Dear TBZ community:
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה
Vayigash elav Yehudah
And Judah approached him.
This dramatic moment that our parasha begins with is a powerful moment of possibility, vulnerability and true encounter.
Parshat Vayigash continues the saga of Joseph and his brothers. At this time, Joseph’s brothers don’t know their fate as Joseph does not let them go back to their father, Jacob. In this moment of uncertainty, Judah approaches Joseph with a plea for forgiveness. Even though Judah doesn't know he is speaking to his brother, he feels compelled to express his pain to Joseph and begs him to allow them to return home. Chapter 44, verses 18 to 34 are a moving description of Judah’s feelings and vulnerability. This is, perhaps, a moment of tshuva, of repentance, for Judah.
Judah has taken his role of the guarantor of Benjamin seriously. Chizkuni, the medieval commentator explains that, “לפי שהוא ערבו–the reason why Yehudah was the one carrying on this dialogue was that it was he who had guaranteed Binyamin’s safe return to their father” (Chizkuni to Genesis 44:32).
Earlier in the narrative of this story, before returning to Egypt with his brother, Judah says to his father Jacob:
אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ מִיָּדִי תְּבַקְשֶׁנּוּ אִם־לֹא הֲבִיאֹתִיו אֵלֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְךָ כׇּל־הַיָּמִים
I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible: if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I shall stand guilty before you forever.
(Genesis 43:9)
And in this week's parasha, Judah explains this to Joseph:
כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת־הַנַּעַר מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר אִם־לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כׇּל־הַיָּמִים
Now your servant has pledged himself for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I shall stand guilty before my father forever.’
(Genesis 44:32)
The word arev (ערב), means surety, pledge. We know it from the concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה, All Israel are responsible for each other. The idea of pledging ourselves or taking responsibility for another human being is a powerful one. Perhaps Judah takes this role because he knows he failed in the past when he had an opportunity to save Joseph.
Earlier in their story, Judah saved Joseph from death, but Judah doesn't fully stand up and save Joseph from being sold. When Joseph is in the pit, Judah doesn't see his brother’s face -- his face of fear, his face of helplessness. Judah doesn't see him. Although he doesn't kill him, he doesn't save him either. He doesn’t actively stand up for Joseph. But this time, Judah faces his own truth and is able to articulate it. It is in that moment that Joseph opens up, cries and reveals himself to his brothers.
Like Judah, each of us has opportunities in our life, individually and as a collective, to face our own truths and take responsibility. Responsibility for the times we did not stand up, for the past and for the present. Our tradition teaches us that every day is a day of potential teshuvah, not just one season a year. Because by being vulnerable, by looking inwards we can face the world and those in front of us with honesty and truth. Judah does that! He faces his truth and that becomes a moment of revelation and forgiveness.
Earlier this week, TBZ members received an invitation to join our Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Learning Community. TBZ has entered into a partnership with Dimensions Educational Consulting, a women and Jewish people of color-led nonprofit that has worked with many other synagogues and organizations around the country. Those involved will deepen our learning about racism and develop action plans for our community. Our overarching goal is to intentionally work as a community and face a problem that has afflicted us as Americans for hundreds of years, and to evolve our understanding of how we can be part of the healing. Racial justice work challenges us on many levels: intellectual, emotional, spiritual and practical. At TBZ, we have a wide variety of perspectives on the topic; we each come with a distinct history related to race. We have different ideas about the level of urgency and the kinds of healing that are warranted. This process will help us strengthen our ability to share with and listen to one another, and move forward collectively with the crucial work of racial justice and tikkun olam.
I see this moment and this work at TBZ as a possibility for us to approach this work like Judah (וַיִּגַּשׁ - Vayigash), as individuals and as a collective, and, like Judah, becoming ערבים, responsible and pledging ourselves to this important work.
If you did not read the invitation for this work, you can find the email here.
If you are a TBZ member and you would like to participate, please sign up, the deadline is Wednesday December 15.
My hope and blessing for all of us is that life gives us the opportunities to approach that which we fear and when it may be easier to turn and run, that we stay and face the moment with the honesty and vulnerability of Judah, so that we can grow and bring blessing to those around us and some healing to this world.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing. May we have a joyful and restful Shabbat!
Shabbat Shalom,
