Judah, Uniquely Qualified
Joseph, being the foremost disciple of his father, Jacob, received all of Jacob’s wisdom. Remarkably, even when appointed viceroy of Egypt, Joseph upheld his high standards of Jewish practice, maintained his fear of G d, and meticulously observed the laws of Torah and mitzvot. (These laws were prophetically observed by the patriarchs and their families even before the formal giving of the Torah.)
Given this, why did Jacob choose to send Judah to establish an infrastructure? Why not assign this task to Joseph, who was not only his chief disciple but also the ruler of the land? Joseph was highly capable, and Judah was just a simple guy, a foreigner, an immigrant. Why entrust Judah with the immense responsibility of creating a Torah infrastructure?
The answer may lie in the fact that Judah was the forebear of kings David and Solomon, whose descendants led the Sanhedrin. The Tribe of Judah was wholly dedicated to Torah. Although Joseph was also committed to Torah, his involvement in governmental affairs and secular matters set him apart.
Indeed, Joseph maintained his elevated spirituality even in Egypt because he was on a higher level than his brothers. However, creating an infrastructure for Torah study requires exclusive devotion to Torah, a quality embodied by Judah.
