Who Are You Talking To?

By Rabbi Joshua (petitionally known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

Yehudah, in a last ditch attempt to prevent Yosef from taking Binyamin as a slave, approaches him and pleads that his father would not be able to survive that circumstance. Yosef can no longer conceal his identity, and tells the brothers, “I am Yosef – is my father still alive?” This question is problematic, because Yehuda’s entire argument revolved around his father. Why would Yosef ask if he was alive?

Abarbanel, on a pshat level, says that Yosef, when he revealed his identity to his brothers, wanted to divert the focus from the saga of their selling him, hoping to affect reconciliation. The Beis HaLeivi, on another level, based on a midrash that takes Yosef’s words as a rebuke to his brothers, says that Yosef was saying to them: is my father indeed still alive after all the suffering you made him go through? You are pleading for him now, but did you care about him in the past, when you sold me?

Actually, Yehuda’s repeated mention of his father in his petition to Yosef needs to be understood, for there is really no new information in what he said that Yosef hadn’t been told before. How did Yehudah expect to move him? Rav Yissochor Frand, in a taped shiur, cites a comment of the Rokeach which can help explain the petition.

The Rokeach says that we take three steps forward before shemone esreh, as we approach God in prayers, corresponding to three times in Scripture that “vayigash” – and he approached – is mentioned in approaching God. The first time is in regard to Avraham petitioning for the people of Sodom, and the third time is in regard to Eliyahu approaching God while battling idolators on Mt. Carmel. The second time is the use of “vayigash” in our parsha, where the Torah says “And Yehudah approached him.” What does this verse have to do with approaching God? Wasn’t Yehudah approaching Yosef? Apparently, the Rokeach understands that Yehudah, while ostensibly addressing Yosef, was in actuality petitioning God, pleading for Binyamin and his father, after all else failed. The fact that one of the steps we take before shemone esreh corresponds to Yehuda’s approach before his petition indicates that we all are capable of such moments in our lives, when although speaking to a person, we are really speaking to God.