The Parsha opens with the Possuk א וַיִּגַשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה גוֹ׳ “Yehudah approaches him”; this refers to Yehudah approaching Yosef, highlighting ב the unity of Yehudah and Yosef. Similarly, this week’s Haftorah ג tells that in the future, in the era of Moshiach, there will be two pieces of wood, one representing the kingdom of Yehudah and the other representing the kingdom of Ephraim ben Yosef. There will be one king who rules over everyone ד and he is Dovid HaMelech, as the Possuk says: ה וְעַבְדִּי דָוִּד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם “And My servant Dovid shall be King over them”, continuing in the next Possuk it says; ו וְדָוִּד עַבְדִּי נָשִּיא לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם “My servant Dovid shall be their prince forever.” Since Ephraim is the main representative of the tribe of Yosef, ז as the Possuk states: ח וְאוּלָם אָחִּיו הַקָטֹן יִּגְדַל מִּמֶנּוּ “But ט his younger brother (Ephraim) will be greater than he” (Menashe). Furthermore, the flag י of the tribe of Ephraim included the tribe of Menashe. (As the Possuk states; יא וְעָלָיו מַטֵה מְנַשֶה that “the tribe of Menashe encamped next to the camp of Ephraim”. יב) By way of contrast, Dovid HaMelech is descended from the tribe of Yehudah. יג
This theme is also יד the basis of the Haftorah which relates to the connection and the unity of Yosef and Yehudah, that they will both be under one king.
