Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vayigash
Yosef ordered his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Yisrael; he presented himself to him and, embracing him around the neck, he wept on his neck for a good while. Then YIsrael said to Yosef,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֛ב עוֹד־יוֹסֵ֥ף בְּנִ֖י חָ֑י אֵֽלְכָ֥ה וְאֶרְאֶ֖נּוּ בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת׃
“Now I can die, having seen for myself that you are still alive.”
Then Yosef said to his brothers and to his father’s household:
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ וְאֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יו אֶעֱלֶ֖ה וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לְפַרְעֹ֑ה וְאֹֽמְרָ֣ה אֵלָ֔יו אַחַ֧י וּבֵית־אָבִ֛י אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנַ֖עַן בָּ֥אוּ אֵלָֽי׃
“I will go up and tell the news to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
Why would he only mention “His brothers and my father’s household”, but miss out the arrival of the head of the family, their father Yaakov, whom he just met? Indeed, as he came to Pharaoh, he did mention it:
וַיָּבֹ֣א יוֹסֵף֮ וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְפַרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אָבִ֨י וְאַחַ֜י וְצֹאנָ֤ם וּבְקָרָם֙ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָהֶ֔ם בָּ֖אוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְהִנָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן׃
“Then Joseph came and reported to Pharaoh, saying, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that is theirs, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the region of Goshen.”
So, what made him “forget” his father and subsequently “remember” him? Having learned the last two Parashot, we must come to a conclusion that Yosef Hatzadik, the righteous one, was not only very smart (as Pharaoh declares) but he must have had a huge amount of optimism, in order to survive the ordeal and remain intact. Many, probably almost every normal person would have lost their spirits, and be totally disheartened, having gone through this long nightmare. However, even the greatest optimist can “lose it” sometimes. Yosef has just heard from his beloved father:
Now I can die, having seen for myself that you are still alive” and was inadvertently accepting his father’s prediction of his imminent passing. Hence, not mentioning him anymore when speaking to his brothers. However, soon thereafter he regained his “usual” positive outlook, and was hoping that Yaakov’s statement was premature and that he may still have many years to live with his reunited, extended family. Hence his mentioning to Pharaoh;
My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that is theirs, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the region of Goshen.”
Remaining positive is by itself a very important tool to achieve positiveness
Shabbat Shalom and warm regards
Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld