Minutes from the Meeting between Pharaoh and the 5 Shevatim
Enhancing Interpersonal Connections through Valuing Every Conversation
This Shabbos marks the 245th anniversary of the passing of the Mekubal Harav Moshe Dovid Valli who died on the seventh day of the month of Teves in the year 1777.
Rabbi Moshe David Valli, also known as Ramdu, was a notable Jewish figure from Italy who lived in the city of Padua. He was a commentator, physician and scholar. He was a colleague of Ramchal as they received Semicha at the same time. Some sources claim that Rabbi Valli was Ramchal's mentor in Kabbalah at the beginning of his studies. While Ramchal traveled to Amsterdam, he asked Rabbi Valli to serve as the head of his Chabura (study group) in his absence. In addition to his religious studies, Rabbi Valli studied medicine at the University of Padua. He wrote a treatise in Italian on Christianity titled "I Sette Giorni della Verit" and also authored dozens of sefarim on the entire Tanach.
His sefarim interpret the Tanach in a clear and straightforward way, while also incorporating a deep understanding of Kabbalah. His writing style is mostly easy to understand and accessible to all readers. His approach is to view the literal meaning (Pshat) and the deeper, mystical meaning (Sod) of the text as interconnected. These sefarim are highly recommended for anyone who is serious about studying Torah.
The following is based on his Sefer Ohr Olam on Parashas Vayigash.
There is an age-old idea (more recently popularized by Dale Carnegie) that it is important to speak with others about topics that they are interested in because it helps build rapport and establish positive relationships. By demonstrating genuine interest in the other person and finding common ground, we can create stronger and more meaningful connections. Pharaoh's conversation with the Shevatim in the Torah exemplifies this idea. Pharaoh seeks to understand their skills and interests in order to place them in roles where they can use their abilities effectively. On the other hand, discussing topics that the other person knows nothing about can cause them to feel shame and can be disrespectful, so it is important to consider the interests of the other person and show respect for their knowledge and experiences.
According to this, it seems that Yosef understood that Pharaoh wanted to show respect to Yaakov and his family. Pharaoh had previously demonstrated this respect by sending for Yaakov and helping him to settle in a prestigious way in Egypt. It can be inferred that Pharaoh would be willing to go to great lengths to show respect and honor to Yaakov and his family.
Therefore, Yosef instructed his brothers that when Pharaoh asked about their occupation, they should say that they are shepherds and have no other trade. Shepherding has been in their family for generations. Yosef's intention was that, since sheep were idolized in Egypt, the Egyptians would not be able to tolerate people leading the sheep with a stick or even slaughtering and eating them in front of them. Yosef reasoned that Pharaoh would set aside land for the brothers in Goshen, where they could pasture the sheep. This would also help keep the family of Yaakov separate and distinct from the Egyptians, thus preventing their assimilation.
We see that the words in the passuk are,
כִּֽי־תוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם כׇּל־רֹ֥עֵה צֹֽאן׃ ‘ For all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians.”
This is interesting, because it refers to the shepherds rather than the sheep
Rav Valli asks why the Torah uses this wording. He explains that this was a sign of further respect towards the brothers, as they would be the ones raising the sheep, which were considered "gods" by the Egyptians. According to this understanding, the word "Toeava" in this instance should be understood not as abhorrent, but rather as a nickname for the gods of Egypt. This shows that the Torah is using respectful language when referring to the brothers and their role in raising the sheep.
The Shevatim agreed with Yosef's plan to inform Pharaoh that they had arrived from Canaan and were staying in Goshen. Yosef purposely mentioned that they were only there temporarily, rather than settling there, because he did not want Pharaoh to think that the Shevatim were choosing a place to live without his input. He explained that they had simply found pasture for their flocks in Goshen. This was a way to show respect for Pharaoh and to avoid any misunderstandings.
Rav Valli explains that Yosef's overall intention was to protect the brothers from becoming subjugated to Pharaoh and from assimilating among the Egyptians. To accomplish this, he took five of his brothers with him to meet Pharaoh. He chose the brothers who had the trait of Chesed (kindness) rather than Gevura (severity) because he did not want Pharaoh to send the Shevatim to lead his armies. Instead, he wanted to show the gentle side of the Shevatim so that they could live their lives as shepherds in Goshen. The Midrash tells us that the five Shevatim selected were Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yissachar, and Binyamin.
However, Rav Valli asks a question: if the whole intention was to show the soft side of the Shevatim, why did Yosef bring Shimon and Levi, who are known as the merciless warriors who wiped out Shechem? This seems to contradict the purpose of showing the gentle side of the Shevatim.
Rav Valli explains that Reuven was included because he represented Chesed. Shimon represented Gevura, but his Gevura was tarnished and not apparent to others, so he did not appear as a warrior in Pharaoh's eyes.
