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THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT
http://www.messianicbible.com
HEAR O ISRAEL
www.hearoisrael.org
SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER
www.sheepfoldgleanings.com
MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE
http://www.messianicisrael.com
AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM
GREENBAUM
http://www.azamra.org
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If we review the events that make up the two descents to Egypt, we
see that much of what Joseph does is for the purpose of pulling
Benyamin from Jacobs protective embrace. The reason’ for this is so
that Joseph might place his younger brother in potentially the same
situations that Joseph himself had experienced so long ago. Creating a
situation where Benyamin could be imprisoned on false charges,
Joseph orchestrated a replica of his very own sale to force his brothers
into a parallel dilemma. Joseph needs to know…how will his brothers
respond? Will they abandon the accused Benyamin in Egypt, when
charged with stealing Joseph’s goblet? Will they react with jealousy
towards the favouritism shown to Benyamin? Twenty years earlier they
turned their backs on Joseph and watched as traders carried him off to
Egypt. Now, the brothers had a similar opportunity to hand over their
brother into bondage to save themselves. Once again the decision is
between them and their brother, the beloved son of their father. Their
actions will prove where their heart is.
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And Yehuḏah and his brothers came to Yosĕph’s house, and he was still
there. And they fell before him on the ground. (Genesis 44:14)
It was a cunning plot by Joseph to test the brothers, to see if they
could remain unaffected, unmoved by the prospect of Benjamin's
undeserved, harsh imprisonment, as they had been years earlier with
Joseph's sale and descent into Egypt. The plan was cleverly designed to
unmask and discern the true characters of Benjamin and his brethren,
to determine if they were still hard-hearted, and calloused, or
genuinely repentant. By the brothers prostrating themselves on the
ground before him, as a token of repentance and submission, indicated
that they were totally subject to Joseph and unashamedly sought his
forgiveness and mercy.
For sadness according to Elohim works repentance to deliverance, not
to be regretted, but the sadness of the world works death. (2
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Corinthians 7:10)
• Repentance brings life in the Hebrew context, repentance (teshuvah)
means: turning around and going all the way back to the beginning.
• True repentance: Is Godly sorrow and rejection of sin
• Sorrow of the World: The sorrow of the world is not grief/remorse
over sin or offenses toward ‫יהוה‬, but is only regret over sin's
consequences, and results in its continuance and eventually in death.
True repentance involves:
(1) sincere renunciation and detestation of evil,
(2) desire for restoration, and
(3) deepness of humility, which makes the heart teachable.
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And Yehuḏah came near .. “O my master, please let your servant speak
a word in my master’s hearing, and do not let your displeasure burn
against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. (Genesis 44:18)
The Torah portion starts out with Judah's supplication before Joseph.
Commentators regard his speech as, "one of the masterpieces of
Hebrew composition“ (Kalisch), and, "one of the grandest and fairest
to be found in the Old Testament" (Lange). There are four
characteristics found in Judah's comment's:
1. His language was respectful, and humble.
2. His rhetoric was simple, without lofty oration or unnecessary
length, but plain, logical.
3. His pathos [the quality of expression that evokes sympathy and
emotion] was effective in describing/picturing Jacob's love for
Benjamin, and depicting how devastating it would be for Jacob if
Benjamin did not return home.
4. His plea that he take Benjamin's place in chains rather than have
his father Jacob die in sorrow, reveals Judah's love, and willingness
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for self-sacrifice.
The first word in verse 18, “Va’yigash” means “to draw near” or “to
offer” or “present” (as in present your arguments or state your case).
It’s here, while presenting his case, that Judah offers himself instead of
Benjamin, to be Joseph’s slave.
Interesting to note that in Torah Exodus 22:1-4; the punishment for
being a thief is in fact, slavery, in order to pay-off the debt… double.
Another indication that the torah principles were all clearly known at
this time.
Judah came near to him (Joseph) and he said to Joseph, “O my master,
please let your servant speak a word in my master’s hearing…” The
rabbis point out that the translation of this statement from the
Hebrew might better be read as, “… please let your servant’s words
enter your ears”, as the connotation here, is that of asking that Joseph
please understand what Judah is about to relate.
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“Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore
me two sons, and the one went out from me, and I said, “Truly, he is
torn, torn to pieces!” And I have not seen him since. (Genesis 44:27-28)
“He has surely been torn to pieces” is a prophetic reference to the
future separation of the twelve tribes of Jacob/Israel; they will
separate and become Two Houses—the House of Judah and the House
of Israel—and they will be assimilated into the Nations around them.
Following the pattern this prophetic biblical narrative portrays, we can
ascertain that as the tribes are even now being drawn together by the
Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 37), it is imperative that Benjamin is with them, as
he will act as the liaison between the Two Houses of Israel.
