| From The Rebbe's Tish: Vayigash: The Chariot |
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 As Yosef went to meet his father after an absence of twenty two years the passuk tells us [46,29] “vayeesor es merkavto” and he harnessed his chariot and he went up towards Yisrael
his father to Goshen and he appeared to him”. Rashi on these last two words “vayiera ailav” comments that “Yosef appeared to his father”. The mefarshim ask what is Rashi attempting to convey to us more than what seems obvious from the literal translation? Another difficulty in the passuk is why is Yaakov at all mentioned in the passuk and specifically with the name Yisrael? Would it not have been sufficient to say and he went up towards his father?Our Chazal tell us that Esav’s singular merit was his extreme excellence in the mitzvah of Kibud Av which as almost impossible for anyone to duplicate. In order to negate this merit, Yaakov and Yosef would have to excel also in this particular mitzvah. We find that Yaakov went against his middah of emes when he entered to receive the berachos from Yitzchak dressed like Esav. The Medrash says that as he entered he davened that he should be spared from actualizing out the scenario. Even more so, he would have been even happy if he would have been caught in the act of being an imposter even though together with it might have come a curse, so long as not to blemish his perfect middah of emes. This is hinted in the words that Yaakov said “oolai yemushaini avi [perhaps my father will feel me]. The fact that Yaakov used the word “oolai” which connotes simcha in contrast to the “pen” which connotes something foreboding, we derive that Yaakov would have been happy even to be caught. Nevertheless with all this moving against his madraigah and very essence, he still went in only because of the mitzvah of “kibud aim”, his mother commanded him to do so. The receiving of the berachos had to come in this fashion so that Yaakov would carry with him the merit of the extreme excellence in the mitzvah of “kibud av veaim” to counter act the merit of kibud av by Esav. Now Yosef who is called the “sitno [adversary] of Esav” [Rashi 30,25] also had to possess this extraordinary performance of this mitzvah. We find this in a few occurrences. The Torah relates how Yosef gives over to his brothers the mission “veheegadetem le’avi kal hakavod hazeh” [45,13] tell my father about all this honor”. The question arises does Yosef think even for one split second that his father is even slightly interested in his earthly kovod of ruler ship? The Oheiv Yisrael learns this passuk as follows that they should tell [his father] that all this kovod “le’avi” belongs to you my dear father”. For as the Medrash writes only because of Yosef’s successful passing the test of Potifar’s wife’s seduction, did he merit to become viceroy in Mitzrayim. Yet the only reason he was able to pass such a test was because he saw the form of his father during that tempting scenario. It is with these words that Yosef acknowledges that all the kovod that he received and will receive in the future belongs exclusively to his father. This selfless acknowledgement is an incredible act of kibud av which counteracts the extreme kibud that Esav gave to his father. A second occasion where we find Yosef excelling in this mitzvah of kibud av is in his first encounter seeing his father subsequent 22 years since parting from him. One can imagine how much deep desire had accumulated inside of Yosef as he longed and yearned to see his father who mourned for him during this long separation. Yosef in this meeting would now be able to relieve himself of all this pain and agony that he was experiencing up until now. Yet, as Rav Naftali Trop ztl explains, when the encounter took place Yosef uprooted from himself any scintilla of self gratification and pleasure but rather instead he exhibited to his father a pure unadulterated mitzvah of kibud av with the sole intention that his father would derive immeasurable pleasure from this meeting. He denied his ego entirely by becoming an object of a mitzvah totally devoid of self. It was a momentous event where there was a display of the divine goal: that it was his father who was to see him and not a personal agenda of it is me who can’t wait to see my father. This is the deeper understanding and message that Rashi wants to convey with his cryptic words of - Yosef appeared to his father. We can now learn a new interpretation of the words in the passuk telling us that Yosef harnessed his chariot “merkavto”. Merkavto is referring the four elements of fire, wind, water, and dust which comprise the spectrum of the middos of man as Rav Chaim Vital writes. Uncontrolled middos make man selfish to think and focus upon himself rather than others. Yosef was able to harness his four elements hence all his middos for the purpose of attaining the level ann incredible feat of “vayeriah ailav”. We can now understand the message of Chazal that at this encounter Yaakov recited the Shema Yisrael. Here too the mefarshim ask if it was time to recite the mitzvah of Shema then even Yosef should have fulfilled the mitzvah, yet we do not find that he did so? The answer could be that upon seeing his son with such devaikus and bittul to the point where Yaakov could sense that Yosef had eradicated any feelings of self and was purely lishma, Yaakov felt that standing in front of him was an example of this passuk’s fulfillment that concerns the unity of Hashem. For in order for one to harness all four elements with all the middos by negating himself for others, one is required to be holding on the madraiga of Hashem echod. One must realize that a personal elevation to such a level of lishma parallels the same madraiga that will exist at the time when Mashiach on a national level. This is what the Torah hinted to by saying that Yosef harnessed his “merkava” and went up to “Yisrael Goshnah” [to Goshen]. The name Yisrael symbolizes the victory of a Yid over the forces and cravings of his bodily nature and even to overcome and subdue the malach of Esav. This power Yosef inherited from his father. At this meeting, Yosef elevated himself to that madraiga of his father by subduing his entire nature [merkavto], bringing with it “Goshnah” which is gematriah Mashiach! For this state of being is in essence also the state of geulah, the ability to have dominion over the nature of one’s body and middos thus creating the revelation of Hashem’s achdus in the universe. The Sefas Emes in this parsha 653 writes that at the time of geulah Am Yisrael will be jubilant. However, one must possess only the type of simcha that is “leshaim shamayim” and this is a tremendous test a’k’. To reach this level of avodah we daven for it every day in shemoneh esrai when we beseech kee leeshooascha keeveenu kal hayom for YOUR salvation we hope the entire day. This lofty madraiga that is within reach of every Yid is that we are hoping and yearning for Your redemption Hashem and not ours even though we were stuck here over two thousand years already. With this we can interpret the ending of the first beracha of shemoneh esrais umaivee goail livnei venihem l’maan shemu be’ahava. That Hashem brings geulah to Klal Yisrael “lemaan shemo be’ahaava” who are a nation that will rejoice [lemaan] for Your namesake with love and not on because of their own downtrodden predicament. Gut Shabbos Rav Brazil If you enjoyed this Dvar Torah and find it insightful please link on to www.Zeevhatorah.org where you can listen to many audio shiurim on the present parsha and previous ones. 
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