YHWH allowed him to live in this completeness for several more years.

32. "'But the men are feeders of flocks, for they have been men of livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds, and all that belongs to them.'"

Feeders of flocks: Egypt (especially as representing the world system and the institutional church) sees flocks chiefly as something to eat; shepherds see them as something to protect and feed, and to die for before letting them be torn apart. "Revivals", "crusades", and membership drives are all geared to ward increasing numbers, not increasing depth. YHWH judges this type of shepherds very heavily. (Yehezqel/Ezekiel 34) All that belongs to them: This was not exactly what Pharaoh had in mind! (45:20) Note again that though they had ample livestock, they were starving without bread (a picture of community).

34. "You shall say, 'Your servants have been men of livestock ever since our youth, both we and our fathers.' This way you may remain in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd of flocks is a disgusting thing to the Egyptians."

They despised this occupation, probably because Kanaanite sheep-herders (the Hyksos) had enslaved them, so Yoseyf emphasizes their ownership of the flocks instead of the fact that they care for them. They also worshiped these animals, and had an aversion to raising them for food. Yet being flockherders qualifies them for the best land. Up front, the Israelites clearly identify who they are, so the Egyptians will keep them separate and they will not be in the thick of pagan influence. Pharaoh would be glad to treat them well because of Yoseyf, but he tells them carefully how to word things to make sure that, rather than seeming to have much in common, they appear distasteful to the Egyptians, so that they will leave them alone. They are essentially saying, "Our son, your ruler, will take care of us. We are not Egyptians. We will feed you, but you are not under an Egyptian ruler. We are here to serve, not to consume." This way they could for the first time develop a uniquely Israelite lifestyle with neither the idols of Kanaan nor Egypt to rub shoulders with every day. The shtetls and ghettoes of Europe did the same for the Jews in recent centuries. Consider the parallels in terms of Yahshua, the church, and those YHWH is calling out to be Israel again today. We again need close community so that fellow Israelites are our main influence, so that we can become who we are meant to be.

CHAPTER 47

They did not leave their belongings behind, as Pharaoh had recommended, and partkake only of the possessions of Egypt. Yoseyf was told they could have the best of the land, but Yoseyf himself chose which part would be best for his family's flocks as well as which area would keep them most separate from the influence of the Egyptians, and he presented this information to Pharaoh only after they had already moved there. This way it would be more trouble to relocate them if Pharaoh had had another place in mind.

Why five? Possibly so Pharaoh would not decide to put them all to work for him from the start, but there may have been a limit on how many people could have an audience with the Pharaoh at one time. Whatever the reason, we can be sure Yoseyf was looking out for his brothers' welfare; since they have repented, he realizes that this is his calling. From among his brothers: literally, "from the outskirts of (or least of) his brothers". They may have thus appeared to be less of a threat to Pharaoh and he might be less likely to draft them into his army. Or he may have chosen the five mildest, knowing their tendency to argue, so that Pharaoh would not see them as contentious and likely to fight with his own people. Binyamin would not have been among these five, because he had already been treated as if he himself were five brothers!

Ancestors: Thus the task of those who are "fathers" in Israel is defined as feeding the flocks. Yoseyf knew Pharaoh was an astute observer of men, and knew this was what he would ask first. What were these men's special skills? How were they trained? He knew how to find the strengths in people and put them to work for him. Some people--like doctors, senators, or generals--are so defined by their jobs that their titles almost become their names. There is more to people than their jobs, and when these Israelites were asked "What do you do?", they had a different concept than the rest of the world would. They did not think in terms of what they did as a livelihood for security. They heard, "What do you take care of?" For what a shepherd does becomes his life. Even when he sleeps, he has to be listening out for anything that might be a danger to the flock. As we saw with David, he could not take a leave of absence without finding someone else to care for his father's sheep. Any shepherd who is not always shepherding is not doing an acceptablke job. Shepherding is what Israelites do, whatever our particular job might be. If we are part of Israel, our priority is to tend, protect, and nourish YHWH's flock in one way or another. Yoseyf does not appear to have ever done literal shepherding, but keeping YHWH's flock is exactly what he is doing here. He could see the big picture and was aware of how each thing affects other things, so he coached them on what to say so that the individual parts of his plan could come together properly. We, too, need to see the big picture behind why we repeat so many seemingly-unrelated aspects of keeping the Torah. It is all for the sake of forming a community among which YHWH can dwell, and this was Yoseyf's purpose as well.

Now they went beyond what Yoseyf had told them to say, showing where their hearts finally were. Though both Pharaoh and Yoseyf had invited them to come, by their own account they did not come to Egypt for their own sakes, but for their flocks. First and foremost, they are here for their flocks. They had livestock that they could eat, but they were more concerned that their flocks have food--a wonderful picture of the Shepherd who does not use the sheep to His own advantage. (Y'chezq'El 34:2-10; Yochanan 10:11) YHWH promises that if we love and obey Him, He will provide rain in season and we will have grass for our livestock--so that we can eat and be filled. (Deut. 11:15) Thus on the mystical level we need to see one another as livestock. If the flock eats, we are filled; our own being filled depends on the whole flock being filled. It is likely that this famine was caused by the fact that Yaaqov had been wallowing in self-pity rather than loving YHWH with all his heart and soul, and considering what was best for his "flock", since he was the one person in the earth at this time who was most capable of passing on His word to his sons so they could be a light to the nations. The world will have feast or famine depending on what we as Israel do. We have to deserve the Kingdom before the famine of hearing YHWH's word will end. This verse also seems to prophesy that pastors (which means shepherds) will come to the emerging house of Yoseyf for teaching so they have something with which to feed their flocks, and this seems to be beginning to take place.

6. "The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land; let them remain in the land of Goshen. And if you are aware of any capable men among them, make them chiefs over whatever livestock are mine!"

Pharaoh recognizes their expertise and gives them the best positions he can. Capable: or forceful--i.e., men strong enough to work with the large cattle they had, as compared to the smaller flock animals the Israelites cared for. Since it appears that he brought the smallest of his brothers (see note on v. 1), Pharaoh may have been saying, "If there are any among you who are bigger, they can deal with my cattle." But 46:34 said the Egyptians despised keepers of flocks, so why did Pharaoh have livestock? Though they did not eat cows, they might have been used for milk and for plowing. They may have been traded to them in exchange for food by other foreigners. Or they have kept them to worship, as in India. But this Pharaoh himself may have been one of the Hyksos, a Semitic dynasty that took over Egypt for several generations before the Egyptians won back the rulership (which may be why Exodus begins by mentioning a Pharaoh who was not familiar with Yoseyf). It may have been that Yoseyf emphasized that it was the Egyptians (i.e., those the Pharaoh ruled, not the Pharaoh himself) who hated shepherds.

Blessed: means "bowed the knee to". He recognized that he was the one YHWH had appointed to be in authority. But as a father blesses his children by bending down to pay attention to them, Yaaqov is really the one in the position spiritually to pronouince a blessing upon Pharaoh.

Yaaqov's sorrowing may have made him appear many years older than he really was. In addition, the study of mummies has revealed that, due to lung disease from the excessive dust in the desert, Egyptians at this time typically only lived 40 to 50 years, since, unlike the Delta where Goshen is, Upper Egypt only has a narrow strip of greenery on each side of the Nile protecting it from the desert winds. Most lost their teeth because they were ground down by the sand that was in every bite. This affected their ability to receive nutrition as well. Even the Pharaohs, whose diet was the best of all, commonly died at 30 or 40. This Pharaoh sees that Yaaqov is a very old man, and he expects that much of Yoseyf's wisdom came from this man, so he asks this question so that he might impart to him some of his learning. He is teachable, to his credit, for he recognizes when someone has a gift that he does not have, and he wants to put it to use for the benefit of his subjects. He is not like the arrogant Pharaoh of the Exodus.

Few and evil: In his view, he has wasted too much of his life and did not live up to his father's expectations. He complains about his woes, though 130 is the numerical value of the Hebrew words for the "stairway" to heaven that he had seen in his vision, for "Sinai", where YHWH would meet with His descendants, and for the "appointed times" He would give them (which may correlate with the "days" Yaaqov mentions here). He should have been rejoicing now that he was reunited with his son. He was a prophet, and so he bespoke his own shortfall of years, for he did live 33 years fewer than his father. Lifetimes were also still growing shorter, as they had since the Deluge. (See note on 5:5.) But why would he answer this generous emperor who has granted him quarter and food in such a curt manner? Because he has lived in the house of Lavan and been drained of his life by one whom he blessed. So he keeps his answer as short as possible, not giving any unnecessary information, so as not to be taken advantage of again, just as he taught his sons (43:6). Also, compare Proverbs 23:1-3; 25:6; Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 5:2.

11. Then Yoseyf settled his father and brothers on property he gave them in the land of Egypt--the best of the land, in the region of Raamses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

Commanded: see 45:18. That Raamses (later called Pelusium) existed this early discredits the idea that Raamses was the Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus simply because they were building a city by that name. The name actually originated from the name of an Egyptian god. Yair Davidi writes, "This was the region traditionally associated with the Hyksos kings", who are thought to have been Semitic. He thus suggests that Yoseyf must have been instrumental in establishing this dynasty.

Sustained: i.e., through the famine (much as all of Israel was provided with manna during their walk through the wilderness after the Exodus, and as Yahshua symbolically provided all Israel with bread at the feeding of the 5,000). The rest of the people around them had to buy food. Yahshua was also unwilling to give "the children's bread" even to "dogs". (Mat. 15:26)

The Nile did not flood as usual, in addition to there being no rain, adds Josephus. Languishing: or depleted.

