Vayigash 45:15

EXTRA · 45:15 · classical material not listed by Torah Temimah under this passuk

Vayigash 45:15 · EXTRA

The Complete Passuk

He kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and afterward his brothers spoke with him.

Source Citation

Classical midrash (Midrash Tanchuma / Lekach Tov / Sekhel Tov) on the reconciliation and the brothers’ ability to speak only after the weeping.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה יוֹסֵף שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהֶם בּוּשָׁה גְּדוֹלָה, אָמַר לָהֶן גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ. וְכׇל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הָיָה מְנַשְּׁקוֹ וּבוֹכֶה עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְכׇל אֶחָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עֲלֵיהֶם״. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁלֹּא פִיֵּס יוֹסֵף אֶת אֶחָיו אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ בְּכִיָּה, כָּךְ כְּשֶׁיִּגְאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִתּוֹךְ בְּכִיָּה הוּא גּוֹאֲלָם.

English: When Yosef saw that they felt great shame, he said to them, “Please come near to me,” and they came near. And he kissed each one and wept upon him, as it is said, “He kissed all his brothers and wept upon them.” And just as Yosef reconciled his brothers only through weeping, so when the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems Yisrael, He will redeem them through weeping.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The sequence “and afterward his brothers spoke with him” is read as evidence that reconciliation required the visible demonstration of weeping.

What Is Learned

Yosef’s brothers could speak with him only after he kissed them and wept upon them, showing that his heart was at peace with them; the midrash links this to the future redemption that will also come through weeping.