Finally Making Things Right

Vayechi

Genesis 47:28 - 50:26

Précis: As the Book of Genesis comes to a close, Jacob lived (vayechi) in the land of Egypt for 17 years and dies after giving a final, poetic, individualized ethical testament to each of his sons. In a great funeral procession, Joseph, his brothers, and Pharaoh and his court bring Jacob’s body to Machpela to be buried. At the end of the parasha, Joseph also dies after exacting a promise that his remains also be brought to the land of Israel.

Gen. 50:15-17 “When Joseph's brothers saw their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph stills bears a grudge against us?’ So they sent him a message, saying ‘Before his death your father left us this instruction: Say to Joseph, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers.’"

              The concept of familial reconciliation is at the heart of the Joseph saga as a whole as well as of this particular parasha. Despite the apparent reconciliation, it is not until the very conclusion of the story, long after their tearful reunion, long after they have settled in the land of Goshen, and after Jacob’s death that Joseph’s brothers actually apologize for their behaviors (Genesis 50:17). This particular verse leaves us wondering about the sincerity and completeness of the  reconciliation which took place when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in the dramatic highlight found in Genesis 45.

               The Sages teach that reconciliation (a form of t’shuvah) requires confession, apology, and the making of amends to the one who has been wronged (Maimonides,  Mishneh Torah, “Laws of Repentance” 2:1). This story asks a question: must these elements take place in the order specified? Joseph’s reaction to the deferred apology is to weep (because of a sense of relief? out of thanks?  in anger or sadness because they still don’t trust him after their father’s death? We don’t know).

               We see that to complete a true reconciliation, all aspects of repentance must take place, but the order in which they are accomplished seems less important. The Joseph story ends, unlike most other stories of sibling animosity in Genesis, with a happy conclusion. While Joseph insists that what has transpired is the result of God’s will, the text itself shows that reconciliation is not a matter of God’s will but rather the result of human action.  So the first lesson to be learned here is that if we hope for reconciliation within our workplaces or families, it is up to us to take the necessary steps.

               There is a second and related point. Bereshit is a book about hope, not optimism. Optimism is the belief that things will get better, while hope is the faith that through action, we can make things better. Hope is the hallmark of Jewish tradition, and hope is what preserves us as families and as a People.