QUESTION:
The Sfas Emes says that the argument between Yosef and Yehudah during their confrontation in Egypt was concerning the paths of Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid, and when Yehudah came forwards towards Yosef, it symbolized the unity between the two Mashiachs in the future. The Sfas Emes says that Yosef’s path represents Torah, the mind, while Yehudah represents Tefillah, the heart. Where do we see that Yehudah emphasized the heart, Tefillah? We find that Yehudah established a yeshivah in Goshen, which is Torah, but we do not find how Yehudah emphasized Tefillah. Also, where do we find that Yosef emphasized the mind/Torah more than the heart/Tefillah? If anything, it seems that Yosef was more connected with the heart, because he remained connected to his father’s image while he was in Egypt, and this is a matter of the heart. So how does Yehudah represent the heart (Tefillah) and how does Yosef represent the mind (Torah)?
ANSWER:
Yosef is called the trait of Yesod. The Torah says “These are the offspring of Yaakov, Yosef”, because Yaakov gave over to Yosef everything that he had received in Torah. Of Yosef it was said that he was the wisest ruler – he had great understanding in Torah that surpassed anyone else. Yosef is called the “crown” of his brothers, he is the “head” – a symbol of the mind, Torah. That is what made him worthy also of receiving the firstborn status. Yehudah though is from the word hodaah, which is Tefillah. The last three blessings of Shemoneh Esrei are called hodaah and they are the root of the Shemoneh Esrei. [In Kaballah], Yehudah represents Malchus or Nukva, which is Tefillah. He established a “Bais Talmud”, which actually means Tefillah, because one needs to daven in the place where he learns, Tefillah and Torah together in one place, as the Gemara says that in the place where there is rinah (Tefillah) there should be Torah.
Categories
