WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT LIFT
In this week’s Parsha the brothers discover that Yosef is the viceroy in Egypt. When they tell their father, Yaakov, of the news he refuses to believe them. Only after seeing the wagons Yosef sent “did Yaakov’s spirit become alive.” What did Yaakov see in those wagons? Our Sages teach us that those wagons were sent by Yosef to remind Yaakov that the last verses of Torah they studied together before he left the house 22 years earlier were the laws of egla arufa. Therefore, when Yaakov saw those wagons he realized that it must have been Yosef who sent them and that he still remembers the Torah he learnt.
What are the laws of egla arufa and what significance is there to the survival of Yosef?
The Torah instructs us on the mitzvah of egla arufa in the event that a dead body is found on the road between two cities. The city that is closer to the body must perform this mitzvah as follows. The elders of that city take a calf to a river and proclaim that they did not have a hand in the murder of this individual.
This proclamation implies that there might be some form of blame placed on these elders. Evidently, this individual encountered a murderer or a wild animal that overcame him. What could they have done? Our Sages teach us that they must proclaim that they did not see him and allow him to leave without proper escort. The Torah is teaching us that had this unfortunate person had a proper send-off he may not have died. How would a proper escort protect one from a murderer?
When a person takes to the road he is vulnerable. If, before leaving the community he would have received words of chi-zuk and support, his spirits would have been lifted and he would have been able to carry himself with greater confidence and would have been able to ward off his attacker. Had he received words of support he may not have even become the target of the perpetrator. So often a victim is chosen to be a target because the perpetrator senses his weakness in his lack of self worth. The greater our sense of self worth is, the more confident we are and the less weak we will appear to others.
When Yaakov now learns that Yosef is still alive and has been living in Egypt, the world capital of depravity, he could not believe that Yosef remained a tzaddik. He left home as a 17 year old good looking teenager and lived in Egypt for 22 years. He became the most popular personality for the past nine years. How could Yosef remain a tzaddik?!
When Yaakov saw the wagons he was reminded of the message that egla arufa teaches us. The encouragement you give a person is not lost. With every word of encouragement you strengthen their self worth and confidence.
We are taught that all the Torah which Yaakov learnt from Shem and Ever he gave over to Yosef. The lessons Yaakov taught Yosef from the Torah of Shem and Ever were the lessons the Jewish people would need to survive our long and un-ending exile. Those lessons were the greatest words of encouragement anyone could have. With those wagons that Yosef sent to his father, he reminded Yaakov that they learnt the laws of egla arufa together and that all those words of encour-agement were not lost. It is no wonder that Yaakov’s spirits came back alive.
How easy it is to lift a fellow Jew with some words of encouragement.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind