“ויאסר יוסף מרכבתו ויעל לקראת ישראל אביו גשנה, וירא אליו ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד”
“Yosef harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father, Yisroel, to Goshen; and he appeared to him, fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck excessively. Rashi says that these words mean excessive weeping.
Similarly, we see in Iyov 34:23 “כי לא על איש ישים עוד” – that the word עוד is a Lashon of excessiveness. The Posuk here is telling us that Yosef increased and added in his crying, more than what is considered the norm.
However, Yaakov did not fall on Yosef’s neck, nor did he kiss him. Our Rabbis said that Yaakov did not do so for he was reciting Shema at that time. The following Divrei Torah will expound on this topic, and support the P’shat offered in the closing paragraph.
חכמת התורה – 46:29
“וירא אליו ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד” – “And he appeared to him, fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck excessively.” What is the Posuk telling us by saying that He wept on his shoulder, “עוד” – “more – or, excessive”? It says in Meseches Shabbos 33b – Rebbe Pinchos Ben Ya’ir, Rebbe Shimon’s son-in-law, heard and went out to greet him. He brought him into the bathhouse and began tending to his flesh. He saw that Rebbe Shimon had cracks in the skin on his body. He was crying and the tears fell from his eyes and caused Rebbe Shimon pain. Rebbe Pinchos said to Rebbe Shimon, “Woe is me, that I have seen you like this.” Rebbe Shimon replied to him: happy are you that you have seen me like this. Had you not, you would not have found in me the prominence in Torah, as the Gemara relates: At first when Rebbe Shimon would raise a difficulty, Rebbe Pinchos would respond to his question with twelve answers. After Rebbe Shimon’s time in the cave, when Rebbe Pinchos would raise a difficulty, Rebbe Shimon would respond with twenty-four answers. The Gemara is telling us that Rebbe Shimon had a great Aliyah in Torah while in the cave. Certainly, all those years that Yosef was in the pit, and underwent Yisurin, it was a time of great Aliyah for him in Ruchniyos, similar to Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai in the cave. When Yosef finally was freed, he thought he had reached an elevated level of Ruchniyos, similar to his holy father, Yaakov Avinu. The Torah tells us that Yaakov Avinu was a שלם, he was complete. However, as soon as Yosef saw his father, he immediately realized that he did not reach the level of his father, and he therefore cried as to why he wasn’t left “עוד” more time in the pit, so that he could have reached elevated levels of Ruchniyos, and reach his Shlaimus. How did Yosef recognize this? For as soon as Yaakov saw Yosef, all those emotions flooded him, and what did he do – he recited Shema, to demonstrate that with all the love he had for Yosef, he had even more for Hakodosh Boruch Hu. He was a complete Tzaddik. Yosef saw Yaakov, and his instinct was not the same, and he did not immediately recite Shema. Yosef realized that Yaakov was complete and he was not, and that is why he cried.
מלבי"ם - 46:29
“וירא אליו ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד” – Rashi tells us that Yosef cried, while Yaakov Avinu recited Krias Shema. Upon seeing his long-lost son, Yaakov was overcome with intense love. Yaakov Avinu wanted to give that love to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. He took that fiery love and said he was ready to give it to Hakodosh Boruch Hu with his Nefesh. Rebbe Akiva said that all his life he waited for the opportunity to be Moser Nefesh, to show true Ahavas Hashem – Ahavas Hashem above all. Yaakov Avinu said, “אמותה הפעם” – he had a great love for Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and was ready to give his life for Hashem. There was nothing in this world more worthy than Ahavas Hashem. He showed Ahavas Hashem, and was ready to return to his place in Shomayim.
מהר"י מבעלזא - 46:29
“וירא אליו ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד” – Rashi tells us that Yosef cried, while Yaakov Avinu recited Krias Shema. It would seem that the tears that Yosef cried were tears of joy and love. Joy over once again seeing his father, and being able to embrace him. Why did Yaakov Avinu specifically choose to recite Shema at this time? The previous Posuk says, “ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורות לפניו גשנה, ויבאו ארצה גושן” – “And he (Yaakov Avinu) sent Yehudah before him to go to Yosef, to instruct in front of him in Goshen; and they came to the land of Goshen.” Rashi quotes a Midrash Aggadah which says that the words, “להורות לפניו” means to establish for him a house of study, from which instruction shall go forth. This means that Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah down to Mitzrayim, to Goshen, to prepare a Bais Medrash for all to learn Torah – for Torah would come from there. The Ramban tells us that everything that the Avos Hakdoshim, and the Shevatim did, were all preparation for their children. מעשה אבות, סימן לבנים – Everything that happened for the Avos is a sign for their descendants. Yaakov Avinu came to Mitzrayim, and immediately the Golus began, and the Golus of Mitzrayim was inclusive of all the others. When Hakodosh Boruch Hu redeemed us from Golus Mitzrayim, that was a harbinger to the future redemptions that would come, including the final Geulah. We say on Leil Pesach, “We were servants to Paroah in Mitzrayim, and Hakodosh Boruch Hu took us out of there.” Although now we may not be free, nonetheless, the true freedom is that Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave us the Torah Hakdoshah, and as it says in Avos 3:5 that anyone who is Mekabel the yoke of Torah, the yoke of other kingdoms is removed from him. This was why the very first thing that Yaakov did in preparation for the long Golus, was to send Yehudah there to have a place for learning Torah. It is the Torah Hakdoshah, toiling in it, that can make one truly free, despite physical boundaries. This was the preparation needed for Klal Yisroel prior to going down to Mitzrayim. It says in Devorim 20:3 “שמע ישראל – אתם קרבים היום” – and Rashi says that even if Klal Yisroel only had the Zechus of reciting Shema, that would be enough to make them worthy of being saved. The world was created to be Meyached the Shem Hashem, and one does so by reciting Krias Shema. The Midrash in Devorim tells us that we say, “שמע ישראל” – listen Yisroel (Yaakov Avinu) – we learned from you, “ד' אלקינו ד' אחד” – that Hashem is One. Yosef cried on Yaakov’s shoulder for he saw the exiles, and Yaakov Avinu recited Krias Shema, for that is what Klal Yisroel will need to get them through the long Golus. When they are Meyached the Shem Hashem, Hakodosh Boruch Hu helps them, until they will be Zoche to see Mashiach.
מסכת מנחות – 98
Reb Yose is discussing the Lechem Hapanim which is always supposed to be bread on the Shulchan. He says that even if the old bread is removed in the morning, and the new bread is placed on the Shulchan that night, it is sufficient to fulfill the Posuk of “לפני תמיד” that the bread must always be there, for it means that as long as the Shulchan is not left empty overnight, or an entire day without bread. Reb Ami says that we learn from these words of Rebbe Yose that even if one only learns one Perek of Torah in the morning and one at night, that he has fulfilled the Posuk, “לא ימוש את ספר התורה הזה מפיך” – that the Torah shall not depart from your mouth. Just as “always” by the Lechem Hapanim means not going overnight or an entire day without it, so too by the Torah, it means the same. Rebbe Yochanon says in the name of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai even with one reciting Krias Shema in the morning and at night, one fulfills his obligation of not having the Torah depart from his mouth. The Torah is what gives life, and is life itself. While in certain circumstances, one may be able to fulfill his obligation with reciting Krias Shema alone – but it must be a true reciting of Krias Shema, the way that the Shivtei Koh recited it. They had completely accepted upon themselves the Ol Malchus Shomayim, and were prepared to do anything and everything all L’shem Shomayim. When one realizes that the Torah Hakdoshah is life itself, one will certainly want to attach himself to it as much as possible.
