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Expediting the Geula

By: SFW Students & Alumna
Haviva Garrett (SFW '09)

In Parshat Vayigash, before going down to meet Yosef in Mitzrayim, Yaakov goes to Be’er Sheva to bring korbanot to Hashem. At this point, he was korea b’shem Hashem, publicizing Hashem’s Name. In Be’er Sheva, Hashem appears to Yaakov and speaks to him in a dream saying “Al tira merda mitzrayma ki l’goy gadol asimcha sham” [Do not fear going down to Mitzrayim because I will make you into a great nation there] (Bereishit 46:3).

There is an obvious question that can be asked on the pasuk; why did Hashem tell Yaakov “al tira”? What was Yaakov afraid of?

The Chizkuni tells us that Yaakov was afraid of going down to Mitzrayim because he knew that by going down to Mitzrayim he would be beginning the fulfillment of Brit Bein HaBetarim which states:

“Yadoa teda ki ger y’heye zaracha ba’aretz lo lahem v’avdum v’inu otam”

[you should surely know that your children will be strangers in a strange land and they will enslave and oppress them] (Bereishit 15:13)

But Hashem assured Yaakov that although going down to Mitzrayim will begin the process of Brit Bein HaBetarim, Yaakov must remember that the end result of Galut Mitzrayim is “l’goy gadol asimcha sham” - his children will eventually come out of Mitzrayim as a great nation, ready to conquer Eretz Yisrael.

We can apply the lesson that Hashem is teaching Yaakov to our own lives. The Gemara (Masechet Megilla 17b) tells us that war is the Atchalta D’Geula, the first stages of the redemption. We might be fearful and anxious about going to war but we have to remember that the end result will be the geula and yemot haMashiach.

We should use every opportunity that arises to be korea b’shem Hashem, to publicize Hashem’s Name, and in that way expedite the geula.

Shabbat Shalom!