Vayigash תרל”ט

מדרש בני אם ערבת כו’ עשה זאת כו’ בעפר רגליו.
(Mishlei 6:1-3)
My son, if you have stood surety for your fellow, Given your hand for another,
You have been trapped by the words of your mouth,Snared by the words of your mouth.
Do this -זאת, then, my son, to extricate yourself,For you have come into the power of your fellow:Go grovel—and badger your fellow;
(Yehuda had guaranteed the safe return of Binyamin, and he badgered Yosef until he finally revealed that he was Yosef)
זאת היא מלכות שמים. וע”י קבלת מלכותו ית’ יכולין לתקן הכל
the word זאת refers to the dominion of Heaven. It is through accepting the yoke of Heaven that one is able to repair everything.
(Yehuda was really accepting,and nullifying himself to the yoke of Heaven, and through this acceptance, he was able to actually reveal the truth.).
כמ”ש הכל הי’ מן העפר והכל שב אל העפר הוא בחי’ הביטול אל השורש.
As it states (Kohelet 3:20) everything comes from the earth and to earth it shall return. This refers to the concept of nullifying everything to its source.
(This idea applies to us in all elements, that by nullifying our will to the will of HaShem we are able to return to Him at any stage, it can always be the ‘go to’ point).
וזהו עיקר בחי’ יהודה על שם הודאה על האמת. וע”י ההודאה יש לעולם תקנה ועצה כמ”ש אמת מארץ תצמח כו’.
This is the primary concept of Yehuda, that he admited to the truth. It is through this acknowledgement that the world is repaired and (indeed) the path that should be taken. As it states (Tehillim 85:12) Truth shall sprout from the earth (…and justice looks down from Heaven”. This implies that in order for there to be justice from Heaven there needs to be truth from the earth).
ובמד’ מים עמוקים כו’ איש תבונה ידלנה. פי’ תבונה הכנסת הבינה במעשה. לכן כתיב לא יחפוץ כסיל בתבונה כ”א בהתגלות לבו. שאינו דבר של קיימא כנ”ל.
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 93:4) quotes the pasuk in Mishlei (20:5) Deep waters run in the soul of a man, and a person of understanding – תבונה is able to draw them forth. (So too Yehuda through his constant pursuit of the truth was able to reveal that it was Yosef standing before him.)
The idea of תבונה is the idea of putting בינה deep understanding into action. Therefore it states “the fool does not desire understanding, he only wants to air his thoughts.” This fool has understanding however he does not bring it into the level of action and emotion, and therefore it does not last.
והנה בחי’ יהודה ויוסף הם ב’ בחי’. כי יש צדיק שהוא איש מנוחה והבורא ית’ משפיע עליו רוח קדושה בלי יגיעות נפש ובשר. ויש צדיק שעומד בצדקו ועובר עליו כמה דרכים ומקומות עקלקלות עד שבא אל נכון.
Now the idea of Yehuda and Yosef represent two elements in service of HaShem. There are tzadikim who are in a state of serenity, and HaShem gives them a spirit of holiness without them stratining themselves physically or emotionally. Yet there are also tzadikim that remain steadfast in their righteousness, and many difficulties and vicissitudes come over them, until they are able to find security.
ושניהם צריכין להיות. והם בחי’ ימי המעשה ושבת קודש. ויוסף הוא בחי’ השבת. ויהודה ימי עבודה לכן נקרא איש תבונה ודולה מים עמוקים ביותר.
These are both necessary, for these are the days of the week and Shabbos. Yosef represents the idea of Shabbos – serenity, whereas Yehuda represents the days of the week, of hard work. It is for this reason that he is called (in the abovementioned Midrash) “a man of understanding”, who draws forth the very deepest waters.
לכן מרמז המד’ ונגש חורש בקוצר כי חורש הוא עבודת יהודה ויוסף קוצר המוכן לקצור אחר הגמר.
