Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
After twenty two years of agonizing separation, Yaakov Avinu is reunited with his beloved son Yosef Hatzadik. The Torah records that Yosef went to greet his father, and when they met, "[Yosef] fell on [Yaakov's] neck and he wept on his neck excessively." The classic question so many of our commentators ask is what was Yaakov's reaction, why did he not cry tears of joy at this unquestionably emotional reunion. And Rashi's response, universally accepted, was that Yaakov Avinu was reciting the Shema at this seminal reunion. How can we understand the differing reactions of father and son to this overwhelming emotional encounter?
Rabbi Gifter reminds us that Yaakov and Yosef are founding fathers of Bnei Yisroel. As such, their actions must be viewed as more than simple emotional reactions. They must have great significance for Kllal Yisroel. What messages can we extract from the seemingly dissimilar reactions to this meeting?
First, it is important to remember the significance of Shema, the verse we recite multiple times daily. It is the verse we say before we go to sleep at night and the verse we recite when we anticipate our final sleep is approaching. It affirms our faith in the One God Who manifests Himself in the world and in our lives in multi faceted ways. It is our way of articulating our acceptance of God's sovereignty.
Everything in this physical world can be elevated and transformed to connect us to God. Citing the Baal Shem Tov, the Shvilei Pinchas notes that our emotions can also serve this purpose. Our fears of the mundane can be turned into awe of God. And here, Yaakov took his deep love of his son and channeled it toward his love of Hashem
One of the ways we can tap into our relationship to Hashem is through the brachot/blessings we recite over the course of the day. The Sifsei Daas, cites Tehillim 24:1 to explain this connection. Although the world and all within it belong to Hashem, He gave the earth to mankind. Hashem, through His love for us, has given us permission to enjoy this world; by reciting a blessing before we partake, we are returning that love to Him and acknowledging His primary role in our lives.
Reciting Shema itself may perhaps be the strongest weapon against our yetzer horo. It reinforces our dedication to Hashem's sovereignty even in times when we must choose to sacrifice our lives for this belief. Certainly we should try to withstand lesser challenges, to sacrifice other forbidden desires for this belief, writes Rabbi Wolbe. Saying Shema should reinforce us in our service to Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
While Yaakov Avinu was channeling his love for his son toward love for Hakodosh Boruch Hu, Yosef was fulfilling the mitzvah of kibud av/honoring his father. Being involved in that mitzvah, he was symbolically hugging and kissing Hashem as well, suggests the Sifsei Daas. Both Yaakov Avinu and Yosef Hatzadik are elevating the physical, emotional experience to a spiritual, religious level.
It seems counter-intuitive, but our challenges bring us closer to Hashem. On Chanukah, we thank Hashem not only for the miracles and for the victories, but also for the challenges and wars themselves. Every Challenge, every exile and diaspora brings us closer to the redemption, but we generally only recognize this in retrospect. That's what Kriyat Shema is all about. Yaakov had viewed himself as full of troubles. But now, in retrospect, Yaakov Avinu can thank Hashem for all his grief over Yosef, for he sees how how those challenges led to this victorious moment, writes Rabbi Svei in Ruach Eliyahu citing the Maharal. Yaakov Avinue now sees the entire picture. The essence of Shema is acknowledging that the entire picture is being orchestrated by Hashem, even when we do not see it. For Yaakov Avinu, this moment of reunion was an epiphany; he was now seeing the entire picture. For Yosef, he had been living it all along. It was unfolding while he lived it.
When we say, "Hashem Elokheinu Hashem Echod/God, our Lord, God is One," we are testifying that Hashem, the God of love and compassion and Elokhim, the God of strict justice are in fact merely two facets of the same God. Often only in retrospect will we recognize that indeed even God's justice is a manifestation of His love. This was what Yaakov Avinu realized at this moment, writes Rabbi Schorr in Halekach Vehalebuv, that it is the same Hashem, whether at this moment He appears to be close to us or far away.
The Shema is the ultimate statement of our emunah/faith in Hakodosh Boruch Hu. We cover our eyes when reciting the verse so that we can focus on our inner faith, the faith we maintain despite our lack of understanding, our lack of seeing. Yaakov Avinu now understood that during all these twenty two difficult years, Hashem was weaving the tapestry for this moment. In awe and with the inner conviction now manifest in this reunion, Yaakov covered his eyes to demonstrate his new understanding, writes Rabbi Eisenberger in Mesillot Bilvovom. Hashem's mercy and justice are inseparable, even though we we cannot see how this is true, taught the Klausenberger Rebbe who lost his entire family in the Holocaust, survived, rebuilt his family, and founded his Chassidic dynasty anew.
Yaakov Avinu's recitation of Shema at this moment was not a rote recitation, but a declaration of deep love for and gratitude to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, writes Rabbi Asher Weiss. He witnessed his beloved Yosef as king, and acknowledged that his own suffering was also a product of Hashem's love, and so he burst forth with a joyous declaration and awe of Hashem's sovereignty.
In the 100th chapter of Tehillim we say, "Hashem Hu HaElokim/Hashem [the God of mercy], He is the Elokhim/the same one God of justice." We usually would think the reverse would make more sense, that we realize that the God of justice is in fact the God of mercy. Why is the order reversed? The Shvilei Pinchas quoting the Chatam Sofer, explains that before Hashem metes out justice, He has already prepared the cure and safety net. Although we may only see it in retrospect, His mercy preceded His judgment. The Shema sets the tone for this understanding.
The Shema is the Jews' declaration of love for Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Yaakov understood that if Yosef was to fulfill his potential as a true leader of Kllal Yisroel, Yaakov had to imbue him with all the love he himself felt for Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Rabbi Gifter suggests that Yaakov reciting the Shema at this very moment was the deepest form of communication with this son and his special mission.
It wasn't only Yaakov who was reacting to this reunion from the perspective of Israel's mission and future history. Yosef, by falling on his father Yaakov's neck and weeping on his father's neck was also conveying a deep understanding of the connections between Hashem and Bnei Yisroel. Rabbi Tauber, in his adaptations of the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, discusses the purpose of a neck and its symbolism here.
Rabbi Tauber notes that Yosef and Binyamin also cried on each other's necks at their reunion, each crying for the Beit Hamikdosh and the Mishkan/Tabernacle found in his brother's land portion that was destined to be lost or destroyed. Rabbi Tauber notes that these Sanctuaries were the link between heaven and earth that connected Hashem with the world He created, and ultimately with man. Just so does the neck connect one's head, the gateway of nutrients and air to the body it nourishes. The head is also the source of all that is Godly in man [Whether we say that is the power of speech or the ability of higher thought processes CKS]. That energy must flow down and nourish spirituality in the rest of the body, and the conduit between the two is the neck. While Yosef and Binyamin cried over the severed connection between Hashem and Bnei Yisroel when the Sanctuaries would be destroyed, Yaakov was teaching Yosef that rather than despair, one must take action. Say the Shema and reaffirm the commitment to Hashem, rebuild and strengthen the neck, the connection. The Aish Kodesh adds the next step. While the head represents accepting the yoke of God's sovereignty, the neck represents accepting the yoke of mitzvah performance, the subject of the second paragraph of Shema.
In Avodat Avodah, the Tosher Rebbe ties these themes together. Both Yaakov and Yosef [and probably all the tribal patriarchs] understood that they were now descending into the first of our exiles and the root of all the diasporas. We, their descendants would face many challenges to our faith, challenges that could best be met by the message of Shema. We are familiar with the two letters that are enlarged in that first verse, the ע and the ד. Our commentators note that these two letters spell עד/witness, that we bear witness to Hashem's sovereignty. But the Tosher Rebbe wants us to read the letters in reverse order as well, דע/know intimately, deep down, and connect to Him in every situation. Accept His sovereignty, accept the yoke of mitzvoth, and with the final paragraph, remember our deliverance from Egypt. Once you have given yourself over completely to Hashem, you have liberated yourself from your personal Mitzrayim, your personal narrow, constricting situations. Just as Hashem saved and redeemed Bnei Yisroel from Egypt, so will He redeem us, as we are ready now to enter into the intimate dialogue of the Amidah/Silent Meditation of eighteen blessings. If we believe that Hashem is in control at all times, the challenges of exile and of our narrow places will not control us.
This process begins not with Shema, but builds from the beginning of our prayer, continues the
Tosher Rebbe. We begin by declaring Him to be Adon Olam/the Master of the world. We continue by singing His praises, we focus on He Who creates light, revel in the great love He has for us, and then we are ready to submit ourselves to His sovereignty with the Shema. This is how you become a leader of Bnei Yisroel; this is how you fix the necks of Bnei Yisroel, nationally and individually.
During the years of separation, God's presence had left Yaakov Avinu. At the reunion of Yaakov and Yosef, God's presence returned, and Yaakov exultantly proclaimed the Shema. Seventeen years later, at the end of his life, Yaakov again experience the absence of Hashem's spirit when he wanted to reveal the end of time to his sons. He feared that perhaps the connection between Hashem and the tribes had been severed, to which the Tribes responded, "Hear, O, Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One." Here too, Yaakov needed to see that Yosef was still connected to Hashem, writes Rabbi Mintzberg in Ben Melech. Only after he confirmed that continued connection, only after investigating the ‘Shema’ aspect of his son, could Yaakov Avinu physically show his affection with a kiss.
Every day we have multiple opportunities to connect to Hashem through our blessings and prayers. Each is a thread. All the threads are woven together in one beautiful, unified Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.