What is the central theme of the extraordinary story of Yosef and his brothers, which spans the closing chapters of the Book of Bereishis? According to the sages who established the cycle of Haftaros corresponding to the Torah portions, the answer is “national unity”: the unity of the Jewish people at large, and specifically the reconciliation between Yosef and Yehudah, between the descendants of Rachel and Leah.
Like the Jewish nation as a whole, the familial saga of Bereishis achieves its fulfillment only after the forces within are unified—most significantly, the reconciliation of Yehudah and Yosef. Yosef’s journey after being sold to Egypt was aimed at restoring family unity
This theme resonates in the Haftarah of Parashas Vayigash, where the climactic encounter between Yehudah and Yosef unfolds. The prophetic verses (Yechezkel 37) recount Hashem’s instruction to Yechezkel to take two sticks, inscribed respectively with the names Yehudah and Yosef, and join them together: “Bring them close to each other to become one stick, and they shall be united in your hand” (Yechezkel 37:17). This union symbolizes the unity of the nation:
Thus said the Hashem Elokim: Behold, I will take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all; never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms” (Yechezkel 37:21-23).
This unity will lead the Jewish people to their ultimate destiny:
I will make a covenant of peace with them—it shall be an everlasting covenant with them—and I will place them and multiply them and set My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place shall be among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Then the nations will know that I, Hashem, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever” (26-28).
Like the Jewish nation as a whole, the familial saga of Bereishis achieves its fulfillment only after the forces within are unified—most significantly, the reconciliation of Yehudah and Yosef. Yosef’s journey after being sold to Egypt was aimed at restoring family unity. This is what revives Yaakov: “The spirit of their father Yaakov revived” (Bereishis 45:27). It is this unity that brings the book to its conclusion, with the brothers gathered around their father’s deathbed.
The Secret of Unity
Why must the Book of Bereishis culminate in familial unity? Why is it indispensable for the realization of our national mission?
Unity strengthens any group. The saying “United we stand, divided we fall,” first recorded in 1253, reflects an ancient truth. However, the unity of Yehudah and Yosef transcends the universal significance of cohesion.
Since the shared birth of Yaakov and Eisav, two distinct streams have existed within the Jewish people. One stream continues Yaakov’s legacy as “a wholesome (tamim) man, dwelling in tents”—an ideal and exalted model for the Jewish people. The tent provides a sanctuary where one can cultivate an idealized version of oneself, shielded from the compromises and complexities of the outside world.
Yosef is unwilling to tolerate deviations from this ideal, as evidenced by his reports of his brothers’ misdeeds to their father. Unlike Yehudah and Reuven, who succumbed to moral failings (as did Shimon and Levi), and the other sons of Leah, who were complicit in selling Yosef, he remains unwavering in his moral integrity—“Yosef the righteous.”
Yosef and the descendants of Rachel embody this ideal. Rachel, referred to as “the mainstay of the house” (Bamidbar Rabbah 14), epitomizes the pursuit of perfection. Yosef is unwilling to tolerate deviations from this ideal, as evidenced by his reports of his brothers’ misdeeds to their father. Unlike Yehudah and Reuven, who succumbed to moral failings (as did Shimon and Levi), and the other sons of Leah, who were complicit in selling Yosef, he remains unwavering in his moral integrity—“Yosef the righteous.”
Yosef uniquely fulfills the role of his father, Yaakov. In Yaakov’s blessings, Yosef is designated as the “shepherd of Israel” and the recipient of abundant blessings. Indeed, Yosef receives the quintessential blessing of Yaakov: “He will bless you with blessings of heaven from above, blessings of the deep below, blessings of the boson and womb” (Bereishis 49:25). The Book of Bereishis concludes with Yosef, for he bridges two eras: the age of the fathers and the age of the children.
The Eisav Stream
Yet, there is another stream, represented by Eisav, Yaakov’s twin. Eisav’s legacy mirrors the flawed implementation of the ideal in a complex reality. Outside the tent, the clash between ideals and the practical world creates something new—a synthesis that adapts lofty aspirations to the constraints of earthly existence.
We encounter this dynamic in every facet of life. Ideals of family, education, and work must be adapted to imperfect realities. This is not a failure; it is life itself, a blend of divine aspirations and human challenges. Such is the blend of body and soul, of the Written Torah and the Oral Law, of the Shechinah in our lowly world. In the Mikdash, as in the tent, there is purity. Outside, in the field, we must know how to hunt, clothing the ideal with the necessary tools for their earthly application.
Like King David after him, Yehudah is deeply human, his failings intertwined with his leadership. His kingship is rooted in the people, not above them. “Yehudah, you—your brothers shall acknowledge you”
This domain, initially Eisav’s, was assumed by Yehudah and the descendants of Leah. Like King David after him, Yehudah is deeply human, his failings intertwined with his leadership. His kingship is rooted in the people, not above them. “Yehudah, you—your brothers shall acknowledge you” (Bereishis 49:8). The practical tools for realizing the Jewish ideal in the world—kingship, priesthood, and governance—belong to Yehudah.
Yehudah’s pivotal moment of transformation occurs in his self-sacrificial plea for Binyamin, ensuring the brothers’ eventual unity. This reconciliation underlines the necessity of aligning Leah’s practical strengths with Rachel’s visionary ideals. In his meeting with Yosef, Yehudah bows before him—he is ready to subjugate the tools of earthly realization to the ideal embodied by Yosef.
Our Contemporary Mission
In today’s volatile reality, with the echoes of conflict continuing to reverberate all around, our challenge is to sustain unity. Achieving this unity requires aligning the practical tools of Jewish governance—state institutions and leadership—with the spiritual essence of the Jewish people.
Theodor Herzl, in his vision of the Menorah—a vision that foresaw the national restoration of Jewish light—warned against the infiltration of alien elements into the nascent Jewish nationalism. Such foreign influences risk undermining the harmony between the practical and spiritual aspects of Jewish identity. Not all can be integrated within the vision of the Jewish State.
Emerging from the tent involves risk. Yet today, with secularism fighting a rearguard battle and the Charedi community flourishing and confident, this aversion to engagement with the broader world appears unsustainable and unjustifiable
Over numerous years, we recoiled from engaging in the fieldwork of the outside world. Emerging from the tent involves risk. Yet today, with secularism fighting a rearguard battle and the Charedi community flourishing and confident, this aversion to engagement with the broader world is both unsustainable and unjustifiable.
While maintaining our foundational values—Torah and mitzvos, community spirit, and moral vigilance—our engagement with the broader public sphere can emulate the sanctified unity of Yehudah and Yosef. This movement has already begun, and it is our responsibility to nurture and direct it.
As Charedi participation in public life grows—and it grows, whether in a variety of army units, in the economy, and in Israel’s core institutions—it is vital to provide spiritual and ideological support to ensure this contribution strengthens our collective mission. May we merit the fulfillment of the prophetic promise: “Then the nations will know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.”