Vayigash…and he approached.

Judah steps forward, approaching. Bold move. Uncertain outcome. Turns out well.  Judah is all about stepping forward, being courageous, and taking responsibility even to his own detriment. We take the name Jew from him…this is part of our identity. Our heritage.

The rabbis understand Judah’s actions as steadfast and directed. He had a goal. And he would not stop talking with Joseph until his brother was released. While the Torah reveals a soliloquy from Judah (in fact it’s the longest speech in the book of Genesis) the rabbis read in a dialogue. Joseph’s voice cannot be heard, but Judah talks and talks and talks as if trying to anticipate Joseph’s responses…with each new thought, he takes another risk in addressing Joseph. In challenging authority.  Attempting to change his mind. And sure enough, Joseph breaks down.

It was not Vayigash – and he approached once. Like tying cords to cords and threads to threads, Judah carefully and deliberately ties together words and sentences. Each word, each sentence, another step forward. Another approach towards Joseph’s heart. Each moment a risk that he would go too far. That Joseph might snap back.

Judah IS all about stepping forward, being courageous, and taking responsibility.  It is also about this quality of endurance.
Of strength and fortitude over an extended period of time.
We are not asked to step forward only once in our lives – we are asked to continually approach.

While Judah seems to approach all alone, we can choose NOT to go alone. The Torah tells us earlier that the brothers were in conversation about how to handle Joseph. It’s possible that Judah was the elected representative for the group to START, but that others would have spoken next had he be unsuccessful. He may have been the first and only speaker, but he was not in this alone. When he stepped forward, and spoke, and spoke, and tied his words together…pushing forward, confronting his fears, approaching Joseph…his brothers were with him.

As Jews, we take our name from Judah. Yehuda. We inherit his legacy.  Again and again, we will be asked to approach and encounter difficulty…but we are not required to approach alone. We are Judah…AND we are the brothers who accompany him. We must step forward with courage and endurance and we are the ones who stand by their side.

Do not read the word as Vayigash, he approached, once, but rather Vayigshu…and they approached, over and over again.

May we be blessed with the strength to continue approaching, together!

Rabbi Dara Frimmer is co-senior rabbi of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles.

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