The words, "Then Yehudah approached (Vayigash) him," describe an occurrence which took place in three different worlds:
a.) The perceived reality-Yehudah was approaching the viceroy of Egypt, who was capable of deciding the future of Yehudah and his entire family.
b.) The reality-that the viceroy of Egypt was none other than Yosef, Yehudah's brother.
c.) The mystical reality-Yehudah approaching Yosef represents a Jew approaching God in prayer (Bereishis Rabah - 93:6; Ohr Hatorah, Vayigash 349a).
There is a principle that all the interpretations to any given verse are connected. In our case, the perceived reality is that the Jewish people are in exile and are subjugated to the gentile nations. In truth, however, the Jewish people are impervious to exile and they have the ability to rise above it-rather like the "reality" in our Parsha that Yosef, a Jew, was the ruler of Egypt.
How does a Jew muster the strength and the courage to lift himself from the perceived reality to reality? The answer is: via the mystical reality.
In our case, when a Jew approaches God in prayer, he reveals his inner bond with the Almighty, which gives him the ability to rise above the challenges of exile-and to succeed.
(Based on Sichas Shabbos Parshas Vayigash 5751)
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