This too is hinted to in the words of the prophet (Amos 9:13) “And the plowman shall meet the reaper”. For the plowman refers to the (strenuous) work of Yehuda and Yosef is referred to as the reaper, who is prepared to reap everything once it is ripe.
ולכן כתיב וסרה קנאת כו’ יהודה.
Therefore it states (Yeshaya 11:13) “The jealousy of Ephraim (Yosef’s descendants) will be removed…and they will no longer be jealous of Yehuda, and Yehuda will no longer provoke Ephraim”.
וסוף עליית עבודת ימי המעשה הם בשבת. כי החול מכין לשבת.
The final elevation of the days of the week is on Shabbos, for they are a preparation for Shabbos.
לכן בסוף מעשיו של יהודה ויגש אליו. שאחר גמר העבודה בא להתדבקות ביוסף הצדיק שהוא השבת. ואז ראה והבין כי שניהם אמת וסרה קנאת כו’ יהודה:
For this reason the last actions of Yehuda is when he approaches Yosef. For after all the work and difficulties that he has gone through, he finally reconnects to Yosef the tzadik, the idea of Shabbos. Then he saw and understood that they are both true, and “the jealousy of Ephraim was removed…from Yehuda”.

וזה הענין שכתוב ביוסף לעשות מלאכתו נכנס אלא שנראית דמות דיוקנו כו’ עוד כעין זה ע”ש. וכי באו חכמינו ז”ל למעט זכות נסיונו של יוסף הצדיק ח”ו. אבל הוא כנ”ל שכל עבודת יוסף הצדיק הי’ רק להמשיך עליו עזר והשפעת קדושה ממרום. אמת כי ודאי הכל במשפט ואין זוכין לזה רק על ידי עבודה רבה. אכן העיקר הי’ שיזכה לעזר עליון כנ”ל:
This (idea explained above) is what our sages taught us (see Rashi 39:11) “When Yosef came to do his work. According to some, Yosef actually intended to sin with Potiphar’s wife, yet he saw an image of his father, and he controlled himself.
Now our sages are certainly not telling us that Yosef had less merits, that his test was not so difficult?! Yet we can explain this as above, that Yosef’s effort was focusing on bringing down the help and showering of Holiness from Above. Now in truth everything is done by HaShem with complete justice, and one can only merit this level (of help from Above) after much effort on one’s own part. However the main priority of Yosef was to gain help from Above.

בפסוק כראותו כי אין הנער ומת כו’. וקשה מנ”ל ליהודה שימות כשיראה שאין הנער. ונראה שלמד זה ממ”ש להם יעקב אע”ה ואל שדי יתן לכם רחמים ופרש”י מי שאמר לעולמו די יאמר די לצרותי. ויעקב אע”ה לא הי’ אומר כן לולי שידע כי בנפשו הוא ואבות הקדושים מסרו נפשם בעבור תולדותיהם. וידעו כי כל העובר עליהם הוא בעבור דורות העתידים לבוא. ומה”ט לא קשה למה לא הודיע יוסף לאביו. וכמו שלא גילה יצחק ליעקב. אם כי גדלה רחמי האב על הבן יותר מבן על האב. רק כולם למדו מהבורא ית’ כיון שהעלים הוא ית’ ממנו ידעו שלטובתו הוא. ורק כשהגיע עד מיצוי הנפש ממש כמ”ש חז”ל ע”פ ואל שדי כו’ ע”ש. לכן ידע יהודה כי בראותו כי אין הנער ומת. ולכן כיון ששמע יוסף כן הוכרח לגלות להם האמת כי ידע שהגיע העת לגלות להם כנ”ל:
Yehuda tells Yosef that if Yaakov shall see that Binyamin does not return safely, Yaakov shall die (Bereishis 44:31). This is seemingly difficult, for how did Yehuda know that Yaakov will die,if he sees that Binyamin does not return?
It would seem that Yehuda understood this from the words of Yaakov. Yaakov said “HaShem – אל שדי shall have mercy on you” Rashi explains that Yaakov used the word שדי for he was saying “the one who said די – enough to the world, shall say enough to my suffering.
