Vayigash - All Greek to Me
Only through our experience in a secular society can we learn how to relate to God.
We are living in dangerous times. It is alarming to witness how aggressive the anti-Israel protests have become. Earlier this week, I was at Penn Station when an anti-Israel protest unexpectedly erupted, disrupting the normal operations of the station and intimidating everyone, especially the Jews, in the vicinity.
The protests convey a negative message that glorifies death and focuses on hatred and destruction. History has shown time and time again that when animosity is the driving force of an ideology, the world is reduced to an oversimplified paradigm of black and white, which is a framework that does not allow for any nuance or dissent. It is particularly disheartening to observe how frequently these protests are populated by marginalized groups who ignore the stark reality: in a world dominated by Hamas’ rigid religious edicts, there would be no room for them either.
Our Parsha provides a robust commentary on the topic of ideological extremes and is the classic source for reinforcing the imperative of Jewish unity. Illustrated in the resolution of the conflict between Joseph and his brothers, these insights can guide us in promoting our unity today, a key, as our sages emphasize, to ushering in the Messianic era of global peace.
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה
Then Judah was drawn close to him… [Genesis 44:18]
"Vayigash" means “and he [Judah] approached,” and the initial verse portrays Judah as being drawn close to Joseph, suggesting the potential for closeness in this dramatic scene. Unfortunately, as the story unfolds, the anticipated warmth between them never materializes despite the restoration of peace and transparency.
The Gemara in Mesechet Sotah contends that the only reason why the brothers failed to recognize Joseph was because he sported a beard. That explanation seems absurd because it suggests that they literally couldn’t see what was right in front of their eyes. It is telling that even when Joseph revealed his identity, the brothers reacted with disbelief. According to the Zohar, they were so stunned to learn that this king was Joseph, they died and had to be revived by God. What could have evoked such an extreme reaction?
I believe the cause of this shock stemmed from Joseph’s open appreciation of all that secular society can offer. Joseph made it his life mission to promote the idea that beauty and other secular values are not only compatible with religion but, in fact, the lifeblood of an enduring Judaism.
Jeremiah referred to Egypt as "the beautiful calf," a name derived from Joseph's profound influence on their society. He was considered more Egyptian than the Egyptians themselves, serving as the viceroy of the country and holding key positions as the chief economic advisor, domestic political leader, and head diplomat. Because Joseph played a pivotal role in managing the country's resources and addressing the threat of famine, he became a symbol of Egypt at its best.
The brothers, rooted in a typically rigid belief system, could only regard Joseph’s viewpoint as a shocking apostasy. They rejected his notion that mingling with outsiders and absorbing their values would be beneficial.
We see a vivid example of the brothers’ attitude when Joseph advises them to ingratiate themselves with Pharaoh. He discourages the brothers from explicitly identifying as shepherds, a vocation the Egyptians considered lowly and unpalatable, and he suggests that they introduce themselves as cattle merchants, “anshei mikneh,” instead. But rather than heeding Joseph’s advice, the brothers dug in their heels and not only told Pharaoh they were shepherds but also bragged that it was a proud family tradition. As a result, they settled in the Jewish ghetto known as the province of Goshen, intent on keeping distant from any connection with the Egyptians, fearing it could taint the purity of their Judaism.
I think this misunderstanding about the importance of religious ideology can also lead to a distorted view of the holiday of Chanukah, which portrays the Maccabean conflict as a simple battle between good and evil – a conflict between Jews who are righteous in their religious observance, and Greeks who seek to destroy the practice of Torah. But if we look at the sources, we will find reason to take a more nuanced view of our relationship with the Greeks.
The sages tell us that the Greeks originated with Yefet, the son of Noah, and the verse about him says that God gave him beauty, which is interpreted to be a reference to Greece. The Torah says Yefet will dwell in the tents of Shem:
יַפְתְּ אֱלֹהִים לְיֶפֶת וְיִשְׁכֹּן בְּאָהֳלֵי־שֵׁם
May God bring beauty to Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem [Genesis, 9:27]
This refers to Yefet dwelling in religious Jewish settings such as synagogues and Yeshivot. The sages teach that one of the takeaways from this verse refers to the fact that Greek is the only other language in which the Torah may be written, which is astonishing when you consider that when the Torah is written in Hebrew, even one mistake will render it pasul, or invalid.
Moreover, the Bnai Yisaschar points out that if you combine the letter tzadi(k), associated with Joseph (as our sages dubbed him Yosef HaTzadik, Joseph the righteous one) with the word for Greece, Yavan, they form the word Tzion/Zion. In other words, the route to Zion/Israel runs symbolically through Yosef and Greece. This perspective sheds new light on the famous remark by Winston Churchill: “No two cities have counted more with mankind than Athens and Jerusalem. Their messages in religion, philosophy, and art have been the main guiding lights of modern faith and culture.”