די כי שמעון היתה גבורתו מלוכלכת באחיזת החצונים ולכן לא היתה מתנוצצת בפניו לאחוז את העינים, ואדרבא היה לו מראה של כיעור ושל סיגוף
Levi was also a warrior, but he represented Tiferes, which is a balance of both Chesed and Gevura, so his Gevura was weaker. Additionally, Levi's Gevura was meant for Kedusha, as seen in their involvement in the punishment of those who made the Golden Calf.
Yissachar was not a warrior because he was learning Torah, and Binyamin was the youngest of the Shevatim and not cut out to be a warrior because he was more finicky than his brothers. In his words…. בנימין היה הצעיר המפונק
One of the main ideas in Judaism is the importance of being separate from the rest of the world and striving not to become assimilated. This separation, or havdala, is the key to the future of the Jewish people. Rav Eliezer Shmueli explains that when we have a havdala from the nations of the world, then we are respected and appreciated, this he refers to as Kiddush. When there is no havdala, there is no Kiddush.
Yosef, who was deeply immersed in the Egyptian culture, understood this principle and kept himself apart. He knew the struggle of maintaining a separate identity and did not want his brothers to go through that and possibly fail and assimilate. Ultimately, the redemption from Mitzrayim came because the Bnei Yisrael kept themselves separate from the Egyptians.
When the brothers came to Pharaoh, he asked about their occupation and they answered that they are only skilled as shepherds, as Yosef had advised. Rav Vali explains that Pharaoh commented to them, asking why they would come to Egypt where their brother is the king and they are lowly shepherds. He suggested that they should stay in Canaan and be shepherds there. The brothers replied that the famine in Canaan had forced them to relocate to Egypt or face certain death. Once they were leaving, they thought it would be best to settle in Egypt with their brother Yosef and happened upon Goshen, which they realized would be a great place to pasture the sheep. They asked Pharaoh if they could stay there and he ultimately agreed.
Rav Vali in his quintessential style explains that the simple understanding of the events described above is that Pharaoh asked the brothers about their occupation and they answered that they are skilled as shepherds. However, on a deeper level, it is important to remember that God controls the decisions of the kings and rulers of the world. In this case, God implanted the idea in Yosef that Pharaoh would ask about their occupation, and then put these words into Pharaoh's mouth. מה מעשיכם. The idea was for the Shevatim to begin a process of tikkun (rectification). It was as if Pharaoh was saying, "I understand you are trying to do a very deep tikkun with the name מה (what), but why does this need to be done specifically in Egypt? Why can't this tikkun be done in Canaan?" The brothers answered that in order to achieve this particular tikkun, they needed to be close to the attribute of Yesod, which is represented by Yosef, and through this attribute they could receive an abundance of shefa and properly achieve the tikkun. Now that they were in Egypt, they were able to have Simcha (happiness), which is the Gematria of Goshen - 353.
This idea is very deep and requires much contemplation to properly understand, but it shows that the brothers' decision to settle in Goshen was not just about finding a nice place to live and gaining Pharaoh's favor. It was a deeply spiritual exercise to work to rectify their past and reconcile with Yosef.
Pharaoh understood that the brothers were not seeking prestigious positions in his court, but rather they were dependent on Yosef's support and needed his help in achieving the tikkun. As a result, he told Yosef that the land of Mitzrayim belonged to him and he could give it to anyone he wanted. Yosef therefore gave the area of Goshen to his family. Rav Valli explains that when Pharaoh said "here is the land for you", it was as if he was acknowledging that the klipa (force of impurity and evil) had been subdued by the kedusha (holiness) and was now subjugated to it. This enabled the kedusha to become complete through Yosef.
Pharaoh wanted to show honor to the brothers as much as possible, but the five brothers who were present did not seem to be warrior-like or suited for leadership positions. They had elements of Chesed within them, as explained previously. Therefore, Pharaoh told Yosef, "In these five, I don't see anyone who is worthy of leading my armies or my government, but if you know of any mighty men among them, please send them my way. I would like to make them in charge of my stables and herds. This way they will become prestigious in the eyes of the Egyptian inhabitants." Rav Valli explains that this too was orchestrated from heaven in order to allow the Shevatim, who were herdsmen, to be on top of and in control of the gods of the Egyptians.
There is much more to learn here, but time does not allow me to continue, from the above we can learn a very clear lesson for life
Effective communication is essential for building and maintaining positive relationships. To strengthen connections, it is important to show genuine interest in others and try to find common ground. Here are some ideas:
Consider the interests and knowledge of the other person and show respect for them.
Understand the perspective and motivations of others to improve communication and decision-making.
Adapt your communication style to the audience to effectively convey your message.
Be aware of cultural differences and show respect for cultural practices.
The language we use can convey respect or disrespect towards others.
By showing respect and consideration for others, and understanding the spiritual significance of events and decisions, we can strengthen our connections and work towards achieving our goals.
May we merit the awareness of others in all situations to add to the power of our nation and be a light unto the world.
This Dvar Torah was written in memory of my grandmother
Mazel Tov bas Eliyahu, whose yahrzeit is this week.