Vayigash
Parshat Vayigash
Last week’s portion ended with a problem for Joseph’s brothers. Do they return to Israel without Benjamin, thus causing great distress to Jacob, or do they remain in Egypt with Benjamin, thus causing their families in Israel to starve?
First Aliyah - Genesis chapter 44:18-30 pp. 274-275
Judah pleads with Joseph to be kind to them. Judah explains how Benjamin is their father’s youngest son, how Jacob mourned over the supposed death of Joseph, and how Jacob would be devastated if they returned to Israel without him.
Second Aliyah - 44:31-45:7 pp. 275-277
Judah offers to be hostage in place of Benjamin. Joseph can no longer restrain himself - he begins to weep uncontrollably. He tells the brothers who he is and asks how his father is faring. The brothers are afraid, but Joseph tells them not to be because it was all part of God’s master plan.
Third Aliyah - 45:8-18 pp. 277-278
Joseph tells his brothers to go back to Jacob and bring the family down to Egypt to live in the land of Goshen. The Egyptians heard about Joseph and his brothers and Pharaoh tells Joseph to have his family come down to live in Egypt.
Fourth Aliyah - 45:19-27 pp. 278-279
The brothers return to Jacob and when Jacob hears about Joseph his spirit revives.
Fifth Aliyah - 45:28-46:27 pp. 279-282
God tells Jacob not to fear going down to Egypt, for God will be with him. We are then presented with a list of Jacob’s family and we are told that 70 people went down to Egypt.
Sixth Aliyah - 46:28-47:10 pp. 283-286
Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh. Jacob at this point is 130 years old. When he leaves Pharaoh’s presence, he blesses him.
Seventh Aliyah - 47:11-27 pp. 286-289
The portion ends with Joseph administering the food in Egypt. The people have no money to buy food so Joseph suggests selling their flocks. That plan lasts for one year. The next year, the people still need food and Joseph suggests selling their land to Pharaoh and then working the land as tenant farmers. The people agree and Pharaoh becomes the owner of all the land in Egypt.
Maftir - 47:25-27 pp. 288-289
Haftorah - Ezekiel 37:15-28 pp. 291-292
We are presented with a vision of the future. God tells Ezekiel to take two sticks and put them together in his hand to symbolize the reunification of the northern and southern kingdoms. In the future God will reunite the two kingdoms just as Joseph and his brothers were reunited.
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