Goshen-ward

We move from dreaming in the last parsha to the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream to have his family together again in Parashat Vayigash. At least – this seems to be a narrative juxtaposition of these two parshiyot. However, as we recount during the Passover Seder, Jacob and his family’s relocation to Egypt was the beginning of years of enslavement. If this is true – how do we mark this in the parsha rather than waiting until Shemot? Perhaps around this time of year, we should remember that the telling of our national history through the Torah takes many twists and turns, leading us each year to remember the different reasons that we ended up where we did, and that we are who we are.

This parsha also tells us about the work Joseph did in his position under Pharaoh to keep the people of Egypt, now including his family, fed during the years of famine. This story is directly related to the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams and Joseph’s solution-based response. In this way, we are able to see Joseph’s story progress from an idea to the practical and powerful results. As has been true in previous parshiyot, Joseph is credited with the enactment of sustaining a community, giving credence to his centrality in the story of the Hebrew people, and to the dreams which were woven throughout their presence in Goshen.