A listening heart
This sermon is translated to English from the original Hebrew that it was written in. It has been edited to provide correct English terminology and relevence to an English speaking audience.
Joseph committed a great sin and broke up the house of Jacob. Each member of the family, in their own way, contributed their part to the unfolding of this terrible disaster.
Joseph, who went down to Egypt as a slave and was appointed viceroy, became estranged from his brothers and according to the scriptures, he purposefully created a situation that would cause them to get into trouble and apear before him. It is not at all certain that Joseph had any clear plan with a predefined conclusion or any orderly process for reuniting the fragments of the family. It would seem that until he met with his brothers this was of no concern to him at all. For a moment, it seems that Jacob's family is completely falling apart . But then, Judah makes the speech of his life. A speech that succeeds in creating an exciting transformation and union.
What was so special about this speech? Sages in the Midrash Rabbah say about him like this:
Counsel in man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.(Proverbs 20:5)
There was once a great desert. In the middle of the desert was a deep well. It was so deep that no one could reach the water to drink from it. One day a person crossed the desert, when he came to the well, he took his time - there was no need to hurry. He saw the well and then saw many little strands of string on the desert floor. Others had come and seen the strands and ignored them. He found an old rusty looking cup with a handle that had been laying on the ground for many years, also totally ignored by every passerby. The man took each thread and wove it into short ropes, he then took each rope and connected them together to make a long rope which in turn he attached to the bucket. In this way he was able to draw the clean, cool and refreshing water. He left the rope and bucket at the well so others may also drink from its waters.
Joseph is likened to the deep well of water where the wonderful, cold and refreshing water is deep down where no person can reach. Judah is likened to the man who with great patience connected each strand together to create a long rope that allowed him and others to reach those waters and bring them forth. So did Judah do to Joseph - he reached into his heart with great patience and brought forward the love and compassion that was buried deep down.
The midrash, that pays very close attention to the world that our forefathers lived in, interprets it this way:
Joseph, as a young boy, was full of innocence and a strong desire to connect with his brother, to be close to them. After his brother's painful betrayal and estrangement from him, Joseph buried his innocence deep down. He buried his trust and his desire for closeness to other people. He became a survivor and suspicious of everyone around him. Joseph will not allow himself to be vulnerable ever again, he will wear the mask of a tough ruler - because now it is impossible to survive any other way.
Once trust is broken, it is not easy to restore it. It takes a lot of work to restore the ability to care, trust and honesty. It is a step by step process that can easily be broken if he is deceived again. It will be impossible to restore trust ever again once it has been broken. Thus, Judah connects word for word. Words that are carved from the heart, words that express love and devotion, honest words that tell a story of sorrow, regret and a desire to go back and make amends.
Joseph, whose inner world is so hard to relate to, removes all his defenses when he comes face to face with someone who has an open heart and has poured out the words directly from his heart. In this way the hearts connect and the family of Jacob is once again a complete family.
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When God appeared to King Solomon at the beginning of his reign and asked him what he was asking God to give him, Solomon asked for a listening heart. King Solomon understood that a king who wants to lead a people, first and foremost needs talent, analytical skills and leadership skills - an open, loving and attentive heart.
From Judah in this week's portion, we can learn that leadership and interpersonal abilities do not come only from study, lessons, training programs, and skills, but first and foremost (and maybe completely) from love, inner honesty, and devotion to family and people. When these exist, even great leadership tasks become, with God's help, possible.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Matan Schneweiss
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