Return To TorahWeb.org Homepage

After years of separation the Torah describes he emotional reunion of Yosef and Binyamin, "vyapeil al tzavarei binyamin achiv vayeifk uBinyamin bacha al tzavarav - then he fell upon his brother Binaymin's neck and wept, and Binyamin wept upon his neck." The tears shed by Yosef and Binyamin were not merely tears of joy. The Gemara (Megillah 16b) explains that Yosef was crying over the destruction of the first and second Beis Hamikdash which were located in Binyamin's portion of Eretz Yisroel, and Binyamin wept over the destruction of Mishkan Shilo which was found in Yosef's portion. What, however, is the link between this moment of reconciliation and the future destruction of the Beis Hamikdash?

The Ramban explains that the very purpose and essence of the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash was to capture and preserve the exalted moment of kabbolas haTorah. Just as maamad Har Sinai represents a time of intense hashroas haShechina and unity of Klal Yisroel, so too the  Beis Hamikdash embodied these qualities. Without hashroas haShechina and achdus the  Beis Hamikdash could not exist.

The reconciliation of Yosef and his brothers marks a period of harmony and unity. Yet Yosef and Binyamin knew through ruach hakodesh that this ideal condition would not endure. Klal Yisroel would once again exhibit sinas chinam which would result in the destruction of the  Beis Hamikdash. Accordingly, even at this moment of intense joy, Yosef and Binyamin cry over the future destruction of the  Beis Hamikdash.

The theme of unity and redemption is highlighted in the hatorah. Yechezkel hanavi who experienced the churban and joins Bnei Yisroel in Bavel declares,

"hinei ani lokeach es eitz Yosef asher beyad Ephraim vshivte Yisroel chaveiro nosati oasm alav es eitz Yehuda voasisom le-eitz echad vehayu echad beyodi - behold I take the wooden tablet of Yosef which is in Ephraim's hand, and one of the Tribes of Israel his comrades, and shall place them with it together with the wooden tablet of Yehuda, and I will make one wooden tablet and they shall become one in my hand" (37:19)

"vehaya mishkani aleihem vehayisi lahem le-Elokim veheima yeheyu li le-am - My dwelling place shall be upon them and I shall be for a God unto them, and they shall be unto me for a people" (37:27).

A poignant illusion to this reconciliation can be found in the majestic prophecy of Yeshaya Hanavi who describes messianic times, "vesamti kadkod shimshotayich veshaarecha leavni ekdach - I shall make your windows of rubies and your gates of garnets" (54:12). The Gemara (Bava Basra 75a) explains:

" 'vesamti kadkod shimshotayich', amar Rav Shmuel Bar Nachmeini, pleegee trei malachai borokia Gavriel uMichoel, veamri lei trei amorai bemaarava uman inun? Yehuda veChizkiya bnei R' Chiya, chad amar shoham vecahd amar yashfei. Amar lehu Hakadosh Baruch Hu lehavi kedien ukedein - 'I will make your windows of adkod stone.Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini said, two angels in heaven disputed the meaning of kadkod, Gavriel and Michoel, and some say two Amoriam in the west, and who are they, Yehuda and Chizkiya, the sons of R' Chiya. One of them says it is shoham and the other says Jasper. The Holy One Blessed is He said to them let it be both opinions"

What is the significance of the stones shoham and yashfei which would be used to build the walls of Yerushalayim? The choshen of the kohein gadol contained tweleve stones which represented the twelve tribes of Israel.  Shoham and yashfei were the stones which represented Yosef and Binyamin. Perhaps the choice of these stones, " lehavi kedien ukedein", reflects the harmonious reunion of Yosef and his brothers, a prerequisite for the building of the Beis Hamikdash.

May we merit the fulfillment of this glorious prophecy bemeheira beyameinu.