Summary

Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers. Now Joseph felt that he understood G'd's masterplan. G'd had a much broader agenda. When Joseph thought that now he understood G'd's plan, he only saw a very small part of the total picture. There is no one answer that can explain all the various kinds of misery people suffer. "When G'd will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers." We must learn from Joseph that as long as we are in exile there is no way we can understand the way G'd conducts the world, since our vision is so limited.

Joseph reveals his true identity

In this week's Parasha, Joseph finally feels ready to reveal his true identity to his brothers. He says to them (Bereishis 45:4-8): "I am Joseph your brother, it is me whom you sold to Egypt. And now do not be upset ... that you sold me here, for in order to provide, G'd sent me ahead of you ... And now it was not you who sent me but G'd, and He has made me like a father to Pharaoh ... and a ruler of the entire land of Egypt."

Joseph's understanding of G'd's masterplan

With these words, Joseph shares with his stunned brothers his understanding of what transpired for the last twenty two years. All his questions, that he no doubt had throughout his long years of suffering, had been answered. His expression "and now" indicates, says the Akeidah, that till now he had blamed his brothers for his misery. But now he felt that he understood G'd's masterplan. The brothers had just been tools in G'd's hand to bring about that he should go down to Egypt, and be in a position to provide for his elderly father and the whole family there.

G'd's broader agenda

Today, when we look back at that tragic chapter at the beginning of the development of the Jewish nation, we know that Joseph's ability to bring his whole family down to Egypt and provide for their needs was far from the real purpose of what had transpired. G'd had a much broader agenda, that this was but a small part of. G'd had already told Abraham that his descendants would be exiled. As it says (Bereishis 15:13-16): "Know with certainty that your offspring will be exiled in a land that is not theirs, and they will make them slaves and afflict them ... and afterwards they will leave with great wealth ... And the fourth generation will return here [to the land of Israel]."

Small part of total picture

As with every act of G'd, there were many reasons why Jacob and his family had to develop into G'd's chosen nation through the misery of an oppressive exile in Egypt. But all of this Joseph did not know. So when he thought that now he understood G'd's plan, he only saw a very small part of the total picture.

Why good people suffer

We all experience hardships in our lives, both as individuals and as a nation, and we have many questions why this or that is happening. The question why good people suffer, and how G'd can let innocent children pass away and be afflicted with sickness or other difficult situations is as old as the world. There is no one answer that can explain all the various kinds of misery people suffer. Rabbeinu Bechayei gives six different reasons (Chovos Halevovos, Gate of Trust, chapter 3, introduction 5) why a righteous person may suffer.

Huge puzzle

This world is like a huge puzzle with pieces that are connected to each other, starting from the time of Creation till the end of days. Within the lifespan of a human being, we are only privy to see a few pieces. Sometimes we can put them together, and sometimes there are pieces missing and nothing makes sense to us. However, from this week's Parasha, we learn that even when we think we understand what we see, we must remember that it is still only a small fraction of the total picture. Only G'd, Who created all the small pieces, and prepared them from the first day of Creation, sees the whole picture. The day will yet come when G'd will reveal Himself to us, like Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. At that point all the pieces will fit together, and we will be able to see the total picture. Then all our questions will disappear and every little detail will make sense to us.

Be like dreamers

This may be what King David refers to in Shir Hamaalos (Tehillim 126) that we sing on Shabbos and Yom Tov before bentching: "When G'd will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers." When we dream, many things happen that makes no sense to us. While we dream it seems very real, and it can be scary like a nightmare. But once we wake up from the dream and see reality, that everything is fine, then the dream will not disturb us anymore. King David continues and describes what will happen when the exile is over: "Then our mouth will be filled with laughter and our tongue with jubilation." When we see the total picture and everything falls into place, we will thank G'd and sing His praise with laughter and jubilation. Not only the Jewish people will see the total picture, the nations of the world will also recognize what has been going on throughout the long exile, and how everything was part of G'd's masterplan. As it says further (Tehillim 126): "Then they will say among the nations, 'G'd has done greatly with these [the Jewish people].'" It will be like after the exile in Egypt, when the Jewish people left with "great wealth", both physically at the time of the exodus and the splitting of the sea, and spiritually at the revelation at Mount Sinai. As King David concludes (Tehillim 126): "Those who sow with fear will harvest in jubilation."

Limited vision

We must learn from Joseph, that as long as we are in exile, there is no way we can understand the way G'd conducts the world. Since our vision is too limited. For even when it starts to make sense, we must remember that we only see a small fraction of the total picture. However, the day will come when G'd will reveal Himself and show us the whole picture. Then we will rejoice and be jubilant in appreciation of everything that G'd has done for us.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett