Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

72
Vayigash
A Divine Guarantee
Adam Goldberg
I n Vayigash, this week’s parsha, after the series of events in which Joseph reveals
himself to his brothers (see the Book of Genesis 45:3), he sends them back up from
Egypt to tell their father Jacob that Joseph, whom he thought to have been dead for
twenty-two years, is still alive (ibid. v. 26). Jacob is very excited to hear that his son
was still alive, and immediately resolves to go visit him in Egypt (ibid. v. 28). After his
resolution, he starts his descent to Egypt (ibid. 46:1), and on his way, offers sacrifices
to God. Next (ibid. v. 2), God speaks to Jacob in a night vision (i.e., prophecy) and
comforts him that it is not so bad he will be leaving, because He (God) will establish
him – referring to Jacob/Israel – as a great nation there in Egypt (46:3), and God will
be with him on his descent down to Egypt, and God will bring him up to the Land of
Israel afterwards to be buried. Rashi (v. 4) points out that Jacob was distressed because
he needed to leave the Land of Israel.
This is not the first time that one of our forefathers has received a prophecy about
leaving the Land of Israel. Let us compare Jacob’s prophecy with the prophecy of
Abraham in the “covenant between the parts” )םירתבה ןיב תירב ; Genesis chapter 15).
Two parallels can be noticed: