Saturday, December 23, 2006

Parashat Miketz - Yehuda's Responsibility

Yehuda said to his father, Yisra'el: "Send the boy in my care, and let us be on our way, that we may live and not die: you and we and our children. I myself will be surety for him (anokhi e'ervennu); you may hold me responsible (mi-yadi tevakshena): if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I shall stand guilty forever. For we could have been there and back twice by now had we not dawdled. (43:8-9)

Up to this point in the Joseph story, Yaakov patently refuses to send Binyamin down to Egypt. Suddunley, with this conversation, Yaakov indicatess his willingness to send Binyamin. And this begs the question: How did Yehuda persuade Ya'akov? What in his words pushed his father to the "tipping point?" What phrase found a place in Ya'akov's mind? What was it that induced a change of heart?

Read the shiur here

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