When saying farewell there is often an urge to share something meaningful to make the separation less painful. An anecdote, lesson for life or even a joke can do the trick, but then there are parting words that can change the course of history.
In this week's parsha, Yaakov and Yosef’s long and painful seperation comes to a happy ending. After revealing himself to his brothers in one of the most dramatic episodes recorded in the Torah, Yosef urged them to travel swiftly back to their father to deliver the good news.
When they notified Yaakov that Yosef was alive and the monarch of Egypt, his heart went numb. Only after hearing the details of their discussions and upon seeing “the wagons Yosef had sent to him”, then he rejoiced in the sensational news of the discovery of his long lost son.
Why did Yaakov pause in his reaction and what was so exciting about the wagons?
Our sages explain that when Yaakov realized Yosef had spent twenty two years in Egypt and had risen to such prominence, he feared that his stratospheric promotion came with the deterioration if his moral and ethical lifestyle. After all, Egypt was the global capital of depravity and promiscuity at the time.
But “the wagons” reassured him. The Hebrew word for “wagon” is “Aggala” and the same letters in the identical order can be read as “Egla” which means “calf.” Yosef confided to his brothers that the final Torah lesson he learned from his father was the details of the mitzvah called “Egla Arufa” - the decapitated calf.
During the Holy Temple era, if a Jew was found dead on the road and the murderer was unknown, the elders of the closest village to the crime scene were obligated to bring a calf to the nearest valley, decapitate it, wash their hands over it and announce “Our hands did not spill the blood (of the murdered person) and we did not witness it either.”
While there is certainly no suspicion that the town elders are directly responsible for the murder, there is an obligation for every Jewish community to ensure that passing travelers are well fed, and are escorted on the road for some distance. The elders are announcing that they have done their part in ensuring that no traveler was abandoned. The Mitzvah of “Eglah Arufa” enshrines the communal obligation to provide the needs of every individual, even a traveling stranger.
The spiritual message of this Mitzvah is the importance to provide spiritual nourishment and strength even to Jews who are traveling away from the established Jewish infrastructure. Inspire them to continue learning Torah and doing Mitzvot even in the spiritual wilderness, thereby protecting themselves from foreign influences and enabling them to elevate and transform the spiritual wilderness into a beautiful oasis of goodness and kindness.
By divine providence this was Yaakov's parting message to Yosef before he, unbeknownst to both of them, set out on a physically and spiritually treacherous journey. And the spirit of this message served as his inspiration to not only remain true to his heritage, but to have a positive impact on the entire society as well.
When Yaakov realized this, his spirit was refreshed and he rejoiced in the long awaited reunion.
This lesson beacons to us today to transform every spiritual wilderness into a divine dwelling by doing an extra Mitzvah and learning more Torah every day and to inspire others to do the same.