Torah Tidbits: Parshat Vayigash

44:18-34 - At the beginning of the parsha, Judah makes his plea to Joseph that he take him in Benjamin's place for having "stolen" the goblet (Joseph himself had the goblet put in Benjamin's pack).  Judah's speech is very expressive, conveying not only his frustration but also his concern for his father Jacob's well being.  What is interesting to me, though, is how important the sons of Rachel (i.e., Joseph and Benjamin) are to Jacob vis-a-vis the his other sons.  What makes them so important?

45:16-20 - After Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers, Pharaoah learns of what has happened.  What is interesting his the Egyptian ruler's reaction:  to send gifts and wealth back to Caanan.  Seems to me a strange response to learning of Joseph's deception...

45:24 - As Joseph bids farewell to is brothers as they return to Caanan bearing gifts from Pharaoah (!), Joseph tells them not to get angry along the way (the unfortunate Mechon Mamre translation is "'See that ye fall not out by the way,'" but the Hebrew, al tirgizu baderech, which clearly speaks of anger).  What could this mean?  With what is Joseph concerned?!?

45:27-28 - Another neat juxtaposition of Jacob and Israel.  The first verse reads, "And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived."  The second verse, though, says "And Israel said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.'"  I'm trying to make sense of these differences, but I'm having trouble.  Does it mean something when one word is used in place of the other?  I can't tell...

46:2 - A fabulous verse:  ""And God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said: 'Jacob, Jacob.' And he said: 'Here am I.'"  First, what is meant by "visions of the night"?  My first thought was it must be a dream, but the Hebrew, b-mar'ot halailah, isn't a dream but rather precisely as it was translated: "visions of the night."  What's the difference between a dream and a night vision?  What did Jacob see?  Second, again we see here the divine calling the name out twice, with the person responding hineini or "here I am" (as the angel in the akedah to Abraham).  It's an interesting locution, actually:  Why does God call the name twice as opposed to once?  Why doesn't God say "Jacob, I have something to say"?  And why does Jacob answer "here I am," as opposed to "Yes?"  or "What do you want?"

46:4 - God promises to go down to Egypt with Jacob but also to bring him up again... and Joseph will put his hand on Jacob's eyes.  Strange!  Or does it presage the Exodus?

46:5 - An example of Jacob and Israel being used in the same verse!

47:13-27 - How did I miss this one in Sunday school?!?  Famine comes to Egypt, and Joseph does what he can to help the people of the land...for a price.  First he takes their money for food, then takes their animals, then he takes their land for Pharaoah and Egypt.  Then comes the kicker: The people have lost everything they have, then they happily agree to become serfs:  "And they said: 'Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.'"  Thereafter, 20% of the crops they grow on the land that used to be theirs must now be given to the state.  So basically, Joseph uses food as a weapon to take away everything the people own, transforms them from landowners to serfs, and all in the service of an idolator.  Are we supposed to admire Joseph for this?  Why didn't he find a way to help the people of Egypt without bankrupting them?!?