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It is one of the saddest, and at the same time one of the most heartwarming, moments in the Torah. At the very end of the book of Bereishit, Yosef’s brothers are concerned that with Yaakov no longer living, Yosef will finally take the opportunity to get even with them for all they had done to him. The brothers proclaim:
לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָּמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ
What if Yosef still bears a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrong that we did him.
And so, they approach Yosef and tell him that before Yaakov died he told them:
כֹּה־תֹאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף אָנָּא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי־רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ
So shall you say to Yosef, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers who treated you so harshly…
Rashi quotes the midrash and the gemara, which both state that Yaakov had never actually said this, but we learn: מוּתָּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לְשַׁנּוֹת בִּדְבַר הַשָּׁלוֹם—it is permitted for a person to depart from the truth in order to bring peace. The brothers’ made-up conversation with Yaakov goes to show just how concerned they were for their own welfare. It is sad that even after all this time, they were still afraid of their own brother. They still believed that the peace he made with them was a cold peace. They still thought that he was just waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on them for what they had done to him years earlier. That is the sad part.
The heartwarming part comes in Yosef’s response:
וַיֵּבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו
And Yosef wept as they spoke to him.
Yosef went on to assure his brothers that he had no ill intentions towards them. “Fear not, for am I in the place of God… you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Yosef had said similar words to his brothers years earlier when he first revealed who he was, but he obviously had been unable to convince them that he was sincere. Was it any different now? The Torah tells us clearly:
וַיְנַחֵם אוֹתָם וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לִבָּם
He comforted them, and he spoke to their hearts.
Yosef has comforted his brothers. This time they believe that Yosef genuinely forgives them. He has succeeded in touching their hearts and in truly offering them comfort. This moment is the moment of true reconciliation and healing. It is a moment of closeness and love, reunion and comfort. And this moment is highlighted in the midrash and repeated every single year on this Shabbat of comfort, Shabbat Nachamu.
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי
Comfort, oh comfort My people
דַּבְּרוּ עַל־לֵב יְרוּשָׁלִַם
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
The Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 100:9) noticed the similar themes that can be found in this Haftorah and in the Yosef story; themes of offering comfort and speaking to the heart. The Midrash comments:
וַיְדַבֵּר עַל לִבָּם…וַיְנַחֵם אוֹתָם. וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמַה יּוֹסֵף שֶׁדִּבֵּר דְּבָרִים רַכִּים עַל לִבָּן שֶׁל שְׁבָטִים כָּךְ נִחֲמוֹ, לִכְשֶׁיָּבוֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְנַחֵם אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה מ, א): נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי וגו’.
“He (Yosef) spoke to their heart” …“He comforted them.” The matters may be inferred a fortiori: If Yosef, who spoke gentle words to the heart of the tribes, was able to comfort them so, when the Holy One blessed be He will come to comfort Jerusalem, all the more so. That is what is written: “Comfort, comfort My people…”
Just as Yosef comforted his brothers by speaking to their hearts, so too God comforts Jerusalem by speaking to her heart. If Yosef was able to comfort his brothers, how much more-so must God be able to comfort Jerusalem. If Yosef could forgive his brothers, how much more-so must God have the capacity to forgive us. Jerusalem is the heart of the Jewish people and when God speaks to it, God also speaks to us.
God speaks to us on this Shabbat and offers us words of comfort and consolation. Let us imagine Yosef gently and tenderly convincing his brothers that the time for reconciliation has come. It is time to move forward with love and connection. God is offering Jerusalem, God is offering us, those same sentiments on this Shabbat. May our hearts be open to hearing God’s words and may Am Yisrael, Jerusalem, and Eretz Yisrael truly find nechama on this Shabbat.
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