He appeared to him and fell upon his neck. (Bereishis 46:29)
But Yaakov did not fall on Yosef’s neck and did not kiss him. Our Rabbis say that he was reciting Shema. (Rashi)
Chazal explain to us why Yaakov Avinu did not react when he saw his long-lost son Yosef after so many years. He was reciting Shema.
But why did he say Shema just then?
Some Masters of Avodah explain that when Yaakov saw Yosef, he felt unbounded joy and love for Yosef at that moment; now the Jewish people had reached completion and was slated for eternity. When Yaakov was about to experience this unbounded pleasure over seeing Yosef, he gave this moment to Hashem by reciting Krias Shema.
This explanation was said over before R. Chaim of Brisk. He was displeased with it and remarked, “You are dressing up Yaakov Avinu in your own clothing. Just because you would see fit to recite Shema at that moment, does Yaakov Avinu have to do the same?”
Rav Chaim of Brisk offered a different explanation. Since Hakadosh Baruch Hu commanded Yaakov to go down to Egypt, he had a mitzvah obligation to do so, and until arrived in Egypt, he was exempt from Shema, as he was involved in the performance of a mitzvah. This is in accordance with the general rule: העוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה. But when he reached Egypt this mitzvah came to an end and thus he immediately became obligated in reciting Shema as usual. Thus he recited it as per his obligation to do so. (Interestingly, we can see that the verses of this passage do not expressly state a command for Yaakov Avinu to go down to Egypt. They say only that Yaakov shouldn’t fear going down, yet they do not command him to do so. But we do see in the Hagadah Shel Pesach that Yaakov’s descent to Egypt was according to Hashem’s command. On the words וירד מצרימה, the Haggadah comments: אנוס על פי הדיבור– He was under duress of the Divine Word.)
This exemplifies R. Chaim Brisker’s approach to learning the Torah. We cannot interpret the Torah according to our own understanding and feelings, because we are far from true understanding, and our feelings are pertinent only to ourselves, not to the personalities mentioned in the Torah, who had a completely different nature, to the point that we can’t even picture what they were really like.
We surely cannot make decisions in Torah matters, or even explain the Torah’s decisions, based on our own understanding. We must interpret the Torah by means of what the Torah itself says. Only the Torah itself can understand and explain the Torah.
לעילוי נשמת
ע״ה שמעון דויטש בת ר׳ חיה זיסל עלקא אמינו מרת ע״ה אברהם יחיאל דויטש בת אסתר רויזאומרת ע״ה דוד האמבורגער בת חוה ע״ה ומרת אליעזר בן משהומוה״ר ע״ה מרדכי קראוס בת גיטל צביה ע״ה ומרת נפתלי בן ברוך זאבומוה״ר ע״ה אפרים מענלו בת בלומא ע״ה ומרת צבי דב בן שמעוןומוה״ר נדבת משפחת מרדכי דויטש
