ויגש

Vayigash means “he approached,” and that is what Judah did, he stepped close to the ruler of Egypt and begged to speak. “Please, my lord,” he said, reminding him about their old father and the youngest brother, Benjamin. Judah explained that Benjamin could not leave Jacob, because Jacob’s life was tied to the boy’s. Their father had already lost one son, and if Benjamin did not return, Jacob would go down to Sheol, the grave, in deep sorrow.

Judah told how he had promised to bring Benjamin home, and he pleaded, “Let me remain as a slave instead of the boy.”

Hearing this, the ruler could not hold back. He sent everyone out of the room and began to sob so loudly that people outside heard. Then he said, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” The brothers stood frozen, too stunned to answer. Joseph called them closer and said they should not blame themselves, because God had sent him ahead to save lives during the famine. He hugged Benjamin and wept, then kissed all his brothers. Only then could they speak again.

The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, and Pharaoh was pleased. He told Joseph to send them back quickly: “Take your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of Egypt.” Pharaoh even provided wagons for the children and wives.

Joseph gave each brother clothing, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and several changes of clothes. For Jacob he sent ten jackasses loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten jennies carrying grain, bread, and provisions. As they left, Joseph warned them, “Do not be quarrelsome on the way.”

In Canaan, the brothers told Jacob, “Joseph is still alive, ruler over all Egypt!” At first Jacob’s heart went numb and he did not believe. But when he saw the wagons and heard Joseph’s words, his spirit revived. “Enough,” he said. “I must go and see him.”

At Beer-sheba Jacob offered sacrifices to God, and in a night vision God told him not to fear going down to Egypt and promised Joseph would be with him. So the family traveled with their livestock toward Goshen.

Joseph rode out in his chariot to Goshen and embraced his father, weeping on his neck a long while. Jacob said, “Now I can die, having seen that you are still alive.”

Joseph brought some of his brothers to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asked their work, they answered, “We are shepherds, as were our fathers,” and they asked to stay where there was room for their flocks. Pharaoh agreed: “Settle in the best part of the land, Goshen, and if you know able men, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Joseph then presented Jacob to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob’s age, and Jacob said he was 130 and that his years had been “few and hard.” Jacob greeted Pharaoh and left.

Joseph gave his family holdings in the region of Rameses and provided bread for everyone, even the little ones. Meanwhile the famine grew severe. When people’s money ran out, Joseph exchanged grain for livestock. Later, when even that was gone, the Egyptians offered their land and themselves as serfs to Pharaoh for food. Joseph bought the land for Pharaoh (except the priests’ land) and gave seed, setting a rule: one-fifth of each harvest would go to Pharaoh. Israel lived in Goshen and increased greatly.