Legends of the Jews: The other brethren withheld themselves
intentionally from taking part in the dispute between Judah and
Joseph, saying, "Kings are carrying on a dispute, and it is not seemly for
us to interfere between them.“
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‘And if you take this one from me too, and harm comes to him, you
shall bring down my grey hair with evil to the grave.’ “And now, if I
come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us – since his
own life is bound up in his life – then it shall be, when he sees that the
boy is not with us, that he shall die. So your servants shall bring down
the grey hair of your servant our father with evil to the grave. (Genesis
44:29-31)
Judah tells Joseph that Jacob’s “life” (actually his “nefesh” or “soul”) is
“qashar” or “tied to Benjamin’s soul”. If Benjamin doesn’t go back to
his father, Israel will surely die. The ISR Scriptures say that Judah said
he “went guaranty” for the boy; the Hebrew reads “Ki eh’bed’eh a’rav
et ha’na’ar” which means he personally took responsibility for the
boy’s actions and welfare, to his father. This is the crux of the
remarkable thing that Judah did. A sovereign takes personal
responsibility for his people. It was Judah’s idea to sell his brother into
slavery, in order to spare his life. And now, he stands before the judge,
a foreign judge he believes, to face up to his crimes; and he offers to
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take his brother’s punishment.
“For your servant went guaranty for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I
do not bring him back to you, then I shall be a sinner before my father
forever.’ “And now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as
a slave to my master, and let the boy go up with his brothers. “For how
do I go up to my father if the boy is not with me, lest I see the evil that
would come upon my father?” (Genesis 44:32-34)
Judah, who had participated in the sale of Joseph into slavery in Egypt,
ends up offering himself to Joseph as a slave. What goes around,
comes around. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal.6:7). Having spent years
wrestling with a troubled conscience over the past, coming to
repentance, and then offering to substitute himself in his brother's
place, Judah received much grace. His sentence was commuted,
accounted as "time served", and the matter was adjourned. Judah was
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advanced to further service.
Judah’s plea to Joseph echoes the life of one of his descendants:
‫—יהושע‬the ‘lion’ of the tribe of Judah and the Shepherd of Israel who
gave His life so that mankind may not perish but have eternal life.
‫ יהושע‬foresaw that such as sacrifice would be necessary to save His
sheep and said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11; see also v. 14 and Hebrews
13:20).
While many Christians and Catholics over the centuries have accused
the Jews of crucifying ‫יהושע‬, He makes it clear that no one took His life
from Him, but He laid it down willingly. He offered Himself as a
sacrifice for us all.
Both Judah and ‫ יהושע‬effectively said, “Take me instead!”
“No one has greater love than this: that one should lay down his life
for his friends. (John 15:13)
““Because of this the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, in
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order to receive it again. (John 10:17)
Moses is another Biblical figure who displayed a spirit of selfsacrifice. When God called Him to lead the children of Israel out of
Egypt, he endured much suffering at their hands.
Nevertheless, he went so far as to ask God to blot his own name out of
the Book of Life, if God would not forgive His people, Israel, for their
sin of idolatry with the golden calf.
““And now, if You would forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out
of Your book which You have written.” (Exodus 32:32)
Moreover, Moses sacrificially toiled long and weary hours in an effort
to judge Israel’s disputes. His effort was so colossal that his father-inlaw, Jethro, warned him that if he continued, he would wear himself
out.
Like Moses, we can become irritable when we have pushed beyond
sensible limits and have become worn out. When we do this, we risk
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alienating everyone around us with our bad attitudes.
“For I myself could have wished to be banished from Messiah for the
sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh, (Romans 9:3)
Apostle Paul also sacrificed himself for the sake of bringing the Gospel
to the Gentiles. Nevertheless, his heart yearned for the salvation of
the Jews. He wished that he, himself, would be accursed if it would
bring about the salvation of his brethren, the Jewish People.
God may call us to make serious sacrifices for the sake of bringing
salvation to His people, but the rewards will be well worth it.
And He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left
house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the
reign of Elohim, who shall not receive many times more in this present
time, and in the age to come everlasting life.” (Luke 18:29-30)
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Because we know that the example set by the forefathers is replicated
on a grander scale by their descendants.
Judah pictures the Jews? In our parasha, the father entrusted Judah
with Benyamin. Does this mean at some point still to come, the Jews
(Judah) will come before Joseph (who unbeknownst to them is the
Jewish Messiah) to plead for Benyamin?
Who then, is Benyamin in this scenario? Torah’s picture of Benyamin
(reference last week’s Torah commentary) is that he is of the same
essence as Joseph. Benyamin may shadow Torah keeping, non-Jewish
believers. Even today, some Jews are beginning to consider believers in
Messiah who keep Sabbath, eat kosher, wear tzit-tzit, etc., to be their
brothers.
Benyamin, could therefore be seen as not the Messiah/Joseph (who is
the head), but the body of the Messiah. Together, Joseph and
Benyamin make up the “oneness” of the Messiah.
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And Yosĕph was unable to restrain himself before all those who stood
by him, and he called out, “Have everyone go out from me!” So no one
stood with him while Yosĕph made himself known to his brothers. And
he wept aloud, and the Mitsrites and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
And Yosĕph said to his brothers, “I am Yosĕph, is my father still alive?”
But his brothers were unable to answer him, for they trembled before
him. (Genesis 45:1-3)
His brothers could not "see" him? His brothers had sold him into
slavery because of the bitterness that had grown in their hearts and
“blocked them up” spiritually. They were slaves to their own evil
inclinations of their hearts and imaginations. The stronghold of
bitterness brings: unforgiveness, resentment, retaliation, anger, hatred,
violence and murder (and murder with the tongue). The Messiah
‫יהושע‬, represented by Joseph, also revealed himself to his brothers
alone.
When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the
week,and when the doors were shut where the taught ones met, for
fear of the Yehuḏim, ‫ יהושע‬came and stood in the midst, and said to 16
them, “Peace to you.” (John 20:19)
There is Jewish commentary that suggests how Joseph kept his
brothers from recognizing him.
When Joseph spoke to them, he covered his face with a veil (common
Middle Eastern practice), and the brothers were unable to observe his
face. Upon revealing himself, he uncovered his face and said to them, “I
am Yosef.” When he removed the veil, it is said that they became
frightened for the face of the man speaking to them resembled exactly
that of their father, Jacob! (Think on the Messianic implications here)
You can imagine that they were “troubled”!!
…He who has seen Me has seen the Father, and how do you say, ‘Show
us the Father’? (John 14:9)
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Why did Joseph ask his brothers a second time if his father was still
alive?
The rabbis explain that in actuality the second time was not a question
to be answered. By saying this to his brothers, Joseph intended to
remind them of what they had done to him without being concerned
about the consequences for their father. Then, when Joseph said, "I
am Yoseph; is my father still alive?" his brothers were silent with
shame because they had realized their sin.
The Torah tells us that his brothers, were bewildered and overcome
with shame in his presence. The Yalkut (writings of the sages) states,
"Woe to us on the Day of Judgment! And Woe to us on the Day of
Rebuke!" The Yalkut continues; that when ‫ יהוה‬will judge and
admonish each one of us, how much more will we be silenced into
shame. Joseph's brothers were overwhelmed with shame when they
were confronted with the truth from their younger brother; how much
more ashamed will we be when Elohim, the most exalted King, will
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confront us with the truth about our lives?
“And now, do not be grieved nor displeased with yourselves because you
sold me here, for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. .. “And Elohim
sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to give
life to you by a great escape. “So then, you did not send me here, but
Elohim. And He has set me for a father to Pharaoh, and master of all his
house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Mitsrayim. (Genesis 45:5-8)
Joseph, as the picture of Messiah, brought “Tikkun”. “Tikkun” is the
concept by which ‫ יהוה‬makes all things right. Spelled “Tav-kuf-nun” it is
Strong’s #8627 and means “restored” or “corrected”. It’s from the root
word “takawn” which means to “measure up” or “weigh”.
The meanings of the letters; “tav” means “sign of the covenant”, “kuf”
means “to surround” and “nun” means the “Kingdom”. “Tikkun”
represents the “sign of the covenant surrounding the Kingdom”. It’s
making everything right, setting it all straight, and “Restoring the
Kingdom”. The numeric value of the letters is 550, which equals from
Exodus 10:3; “le a‟nawt” or “humble yourself”, from Leviticus 25:40;
“k‟sakiyr” or “as a hired servant” and in Numbers 18:26;
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“k‟nachalah‟chem” or “for your inheritance”.
“Do not fear, O Yaʽaqoḇ My servant,” declares ‫יהוה‬, “for I am with you.
Though I make a complete end of all the gentiles to which I have driven
you, yet I do not make a complete end of you. But I shall reprove you in
right-ruling, and by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jeremiah 46:28)
This concept of “Tikkun” is personal, as well as national. By reproving
us righteously and not leaving us unpunished, ‫ יהוה‬brings not only
correction, but also rectification. But, I thought we lived under “Grace”
with a capital “G”. We do. Correction is a work of grace. As Jeremiah
prayed regarding himself: O ‫יהוה‬, chastise me, but with right-ruling –
not in Your displeasure, lest You bring me to naught. (Jeremiah 10:24)
We must pray for correction, so that all things can be made right, and
know that ‫ יהוה‬will be faithful to temper His judgment with mercy. We
all know what ‫ יהושע‬said in John 3:16; but, let’s add verse 17 as well;
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so
that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being
utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge
the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. “20
.. for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:5)
It had been a long road for Joseph. Many thoughts were going through
his mind at this time. Twenty-two years had passed since he was sold
into slavery. His anguish would have been deep. In a sense, he had
given himself up to save his brothers, for their delivery, and now he
stood before them. ‫יהושע‬, of whom Joseph was a type and shadow of,
anguished in the Garden before giving himself up for our deliverance
(Luke 22:39-44).
And one of them, Qayapha, being high priest that year, said to them,
“You know naught, neither do you consider that it is better for us that
one man die for the people than that the entire nation should perish.”
But he did not say this from himself, but being high priest that year he
prophesied that ‫ יהושע‬was about to die for the nation, and not for the
nation only, but to gather together into one the children of Elohim who
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were scattered abroad. (John 11:49-52)
And the report of it was heard by the house of Pharaoh, saying, “The
brothers of Yosĕph have come.” And it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh
and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharaoh said to Yosĕph, “Say to
your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your beasts and go, enter the land of
Kenaʽan, and take your father and your households and come to me,
and I give you the best of the land of Mitsrayim, and you eat the fat of
the land. ‘And you, you have been commanded, do this: Take wagons
out of the land of Mitsrayim for your little ones and your wives. And
you shall bring your father, and come. ‘And do not be concerned about
your goods, for the best of all the land of Mitsrayim is yours.’ ” (Genesis
45:16-20)
Here we see that even in the worst drought to ever hit, God had
already made a way for Redemption, Provision and Abundance.