Now Yaakov would only say such an expression if he knew that it was a matter of life and death. For our holy forefathers forsake their lives for the sake of their generations to come. They knew that all that they go through is for the sake of the generations to come.
With this we can understand why Yosef did not reveal his whereabouts to Yaakov, just as Yitzchak (who knew that Yosef was alive) did not reveal it to Yaakov. Even though the mercy of the father (Yitzchak to Yaakov) is greater than that of the son (Yosef to Yaakov), nevertheless they both learnt from HaShem, Who did not revel that Yosef was alive, that it is clearly for the best that Yaakov does not know that Yosef is alive.
However when it came to a stage of life and death, when Yaakov himself said that he would die if Binyamin is not returned, that when Yosef heard this he was forced to reveal the truth, for Yosef realized that this was now the correct time for the truth to come out.

בפסוק לכולם נתן לאיש חליפות שמלות כו’ נתן כו’ חמש חליפות שמלות כו’.
To each of them, he gave a change of clothing; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. (Bereishit 45:22)
והענין הוא כי הפנימיות לעולם אחד אבל המלבוש מתחלף כפי מדריגות האדם עולה ויורד כמ”ש פושטת צורה ולובשת צורה.
The idea expressed here is that the internal pnimius is always the same (the Godliness in everything) however it is the clothing (the externality) that changes according to the level of a person, as it says “they remove one form and wear a different form”
ובודאי התועלת שבא ע”י הגלות הוא תיקון המלבוש.
Clearly the gain of going through the exile is to rectify these external garments.
לכן ביציאת מצרים כתיב כלי כסף וכלי זהב ושמלות חביב מן הכל ע”ש ברש”י דברי חז”ל.
Therefore when Bneit Yisrael left Mitzrayim they took silver and gold vessels and clothing. Rashi explains (Shmot 12:35) that the clothing was the most prized.
ויוסף נתן להם זה הדרך איך יוכלו להתלבש בכל אלה לבושים שונים כמו שהראה להם יוסף שלא הכירוהו אם כי הי’ עומד בצדקו.
Now Yosef had prepared the way for them to be able to ‘dress’ in different ‘clothing’, just as he showed the brothers how he was able to conceal himself in Mitzrayim in such a way that the brothers did not (spiritually) recognize him. He maintained his level of righteousness and they were oblivious to it.
(This therefore was why he gave them clothing. Also spiritual tools to withstand the exile)
וז”ש חז”ל שרמז לבנימין שיצא ממנו מרדכי שיצא מלפני המלך בה’ לבושים כו’.
This is what Chazal meant when they explained (Megillah 16b) the reason why yosef gave Binyamin five garments was because he was inting to Binyamin that his descendants Mordechai will go before the king Achashveirosh dressed in five royal garments.
כי בימי אסתר הי’ הסתרת פנים ביותר ומרדכי תיקן ה’ מיני לבושים הנ”ל.
This was because of the extreme hiddenness of HaShem in the days of Ester, and Mordechai rectified these five levels of ‘garments’
[ואפשר ע”ז הרמז מה שמחליפין המלבושים בפורים. כי מנהג ישראל תורה] [and perhaps we are alluding to this when we change our clothing on Purim. For traditions of the Jewish people become actual Torah].
וזהו ענין חליפות שמלות כנ”ל.
This is the idea of ‘change of clothing’ (it’s not referred to as just a change of clothing.)
כי כל העגלות והכנת הדרך לירד למצרים הי’ עפ”י יוסף כמ”ש במ”א.
For the wagons that Yosef sent to fetch Bnei Yisrael and all the preparations made for them to come down, was done by Yosef (as explained (TRLA 5)
וגם מדברי אא”ז ז”ל על אומרם ראוי הי’ יעקב לירד כו’:
And also the idea that Yaakov should have come down to Mitzrayim in iron chains, (as explained (TRLB 2) above Yosef prepared the way so that Yaakov did not have to lose his stature and drop spiritual levels to come to Mitzrayim).