This week's Torah portion is Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27), the second to last portion in the book of Genesis. We are right in the middle of the Joseph saga, arguably one of the most amazing literary tales in Tanach.
We are not yet slaves in Egypt. Judah and all the brothers have come to Egypt searching for food and while they meet Joseph, they do not yet know/recognize who he is. Last week, Joseph planted a goblet in Benjamin's pack in order to frame him for stealing - an excuse to keep his favorite (and only brother from the same mother, Rachel) in Egypt with him as the rest of the brothers were preparing to go back to Canaan and Jacob. Judah (the one who was behind Joseph's alleged death) approaches Joseph to plead for Benjamin's release and to offer himself as a slave to the "Egyptian" Joseph. Joseph is so overcome at witnessing his brother's loyalty to one another that he finally reveals his identity by saying, " I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?"
These acts of brotherly love, remorse and forgiveness set into play the final steps that will cause us to become slaves in Egypt. The brothers rejoice in finding their lost, and not dead!, brother. They return to Canaan to tell Jacob the news and then return with Jacob to Egypt to settle. It is only a matter of time before everyone of this generation, most particularly Joseph, has died. And then (in two weeks) we will read the fateful words in Exodus 1:8, "And there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph." And our period of slavery will begin.
Because it is in the Torah, we know it was God's intention all along for the Israelites to become slaves, for Moses to arise, for us to enter into the Promised Land. So this story had to happen. But what does it mean for us today?
I often think of it as a cautionary tale - every individual action we take, every decision we make, leads to another and another and another. We have little control of "things" once they reach a certain point. Judah was the brother who encouraged the others to do away with Joseph. He felt he was able to control things on his end up until the point where they had to tell Jacob that Joseph was in fact still alive. The entire clan, headed by Jacob this time, eventually headed back down to Egypt for grain. After that... well we know what happened.