רש"י – Parshas Vayeishev 37:35
“ויקמו כל בניו וכל בנתיו לנחמו וימאן להתנחם ויאמר כי ארד אל בני אבל שאלה” – “All of his (Yaakov Avinu’s) sons and daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said: For I will go down to the grave mourning over my son.” Yaakov Avinu thought that Yosef was dead. His children tried to comfort him, but Yaakov refused to be comforted. The Midrash Tanchuma tells us that the word, “שאלה” refers to Gehinom. Yaakov was saying that there was a sign that was transmitted to him from Hakodosh Boruch Hu, that if not one of his sons will die in his lifetime, then he is assured that he will not see Gehinom.
חתם סופר - 46:29
“וירא אליו ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד” – Rashi tells us that Yosef cried, while Yaakov Avinu recited Krias Shema. At that time, it was the earliest time to recite Shema, and Yaakov wanted to do so at the earliest time possible. On the other hand, Yosef wanted to wait until he had a Minyan to recite it, thus he did not recite Krias Shema then.
מסכת פסחים – 56a
Bereishis 49:1 “ויקרא יעקב אל בניו ויאמר ויאמר האספו ואגידה לכם” – The Posuk says, “And Yaakov called to his sons and said: Gather around and I will tell you what will occur in the end of days.” Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal to his sons when the final Geulah would arrive, but the Shechina left him, causing him not to have Nevuah, and thus he no longer had access to that information. Yaakov Avinu said that perhaps the reason that the Shechina left him was because one of his descendants was unfit Chas V’sholom, as was the case with his grandfather, Avrohom Avinu, from whom Yishmael came from, and like his father Yitzchok, from whom Eisav came. Yaakov Avinu’s sons, the Shivtei Koh answered Yaakov, “שמע ישראל ד' אלקינו ד' אחד – כשם שאין בלבך אלא אחד, כך אין בלבינו אלא אחד. באותה שעה פתח יעקב אבינו ואמר: ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד” – The Shevatim recited the first Posuk of Shema and said, “Just as there is only One G-d in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Yaakov Avinu responded, and recited the Posuk of ברוך שם.”
Now we can understand why Yaakov Avinu recited Krias Shema, and Yosef Hatzaddik did not. When we recite Krias Shema, we are Meyached the Shem Hashem. Firstly, Yaakov Avinu realized that this was the official start to the Golus that his descendants would endure for hundreds of years. The only way they were going to get through it was with the Koach of the Torah Hakdoshah. Yaakov Avinu recited Shema, for as Chazal tell us, that one can be Yotzei Limud Hatorah with reciting Krias Shema in the mornings and in the evenings. Certainly, one should seek to learn much more Torah than that, but as a bare minimum, and in difficult times, it is considered learning Torah day and night. In addition to this, and a little deeper we can say that Yaakov was reciting Shema for he just received something new, and wanted to “give” it to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Yaakov Avinu was given a Havtacha that as long as his children outlive him, he was certain not to see Gehinom. For the last twenty-two years, he thought that Yosef was not alive, and thus the Havtacha was not there. Now that he sees Yosef alive, he now has that Havtacha back – he just got back his guarantee that he would not see Gehinom. What does a Tzaddik do when he receives a precious gift? He gives it to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. When we recite Krias Shema, we say to Hakodosh Boruch Hu that all of our focus is on Him. We are Mekabel Ol Malchus Shomayim, and are ready to give it all up for Him. With everything we have, we want to serve Him. Yaakov Avinu had already given everything he had to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Now he received something new – the moment he saw Yosef alive he had the Havtacha back – and immediately he said Shema – he gave it to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. He was saying that while it was wonderful to have it, he would give that away as well in order to serve Hashem, for the most important thing in the world is to serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu and to be Meyached His Name. When Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal the end to his children and was unable to, his sons said, שמע – they were telling Yaakov, that just as you had in your heart when you saw Yosef that all you wanted to do was be Meyached the Name of Hashem, so too us, it is not of paramount importance to know the “end” – but what is in our hearts is that we too want to be Meyached the Shem Hashem. Yaakov Avinu was content, and he responded with great joy, ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. May we be Zoche to truly serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu properly, and be Meyached the Shem Hashem.
