English translation — ויגש א

A.

On the verse¹

"Shepherd of Israel, listen, who leads like a flock Joseph" Rashi explains²

: all Israel are called by the name of Joseph because he supported and sustained them in the days of famine

(as it stands in our portion³

: and Joseph sustained his father and his brothers and all his father's household with bread according to the children).

In simple terms one learns: since Joseph fed the children of Israel in a time of hunger,

which means that their existence was dependent on Joseph,

therefore they are called by his name — by the name of that which he upheld their existence.

— With this, Rashi's wording is correct: "He sustained and supported them <b>in the days of the famine</b>" — for seemingly: the verse "And Joseph sustained etc." speaks about the time when

(Jacob and his sons were already in Egypt and)

the famine had already <b>ceased</b><sup>4</sup>

"Since Jacob came to Egypt, blessing came ..

and the famine ended")<sup>6</sup>?

And according to the above, it is understood — because specifically "since he sustained and supported them <b>in the days of the famine</b>"

(and they bought grain from Joseph in Egypt<sup>7</sup>)

and after the passing of Jacob when "the famine returned"<sup>8</sup>

and Joseph promised his brothers "I will sustain you and your little ones"<sup>9</sup>]

one saw how the <b>existence</b> of the house of Israel was dependent on Joseph.

2.

One must, however, understand"¹⁰

a)

Why should Jews <b>always</b> be called by the name Yosef due to an action of Yosef,

which was many years earlier and only for a

(very)

short time?

b)

And the main point: the content of the verse "Shepherd of Israel, give ear, You who lead Joseph like a flock, etc. appear" is a request that we ask the Most High — "give ear ..

appear",

which from this is understood,

that by designating Jews as "Joseph" is expressed a virtue of Jews which gives a merit for the fulfillment of the request of "give ear ..

appear".

that the name "Joseph" is a <b>greater</b> virtue than the

the name Israel

(at any rate — regarding this matter discussed in this psalm)

" — because the order of prayer is,

of course,

from the light to the heavy: first one mentions a smaller virtue,

and then

(and in particular — if this is not sufficient)

one adds a greater virtue etc.].

It is not understood: with what is it that Joseph "sustained and provided for them in the days of famine",

a merit and virtue for "&lt;b&gt;all Israel&lt;/b&gt;",

that this should effect

(at any rate — help in)

the "Hazina ..

appear"?

3.

And one can say the point of the explanation in this":

Every physical matter begins

(becomes descended —)

from its source — the spiritual.

And likewise in our subject — that which "He sustained and provided for them in the days of famine" simply,

in physicality — that which the physical sustenance of the house of Israel in the days of famine was dependent on Joseph,

derives from this that he fed them in the days of famine <b>spiritually</b>".

Physical famine is connected with the "famine" in spirituality¹⁴

— a time

(and situation)

of concealment and hiding,

when no G‑dliness shines; and the special quality

of Yosef is — that he has the power to be a "sustainer" in spirituality also "in the days of <b>famine</b>"

(as will be elaborated below).

And this is the explanation

(the inner)

of "He sustained them and provided for them during the years of famine": Joseph influenced to the House of Israel from <b>his</b> virtues and lofty qualities

(with which one can overcome a "<b>famine</b>"),

he gave it into them in a manner of "He sustained them and provided for them",

so that it should become their "sustenance" and "food" — it entered into them inwardly and became "blood and flesh as their flesh".

And for this reason Jews

(until the end of all generations)

are called by the name of Joseph because of that which "He sustained them and provided for them during the years of famine",

because through this there was rooted in all of Israel forever the virtue of

(the service of)

Joseph.

And with this it is also understood why Jews are called Yosef specifically in <b>this</b> psalm,

in connection with the request "Shepherd of Israel, give ear, etc.",

because the content of the psalm is the prayer regarding the "three <b>exiles</b>"¹⁵

in this psalm three times: 'Restore us, O God of hosts, and we will be saved'")

; and the

(main)

merit of Jews during their exile is connected with Yosef

(who "directed and sustained them in the days of <b>famine</b>")

— even more than the quality of "Israel"

("Shepherd of <b>Israel</b>, give ear"),

and as follows.

