Parsha_Push Parshat Vayigash

Once a student asked me whether my conception of God is the same as the philosophers’ God. I answered her that on an intellectual level, perhaps God is transcendent and unknowable as philosophers believe, but on a practical level, I believe that God chose to reveal Himself to the people of Israel and create a relationship with them. How do these things connect? It’s beyond my comprehension, but that’s okay – only God has the answers.

As part of the question about God’s relationship with the world, and even before that as part of proving God’s existence, there’s the famous parable of the King of India by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in the Kuzari. According to the ‘Friend’ in the book, a person would believe in the existence of the King of India thanks to the gifts that arrive from him and testify to his existence. As with everything in Judaism (and in general), whether this parable is convincing is also subject to debate (as is the nature of God reflected in the parable).

In our Torah portion, a similar example appears when Jacob doesn’t believe Joseph is alive until he sees the wagons loaded with goods. Joseph’s wagons are like the gifts from the King of India, convincing the doubting person of the existence of a reality they had previously struggled to imagine. Like in the King of India parable, the wagons announce not only Joseph’s existence but also Joseph’s choice to reach out and create a connection with his father.

Does the fact that the King of India / Joseph the ruler of Egypt send gifts determine that there will be a an ongoing connection and gifts will always arrive? Not necessarily. We don’t have to draw conclusions about the frequency of the connection. We also don’t have to conclude how pleasant the relationship will be. Sometimes the master of the land will test those who come to seek his protection, putting them through difficult periods as part of long-term plans that may not always be pleasant in the short term. Nevertheless, the mere belief in the connection is an important element of faith that even revives and strengthens the spirit, as we can learn from Jacob our forefather.