page_title: Vayigash
section_title: First reading — Genesis 44:18–30
hierarchical_section_title: Vayigash / Readings / First reading — Genesis 44:18–30
caption_attribution_description: English: Joseph recognized by his brothers
context_page_description: Vayigash or Vaigash is the eleventh weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 44:18–47:27. In the parashah, Judah pleads on behalf of his brother Benjamin, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, Jacob comes down to Egypt, and Joseph's administration of Egypt saves lives but transforms all the Egyptians into bondmen.
  The parashah is made up of 5,680 Hebrew letters, 1,480 Hebrew words, 106 verses, and 178 lines in a Torah Scroll. Jews read it the eleventh Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in December or early January.
context_section_description: In the first reading (עליה, aliyah), Judah approached Joseph, whom he likened to Pharaoh, and recounted how Joseph had asked the 10 brothers whether they had a father or brother, and they had told him that they had a father who was an old man (Jacob), and a child of his old age who was a little one (Benjamin), whose brother was dead, who alone was left of his mother (Rachel), and whose father loved him. Judah recalled how Joseph had told the brothers to bring their younger brother down to Egypt, they had told Joseph that the lad's leaving would kill his father, but Joseph had insisted. Judah recalled how the brothers had told their father Joseph's words, and when their father had told them to go again to buy a little food, they had reminded him that they could not go down without their youngest brother. Judah recounted how their father had told them that his wife had born him two sons, one had gone out and was torn in pieces, and if they took the youngest and harm befell him, it would bring down his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Judah began to explain to Joseph what would happen if Judah were to come to his father without the lad, seeing that his father's soul was bound up with the lad's. The first reading (עליה, aliyah) ends here.
caption: Joseph identified by his brothers (1789 painting by Charles Thévenin)
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