4.

The explanation in this:

Yosef distinguished himself from the

other tribes in that he is the only one who was in exile by a man

(and king)

stranger — "captured among the nations"¹⁸

: not only in the first time

(after "was brought down to Egypt"¹⁹)

as a slave in the house of Potiphar and afterwards as a prisoner in the prison,

but even in the later time,

when he had already become a viceroy to the king,

that "without you no man shall lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt"²⁰,

he was nevertheless under the control and leadership of Pharaoh

("the throne will be greater than you"²¹)

; also his control in all the land of Egypt was as <b>second</b>

(to the king,)

of <b>Pharaoh</b>²².

And this is in accordance with the difference in plain sense between the life

(and service)

of Joseph and the order of life of the other tribes

(and as explained in several places²³)

The tribes were "shepherds of sheep",

separated from the matters of the world,

which can disturb them in their service of God: and also — the craft of shepherd of sheep does not require any exertion and excessive tiredness.

But not so Yosef was occupied with worldly matters — first in the house of Poti- phar that "and he appointed him over his house and all that he had he gave into his hand"&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;,

and likewise afterwards in the prison

— "and all that they did there he was doing"&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;,

and all the more so when he

(became viceroy to the king and)

led all the affairs of Egypt

("and at your word shall all my people be kissed"*&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;),

which is connected with the greatest troubles

— But nevertheless, all these troubles did not confuse him at all in the service of G-d, and he simultaneously stood at the peak of attachment to G-dliness.

By the other tribes,

their attachment to G-d was connected with their state of seclusion,

with their being separated from worldly matters — and it is understood,

that in such an order of service, the state of exile

(being under the control of a stranger)

is a contradiction and hindrance to attachment to G-d.

Specifically with the service of Yosef,

who, even while being in the troubles of worldly matters, remained in the ultimate attachment to G‑d,

one can go through the state of exile.

H.

It stands²⁶

"These are the generations of Yaakov, Yosef" — Yosef is the continuation

("generations")

of Yaakov²⁷,

and as the Sages said²

"Everything that happened to this one happened to that one".

And likewise in the aforementioned matter: the distinctiveness of Joseph towards his brothers,

that specifically he went through the state of exile,

is a continuation and “offspring” of Jacob and his conduct regarding Abraham and Isaac.

And as we see,

that among the three Patriarchs, Jacob is the only one who underwent many years of exile and servitude — the twenty years in the house of Laban²⁹,

working for him in a manner of “I was by day consumed by heat, etc., I served you, etc.”³⁰,

and he was so enslaved to Laban,

until Laban said to him “the daughters are my daughters, etc., and all that you see is mine”^,3

— nevertheless, even the difficult period of exile did not cause any disruption or weakness, heaven forbid, in the sublime service of Jacob — “with Laban the wicked I dwelt, and the 613 commandments I kept”³².

This is the conduct of Yaakov — the attribute of truth³³,

in which no changes are applicable,

therefore he remains with the <b>same</b> intensity,

in different circumstances,

without any change,

even in the exile by Lavan etc.

came out

(<b>and separated</b>³⁵)

from him Yishmael ..

Yitzchak came out

(and separated)

from him Esav",

But not so Yaakov is "his bed was complete"³⁶

and it is not applicable any disqualification

(a matter of "went out from him")

in his seed — because³⁷

this is the quality and virtue of the attribute of truth,

that in it is not applicable any matter of change and deviation].

Nevertheless there is a fundamental difference between Yaakov and Yosef,

namely — that the main power that every Jew has to be able to go through the matter of the exile,

he receives specifically from Yosef,

as follows.

6.

The difference simply between "exile" of Jacob and "exile" of Joseph:

By Jacob,

(a)

his subjugation to Laban consisted only in that he worked for Laban,

but a <b>worker</b>³⁸,

a shepherd

(he was, however, not a <b>slave</b>),

and

after all, Laban was not a stranger,

but "my own flesh and blood"³⁹

is

— is]

Also while being in exile by Laban he was not

(immersed)

in worldly matters.

