Questions on Parshas Vayigash to think about and discuss:

1. Yakov lived for 147 years unlike his father, Yitzchok, who lived 180 years. The Avos were all meant to live to 180. Why did he die 33 years earlier?
2. What do we see from Parshas Vayigash how children eat?
3. How long did the famine actually last?
4. Yosef gave more presents to Binyomin that his brothers. How could he not be concerned that once again this would arouse the jealousy of the other brothers?
5. Who informed Yakov about Yosef still being alive and in what way? How were they rewarded?
6. What was Yosef’s proof to his brothers that he was Jewish and the real Yosef?
7. How did the special law for special rights for the priests (47:22) help the Jews later?
8. When it came time for the great reunion between Yakov and Yosef, Yakov was saying the Shema (Rashi, Vayigash, 46:29). Why could this not wait? Why say the Shema specifically then?
9. The Torah lists all the people who came to Mitzrayim and comes to the number of seventy souls (46:27). What is the significance of this number?
10. Yosef had two dreams reflecting when the brothers and then the whole family would bow down to him. After the first time when ten of the brothers came for food and bowed down to him, then immediately he should have already revealed himself to his brothers so that then his whole family would come down to fulfil the second dream. Why then plant the cup in Binyomin’s bag and only reveal he was Yosef when Yehuda angrily confronted him?
11. (45:10) Why was the area of Goshen picked more than anywhere else in Mitzrayim?
12. (45:16) When discovering Yosef’s identity and family, it says that Paro and his servants were happy. Why and why not all his servants?
13. (45:19) Yosef gave each of his brothers another set of clothing. Why?
14. When counting the seventy souls that came to Mitzrayim the order of descendants is: from Leah, from Zilpa, from Rochel and then from Bilha. What lies behind this order?
15. (46:12) The counting of the seventy souls are for live people who actually entered Mitzrayim. Why then mention Eir and Oinen the two sons of Yehuda who died?

Ideas for answers on the general parsha:

1. The Daas Zekeinim (47:8) brings a Midrash that when Yakov appeared before Paro he asked him how old he was and he complained how bad they had been. Hashem said that for every word of complaint instead of recognising that He had saved him from Esav and Lovon, returned to him Dena and Yosef, one year of his life would be deducted. There were 33 words (including Paro’s question since his looking sad brought on the question). Others explain that when Lovon accused Yakov of stealing his terofim, Yakov said that whoever took it should not live (Vayeitsei, 31:32). The word “live”- יחי”ה has the gematria of 33. Since he put this curse down he was punished.
2. When Yosef provided food for his brothers to take for their families he provided enough (even) for the children. The Sifsei Chachomim (to Rashi 47:12) brings that this means he gave more than just what was required since the way of children is to waste and make crumbs meaning they need more!
3. In Mitzrayim it stopped when Yakov came and only lasted two years. However, elsewhere the famine continued a full seven years to fulfil the interpretation of Yosef and not give an excuse for others to say Yosef had been wrong in his interpretation. (Sifsei Chachomim to Rashi 47:19)
4. The Gemora in Megilla 16b asks this and answers that he was sending him a message for the future alluding to Mordechai going out dressed in the king’s garments. Perhaps the idea is that when the brothers realised that it was not given out of favouritism and was alluding to someone who would save all the Jews, therefore there was no reason to be jealous.
5. Yakov’s granddaughter, Serach Bas Osher, played her harp and sang to Yakov that Yosef is still alive. She did so in such a way to slowly break the news to the elderly Yakov. In gratitude for this, Yakov blessed her with long life and prophecy.
6. He showed them that he had a full bris mila like Jews have (with pereia unlike the Arabs). The Egyptians who had to have mila (see Rashi, 47:21) were only the poor ones and therefore the rich Yosef should not have had mila. Yosef spoke Loshon Hakodesh, a language that even Paro who spoke all other seventy languages did not know fully (see Gemora Sota 36b).
7. It was because of this that the tribe of Levi did not have to work as slaves during the exile in Mitzrayim since they were the tribe of priests of the Jews.
8. The Shema was said then with specific intent. At this moment of reunion naturally he would feel great joy and he wanted to direct this to Hashem. He wanted to express how the love for Hashem is even greater than the love for his long lost favourite son.
10. Perhaps there are two points here. Fulfilment of the dreams and also seeing that the brothers sincerely regretted selling him. It is for this latter reason that Yosef delayed revealing himself until he saw how the brothers came to defend their brother Binyomin from any harm.
11. Rabbeinu Bechai says that Yakov did not want his family to live in the main area of Mitzrayim so that they would not be seen and get positions amongst Egyptian society. The Meam Loez explains why particularly Goshen was chosen. This was the land that was given as a present from Paro to Soro and from then onwards tuma was removed from this place and kedusha resided there.
12. The Midrash says that until now Yosef was known as a servant from prison. However, now it had been revealed that he had good ancestry, yichus. Some of the servants were not pleased since they were scared that Yosefs brothers would replace them in their positions.
13. Some say so that they would have one set for the weekday and one for Shabbos. Another answer is that Yosef wanted them to have special clothes different to the locals so that they would stand out as being special. The Riva says that since the brothers had torn their clothes when Yosef’s cup was discovered in Binyomin’s bag therefore they needed replacement clothes.
14. The order here is according to those who had the most children.
15. R’ Avrohom Ben HoRambam answers that it is to show that of all the other children only these died. The Terumas Hadeshen (114) answers that it is to show how beloved all the offspring of Yehuda is and therefore all are mentioned.