parshat Vayigash

Before Yaakov Avinu (Patriarch Jacob) leaves the Holy Land for the last time and descends to Egypt with his family, G-d appears to him "in the visions of the night [and says to him]: Yaakov, Yaakov… I am the Lord, the G-d of your father; do not fear to descend to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will descend with you to Egypt, and I will certainly raise you up, and Yosef will place his hand on your eyes" (B'reshit 46,2-4). The final phrase in that verse is somewhat enigmatic, and has been explained in various ways...

What did our father Jacob ask of Joseph just before he went down to Egypt? And how are these things related to good leadership?

Joseph forgave. That was a first in history. Yet the Torah hints that the brothers did not fully appreciate the significance of his words. After all, he did not explicitly use the word ‘forgive’. He told them not to be distressed

How much did our father Jacob really know about the events previously described in the Torah readings? There are various streams of thought regarding this matter.

Yakov is anxious. Frightened. Scared. He is about to leave Israel, the land he knows is his true home, for the depraved environment of Egypt. On the other hand, he is desperate to be reunited with Yosef.

Who chose which haftaros we read? In what ways is the book of Yechezkel unusual? Why is the haftarah on Shabbos seldom from Yechezkel?

Before revealing his identity, Yosef commanded all others to leave the room (ibid. 45:1). Why was this important to him?

The language that needs no translation.