I believe the entire story of Joseph is presented to underscore his passion for connecting with secular society, despite the inherent risks of assimilation. I named this substack "Ba’al Hachalomot / The Dreamer" as a nod to the brothers' derogatory nickname for Joseph. They warned him that his vanity, embrace of aesthetics, dreams of wealth, societal influence, and other secular pursuits would lead to idol worship, using the word “Ba’al” as a reference to a type of idol worship called Ba’al.
It's crucial to recognize that Joseph's perspective did indeed lead to trouble. He played a role in the creation of the golden calf, the idol worshipped by the Jews 40 days after receiving the Torah. This act marked a significant transgression that caused the Jewish people to descend from their spiritual heights at Mount Sinai. According to the Zohar, the golden calf was formed by throwing a tablet into a vat of gold. This tablet, inscribed with the words “Alei Shor / Rise, bull,” was obtained from Joseph, who was buried temporarily at the bottom of the Nile. To comply with his wish to be buried in Israel, he instructed his brethren to use the tablet to miraculously raise his coffin from the river. Joseph's nickname, "bull," was thus connected to the rise of the golden calf, forever tarnishing our national legacy.
Furthermore, Joseph’s great-grandson, King Jeroboam, emerged as the most evil Jewish monarch in history. He compelled widespread idol worship, including two new golden calves, and he solidified the division between the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
So, in some measure, the brothers' apprehension about the impact of Joseph’s views proved valid.
But in the long run, the risks inherent in Joseph's philosophy do not outweigh its value. By incorporating secularism into devout Judaism, Joseph became the leader of the world -- achieving success in ways the brothers could not have imagined. He gave us the unique insight that connection to the secular is not only permissible but essential to Judaism because it teaches about relationships in ways that no book or purely religious society could convey. A primary step in learning how to relate to God is to appreciate our connection with the physical universe. This process entails choosing to develop emotional bonds with other human beings within an environment that values love and relationships. Only through our experience in a secular society, influenced by the beauty of Greece, with its art, color, legendary storytelling, theater, philosophy, iconic celebrities, government, democracy, architecture, sports, math, and science — every aspect of our interaction with the world — can we learn how to relate and love God properly.
The story of Joseph teaches us that life is not solely about religious rituals; it's about relationships. This underscores the critical importance of the physical land of Israel to the Jewish people, representing the literal path of Derech Eretz, the journey to the physical land, leading to our national connection with God. Joseph realized that secluding ourselves from the secular world in exile hinders our ability to attain the individuality, insight, and experiences necessary for an intimate connection with God. As the sages emphasize, Derech Eretz, "The Way of the Land," precedes the Torah:
עשרים וששה דורות קדמה דרך ארץ את התורה
Derech Eretz precedes Torah by 26 generations [Vayikra Rabbah 9]
Even with the risks it carries for the Jewish people, secular life is a vital prerequisite for fulfilling our spiritual aspirations.
Joseph’s philosophy poses a formidable challenge for religious Jews, and the brothers confronted this difficulty when he attempted to convey the importance of secular life. When Joseph revealed his role as the viceroy of Egypt, blessed by God with success, his brothers were forced to acknowledge the importance of his message about love, relationships, and secularism as prerequisites to understanding and fulfilling the Torah and living a spiritual life. Although they may not have fully accepted Joseph's philosophy of “beauty”, they had no choice but to recognize its legitimacy.
It is not coincidental that Vayigash often aligns with the Christmas season, a time when many Jews wrestle with their place in secular society. I believe this perspective of the Joseph story could offer a more positive outlook on a holiday period typically seen as the antithesis of Judaism or a threat to its integrity.
Our sages teach that after we die, we will undergo a similar experience as the brothers did when Joseph revealed himself to them, discovering that our rigid beliefs are open to question. In the words of the Midrash, "oy lanu miyom hadin" – "woe is to us on our day of judgment." We will face the same shock as the brothers when our inflexible views about life and spirituality, or lack thereof, are completely overturned. This teaches us not to be too unyielding and extreme in our religious convictions or even our secular views, emphasizing the need for temperance and moderation, much as Joseph incorporated secularism into Torah and Judaism. In this context, Derech Eretz takes precedence over Torah, and relationships precede dogma.
That is the danger we face today in all extremist religious ideologies, including views that Jews should not have a secular state or that we do not need an army for our people. We’ve learned in very painful ways that without those protections, we have no viable future.
Similarly, those who harbor a single-minded animosity toward Jews and Israel fail to understand that the inflexible religiosity of groups like Hamas and other terrorists would also lead to their destruction if given the opportunity. A harsh awakening awaits those lacking the humility to question radical ideology, underscoring a potent message from Joseph's story often disregarded.
May God grant us the wisdom to open our minds to the right perspectives on life and Torah that we may overlook, thereby bringing peace and unity to the Jewish people and the world.
Shabbat Shalom.
Eliezer Hirsch