Dear Friends,
The very first word of our Torah portion this week, VaYigash, teaches us about the power of approach when dealing with conflict. Through some trickery, Joseph had arranged for his brother Benjamin to be imprisoned, and Judah approached Joseph on behalf of his brother and their aging father, to plead for compassion and assistance.
Given everything that Joseph’s brothers had put him through – they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, completely upending the trajectory of his life – this was Joseph’s opportunity for pay back. But because of the way Judah approached Joseph, Joseph was inspired to not only forgive, but to embrace his brothers and help them survive and thrive in the future.
Rashi reminds us that the word VaYigash is used in a handful of other places in the Torah. Abraham approaches God to advocate on behalf of his nephew and any other righteous people who may be in Sodom and Gomorrah, while in the book of Isaiah “approach” is used as a call to war, inciting action.
Conflict is unavoidable. What our Torah portion and Judah teach us is that the way we approach conflict sends an important message about what we hope to get out of it. Sometimes, we need to approach conflict like Judah. Other times, we may need to approach conflict like Isaiah. But it is my hope that however we choose to approach others, we are intentional about how we do so, so that it helps us navigate challenging situations effectively, enabling the best outcomes for all involved.
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Josh Dorsch
