19 Dec YOSEF’S LEGACY

Twenty-two years passed since Yosef had last
seen his family. Hard years. Years of slavery.
Years of imprisonment. Yosef is now ready to
reveal himself to his brothers. Through his
words and deeds, he teaches us the art of
forgiveness.
“Yosef could no longer restrain himself.”
(Bereishis 45:1) The Or HaChaim explains
that Yosef could no longer control his
emotions and withhold his identity. The
floodgates opened. Yosef couldn’t contain his
tears any longer.
Yosef asks all the Egyptians to leave the area.
Rashi teaches that he realized his brothers
will be mortified when he identifies himself.
He didn’t want the Egyptians to witness the
scene that was about to unfold.
A lesson for us to learn. How careful we must
be not to embarrass or shame someone
publicly. How some words are better said
privately.
“Vayitein es kolo b’vechi, And he (Yosef)
wept aloud.” (Bereishis 45:2) The Torah is
telling us that Yosef’s cry was so loud, so

intense, that it was heard by the “beis
Pharaoh, the household of Pharaoh”.
Yosef turns to his brothers with the infamous
words, “Ani Yosef, I am Yosef. Ha’od avi
chai, Is my father still alive?”
Words of soft rebuke. “My” father, not “our”
father. Kli Yakar teaches that Yosef said “avi,
my father” to make a point. “My” father, for
I acted like a son, unlike my brothers. For if
the brothers were truly concerned about their
father’s well-being, they would never have
caused him unimaginable pain by selling
Yosef. Moreover, Sforno explains that by
saying “is my father still alive”, Yosef is
insinuating “how is my father doing, after so
many years of worrying and not knowing of
my whereabouts”.
Yosef made his point and stopped there. He
didn’t go on and on, berating the brothers for
their past actions. He didn’t raise his voice
and speak out of anger. No words of revenge,
no threats to his brothers that they will have
to pay for their actions.
Yosef rises above all of that. He is Yosef
HaTzadik. With kindness and compassion he
sincerely tells the brothers that all which
transpired is part of HaShem’s plan, that

there is a reason for everything.
Instead of revenge, Yosef draws
the brothers close. He tells them to
bring their father, and move near
him, settling in Goshen. There, he
will be able to provide for them
and their families.
Yosef then turns to his beloved
younger brother, Binyamin, as
they were both the only children of
Rochel Imeinu. “And he (Yosef)
fell upon Binyamin’s neck and
wept, and Binyamin wept on his
neck.” (Bereishis 45:14)
Two brothers with a most special relationship.
Two brothers who felt each other’s pain. Two
brothers that were one.
Rashi cites the Gemara in Megilla (16:2) that
Yosef was crying for the two Batei Mikdash
that were destined to be built in Binyamin’s
territory, and eventually destroyed.
Binyamin’s tears were for the mishkon in
Shiloh that was destined to be built in Yosef’s
portion, that too, only to be destroyed.
Two brothers. Apart for so many years. When
they finally reunite, they cry not tears of joy,
but weep about future destruction – each
one shedding tears for the other’s loss.
Tears for a future destruction? Why? We
know the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed
as a result of sinas chinam, unwarranted,
baseless hatred of one person towards
another.
Perhaps the two were crying because they
saw through Ruach HaKodesh that
generations later, nothing would have
changed. Although Yosef and Binyamin
were hoping, davening, that the lessons
would be learned, and that the past
mistakes would not be repeated, they
realized that the same jealousy and
inability to fargin which led the brothers to
sell Yosef into slavery, would surface again
in the future. How painful it was for them
to see a future where once again the villain
of sinas chinam emerges, bringing untold
suffering and exile to Klal Yisroel.
With their tears comes a message. Each
one not only crying for the other’s loss, but
placing his brother’s pain above his own.
Chazal teach that just as the Beis
HaMikdash was destroyed because of
sinas chinam, it will be rebuilt with ahavas
chinam. By crying for each other, Yosef
and Binyamin teach us what ahavas
chinam is. To love for no reason – just
because.
Yosef and Binyamin learned to cry from
their mother, Rochel Imeinu. “Rochel
mevakeh al bo’neh’ha, Rochel cries for her

children.” Tears for her children who were
destined to be exiled and scattered amongst
the nations. Tears for the adversity, the
hardships, torment, and even at times the
atrocities that will befall them. Tears for her
children who will become spiritually distant
from HaShem, assimilating into the cultures
and environment which they will find
themselves in. Anguished tears for her
children who cannot get along with one
another.
Since the start of the war, hundreds of
inspirational clips and stories have surfaced,
all touching our neshamos.
As I think of Yosef and Binyamin, and the
special bond they had with each another, a
certain clip comes to mind. It is of Rabbi
Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, one of the most
well-known kiruv rabbis in Eretz Yisroel,
visiting numerous army camps, delivering
words of bracha and chizuk to the IDF.
Rabbi Grossman would address different
groups of soldiers. Many were secular with
bare heads. The chayalim would stand
together, one placing his hand on the head of
the soldier next to him, “covering” it while
saying a tefilla.
And what was the tefilla? “Hareinu mekabel
al atzmi mitzvas v’ahavta l’reiacha komacha,
I accept upon myself the mitzva of loving my
neighbor, my friend, as myself.”
The soldiers continued to say with Rabbi
Grossman, that in that merit, HaShem should
guide them and protect them.
How beautiful. How inspiring. Taking a step
in the path of ahavas chinam, creating a brick
for the third and final Bais HaMikdash. A
final resting place for the Shechinah based on
ahavas chinam.
Chazal teach that the forerunner of Moshiach
ben Dovid will be Moshiach ben Yosef.
While there are several explanations about
the role of Moshiach ben Yosef, one may be
that he comes to deliver the message of Yosef
HaTzadik. Forgiveness. See the good. Do all
you can to create a world of ahavas chinam.
And with that, we will b’ezras HaShem merit
to see Moshiach ben Dovid.