THE SEED VAULT OF OUR PEOPLE
Excerpted from a talk from Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky zt’l
In the last 13 verses of our Parsha, Vayigosh, the Torah relates specific details regarding the manner in which Yosef managed the distribution of the food during the famine. It warrants investigation why should the Torah tell us of these details. There seems to be no relevance to the story of our people. Furthermore, if the Torah felt it was important why did she not mention these details in last week’s Parsha at the beginning of the famine, which would be its place chronologically.
As we look at our existence in Egypt where we were enslaved under the worst conditions we must ask how did we survive and not become totally absorbed into Egyptian culture during those 210 years? Our Sages teach us that the tribe of Levi held the seeds of our nationhood through their study of Torah. Since they were not subjected to the slavery that the rest of our people were subjected to, they were able to establish institutions of learning through which they nourished their brothers with strength and encouragement. They held the seeds of survival.
But the question is how did it occur that Levi not be subjected to slavery. How was his tribe spared? The answer lies in these last verses found at the end of our Parsha.
These verses contain the insight as to how the Jewish slavery began. They also contain the secret as to how Yosef engineered that Levi and his tribe not be subjected. The Torah tells us that during the first two years of the devastating famine all Egyptians gave up their property, their land and even their own autonomy. The entire population of Egypt were indentured servants of Pharaoh. Everything they produced belonged to the king and they were allowed to keep 80% of their yield for themselves and 20% went to Pharaoh. We know that once Yaakov came to Egypt the famine stopped for the duration of his life. Upon his death the five remaining years came back. Yosef also lost his power as with the passing of Yaakov as is indicated by how difficult it was for him to get permission to bury his father in Canaan.
Once the five years of intense famine returned, with the passing of Yaakov, the Egyptians who conceded their property, their land and their self to Pharaoh were cared for by the State. How-ever, who was going to provide the food necessary to sustain the family of Yaakov. With Yosef’s loss of power who would care for them? They never contributed to the coffers of Pharaoh. Hence, the State as well as the citizenry demanded that the family of Yosef become slaves to the people if they expected to be fed. As we read this last segment we note that there was a law which Yosef reinforced which entitled the priests of the nation with food stipends from the State. We are told that the priests never had to concede their property to Pharaoh because they were supported by the State. With Yosef reinforcing that law, Levi and his tribe were entitled to be cared for by the State and were therefore not required to become enslaved with the rest of our nation.
With the end of our Parsha, the story of our 210 years of Egyptian exile is set in place. Perhaps this segment was placed at the end of our Parsha to teach us that the root of our survival was set in place before it began.
Throughout our long and enduring history we always find the halls of Torah study are at the core of our existence and survival. It is interesting to note that by and large, the American cities that had institutions of Torah study became centers of Jewish populations and those cities that did not have such institutions evaporated and are no longer included among the strong Jewish communities.
It is no wonder that the heroes of Chanukah were the Kohanim from tribe of Levi. They are the seed vault of our nation .
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind