PARSHAS Vayigash 5784
Going and Getting Ahead
Rabbi Binyamin Ehrenkranz
Director of Impact
In this week’s Torah portion, Yaakov and his family leave the land of Israel to be reunited with their son and brother Yosef in Egypt. This entailed a difficult decision, as Yaakov realized that this would mark the beginning of a centuries’ long exile for his family.
Shortly after his departure, the Torah notes that he had sent one of his sons, Yehuda, ahead of the group. The text says that this was “to point the way” before the rest of the family arrived.
Some of the commentaries say that this advance mission was to identify the best travel route for the group, while others suggest it was to research their new hometown and find proper accommodations.
The Midrash teaches that the term “point the way” suggests that Yehuda had another mission as well, to set up a Torah academy so that the family’s religious study could continue as soon as they arrived. Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher (1255-1340, Spain) asserts that Yehuda was selected because he was the strongest and most diligent of Yaakov’s sons.
While Yaakov may not have known the exact nature of what he and his family would encounter in Egypt in the short or long term, he knew he had to go about the journey and relocation responsibly. This meant dedicated, serious research: What are the most efficient travel arrangements? Which neighborhood is most suitable for us? And how will we recreate our lives in a foreign culture?
Besides properly handling logistics, Yaakov knew he quickly had to build a values-based environment. Though his family would be leaving the holiness of the land of Israel, he had to somehow establish an infrastructure that would keep his family’s priorities in check. The best way to do this was to ensure that Jewish learning would continue from day one.
Education is key to preserving Jewish values. But it cannot be left simply to whomever is available. Those building schools and places of learning should be resolute and diligent. They cannot be weak-spirited or those who take shortcuts.
Yaakov did not only care about moving smoothly and setting up a new community. Both had to be done with excellence.
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