“See, I am doing what is new, let it now spring forth. Do you not know
it? I am even making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
(Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 60:4)
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He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments, but to
Binyamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of
garments. (Genesis 45:22)
Joseph is preparing to send them back to gather up their father and all
the family and households, Joseph gives his brothers a change of
garments. However to Benjamin, son of the right hand, Moshiach ben
Joseph gave:
• 300 pieces of silver. Silver, is the currency of men; so it represents
man’s money. 300 is the numeric value of “kapar” or “ransom” and
“kippur” or “atonement”. It is also the numeric value of the letter
“shin” or El Shaddai (Elohim Sufficient).
• 5 changes of clothes. Five represents ‫’יהוה‬s “favour” or “grace” in
Hebrew thought. It is also the numeric value of the letter “hey”
which means “revelation”.
So while Joseph gave new garments to the rest of his brothers, he gave
the atonement price and the revelation of Torah to Benjamin.
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Ten of these “brothers” were really half brothers to Joseph; same
father, but different mothers. Benjamin, on the other hand, was the
only one who was Joseph’s full brother. With Benjamin he gave the
ransom first and then the five changes of clothes.
One of the things this is saying to us is that, while there are those who
will stand before ‫ יהוה‬one day, with changed garments, sins forgiven;
they are not “full brothers” because they do not posses all that
Mashiach has for us. They do not have the grace of Torah and the
Bridal garments that living according to Torah brings. It’s also telling us
that ten will stand before him, their restoration (their Tikkun) not
complete; while one (a remnant) will stand, having lived as ‫ יהוה‬told
Abraham in Genesis 17:1; “I am El Shaddai – walk before Me and be
perfect.” and as ‫ יהושע‬told us in Matthew 5:48; “Therefore, be perfect,
as your Father in the heavens is perfect.” Remember the Hebrew word
for “perfect” here is “tamiym” which means “complete”, “whole” or
“restored”. This is the purpose behind “correction” or “Tikkun”.
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So he sent his brothers away, and they left. And he said to them, “Do
not quarrel along the way.” (Genesis 45:24)
Joseph dismissed his brothers with the warning not to quarrel with
each other on the journey back to Canaan, why? There would have
been a lot of blame shifting and arguing about what if. ‫יהושע‬
commanded us to walk away in love, and focus our attention on the
Heavenly Father.
.. ‘Where I am going, you are unable to come,’ I now also say to you. “A
renewed command I give to you, that you love one another, as I have
loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:33-34)
“Peace I leave with you – My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. (John 14:27)
“This is My command, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
“No one has greater love than this: that one should lay down his life for
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his friends. (John 15:12-13)
And they went up out of Mitsrayim, and came to the land of Kenaʽan to
Yaʽaqoḇ their father. And they told him, saying, “Yosĕph is still alive, and he
is governor over all the land of Mitsrayim.” And Yaʽaqoḇ’s heart ceased, for
he did not believe them. (Genesis 45:25-26)
The Hebrew word translated here as “ceased” is “v’ya phoog”, Strong’s
#6313, which literally means “cold” or “to be cold”.
Legends of the Jews: In blithe (carefree) spirits they.. journeyed .. but
when they reached the boundary line, they said to one another, "How
shall we do? If we appear before our father and tell him that Joseph is
alive, he will be greatly frightened, and he will not be inclined to believe
us." Besides, Joseph's last injunction to them .was to not startle their
father with the tidings of joy. They caught sight of Serah, the daughter of
Asher, .. who was skilled in playing upon the harp. They ..bade her play
before Jacob .."Joseph, my uncle, liveth, he ruleth over the whole of Egypt,
he is not dead!" .. Jacob rewarded her therefore with the words, "My
daughter, may death never have power over thee, for thou didst revive my
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spirit." And so it was. Serah did not die, she entered Paradise alive.
But when they spoke to him all the words which Yosĕph had spoken to
them, and when he saw the wagons which Yosĕph had sent to
transport him, the spirit of Yaʽaqoḇ their father revived. (Genesis
45:27)
The text indicates that it was not until “he saw the carts which Joseph
had sent to carry him” that his “spirit revived.” Why? Some parents
might have been extremely proud of the fact that their son was the
governor of Egypt. But Jacob wasn’t interested in whether his son had
become rich, famous, or successful. He was more interested in
whether he still knew Torah!
What is it about seeing the “carts” that caused his spirit to be
“revived?”
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The carts belonged to the Egyptian government and would have been
emblazoned with Pharaoh’s royal insignia also it was Pharaoh who
initially commanded for the carts to be sent out: ‘And you, you have
been commanded, do this: Take wagons out of the land of Mitsrayim
for your little ones and your wives. And you shall bring your father, and
come. (Genesis 45:19). Yet in Genesis 45:27, Torah tells us that Jacob
saw the carts that “Joseph had sent.” Joseph had done something in
order to express his “ownership” on these carts a secret, encoded
message. The sages give us insight into this. It is based on a word play
of two similar words:
•Cart (agala) ‫עגלה‬
•Heifer (egla) ‫עגלה‬
As the teaching goes, before Joseph had been sold, Jacob and Joseph
spent a lot of time studying Torah. Both Jacob and Joseph remembered
their last Torah conversation. Thus, when Joseph wished to assure his
father that he had not only survived physically, but also that he had
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remained faithful to his Torah beliefs, he sent him a clue.
The law of Decapitated calf (egla arufa) is found in Deuteronomy 21:19. This is a situation where a corpse is found lying in a field with his
killer unknown. In such a situation, the elders of the city which is
closest to the crime scene, take a young heifer to a barren valley
where they break its neck and recite: … ‘O ‫יהוה‬, forgive Your people
Yisra’ĕl, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in
the midst of Your people Yisra’ĕl.’ And the blood-guilt shall be pardoned
to them. “Thus you purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst
when you do what is right in the eyes of ‫יהוה‬. (Deuteronomy 21:7-9)
The people of the city are asking ‫ יהוה‬to forgive the people, so they
will not bear the guilt for what has happened to the victim. This is the
same point Joseph attempted to convey to his brothers from the
moment he revealed himself: “And now, do not be grieved nor
displeased with yourselves because you sold me here, for Elohim sent
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me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:5)
He transmits a message to his father through subtle means…by
referring to the decapitated calf (implied through the carts). In other
words, he is saying, “I do not wish to divulge the circumstances in
which I went missing…let us simply say that nobody bears the guilt.
Elohim has atoned for it all, because it was all part of His plan.”
Legends of the Jews: Joseph had had a premonition that his father
would refuse to give his brethren credence, because they had tried to
deceive him before, and "it is the punishment of the liar that his words
are not believed even when he speaks the truth." He had therefore said
to them, "If my father will not believe your words, tell him that when I
took leave of him, to see whether it was well with you, he had been
teaching me the law of the heifer whose neck is broken in the valley."
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And Yisra’ĕl said, “Enough! My son Yosĕph is still alive. Let me go and see
him before I die.” And Yisra’ĕl set out with all that he had, and came to
Be’ĕrsheḇa, and brought offerings to the Elohim of his father Yitsḥaq. And
Elohim spoke to Yisra’ĕl in the visions of the night, and said, “Yaʽaqoḇ,
Yaʽaqoḇ!” And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “I am the Ěl, Elohim of
your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Mitsrayim, for I shall make
you there into a great nation. “I Myself am going down with you to
Mitsrayim and I Myself shall certainly bring you up again. And let Yosĕph
put his hand on your eyes.” (Genesis 45:28-46:4)
Jacob wanted a confirming word before leaving Eretz Israel. Therefore,
Elohim visited him to assuage/comfort/assure him that, while he was
away from Canaan, ‫'יהוה‬s presence and Shechinah glory would always
be with him. Jacob had reason to be concerned about moving to Egypt as
Egypt had been prophesied as the land of bondage where Jacob's family
would remain and grow for four-hundred years. [See. Gen. 15:13.] ‫יהוה‬
renewed his faith, and he went forth, perceiving that the fulfillment of
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the prophetic promise given to his fathers and him, was unfolding.
The similarities between the two events:
Jacob (leaving Canaan) Genesis
46:2-4
Moses (at the burning bush)
Exodus 3:4-8
Elohim calls out to Jacob in a Elohim calls out to Moses,
vision, “Jacob, Jacob”
“Moses, Moses”
And he said, “Here am I”
I am the Elohim of your fathers
Do not fear going down to
Egypt for I will make you there
a great nation…
I will go DOWN with you to
Egypt and I will also surely
BRING YOU UP again… the land
flowing with….
And he said, “Here am I”
I am the Elohim of your fathers
I have seen the suffering of My
people in Egypt and I have
heard their crying
I have come DOWN to rescue
them from Egypt in order to
BRING YOU UP from that land
to
32
And they took their livestock and their property which they had
acquired in the land of Kenaʽan, and came into Mitsrayim, Yaʽaqoḇ and
all his seed with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his
sons’ daughters, and all his seed he brought with him to Mitsrayim. ..
All the beings who went with Yaʽaqoḇ to Mitsrayim, who came from his
body, besides Yaʽaqoḇ’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six beings in all. And the
sons of Yosĕph who were born to him in Mitsrayim were two beings. All
the beings of the house of Yaʽaqoḇ who went to Mitsrayim were
seventy. (Genesis 46:6-27)
Legends of the Jews: But in this I do not resemble my father, he had
only himself to provide for, and my house consists of seventy souls,
and therefore am I compelled to go down into Egypt. All the males in
his family were married men; even Pallu and Hezron, the latter of
whom was but one year old at the time of their migration, and the
former but two years, had the wives with them that had been chosen
for them by their parents. In general, all the sons and grandsons of
Jacob had married young, some of them had been fathers at the age of
seven.
33
.. All, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. (Genesis 46:15)
Leah:
5 - Re'uven:
Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi.
7 - Shim`on:
Y'mu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin,
Tzochar and Sha'ul
4 - Levi:
Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.
6 - Y'hudah:
`Er, Onan (deceased), Shelah, Peretz
and Zerach; The sons of Peretz were
Hetzron and Hamul.
5 - Yissakhar: Tola, Puvah, Yov and Shimron.
4 - Z'vulun:
Sered, Elon and Yachle'el.
1 - Dinah.
32
Legends of the Jews: He came with his whole family, sixty-nine
persons they were in all, but the number was raised to seventy by the
birth of Jochebed, afterward the mother of Moses.
The mother of Moses was born from the tribe of Levi as they entered
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Egypt as a promise that they will return.
Zilpah
8 - Gad:
Tzifyon, Haggi, Shuni, Etzbon, `Eri, Arodi and
Ar'eli.
8 - Asher: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, B'ri`ah, and their sister
Serach. Sons of B'ri`ah were Hever and
Malki'el
Rachel: 3 - Yosef:
M'nasheh and Efrayim.
11 - Binyamin:
Bela, Bekher, Ashbel, Gera, Na`aman,
Echi, Rosh, Mupim, Hupim and Ard
Bilhah:
2 - Dan:
Hushim.
5 - Naftali: Yachtze'el, Guni, Yetzer and Shillem
All the beings who went with Yaʽaqoḇ to Mitsrayim, who came from his
body, besides Yaʽaqoḇ’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six beings in all.
(Genesis 46:26)
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33+16+14+7=70 less four sons from sons wives = 66
The rabbis teach that these seventy beings represent the seventy
nations that made up the world in those days. Further, that while there
may be many more today, they all stem from these seventy, which
began with the scattering of people at the Tower of Babel. Seventy is
the numeric value of the letter “ayin” which is the “eye” or “fountain”,
which is the “source”. They teach that in his going, Ya’aqob went down
into Egypt for all mankind; so that in Yisra’el’s “coming out”, he could
lead the rest of the world in coming out of paganism and bondage.
Seventy also is the number of the “elders” of Yisra’el that Moshe
appointed as the “Great Tribunal” or “the Great Assembly” and ‫יהושע‬
sent out seventy of His “taught ones” in power and spirit to begin the
spreading of the “Tov News” of the Restoration (or Tikkun) of the
Kingdom to Israel.
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There is however a discrepancy Acts 7:9-15, here it mentions seventy
five people.
“And the ancestors, becoming jealous, sold Yosĕph into Mitsrayim. But
Elohim was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and
gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh, sovereign of Mitsrayim.
And he appointed him governor over Mitsrayim and all his house.
“Then a scarcity of food and great distress came over all the land of
Mitsrayim and Kena‘an, and our fathers found no food. “But Yaʽaqoḇ
heard that there was grain in Mitsrayim, and he sent out our fathers
the first time, and at the second time Yosĕph was made known to his
brothers, and Yosĕph’s race became known to the Pharaoh. “And
Yosĕph sent and called his father Yaʽaqoḇ and all his relatives to him,
seventy-five people. “And Yaʽaqoḇ went down to Mitsrayim, and died,
he and our fathers, (Acts 7:9-15)
We can now include Jacob, Leah, Zilpah, Bilhah and WHO is number
seventy five.
“I Myself am going down with you to Mitsrayim and I Myself shall
certainly bring you up again. And let Yosĕph put his hand on your eyes.”
(Genesis 46:4)
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And he sent Yehuḏah before him to Yosĕph, to point out before him the
way to Goshen. …. (Genesis 46:28)
Judah's noble qualities, which had become increasingly evident as time
passed, did not escape the attention of Jacob who was learning to
admire and trust them. decided to send Judah ahead to Goshen so
Joseph could instruct and supply him in assisting the entire family
when they emigrated south. The Midrashic interpretation [Rashi] of
Judah's purpose in returning early to Egypt adds a second reason for
the mission. The word "prepare" is there interpreted as "teach". It
implies that Jacob sent Judah down also to make ready a Yeshiva of
some sort, a Torah school, where the family and its descendants could
have consistent godly instruction, and help prevent assimilation into
the heathen culture. This is said to have established a precedent,
which is the priority of a Torah education as the soul of Jewish nation.
For it was fitting for Him, because of whom all are and through whom
all are, in bringing many sons to esteem, to make the Princely Leader of
their deliverance perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
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And Yosĕph said .. “I am going up to inform Pharaoh, and say to him,
‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of
Kenaʽan, have come to me. ‘And the men are shepherds, that they have
been men of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their
herds, and all that they have.’ (Genesis 46:31-32)
Joseph had demonstrated wisdom and love for his brethren in his
words to Pharaoh. He wanted to be sure his family would be secure in
Goshen, away from the corruptive influence of Egypt's heathen
society. To discourage the monarch from recruiting court officials and
dignitaries from the intelligent and gifted family that produced Joseph,
he instructed his family ahead of time to inform Pharaoh that they
were simply shepherds and herdsmen, occupations the animalworshipping Egyptians despised. Then, when the interview with
Pharaoh came, Joseph selected the least impressive individuals to
speak before the Egyptian leader. After listening to the (probably
rehearsed and staged) presentation, Pharaoh underestimated (as
planned) the brethren, concluded that Joseph was an anomaly, and
judged that his family was suited only for shepherding. So, Pharaoh left
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them alone in Goshen.
