In a Place Where There Are No People, Strive to Be a Person: Thoughts for Parashat Vayigash - Rabbi Gabi Barzilai (Translated by Rabbi Ma'ayan Turner)

The longest and most complex narrative cycle in the Torah, the story of Joseph and his brothers, is drawing to a close. Judah, who initiated the selling of Joseph, who shirked his responsibility as the natural leader among the brothers, now takes on responsibility for Benjamin, the youngest brother. He confronts the strange and capricious Egyptian governor (that is, Joseph himself) and heroically offers his own freedom in exchange for Benjamin’s:

In this noble act, Judah rectifies his denial of Joseph’s fate and makes full teshuva (repentance).

But Judah is not the only one who does teshuva; all the brothers do. Twice they are given the opportunity to abandon Benjamin to his fate and return to their homes, their wives, and their children. Joseph’s messenger explicitly tells them that only the one who took the silver goblet must return to the palace, and that they are free to go back to their land. Yet, they choose to entrust their fate to the hands of the unpredictable “lord of the land”, who has tormented them from the start of this story—accusing them of spying, imprisoning them, and then releasing them without explanation, who already once tampered with their sacks – putting things in and taking things out - and now invents an absurd false accusation of theft.

To be clear, all the brothers know that Benjamin did not steal the goblet. They know this because their money, too, was returned to their sacks, and each knows that he is not a thief. They have no doubt that the Egyptian is toying with them and that his intentions are unclear. Despite this, they load up their donkeys and return to the lion's lair. Despite being given the chance to return home safely, they once again risk themselves and their families’ future to confront a formidable and incomprehensible power, because it is the right thing to do. All the brothers, led by Judah, carry the guilt of selling Joseph. That time, they abandoned their brother for their own convenience and out of jealousy. They remember the devastating effect this act had on their father and themselves. They are intimately familiar with the heavy burden of guilt and will not repeat that same mistake.

We can learn much about leadership and responsibility from the dynamics among Jacob’s sons. Three candidates emerge in the race for leadership. Reuben, the firstborn and therefore the natural leader, proves inadequate—not due to a lack of will or readiness but because of a lack of ability: time and again, his ideas are ill-conceived and backfire. For example, when he suggested throwing Joseph into a pit to save him from murder, he didn’t consider the possibility that someone might pull him out and sell him into slavery. Or when he offered to guarantee Benjamin’s safety by declaring,

as if that was a reasonable exchange. As a result, no one in Jacob's household takes Reuben seriously, despite his firstborstatus.

Then there’s Joseph, the beloved son of his father and the firstborn of the beloved and long-dead wife. The prideful youth who dreams of kingship but lacks the common sense to keep his dreams to himself. The gifted boy who annoys everyone, and thus cannot influence them. Ultimately, he will achieve great success—but in a foreign land and for another people. For his family, he will always be the "foreign ruler."

And the third is Judah, the fourth son, who, by birth order, holds no special status. Yet, because of his charismatic personality they look to him for guidance and await his wisdom. Judah doesn’t want this, he doesn’t seek leadership, so he remains silent and tries not to stand out. However, his natural greatness cannot be concealed. When he suggests selling Joseph to save him from death, his brothers listen to him (Genesis 37:27). Afterward, he leaves home so as not to witnessing his father’s grief; marries, has children, marries them off, is bereaved of two of them. He again doesn’t stay the course, leaving his daughter-in-law an aguna (a “chained” woman). Ironically, it is this daughter-in-law who confronts him with the fundamental human obligation to take responsibility for one’s actions and failures. Judah rises to the challenge, takes responsibility for Tamar and her children, and later also takes responsibility for Benjamin. Judah embodies the principle: “In a place where there are no people, strive to be a person.” He does not seek leadership, but it seeks him. When there is no other choice, he becomes a worthy leader.

It would seem that the best leaders are those who do not desire leadership. But this assertion includes a paradox—a Catch-22. Most leaders in the world and throughout history are power-hungry, chasing glory. Only in times of crisis and sorrow do truly capable individuals rise to the occasion for the collective good. As an incurable optimist, I believe we are currently in such a time and that our future leaders will be individuals of the “tribe” of Judah. Some of them are already stepping forward.

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