Weekly Drash - Vayigash

Compliments of First Fruits of Zion
reprinted by permission of FFOZ

Parasha: Vayigash

Man of Sorrows

Vayigash - ויגש : “And came near”
Torah : Genesis 44:18–47:27
Haftarah : Ezekiel 37:15–28
Gospel : Matthew 23–25

Thought for the Week:

If the past 2,000 years of waiting has seemed like an interminably long wait for us, how much more so for Messiah, who has lived through these many generations, eagerly desiring to gather the children of Jerusalem under the wings of His tallit (coat): "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!" (Luke 13:34)

Commentary:

Joseph wept. “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it” (Genesis 45:2).

When his brothers first appeared before him in Egypt, emotion overcame him. “He turned away from them and wept” (Genesis 42:24). When they returned to Egypt and appeared before him again, he was again moved with emotion. Losing his composure, he retreated from their presence to find a private place to weep (Genesis 43:30–31). He weeps a third time as he reveals his identity to them in Genesis 45. On this third occasion, he does not attempt to conceal his sorrow, but weeps openly before his brothers. The Torah says he wept so loudly that the Egyptians he had sent from the room overheard his sobs.

In the weeping of Joseph, we can hear the pathos of Messiah. Throughout His ministry, Yeshua revealed His compassion and heartbreak for His countrymen. “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He felt compassion for them when they hungered. He told the disciples, “I feel compassion for the people” (Mark 8:2). He felt compassion for the blind, as Scripture says, “Moved with compassion, Yeshua touched their eyes” (Matthew 20:34). He felt compassion for the sick, as Scripture says, “Moved with compassion, Yeshua stretched out His hand and touched him” (Mark 1:41). He felt compassion for the bereaved and the mourning, as Scripture says, “When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep’ ” (Luke 7:13). When He saw the mourners bewailing the death of His own personal friend, Lazarus, Scripture says, “Yeshua wept” (John 11:35). Even in the hour of His greatest acclamation, the time of the triumphal entry, the very moment when the Jewish people were indeed receiving Him as Messiah, He wept:

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it. (Luke 19:41)

The Gospels portray Yeshua as a man like Joseph, eager to be reconciled with His brothers, eager to heal the wounds and right the wrongs of the past. He is full of empathy and longs for the final reconciliation and redemption.

Shavuah Tov! Have a Good Week!

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