Vayigash וַיִּגַּשׁ - And He Drew Near
Torah Portion: Genesis 44:18-47:27
Genesis 44:18–30
18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’ 21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 When we came up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ 26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ 30 Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy’s life…”
Today’s Meditation:
The last verse of this reading, verse 30, reads: “Since his life is bound up in the boy’s life.” What exactly does it mean that Jacob’s life is bound up in Benjamin’s life? My thought is that Jacob totally lives his life through his son. That's all he does, and all his plans in life revolve around Benjamin. Is that good or bad? It shows that he is, to some extent, a good parent, looking out for his son. But, as we all know, a “helicopter parent”, one who hovers over his/her child, is not a good thing. It can stunt growth and encourage dependency. Also, as we see in future readings, this type of favoritism never fares well with the other siblings. The lesson here may be to ensure we treat all our children fairly and equally.
Today’s Challenge:
Today, take a look at all your relationships. Your family, partner, and friends. Do you show any favoritism toward any of them? What does that look like? Is it a good time to equalize that relationship with others around you? Take a hard look and ensure you are treating those you love equally. If you aren't, try to change this gradually. Those who love you will appreciate this.
