Hi! This is a day or two late since my server has not been working. We read Parshat Vayigash
yesterday, but I hope it is not too late for you to receive this blogpost from last week. I hope that you receive it this time!
I'll be posting in a few days for Parshat Vayechi.
May we hear good news soon.
Leann
Seventy people sit for a family portrait.
In the middle of the large group sits and old man, wizened and wrinkled, looking slightly confused at all of the hubbub surrounding him, but still he is smiling. He is surrounded by a many young and middle aged me who smile for the camera, but perhaps they smile less at each other? Strangely, this photos seems to include mostly men and the viewer wonders, "Where are the all the women and girls?"
On one side of the smiling old man is a slender younger man who holds the old man's arm protectively. On the other side of the old man sits a well dressed middle aged man. He wears different clothing than the rest, perhaps styled differently, and his hair is cropped close. Although he seems more worldly, his eyes are red rimmed and he squeezes himself close to the old man as though he is surprised to find himself in the photo.
Appearing around the edges, the front and back of the photo we see the younger children squeezing into spots between their fathers, looking mischevious, as children do as they are frozen on the page.
Seventy souls sit for a family portrait. Behind the smiles, no matter the century, no matter the circumstances, what do we know of the conflicts that existed between brothers? As we view the image, we can we know of the the heartbreak and disappointment of those smiling at the camera? How can we know of the conflicts that have existed now for years? All we see here are smiling faces.
But wait, let us not gloss over the meaning. All of the family, all 70 souls appear in this family photo together. They overcame their petty jealousies and family arguments to arrive at just this event. Not one person is missing from this photo. Here sits the family, frozen in time forever. Thank you family, for overcoming the thought not to be in this photo for it is no small thing to rise above arguments. Smiles or no smiles, they did it. They showed up.
Someday, years later, the family will gaze at this portrait and say, this is who we were then.
This is who we were when grandfather was still here, when we were not yet old.
This is a family portrait before the story continues. It is a portrait that overcomes pain and pettiness.
To the seventy. To all of your families. To the importance of showing up.
וּבְנֵ֥י יוֹסֵ֛ף אֲשֶׁר־יֻלַּד־ל֥וֹ בְמִצְרַ֖יִם נֶ֣פֶשׁ שְׁנָ֑יִם כּל־הַנֶּ֧פֶשׁ לְבֵֽית־יַעֲקֹ֛ב הַבָּ֥אָה מִצְרַ֖יְמָה שִׁבְעִֽים׃ {ס}
And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt were two in number. Thus the total of Jacob’s household who came to Egypt was seventy persons.
70 שִׁבְעִֽים
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