The Torah reading וַיִּגַּשׁ Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) explores respect, family responsibility and trust in God. There’s an emphasis on respecting parental authority as a reflection of honoring God and prioritizing obedience to God over obeying human authorities.
The narrative of Yosef (Joseph) in Egypt highlights trust in God amid adversity and concludes with a call to acknowledge and preserve family legacies, discarding traditions violating God’s standards. In this study, we will see that the accounts of Yosef and his older brother Yehudah (Judah) exemplify the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and the importance of standing up against injustice, as well as the intertwining of faith, respect, and moral responsibility across generations.