The Torah records that Yosef’s brothers met with Pharaoh, that Yaakov subsequently met with Pharaoh, and that it was Yosef who arranged these meetings. (Bereshis 46:31-47:10)

Why did Yosef’s brothers meet with Pharaoh first? Would it not have been more proper and respectful toward Yaakov for him to precede his sons in meeting with Pharaoh? Why did Yaakov’s sons precede him in this matter?

The simple answer is that it was first necessary to secure Pharaoh’s commitment for B’nei Yisroel to be granted residence in Goshen, in order to establish a distinct and homogeneous Jewish neighborhood in Mitzrayim. Pharaoh’s commitment to this critical and urgent need had to be requested by Yosef’s brothers, who were at that point in time the chief shepherds of B’nei Yisroel and could ably demonstrate their need for residence in Goshen, which was prime pasture land. Only after being granted this request could the other introductions and meetings, such as Yaakov’s audience with Pharaoh, occur.

While it is obvious from the Torah that securing Pharaoh’s commitment to grant B’nei Yisroel residence in Goshen was critical, and we read of Yosef’s detailed prepping of his brothers before meeting with Pharaoh in order to persuade Pharaoh to consent to this plan (ibid. 46:32-34), it is odd that such effort was really necessary. After all, Pharaoh himself had already told Yosef, “Take your father and your households and come to me here, and I will give you the choicest of the Land of Egypt, and you shall eat of the fat of the Land…Take wagons to transport your families and wives, and bring your father here. And do not worry about your possessions, for the best of Egypt will be yours.” (Ibid. 45:18-20)

Seeing that Pharaoh had already consented to grant B’nei Yisroel prime residence in Mitzrayim and to provide them with the maximal bounty of his country, why did Yosef need to scheme with his brothers in order to convince Pharaoh to grant them residence in Goshen? It would seem that residence in any part of the country with its unlimited bounty upon demand had already been promised by Pharaoh. Why was there a need to now start from scratch and persuade Pharaoh to do that which he had already promised?

As midrashim and commentators have noted, Pharaoh and his nation only extended special courtesies to Yosef and his family as long as Yosef’s services were needed. After Yosef’s management of the years of famine was completed, Pharaoh was no longer on close personal terms with Yosef. As soon as Yosef and his brothers passed away, Egypt’s enslavement of B’nei Yisroel commenced. In short, Egypt’s professed benevolent relationship with Yosef and his family was in truth purely utilitarian.                          

Yosef thus knew that, despite Pharaoh’s grand and broad initial promises to grant B’nei Yisroel everything that Mitzrayim had to offer, it would be necessary to scheme and persuade in order for Pharaoh to keep his word. It is for this reason that before introducing Yaakov Avinu to Pharaoh, Yosef had to first secure proper and critical residence for B’nei Yisroel in Mitzrayim, and he therefore presented his brothers to Pharaoh to plead this case prior to doing anything else. Only after this task was accomplished was Yaakov Avinu’s audience with Pharaoh, which should have been the first item on the agenda, able to occur.

Based upon this understanding, we can perhaps gain new insight into an event recorded earlier in the parshah. As soon as Yaakov Avinu was told that Yosef was alive, he was determined to see Yosef, and he traveled southward toward Mitzrayim. “And he came to Beer Sheva and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Yitzchak.” (Ibid. 46:1) Midrashim and commentators ask why Yaakov traveled specifically to Beer Sheva to offer korbonos, and why the korbonos were offered “to the God of his father Yitzchak”, whereas the Torah typically states “the God of Avrohom and Yitzchak” (or the reverse).

In Parshas Toldos, the Torah describes the disputes between Yitzchak Avinu and Avimelech and the arguments between Yitzchak’s and Avimelech’s servants, all relating to the wells of Avrohom Avinu which were taken over by Avimelech and his nation and the resentment toward Yitzchak on the part of Avimilech. Rather than attempt to appease Avimelech, Yitzchak was firm, and in the end, it was Avimilech and his general who came to Yitzchak in appeasement. This occurred in Beer Sheva. (Ibid. 26:13-33)

When Yaakov stopped at Beer Sheva on his way to Mitzrayim “and offered korbonos to the God of his father Yitzchak”, Yaakov sought to connect with the legacy that Yitzchak created at Beer Sheva. Yaakov knew that his trek to Mitzrayim and his family’s stay there would elicit all types of challenges from the Egyptians. Mitzrayim was the world center of hedonism, and its values clashed head-on with those of Yaakov and his family. Whereas Pharaoh externally expressed benevolence and refinement, Yaakov knew that it was a façade for utilitarianism and personal needs and desires. In order to prepare for the value clash that his family was about to experience in Mitzrayim, and as a means of inoculation for the challenges of Pharaoh, Yaakov needed the inspiration and fortitude as exemplified by his father Yitzchak at Beer Sheva when dealing with Avimelech, for Avimelech’s quest for personal gratification and his internal lack of proper values were akin to those of Pharaoh. Yaakov sought to draw from his father’s example and legacy at Beer Sheva of uncompromising steadfastness, in order to be ready for similar challenges in Egypt. This is why he stopped to sacrifice at Beer Sheva on his way to Mitzrayim and thereupon invoked the name of the God of his father Yitzchak.

One of the most difficult aspects of life in the greater world for the Jew to assimilate and absorb is the lack of integrity and truth among many people and systems. Whereas the Torah teaches us honesty, and we are born with a Divinely-ordained desire for truth, the outside world often seeks anything but truth, and words and promises are only meaningful to the extent that they feed a self-serving agenda. This lack of emes can influence the Torah Jew and result in religious dilution, compromise and destruction. It can devalue Torah observance and utterly strip the Jew of his integrity and his pure commitment to Hashem.

Yaakov, in his wisdom, and drawing from the lessons of his father Yitzchak, was aware of the acute challenges to his value system which Mitzrayim would pose. Yosef, following the ways of Yaakov, acted upon this concern by orchestrating his brothers’ session with Pharaoh and giving it utmost priority.

May we too draw from the example and inspiration of the Avos as we continue our mission to hold fast to and promulgate Torah, with Hashem’s help.