The 3rd Aliyah

     My previous blog was on the first two aliyahs of Vayigash. After I followed one Hebrew word in the text this morning from the third aliyah and wrote two pages on it, I thought I should go ahead and do another blog on the same Torah portion!

Today's aliyah runs from Genesis 45:8-18. Before we get to the main point, there are some smaller finds I made that I'd like to share with you.

    In Verse 8, I saw what looked like a lost הֵנָּה - I only know that word as a pronoun, the 3rd Feminine Plural, They, Them, Those. Apparently, it can also mean: Here, There, Now or Hither.

    In Verse 9, the Hebrew says מַהֲרוּ וַעַלוּ - usually translated as "Hurry to" - but what it actually says is "Hurry, ascend to" - Yosef was telling his brothers to go back to his father and tell him he was still alive. The point is: Wherever you are in the world, you always ascend to go to Israel or Jerusalem!

    And then Verse 14: (For the amazing life lesson, go right to the end, to the Kehot Chumash!):

 וַיִּפֹּ֛ל עַל־צַוְּארֵ֥י בִנְיָֽמִן־אָחִ֖יו וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ וּבִ֨נְיָמִ֔ן בָּכָ֖ה עַל־צַוָּארָֽיו׃

With that he embraced his brother Benjamin around the neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

    As you can see from the English translation, the two "neck"s are both in the singular. But in the Hebrew it isn't so. 

    The first neck - צַוְּארֵ֥י - (in red) is plural - so, according to this text, Benajman has two necks. Though Yosef only had one (in blue). Thank goodness someone was normal! - צַוָּארָֽיו

    What's going on here? Some commentaries:

    Chizkuni says that since Yosef kissed him on both sides of his neck, it appears in the plural. Ha-amek Davar agrees.

    Ibn Ezra notes that Scripture employs both the singular and plural forms of "neck," citing examples from Isaiah 8:8 and Jeremiah 28:10. He observes that the plural form is also occasionally used for the singular when this noun is used.

    Rabbeinu Bahya explains that the plural "necks" here refers to the fact that a person's neck consists of two parts, known as עורף and גורך, respectively. He cites Jeremiah 2:27 as distinguishing between עורף and פנים, which are the rear of the neck and the part facing forwards. The sides of the neck are also known as צואר - the word used in Verse 14.

    A Midrashic interpretation: Yosef wept when he foresaw that the Temple in Binyamin's territory would be twice destroyed. The reason that the neck of a person evokes the image of the Temple is that it is the highest part of his body and the Temple was also erected on a mountain. When Binyamin wept, he thought of the destruction of the Temple at Shiloh, which was situated in the territory of Yosef (Ephraim) and which was also slated to be destroyed.

    Plural necks & the Temple ַare spoken of in Genesis Rabbah 93:12. Also, Shir HaShirim 7:5 states: "Your neck is like an ivory tower". This refers to the Temple, just as here - צוארך.

    

    Siftei Chachamim: Gemara in Megilah 16b. Rashi states that the change between singular and plural is not a basis for expounding the word. Rather, it seems, the following change in wording is the basis for exposition: Regarding the other brothers, it is merely written that Yosef wept upon them. But with Binyamin, it mentions "neck". Therefore, neck - צואר - is to be expounded.

    Kehot Chumash: Why did Binyamin and Yosef cry over the destruction that would occur in each other's territories, but not over the destruction that would occur in their own?

    The function of crying, generally, is to alleviate pain caused by a distressing situation - see Psalm 42:4 -  but it does not actually ameliorate the situation. Thus, as long as we can remedy a situation, we should try to do so instead of comforting ourselves with tears. Consequently, in regard to the Tabernacle that would be destroyed in his own territory, Yosef had to focus on doing everything he could to forestall its destruction. Crying about it would've been counterproductive.

    He was ultimately powerless to stop the destruction that would occur in Binyamin's territory, however, since that was in Binyamin's hands. Thus, after Yosef did everything he could on behalf of Binyamin and still saw that the Temples would be destroyed, he felt so bad about it that he burst into tears. Likewise, Binyamin cried over the destruction that would occur in Yosef's territory, not for the destruction that would occur in his own.

    IN OUR LIVES, when we see that our fellows' "Temples" are being destroyed, ie, that they are failing to sanctify their personal lives and spheres of influence, we must help them by advising them gently and praying on their behalf. But, ultimately, they control their own destiny by their freely made choices. At some point, our concern for them can express itself in tears.

    BUT when we see that our own "Temple" lies in ruins, we do not have the luxury of comforting ourselves with crying.

    IN FACT, crying may impede our work, since we may be tempted to feel that we have fulfilled our moral obligation by the mere fact that we care, even if we do not act on our concern.

    Gosh, I don't know about you, but I have been mulling over these words since I first read them earlier. What a life lesson we can take from this! We - I!  - need to begin applying it immediately!

    As I look out the window now, HaShem is once again changing the day into night and bringing on the evening. It's like the changing of the guard - such a beautiful time of the day for me.

    To know He is sovereign over the affairs of man - of MY affairs! - is such a deep comfort. May we all be comforted by His abiding Divine Presence.