Parsha Vayigash 5766: Why is Yehuda Yaakov’s Advance Man?
By Moshe Burt
There has been much talk across the internet and in some religious circles about Rav Kaduri’s recent predictions that the current government will be the last of the “old era” and that Sharon will be the last prime minister in Israel as reported by Arutz-7 back in September, 2005. And a google search on “Rabbi Kaduri, Moshiach and Israeli Government” netted some interesting finds including this one.
Prime Minister Sharon’s Medical Crises; both 3 weeks ago and particularly the current, more serious crisis cause one to focus on Rav Kaduri’s prediction in the context of current events, and to be concerned for what will be in the coming days. And as we live through current events, this week’s Parsha seems to allude to Moshiach in discussion of the crucial roles played at this juncture by Yehuda.
In discussing Yehuda, the questions arise as to why it was Yehuda, of all of the brothers, who came before Viceroy to plead on behalf of his brother Benyamin and why Yaakov sent Yehuda ahead to Mitzrayim to establish a Beis Medrash.
Yehuda Nachshoni, in his sefer, “Studies in The Weekly Parashah” (Breish’t pages 280-281) quotes Tzofnas Pa’aneach who “holds that Yehuda’s mission was a ‘type of battle.’ He quotes Yerushalmi Horios (ch. 3) that Yehuda is always the one to go out to war first. Chazal (Avodah Zarah 25) also say that Yehudah must be the first to go out to fight. We cannot say that Yaakov sent Yehudah to determine Halachah, for Chazal tell us that ‘we only find talmidei chachamim that rule on Halachah in the tribes of Levi or Yisachar.’ Thus Tzofnas Pa’aneach says that when Chazal tell us that Yehudah was sent ‘to set up a Beis Midrash …’,this was meant to show that the Sanhedrin would be located in his [Yehuda’s] tribe’s territory.”
But there is more. the sefer, “Torah Gems”, by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg (Torah Gems, Vol. 1, page 330) quotes Mat’Amim on the posuk; “And he sent Yehuda before him to Yosef, to direct his face to Goshen ….” Midrash cites Rashi in saying that Yehudah was sent ahead to in order “to establish a Torah study center, from which Jewish law would be issued.”
The question is asked, “why couldn’t they wait to do so until everyone arrived? Yaakov taught a lesson here for all future generations, that the first thing that must be done after a Jewish settlement is founded is to establish a place for Torah study”, for the world “cannot survive … without Torah”, and there cannot be a Jewish settlement without a “place from which Jewish law rulings are issued.”
I refer back to a Rabbi Aba Wagensberg Shiur a few years ago. Rabbi Wagonsberg asks why it is Yehuda, of all of the brothers, who approaches Yosef? He follows that question with other seemingly puzzling and unrelated questions. They are; Why does the Torah have 5 books, rather than say, 4 or 6 books?? Why, when we put on Tefillin, do we put the Shel Yad on first and then, only after, the Shel Rosh?? And why, upon removing the Tefillin, do we first remove the Shel Rosh and then the Shel Yad? And finally, Why is the book of Devarim the last book of the Torah?
Rav Wagensberg explained the construction of the Tefillin, that the Shel Rosh, worn on the head at the hairline and between the eyes, is made with 4 compartments — each with it’s own parchment which contains one of the 4 paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs equates with one of the levels of Pardes, of understanding of Torah — 1/ P’shat, 2/ Drosh, 3/ Remes and 4/ S’od.
The Shel Yad, which is worn on the arm and near the heart, has but one compartment and one parchment which contains all 4 paragraphs. The distinction between the Shel Yad and the Shel Rosh is the distinction between Emotion (Yad=hand) and Intellect (Rosh = head).
Rabbi Wagonsberg illustrates the order of tefillin, in the name of the S’fas Emmes, that we function initially on an emotional level, i.e, an incredible emotional experience (yad) brings us to pursue learning further on an intellectual level (rosh). So it can be said that just as when one becomes a Ba’al Teshuva and moves closer to Hashem and Torah, it takes an emotional experience (yad), i.e, experiencing the Kiddusha of Shabbos in all of it’s aspects [Shalom Aleichem, Eishet Chayil, Kiddush, HaMotzi, delicious food, Shabbat songs and niggunim, etc.], to bring one to want to experience it again. The emotional experience causes him to want to move onward and upward on an intellectual level and to more deeply enhance one’s learning (yad). So too, the Shel Rosh is the intellectualization that follows after the emotion.
In removing Tefillin, as was previously seen, we remove the Shel Rosh first and, only after, do we remove the Shel Yad. This equates with taking the intellect (rosh), the learning and translating it into action (yad). Just as Breish’t, Sh’mos, Vayikra and Bamidbar all teach primarily Halacha, Devarim is primarily Mussar — Inspiration and emotions which translate the learning into concrete derech of physical practice. And so we see why the sequence of taking off one’s Tefillin equates with Devarim, the last book of Torah. The Shel Yad comes off after the Shel Rosh in the same way as the learning of Halacha is followed by Mussar, the derech of the physical practice, b’derech of being a Yid.
And so, we learn from Yehuda; who dealt honorably with his own personal Matzav regarding Tamar, who stepped forth before the Viceroy (Yosef, his brother) regarding his brother Benyamin and who was designated by Yaakov to go forth before the family to arrange for their Jewish lives in advance of their arrival, that there are two dimensions to Torah on all of it’s levels; the learning and the daily and continuous application of the learning, as designated by the order of putting on and removing tefillin.
I’ve always held that the machinations and cheshbonot of Israel’s politicians is a test for all of us from Hashem; How badly do we want our land? How intense is our collective “fire in the belly?” How much do we intellectualize, internalize our learning of our history, the necessity of unity amongst Am Yehudi and with Hashem, and with the beautiful, Holy land which Hashem has given only to us? How deep is our belief, our faith in Hashem? What are we willing to do in translating this intellectualization and internalization (rosh) into physical practice (yad), when and if the time comes once again to “put it on the line (Mi Hashem Alei)?”
May it be in this year and beyond, that our brethren; the refugee families from Gush Katif and the Shomron (may they soon be restored to new homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time), as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard (may he soon know freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael) be central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions.
B’Ezrat Hashem, may we soon know the day when Torah is the law of the land and pray thanks to Hashem for the Ge’ula Shlaima and all of the above Barachot. May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream.
May we be zocha in this coming year to take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations.”
May we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Meiyad, Etmol!!!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.