Israelites are set-apart in Egypt as “shepherds.” Sometimes it seems
that Joseph and his brothers placed more emphasis on their flocks
than on their families (46:32).
Significance:
• Shepherds care for and protect their sheep.
• They are willing to give up their lives for their sheep.
• Shepherding is what Israelites do.
If we are Israelites, then we should be nourishing and protecting the
flock. Joseph played the shepherd role in his position as he tended to
and nourished his family: We are told that the first shepherd was Abel
(Genesis 4:2)
“I am the good shepherd. And I know Mine, and Mine know Me,
Footnote: even as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. And I
lay down My life for the sheep. “And other sheep I have which are not
of this fold – I have to bring them as well, and they shall hear My voice,
and there shall be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)
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The father:
‘For thus said the Master ‫יהוה‬, “See, I Myself shall search for My sheep
and seek them out. “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is
among his scattered sheep, so I shall seek out My sheep and deliver
them from all the places where they were scattered in a day of cloud
and thick darkness. “And I shall bring them out from the peoples and
gather them from the lands, and shall bring them to their own land.
And I shall feed them on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, in the valleys, and in
all the dwellings of the land. “In good pasture I shall feed them, and
their fold shall be on the high mountains of Yisra’ĕl. They shall lie there
in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl.
(Ezekiel 34:11-14)
‫יהושע‬
And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the
house of Yisra’ĕl.” (Matthew 15:24)
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‫’יהושע‬s words to His disciples on “how to love Him”:
When, therefore, they had eaten breakfast, ‫ יהושע‬said to Shimʽon
Kĕpha, “Shimʽon, son of Yonah, do you love Me more than these?” He
said to Him, “Yea, Master, You know that I love You.” He said to him,
“Feed My lambs.” He said to him again, the second time, “Shimʽon, son
of Yonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yea, Master, You know
that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him
the third time, “Shimʽon, son of Yonah, do you love Me?” Kĕpha was
sad because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he
said to Him, “Master, You know all, You know that I love You.” ‫יהושע‬
said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17)
We are the sheep of his pasture, but we’re also shepherds who care
for the flock. Joseph was a shepherd; likewise all his brothers were
shepherds. In fact just about everyone seeking the Father is a
shepherd! We should be about the business of feeding, tending, and
looking after the flock. It is our job to be feeding the flock with truth. 42
Goshen is also referred to as the land of lights (Exodus 10:23), which
hinted at the prophetic coming of the Messiah ‫יהושע‬, the Light of the
world, who would bring light unto the nations (John 8:12; Isaiah 51:4).
One of the objectives of our Redeemer is the deliverance of the
Twelve Tribes from the yoke of slavery from the nations by which they
have been enslaved: The Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greeks and
the Romans.
Joseph revealed that they would be living in the land of Goshen to be
near him. In the same way, ‫ יהושע‬told believers, “In My Father’s house
are many staying places. And if not, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I shall
come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you might be
too. (John 14:2-3)
43
And Pharaoh said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “How old are you?” And Yaʽaqoḇ said to
Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojournings are one hundred
and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my
life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the life of my
fathers in the days of their sojournings.” (Genesis 47:8-9)
Legends of the Jews: Then Joseph set Jacob his father before Pharaoh,
and when the king saw him, he said to Og, who happened to be with
him at that moment, "Seest thou! Thou wast wont to call Abraham a
sterile mule, and here is his grandson with a family of seventy
persons!" Og would not believe his own eyes, he thought Abraham
was standing before him, so close was the resemblance between Jacob
and his progenitor. Then Pharaoh asked about Jacob's age, to find out
whether he actually was Jacob, and not Abraham. And Jacob said unto
Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and
thirty years, Few and evil,“ “In my youth I had to flee to a strange land
on account of my brother Esau, and now, in my old age, I must again
go to a strange land, and my days have not attained unto the days of
the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
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But Joseph was more than a helper to his family. As a shepherd
pastures his flock, so he provided for the whole world during the years
of famine. The people cursed Pharaoh, who kept the stores of corn in
his treasure chambers for his own use, and they blessed Joseph, who
took thought for the famishing, and sold grain to all that came. The
wealth which he acquired by these sales was lawful gain, for the prices
were raised, not by him, but by the Egyptians themselves. One part of
his possessions, consisting of gold and silver and precious stones,
Joseph buried in four different places, in the desert near the Red Sea,
on the banks of the Euphrates, and in two spots in the desert in the
vicinity of Persia and Media. Korah discovered one of the hidingplaces, and the Roman emperor Antoninus, the son of Severus,
another. The other two will never be found, because God has reserved
the riches they hold for the pious, to be enjoyed by them in the latter
days, the days of the Messiah. The remainder of Joseph's possessions
he gave away, partly to his brethren and their families, and partly to
Pharaoh, who put them into his treasury.
