In this week’s Torah portion, we read the following in Bereshit / Genesis 44:26-32, 26 וַנֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לָרֶ֑דֶת אִם־יֵשׁ֩ אָחִ֨ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֤ן אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ כִּי־לֹ֣א נוּכַ֗ל לִרְאוֹת֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְאָחִ֥ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֖ן אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אִתָּֽנוּ׃ We answered, ‘We cannot go down; only if our youngest brother is with us can we go down, for we may not show our faces to the man unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֖י אֵלֵ֑ינוּ אַתֶּ֣ם יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁנַ֖יִם יָֽלְדָה־לִּ֥י אִשְׁתִּֽי׃ Your servant my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife bore me two sons. 28 וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָֽאֶחָד֙ מֵֽאִתִּ֔י וָאֹמַ֕ר אַ֖ךְ טָרֹ֣ף טֹרָ֑ף וְלֹ֥א רְאִיתִ֖יו עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ But one is gone from me, and I said: Alas, he was torn by a beast! And I have not seen him since. 29 וּלְקַחְתֶּ֧ם גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֛ה מֵעִ֥ם פָּנַ֖י וְקָרָ֣הוּ אָס֑וֹן וְהֽוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת־שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּרָעָ֖ה שְׁאֹֽלָה׃ If you take this one from me, too, and he meets with disaster, you will send my white head down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 30 וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּבֹאִי֙ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֣ אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ קְשׁוּרָ֥ה בְנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ “Now, if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—since his own life is so bound up with his— 31 וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאוֹת֛וֹ כִּי־אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת וְהוֹרִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֹֽלָה׃ when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will send the white head of your servant our father down to Sheol in grief. 32 כִּ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ עָרַ֣ב אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־לֹ֤א אֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְאָבִ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ 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.’ 33 וְעַתָּ֗ה יֵֽשֶׁב־נָ֤א עַבְדְּךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַנַּ֔עַר עֶ֖בֶד לַֽאדֹנִ֑י וְהַנַּ֖עַר יַ֥עַל עִם־אֶחָֽיו׃ Therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 כִּי־אֵיךְ֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל־אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתִּ֑י פֶּ֚ן אֶרְאֶ֣ה בָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְצָ֖א אֶת־אָבִֽי׃ For how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me? Let me not be witness to the woe that would overtake my father!” The differences in the attitude and behavior of his brothers for their younger brother, the one who was loved more than they were, has significantly changed. Notice how Judah states that he has bound his life to Benjamin (בנימין = “Son of the right side”), he says that he has pledged himself for the boy to guarantee his safety. Judah functions as a savior for his brother. The commentary Rabbeinu Bahya on Bereshit / Genesis 44:32:1-3 states, “for your servant has guaranteed the safety of the lad.” I have undertaken to be surety for him in a manner which is irrevocable and not subject to any redemption by substitution. If I fail to honor the terms of my guarantee all my brothers will remain within the family circle whereas I will be condemned to remain outside.” Notice the significance of these words Judah is speaking, his claim to save Benjamin is so great, that if he fails, he would have sinned against his father and against God for all time (Bereshit / Genesis 43:9, וחטאתי לאבי כל הימים)…
2 thoughts on “Bits of Torah Truths, פרשת ויגש, Parashat Vayigash, The Requirements of Good Leadership”
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I’m coming out of Christianity can you teach about the rapture please
Hello, thank you for your comment. Off the top of my head my comments are the following: The most important thing is to examine the Scriptures for what they say. In Matthew 24 we read what Yeshua teaches his disciples of the last days in regards to his returning on the clouds. Reading from beginning to end of what he describes of the last days, there is no pretribulation rapture. In Matthew 24:30, he says all the tribes of the earth will mourn seeing the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and glory. This is not a reference to a select few (believers only). In Luke 18:8 he asks the question of whether he will find faith when he returns? We read a similar description in Luke 21 on the last days and of Yeshua returning and the signs taking place in the sun, moon, stars, and the earth. A lot of teachings on the rapture refer to the book of Revelation and state the church is raptured out prior to Revelation chapter 4, the church is not see in the subsequent chapters of the book of Revelation. However, the later chapters such as in Revelation 12, we read the dragon (satan) is cast down to earth and Revelation 12 states, 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 12:14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 12:15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 12:16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 12:17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (NASB) Obviously believers remain on the earth for satan to make war with God’s faithful believers. These verses make the modern pretribulation rapture incompatible with the Scriptures. There are more references, look at how the disciples describe the last days in Acts 1-2. Also something to note, the rapture doctrine is not mentioned by the early church fathers, this interpretation is a very recent phenomenon where the early believers did not teach upon. I believe we should be prepared for anything, and be faithful servants regardless of what happens, whether we are taken early or late. I believe the Scriptures speak of us remaining bearing the testimony of God until the very end.