Midreshet Amit

Torah

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Vayigash

By: Mrs. Pesha Fischer

One of the most breathtaking moments in Tanach is located in this weeks Parsha; Yaakov is told that Yosef is still alive and he literally gets his spirit back, "Vatechi ruach Yaakov Avihem." Along with his spirit returning to him we see a name change for it is Yisrael that says I need to go see Yosef before he dies. Lest we think we have a permanent name change/identity change a couple of pesukim later Hashem appears to Yaakov/Yisrael and we see the following scene:
"And God said to Yisrael in a vision of night, and He said: Yaakov Yaakov, and he said: I am here. He said: Do not fear to descend to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there…. And Yaakov rose from Beer Sheva, and the children of Yisrael bore Yaakov their father and their infants and wives on the wagons which Pharoah had sent to bear him.

The pesukim seem bizzare, How should we now think about Yaakov? It pays now to remember how Yaakov received his name Yisrael. It was the night before Yaakov and family were due to meet Esav and that night Yaakov fights with Esav's angel and receives the name Yisrael because he fought with an Angel and prevailing. Both the Ramban and the Netziv are bothered by Yaakov's temporary name change. The Ramban explains that Hashem calls him Yaakov so that he knows that this is the beginning of the exile, that instead of prevailing in Egypt the Jews will be slaves. The Netziv argues and says that technically the name Yisrael would have been perfect for exile because of the struggle, but that Yisrael connotes the miraculous and what will name place in Egypt will be according to the natural order.

When Yaakov finds out that Yosef is still alive; he feels ready to lead his family, but Hashem stops him and says you will not be a leader in Egypt you will be a Yaakov, you will hold on to the ankle, you will be carried down to Egypt. His final act in next weeks Parsha in the giving of the Brachot restores him to his role as Yisrael and he is referred to in all of Parshat Vayechi.