45
Now there was no bread in all the land, because the scarcity of food
was very severe, and the land of Mitsrayim and all the land of Kenaʽan
became exhausted from the scarcity of food. And Yosĕph gathered up
all the silver that was found in the land of Mitsrayim and in the land of
Kenaʽan, for the grain which they bought. And Yosĕph brought the
silver into Pharaoh’s house… So they brought their livestock to Yosĕph,
and Yosĕph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the
flocks they owned, and for the herds they owned, … And Yosĕph
bought the entire land of Mitsrayim for Pharaoh, because every man of
the Mitsrites sold his field, because the scarcity of food was severe
upon them. And the land came to be Pharaoh’s. And as for the people,
he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of
Mitsrayim to the other end. (Genesis 47:13-21)
Legends of the Jews: The wealth of the whole world flowed into Egypt
at that time, and it remained there until the exodus of the Israelites.
They took it along, leaving Egypt like a net without fish.
46
Only the ground of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had
portions allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their portions which
Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their ground.
(Genesis 47:22)
Legends of the Jews: It was the priests that made the suggestion to
examine Joseph's torn garment, which his mistress had submitted as
evidence of his guilt, and see whether the rent was in front or in back.
If it was in back, it would show his innocence--he had turned to flee,
and his temptress had clutched him so that the garment tore. But if
the tear was in front, then it would be a proof of his guilt--he had used
violence with the woman, and she had torn the mantle in her efforts
to defend her honour. The angel Gabriel came and transferred the rent
from the fore part to the back, and the Egyptians were convinced of
Joseph's innocence, and their scruples about raising him to the
47
kingship were removed.
And Yisra’ĕl dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim, in the land of Goshen. And
they had possessions there and bore fruit and increased exceedingly.
(Genesis 47:27)
Legends of the Jews: In return for the seventeen years that Jacob had
devoted to the bringing up of Joseph, he was granted seventeen years
of sojourn with his favourite son in peace and happiness. The wicked
experience sorrow after joy; the pious must suffer first, and then they
are happy, for all's well that ends well, and God permits the pious to
spend the last years of their lives in felicity.
48
In ancient biblical times, the Jewish religious leaders divided the five
books of the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) into portions that would
be read each Sabbath in the synagogues (the houses of biblical
teaching). Originally, in the course of a three year period, this system
would allow the Jewish people to read and study the entire Torah. In
modern times in most synagogues, the Torah is subdivided in such a
way that the reading-teaching cycle is accomplished in one year
instead of three.
During the period of the Maccabees (in the intertestamental period in
the second century B.C.), the Greeks who ruled Judea, in an effort to
forcibly hellenize the Jews, forbade them from reading the Torah upon
pain of death. Not wanting to forget the Torah, the Jews devised a
system where Scriptures passages from the writings of the prophets
were found that would remind them of the Torah portion for that
week. These passages from the prophets are called the Haftorah
readings, and they are read, along with the corresponding Torah
portion, each week in Jewish synagogues all over the world each
Sabbath to this day.
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To remind the Maccabean Jews of Parashat Vayegash, they attached
Ezekiel 37:15–28, which is a prophecy about the reunification of the
House of Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom of Israel) with the House of
Judah (the Southern Kingdom of Israel). The northern ten tribes of
Israel seceded from the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin during
the reign of King Rehoboam, son of King Solomon. They never
reunited, but the prophet Ezekiel received a word from Elohim that in
the latter days just before the coming of the Messiah and the
Messianic Age (or Millennium) these two kingdoms would again be
reunited with King David as their ruler.
The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash informs us that the connection
between Parashat Vayegash (Gen 44:18–47:27) and this Haftorah
reading is that both discuss the reunification of Jacob’s sons, the
twelve tribes of Israel. Judah and Benjamin from the Southern
Kingdom of Israel could receive hope in knowing that eventually their
long-lost comrades of the Northern Kingdom would again become part
50
of the nation in fulfillment of ‫’יהוה‬s promises.
and He says, “Shall it be a small matter for You to be My Servant to
raise up the tribes of Yaʽaqoḇ, and to bring back the preserved ones of
Yisra’ĕl? And I shall give You as a light to the gentiles, to be My
deliverance to the ends of the earth!” (Isaiah 49:6)
There are some who believe that God is angry with the Jews for
rejecting His Son. They also think that all the evil that has befallen the
Jewish people is a sign of God’s curse upon them. They believe that
God has rejected Israel as His covenant people and that He has
replaced them with another – the Church. This belief is called
replacement theology.
This Torah account of Joseph’s response to his brothers, however,
blows that erroneous theory to smithereens! ‫ יהושע‬isn’t angry, No, He
is longing to be reconciled with them, and to have an intimate
relationship with them. “And I shall pour on the house of Dawiḏ and on
the inhabitants of Yerushalayim a spirit of favour and prayers. And they
shall look on Me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as
one mourns for his only son. And they shall be in bitterness over Him as
51
a bitterness over the first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his
master is doing. But I have called you friends, for all teachings which I
heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)
Today’s Parsha is also a personal message to each one of us this very
day in our own private lives.
• If we are grieved and angry with ourselves for things we have done
that we now regret, because of what ‫ יהושע‬has done for us, we can
be released from guilt and condemnation. (Romans 8:1)
• God can work all things for the greater good of everyone and even
work events into His redemptive plan and purposes for your life.
(Romans 8:28) ‫ יהושע‬calls us His friends. We are not just ‘servants’ to
Him, but cherished friends.
• God’s word promises that if we will confess our sins, He is faithful
and just, not only to forgive us of these sins, but also to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
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