In Parashat Vayigash (Gen 44:18–47:27) the confrontation between Joseph and Judah is likened to a meeting between two kings who, at a pivotal moment, seek peace rather than war. The manner in which Judah appealed to Joseph revealed Judah’s profound growth as a leader motivated by fearless concern for his family. And Joseph confirms his deep understanding and his trust in God's plan for humanity. He gratefully acknowledges that the Creator orchestrated the fateful events that brought the sons of Jacob together with a renewed sense of destiny rich with the promise of the future Redemption and the arrival of the Moshiach. Interestingly, Chazal (the Sages) provide prophetic connections between the experiences of Joseph and Moshiach that enrich our understanding of these two figures.
One of the most striking parallels is that Joseph experienced rejection from his own family and Moshiach will face the same, though on a larger scale. In the Torah portions that introduced us to Joseph, the brothers intense dislike of their younger sibling is readily apparent. Despite being a righteous and beloved son of Jacob, his brothers are dismissive of his dreams, as well as his eccentric manner. Some of the rabbinic sources speak of him being overly concerned with his appearance.
One fateful day, Joseph was sent to visit his brothers and report back to his father, Jacob. As he approached his older siblings, “They saw him from afar, and before he came close to them they conspired to kill him.” (Genesis 37:18).
Please note that they viewed their younger brother, from afar. The Torah is telling us that is just how they regarded him, distantly. They felt so distant they wanted to be rid of him permanently. They did spare his life but sold him into Egyptian slavery.
Joseph rose to power in Egypt, but not before experiencing years of hardship. His suffering is not meaningless; it is part of the divine plan to prepare him for a rise to power as viceroy, a kind of prime minister. He would also be in a position to save his family and fulfill their destiny. He quickly grows into an able administrator who develops a plan to deal with the onset of a seven year famine, preceded by seven years of plenty.
After two years of famine, his brothers are sent to buy grain in Egypt. Joseph had set up a system to deal with foreign visitors buying grain that allowed him to monitor all arrivals. His brothers are identified, arrested and accused of being spies. Called to meet the viceroy, the brothers fail to recognize the thirty-nine year-old Joseph, dressed as Egyptian royalty. The last time they had seen him, he was a lad of seventeen.
The Zohar(Genesis 1:78a) teaches that just as Joseph's brothers did not recognize him initially, so too, the Jewish people will not recognize the Messiah immediately.
In Genesis 45:1-3, Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers after a long period of estrangement. Despite their earlier rejection of him, Joseph forgives them and reveals his powerful position, symbolic of Moshiach who will go unrecognized by his own people in the end of days, until he steps forward to lead the nation of Israel. The ultimate redemption for Joseph and his family occurs through reconciliation. When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, they express deep regret for their earlier actions, and Joseph forgives them. The family is reunited, and the nation of Israel is preserved (Genesis 45:14-15).
Joseph may be the forerunner of a figure known as Moshiach Ben Yosef.
The Talmud speaks of Moshiach Ben Yosef and his role in the Redemption. It states that he will die during the War of Gog and Magog, paving the way for the coming of Messiah Ben David, as related in Sukkah 52a:
“Once the Messiah ben David saw Messiah ben Yosef, who was killed, he says to the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I ask of you only life; that I will not suffer the same fate. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him: Life? Even before you stated this request, your father, David, already prophesied about you with regard to this matter precisely, as it is stated: “He asked life of You, You gave it to him; even length of days for ever and ever” (Psalms 21:5).”
Of course there are aspects of Moshiach Ben David and his forerunner, King David that also echo the experiences of Joseph. As a young man, David was ignored by his older brothers, so much so that when the prophet Samuel wants to meet the sons of Yishai, they initially ignore bringing David to the meeting. He was also treated with little respect as a youngster. And by a miracle, slaying Goliath with a single stone, he later takes the throne of Israel.
During the famine, Joseph's wisdom and foresight make him the provider for all of Egypt and of course, his family (Genesis 41:46). Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 91: draws an explicit connection between Joseph and Moshiach. The latter will enlarge on Joseph's mission of providing sustenance; Moshiach will provide for material and spiritual needs for the Jewish people and eventually, the nations of the world.
Chazal teach us that the similarities between Yosef and the Moshiach are not merely coincidental but part of a divine pattern that forms a nation whose ultimate mission is to be the priesthood for the planet who will serve daily in a House of Prayer for all nations. This is made abundantly clear in Ezekiel 37:15-28—this week’s companion Haftorah. HaShem says of the future family of Israel: “I will make a covenant of friendship with them—it shall be an everlasting covenant with them—I will establish them and multiply them, and I will place My Sanctuary among them forever.” Jewish Unity is the path to redemption.
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