Torah Classes

Chp. 46 verses 1 - 27: Yaakov visits B'eer Sheva on his way to Egypt. He brings sacrifices to Hashem, who comes to him in a vision at night and tells him that he will be with him and his descendents and that they will be a great nation. He promises him that Yosef will close his eyes when he dies and that he will be buried in the land of Canaan. Yaakov leaves with his whole family of seventy individuals. The Torah then lists them by their mothers.

chp. 45 verses 12 - 28: Yosef instructs his brothers on what to tell his father. He hugs Binyamin and the they cry on each others shoulders. He then kisses his brothers and cries with them. Pharaoh and the people are happy to hear that Yosef and his brothers have been re united. Pharaoh commands Yosef to send wagons to bring his father and all the family to live in Egypt. The brothers return home and they tell Yaakov all that Yosef had said, but he did not believe them. However, when he saw the wagons he realized that Yosef was alive and his spirit was revived and he wanted to go down to Egypt and see Yosef before he died.

Chp. 45 verses 1 - 11: Yosef reveals himself to his brothers and asks them if his father is still alive. They are terrified by his appearance and they back away. He assures them that he means them no harm and that all that had transpired was orchestrated by Hashem. He instructs them on what to say to his father and that they should bring him and all their possessions down to Egypt where they will live close to him and he would support them through the five remaining years of the famine.

Chp. 44 verses 18 - 34: Yehudah makes an impassioned plea to the viceroy to save Binyamin from servitude. He expresses his concern that leaving Binyamin in Eygpt would kill his elderly father. He goes so far as to offer himself as a slave instead of his younger brother.

Chp. 42 verses 1 - 23: Yaakov sends 10 of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. They go there with the intent of locating Yosef and freeing him. Yosef, the viceroy recognizes them but they do not recognize him. He accuses them of being spies and puts them in jail for three days. He decides to free all but one of them on the condition that they return to Egypt with their youngest brother to prove their innocence. Seeing that the viceroy had re evaluated his decision made them re look their lack of compassion for Yosef when they sold him.

Chp. 43 verses 25 -34 chp. 44 verses 1 - 17; The brothers prepare for their meal with Yosef. He sees Binyamin and is moved to tears. He eats and drinks with his brothers. Chp. 44 He has his attendant place his silver cup in the sack of Binyamin. The brothers leave with their sacks filled with grain but are overtaken by Yosef's attendant who accuses them of stealing his masters cup. He searches and finds it in the sack of Binyamin. They all go back to the viceroy and he tells them that they are all free to go but Binyamin will stay as his servant for the theft.

Chap. 41 verses 1 - 13: Introduction, Pharaoh has two dreams and no one is able to interpret them to his satisfaction. The butler finally remembers Yosef to Pharaoh as he promised.

Chp. 41 verses 14 - 41: Yosef interprets Pharaoh's dream. Pharaoh appoints him to the position of viceroy of Egypt, since he sees in him the spirit of G-d.

Chp. 43 verses 1 -24: The famine continues and Yaakov is forced to send his sons back to Egypt for food. Yehuda tells his father that he will personally guarantee Binyamin's safety. Yaakov sends his 11 sons with money and gifts for the viceroy. They come to Egypt and Yosef sees Binyamin. He has them taken to his house for a meal. They go but are very uneasy thinking that he may only want to put them back in prison. Yosef's attendant assures them that everything was fine and he brings out Shimon. They follow the attendant into the house and he gives them water and food for their animals.

Chp. 42 verses 24 - 38: Yosef sends the brothers home to Canaan with sacks of grain. He keeps Shimon as a prisoner until they return with Binyamin, however he releases him as soon as they leave. On the way home Levi finds the money that he payed for his grain in his sack. The brothers are concerned. They tell Yaakov all that happened in Egypt; about Shimon's incarceration and that they would have to bring Binyamin down to Egypt. They all find their money in their sacks and they are frightened. Ruevain guarantees to bring back Binyamin and he offers the lives of two of his sons as collateral. Yaakov refuses to send him and bemoans his fate.