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Why does the Torah (תורה) write "Vayigash eilav Yehuda" instead of the natural "Vayigash Yehuda el Yosef"? The awkward phrasing reveals that Yehuda's aggressive approach was a unified strategy requiring all the brothers' consent, not his individual initiative. The shiur explores how Yehuda's body language and double-layered speech exemplify hagashah l'piyus—a confrontation offering terms that preserve the opponent's honor while maintaining strength.
The shiur opens with a close textual reading of Bereishis 44:18, "Vayigash eilav Yehuda," pointing out the grammatically awkward construction. The natural Hebrew would be "Vayigash Yehuda el Yosef" (Yehuda approached Yosef), but instead the Torah (תורה) writes "Vayigash eilav Yehuda" (there approached him—Yehuda). Rabbi Zweig suggests this strange word order signals that Yehuda was not acting on his own initiative but as the representative of a unified decision by all the brothers. The shiur traces the progression of the brothers' interactions with Yosef. Initially, when accused of theft, all the brothers spoke together in a murmur of protest (vayomru alav). When they entered Yosef's house, Yehuda became the spokesman with a conciliatory message ("Mah nomar ladoni, mah nidaber"). But now, in Vayigash, the message becomes aggressive and confrontational. This shift in tone represents enormous risk—Yosef could execute all of them for such insolence. Yehuda cannot unilaterally decide to take such a calculated gamble with everyone's lives. Therefore, "Vayigash eilav" represents the collective decision, the unified aggressive strategy, while "Yehuda" simply identifies who will deliver it.
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Bereishis 44:18
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