Note that he plundered Kanaan as well--a picture of Yahshua also receiving the nations as an inheritance, and being a light to the nations in addition to restoring those hidden and preserved from Israel (Yeshayahu/Isa. 49:6). It suggests that His Kingdom will gradually spread as other nations realize their utter dependence on Israel.

In front of you: or in your presence. I.e., "We have you here, and you have food; won't you give us some?"

Give me: The targum reads "hand over".

Pharaoh benefited from this, as he now owned all the livestock. But Pharaoh had put Yoseyf's brothers in charge of his livestock, so by this move Yoseyf increased Egypt's dependence on Israel. He is thus shepherding his brothers still, ensuring that they have the leverage to remain needed, honored, and free to live the separate lives that define them as Israel.

19. "Why should we perish right in front of your eyes--ourselves along with our soil? Buy us and our land in exchange for bread, and let us--both we and our land--become slaves to Pharaoh. And give us seed so that we may survive and not die, and the land not become desolate."

They now became serfs, even though the seed donated for the reserves had once been theirs. All things were being placed "under Yoseyf's feet", yet he considered them Pharaoh's. His heart was still for his own land. Likewise, when every knee bows to Yahshua, it is really "to the Father's glory". After the world is devastated during the Birthpangs of the Messiah, Yahshua will acquire everything for the Father, because he will have charge of the only real "bread" left in the world: "From Tzion instruction (torah) will go forth." Seed: the people still want to work the land, though it is not producing. There may not be enough water for the crops to come to fruition, but having the roots there may at least keep the desertification at bay. Or this may simply be a general policy he set up that would last onward into the years when the famine was over.

21. And as for the nation, he resettled its people to the cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to the other--

This way they were constantly reminded that it was Pharaoh's land they were working, rather than their own. The Assyrians used this same psychological tactic heavily, knowing that a people who are separated from their land will not feel such a strong bond to it, and those who are resettled in a place they do not know as well will be less able to start an insurrection, because they are not as familiar with the lay of the land and thus do not have a military advantage as the Maccabees did, though smaller in number than the Greeks. Since the peoiple no longer needed to be spread out to tend their own flocks or fields, it was easier to administer them and monitor their activities. It was also easier to distribute the food if they all lived close to where the grain was stored, without using up their energy and the animals' in transporting it to outlying areas, therefore requiring them to eat more as well.

This was similar to the later Israelite levitical laws, in which the priests received a percentage of all the people's crops. If this Pharaoh was one of the Hyksos, he may have recognized the inherent priesthood of Yaaqov's family as descendants of Shem (whom many identify with the Melchitzedeq of ch. 14). It seems that this special status may have been granted to the house of Levi early on, since Aharon was free to go out into the wilderness to meet Moshe, while the rest of Israel was enslaved.

24. "And when you gather in your harvest, you must give one fifth to Pharaoh, and the other four fifths can be your own, for seeding the field and as food for yourselves, and for those in your houses, and for your little ones."

Thus although he owned everything and imposed this double tithe, Yoseyf (on behalf of Pharaoh) was reasonable and allowed the people to eat the fruits of their own labors. They may be the first sharecroppers.

26. So Yoseyf made it a law until this day over the land of Egypt, that one fifth is for Pharaoh, the only exception being the land of the priests; it did not become Pharaoh's.

Until this day: Moshe's, as he would know well.

Yoseyf consolidated power for Pharaoh in such a way as no Pharaoh before him had been able to. But none of the Israelites' land was sold to Pharaoh; it was a gift from him to them. They were the ruler's relatives. As Yahshua said, "The sons of the kingdom are free." (Mat. 17:26) Everyone else in Egypt was a slave to Pharaoh now, and Israel is in a unique position. Similarly, of all nations, only Israel was given an eternal deed to its permanent Land. But the fact that they "had holdings in it" hints at both a blessing and a pitfall. They may have begun to grasp their possessions too tightly and let them define who they were. Those with the most wealth usually end up being the greatest slaves of all--to the market, to their bank accounts, to their stockholders, and the upkeep of the grand houses they build. Those who own lavish cars feel they have to spend every weekend keeping them shiny. The things own them rather than serving them. Thus they were already opening the door to the slavery that was to come. The Book of Yasher says they allowed themselves to be gradually sold into slavery because they became indebted in order to grow wealthy, thus setting the stage for the Exodus. Goshen: Even by Moshe's day we still see them living in that region--or, more likely, returning there after Moshe rallied them to prepare for freedom. Were fruitful and multiplied: the first command in Scripture. When the whole world was falling apart, a new creation was taking place through Israel. And this will take place yet again.