Vayigash

Veahavta Et Hashem Elokeicha .

Yosef “hitched” his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Yisroel; he presented

himself to him and, embracing him around the neck, he wept on his neck a good while.

Rashi explains: He himself harnessed the horses because he was eager to show honor

to his father. Yosef appeared before his father. The phrase and he cried signifies

excessive crying. However, Yaakov did not fall upon Yosef’s neck nor did he kiss him.

Chazal say: the reason was: that he was reciting Shema.The question has been asked:

did that happen to be the time to say shema or was there perhaps a different reason at

that moment to say it, and if so, why didn’t Yosef also say shema?

In order to answer this, there is another question that must be asked: what is Rashi

adding by telling us that Yosef came within view of his father? Isn’t that obvious?The Or

Yahel explains that Rashi was bothered by this exact question: why is the Torah telling

us that he came within the view of his father, the Torah already said that Yosef prepared

his chariot and went to his father. What else would have happened? At the very least,

Yaakov must have seen him when Yosef fell on his neck?To this, Rashi is explaining as

follows: let us consider the scenario from both perspectives, Yaakov’s and Yosef’s.

What was going through Yosef’s mind at that very moment? “Twenty-two years since

the last time that I saw my father… Wasn’t that his question to his brothers? “How is

your father?” And once again, after the great reveal, his very first words, “Is my father

still alive?” Without a question, Yosef was desperate to see his father again! Yaakov’s

perspective must have been similar as he had also not seen Yosef for twenty-two years.

In fact, upon finally seeing Yosef, Yaakov proclaimed, Now I can die, having seen for

myself that you are still alive. Yosef surely had the same feelings as his father’s .

Now upon finally reaching the moment of seeing each other, Yosef put both thoughts in

front of himself: his own feelings and thoughts of his father’s feelings. But which thought

was the dominant one? The Torah informs us that Yosef didn’t wait for his servants to

arrange his carriage because he was eager to honor his father. From there, he went as

quickly as possible to Goshen towards Yaakov, his father, i.e. every action was directed

at his father, meaning, for his father’s honor. When he finally arrived, of course he

wanted to see his father, but the Torah testifies that he presented himself in front of his

father. It was as if Yosef had no part in this meeting, for all his thoughts were bent on his

father. Instead of “selfishly” thinking of himself and his own needs, he thought, “what

about my father?” “I shall make this moment about him and not about me.”

The Shaarei Orah expands on this to explain Yaakov’s recital: Chazal state in Masechet

Kallah (3:19) Subordinate your will to the will of Hashem; for so we find that Yaakov did

not kiss Yosef. Why did he not kiss him? He thought that, since he was away from

home, women may have led him astray because of his beauty; as it is written, And he

presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck.

What an incredible thought! Yaakov so desperately wants to see his son; hold him; hug

him and kiss him. However, because Yaakov does not know what his spiritual status is,

he will not allow himself to kiss him until he is certain. Yaakov was placing the smallest

details of halacha and kedusha in front of his own feelings. He was sacrificing the love

of his own son for the love of Hashem. At that very moment, the actions of Yaakov

Avinu were shouting out loud- You shall love Hashem with all your heart and with all

your soul and with all your might. Yaakov was demonstrating that the greatest love that

one can have is the love of Hashem, that's why he began reciting the shema.

And why did Yosef not also recite the shema at that moment? The answer is the same:

Yosef wanted to see his father and fill that desperate void. However, Yosef had a

mitzvah in front of him that he would first look after. That was the mitzvah of Kibbud Av.

By putting Hashem’s mitzvots before his own personal feelings, Yosef was indeed

reciting the most beautiful shema possible.

In their own way, both Yaakov and Yosef “said” shema at that meeting. How so? By

giving over their feelings of love first to Hashem and only afterwards for themselves thus

fulfilling “ Veahavta Et Hashem “ .