At the end of the previous Torah portion, we read about Jacob’s sons traveling to Egypt to buy food due to the famine in Canaan. Joseph, the viceroy of Egypt and overseer of food distribution, instructs his servants to secretly place a goblet in the sack of Benjamin, the youngest son.
After Jacob’s sons part ways with Joseph, he stages the discovery of the stolen goblet in Benjamin’s possession and demands to take Benjamin as his servant.
Judah had pledged to their father, Jacob, to bring Benjamin back safely with a clear and resolute promise:
“I will guarantee him; from my hand, you may demand him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I will have sinned against you forever” (Genesis 43:9).
Now helpless and desperate, Judah tries to offer himself as a servant in place of Benjamin, but Joseph refuses. Benjamin remains in custody, and Judah cannot bear the thought of returning to their aging father, who anxiously waits for news at home.
When a person feels utterly desperate, God forbid, when hopelessness metaphorically blocks his view and feels like it is choking him, he may struggle to find even the faintest glimmer of light to pierce the darkness. This darkness can sometimes paralyze a person, preventing him from seeking help or taking action, leaving him frozen in his anguish and worry.
What do Jews do when there seems to be no way forward?
They speak with their creator. The midrash teaches: “Then Judah approached him… Our sages say: ‘Approach for prayer,’ as it is written, ‘Elijah the prophet approached and said, ‘Lord, God of Israel…”’ (I Kings 18:36). (Midrash Rabbah, Vayigash 93).
From this story, we learn that the solution to complex challenges is not always far off. Sometimes, it takes merely opening our eyes to see that salvation is right before us. Just one more small prayer, one more good deed – and the unimaginable can happen, often far sooner than we expect.
In a single moment, everything changes. Suddenly, Joseph can no longer contain his emotions. He clears the room of all outsiders, looks directly at his brothers, and declares: “I am Joseph!” (Genesis 45:4).
Two words – just two – and in an instant, the overwhelming despair and profound sadness transform into an uplifting sense of freedom, joy, and delight. Suddenly, everything is good!
Salvation was so close, yet the brothers didn’t realize it. In truth, nothing had changed from the moment before; everything remained as it was. What shifted was their perspective – their eyes were opened, and they saw the salvation that had been there all along.
This is the lesson taught by the Mei HaShiloach (Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner, founder of the Izbica Hassidic dynasty):
“Let no person ever despair, even if it seems that salvation is far, far away.”
Many times, salvation is not complicated at all. It is already here, right before our eyes. In just a moment, the darkness will disappear, the sun will rise, and then all the pain, suffering, worry, and sadness will find relief.
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.