Also there he was

(And Jacob fled)

(b)

(b)

<b>field</b> of Aram⁴⁰,

a shepherd of flocks^,4,

which is

(as above)

a service by

Which one can remain in seclusion from worldly matters⁴².

And the reason for this — because Jacob is the ultimate of holiness and light,

entirely above the darkness of exile

: the level of Jacob is the World of Atzilus where there is "no evil shall sojourn"⁴⁴,

there there is no matter of darkness and concealment of G‑dliness].

That this is the difference between Yaakov

(and the Patriarchs)

and the tribes^45:

That the tribes were shepherds was a movement of separation from the world so that worldly matters should not disturb them,

which itself proves that worldly matters have a place of grasp, therefore one must separate oneself from them;

The Patriarchs, however, were <b>elevated</b> <b>in essence</b> from worldly matters.

And since their level in divine service is in a manner of entirely light and holiness,

without any place of grasp for the darkness of worldly matters,

therefore it was thus also in their physical life,

that they were shepherds of sheep — above worldly matters⁴⁶.

And likewise with Jacob: even while being in exile in Laban's house, there was no matter of the darkness of the world applicable to him,

he

Remained in separation and elevation from the exile,

And therefore,

Also literally — a shepherd of sheep.

And this matter — that even when Jacob descends into exile he is in separation,

Higher than exile — expresses itself in this,

That when it comes to a war between Jacob and the angel of Esau⁴⁷

Is — "<b>You have striven</b> with God and with men and have prevailed"⁴⁸,

Jacob becomes the <b>prince and master</b> over the opponent,

Until the angel of Esau himself must admit "Not Jacob etc. your name but <b>Israel</b> for you have striven etc."⁴⁸.

And likewise when Yaakov descended to Mitzrayim,

(in addition to this that he remained separated from Mitzrayim⁴⁹

— in the land of Goshen, the best of the land⁵⁰

— is)

"<b>And Yaakov blessed</b> Pharaoh" — "that the Nile should rise to his feet..

and water the land"⁵¹

: Yaakov is the one who blesses Pharaoh,

until Pharaoh should recognize that the sustenance of Mitzrayim

(which comes through the Nile that rises and waters)

is dependent on the blessing of Yaakov⁵²].

7.

And this is the accomplishment of Yosef:

By Yosef there was a descent into exile,

in a way that he came un- der the dominion of

(Potiphar,

and afterwards)

Pharaoh — and despite this,

even in such a situation he remained in the ultimate attachment to G-dliness.

And for this reason,

is the power that every Jew has to undergo the matter of exile — which for every Jew is the matter of exile in its simple sense,

under the dominion of the nations etc. — derives

(primarily)

from Yosef specifically.

What the [word unclear] gave Yosef into the Jews through that which "he sustained and provided for them in the years of famine" — that he influenced upon all the tribes⁵³

from his level and degree

(as above section 3),

and through this it was drawn to their children after them,

to each and every one of Israel³⁴

until the end of all generations.

And this is also the order of the requests in this psalm "Shepherd of Israel, give ear, who leads like a flock Yosef":

When Jews say a prayer about the matter of the exile,

that it should be "Restore us, O Lord, [turn] Your countenance and we will be saved" — one first says the virtue of

(every Jew as a people)

"<b>Israel</b>" — "<b>you have striven</b> with God and with men and have prevailed",

that this is the virtue that every Jew has as an inheritance from Jacob,

that

One is

(from the aspect of the inwardness of the soul)

a <b>prince</b> over the matters of the exile,

and consequently one asks "Give ear";

And then one says the higher elevation — "He leads like the flock of <b>Yosef</b>" — the elevation of "Yosef" which exists in each and every one,

and because of this,

even when Jews are in the darkness and concealment and hiding of exile⁵⁵,

this does not confuse their attachment to Hashem,

and they are entirely in their Judaism etc.;

And through this, not only does one nullify the exile⁵⁶,

but one brings in the "Alef" — the Aluf of the world — <b>into the exile itself</b>⁵⁷,

it becomes from "Golah" — "Geulah"³⁸,

that the exile itself is transformed into redemption,

becomes thereby an eternal redemption after which there is no exile,

the true and complete redemption through our righteous Messiah⁵⁸,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Chukat 5741)