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6
Orchard of Delights # Vayigash
#
the Jewish psyche and determine the path of Jewish history. In the counterpart, and merging the qualities of the tzaddik and the ba’al
case of Reuben, this notion attains new profundity as we will suggest teshuvah together, he reached new heights.
that not only Jacob’s actions but even his thoughts affected his We see from this incident that each one, unbeknownst to himself,
offspring’s persona. assisted the other with integrating his secondary hidden quality. At
Reuben was conceived on Jacob’s wedding night and according to the climactic moment, a monumental synergy of transference and
tradition was literally the product of his first seed. Jacob’s blessing integration was created. Curiously this depiction would appear to
even explicitly alludes to this: “You are my firstborn, my strength contradict the fundamental rabbinic dictum that “in the place that
and my first vigor.” On the one hand, Reuben’s potential was very a ba’al teshuvah stands even a complete tzaddik cannot stand”
great, but, on the other hand, we know that Laban switched his (Berachot 34). Here the integrated ba’al teshuvah/tzaddik is greater
daughters that night and although Jacob thought he was having than either the ba’al teshuvah or the tzaddik!
relations with Rachel, he was actually having relations with Leah.
This seeming contradiction can be resolved by the Zohar’s insight
This switch may be the key to Reuben’s instability, for tradition that when Mashiach comes he will help all the tzaddikim do teshuvah.
teaches that we are forbidden to think of someone other than our On a simple plane of existence, the ba’al teshuvah is greater than
partners during intimate marital relations. Furthermore, the even the “complete tzaddik,” but, on a higher plane, ultimately
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tradition teaches that the thoughts we have during marital relations every tzaddik must realize his or her own need to do teshuvah, and
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impact significantly on the soul conceived. In Reuben’s case, his every ba’al teshuvah must realize his or her own spark of the tzaddik
very conception was surrounded by confusion, a logical portent for within, as it is written: “And all your people are tzaddikim” (Isaiah
future instability. Indeed, Reuben’s decision to move his father’s bed 60:21). Judah and Joseph at that fateful encounter were not only
was quite likely rooted deeply in his subconscious, tied to his being creating the possibility of soul integration for every Jew in the future
conceived in what should have been Rachel’s bed when Jacob slept but were also paving the way to a rectified world and the coming of
with Leah on his wedding night. Mashiach.
This analysis of Reuben’s condition provides us with a crucial
lesson. We simply have no idea how far-reaching the consequences
of our actions, speech, and even thoughts can be. The greater the
person, the greater care he or she must take with regard to action, ££The Spirit of Prophecy and Song
£The Spirit of Prophecy and SongThe Spirit of Prophecy and Song
speech, and thought. While this is true in general, when it comes
to our own children the responsibility is even greater, for children
are deeply affected by their parent’s personality traits, habits, and
attitudes. Children in great measure replicate, compensate, reject, When Jacob first hears the news that Joseph is alive and the vizier of
Egypt, he refuses to believe it. Only when he heard Joseph’s message
or rectify their parents’ histories; they are always, to some degree,
a response to their parents’ thoughts, speech, and actions. Knowing and saw the wagons Joseph had sent to transport him to Egypt
this should give us reason to pause and think twice before speaking, does the Torah relate that “the spirit of their father Jacob revived”
acting, or even thinking. (Genesis 45:27). Rashi, quoting the Midrash Tanchuma, explains
that the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, returned to him. Onkelos,
in his Aramaic translation, translates the “spirit” mentioned in the
verse as the “spirit of prophecy.” Alluding to a rabbinic tradition,
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