בראשית, פרק מ״ו, פסוק כ״ט

The long-awaited reunion between a father and his beloved son, after twenty-two years of agonizing separation and despair, carries profound emotional intensity. This momentous encounter strips away the heavy veil of a painful past, merging the overwhelming splendor of Egyptian royalty with the absolute peak of spiritual devotion.

Driven by eagerness and immense reverence for his father, the primary approach among commentators is that Joseph personally prepared his chariot rather than waiting for his servants to do so [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, צרור המור, מחוקקי יהודה]. This specific action emphasizes his direct, hands-on involvement in tying the horses [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים]. Others suggest he maintained his royal bearing and ordered his servants to prepare the chariot for him, as is customary for kings [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג]. His departure was accompanied by unprecedented royal honor. A massive entourage of ministers and officials went out with him to greet Jacob, mirroring the immense respect later shown when Moses and the Israelites went out to meet Jethro [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה].

The journey toward Goshen involved an upward ascent. Goshen was topographically higher than the rest of Egypt, resting against the border of the Land of Israel, which is considered the highest of all lands. Alternatively, this upward movement simply reflects Joseph stepping up onto his chariot, or descending from Pharaoh's elevated palace [הטור הארוך, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים].

As the two finally approached each other, the primary approach among commentators is that Joseph presented himself to his father [רש״י, מזרחי, ביאור שטיינזלץ, משכיל לדוד]. Because Jacob’s eyes were heavy with age, and Joseph was dressed in royal Egyptian garments and a headdress, the elderly father did not immediately recognize him. Therefore, the narrative highlights the exact moment Joseph drew close enough to be clearly seen and recognized [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, בכור שור]. Some suggest Joseph revealed himself gradually from a distance, emerging slowly from his crowd of servants to avoid startling his elderly father [רד״ק, ספורנו], though others maintain the encounter was completely sudden [אם למקרא]. Another perspective views this initial appearance as a formal, official reception of peace and honor [גור אריה].

In the emotional climax of the meeting, the primary approach among commentators notes that Joseph threw his arms around his father’s neck [רד״ק, הטור הארוך, רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אם למקרא]. However, some question whether it is respectful for a son, even a monarch, to embrace his father in this manner, suggesting it would have been more appropriate for Joseph to bow or kiss Jacob’s hands. Consequently, they argue that it was actually Jacob who fell upon Joseph’s neck [רמב״ן, רבנו בחיי, שד״ל]. Those who disagree counter that precisely because Joseph was a reigning king, setting aside his royal dignity to embrace his father with tears of love was the greatest possible display of honor, far surpassing a formal bow [מזרחי, גור אריה].

The reunion was marked by an extraordinary outpouring of tears. Joseph wept abundantly, far beyond what is typical [רשב״ם, רש״י, מזרחי, חזקוני]. This weeping came in continuous waves, where he would cry, calm down, and then weep again [רד״ק, בכור שור]. In a deeper sense, these tears joined the mourning of the past twenty-two years. With the lost son finally found, tears of immense joy and overwhelming emotion were layered directly upon the old tears of despair and grief [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, מלבי״ם, צאינה וראינה].

While Joseph wept uncontrollably, Jacob remained noticeably silent. A deeply rooted tradition notes that in those exact moments, Jacob neither embraced his son nor wept, but instead recited the Shema [רש״י, רד״ק, חזקוני, פרדס יוסף, צאינה וראינה]. Seeing his beloved son alive and ruling over Egypt flooded Jacob with an intense, earthly love. Fearing this overwhelming affection might eclipse his love for God, Jacob immediately channeled the emotion upward, declaring the unity of God and accepting the yoke of Heaven out of profound gratitude for divine providence [גור אריה, מלבי״ם, העמק דבר, פרדס יוסף, צרור המור]. Others offer a simpler explanation: it was precisely the time for the morning Shema, and Jacob was meticulously careful to recite it exactly at sunrise [בעלי ברית אברם, משכיל לדוד].

This raises the question of why Joseph did not also recite the Shema at that moment. Commentators explain that Joseph was exempt because he was actively engaged in the Commandment of honoring his father [שפתי חכמים, צאינה וראינה, פרדס יוסף]. Alternatively, he had already recited it earlier in the morning before setting out [משכיל לדוד], or he fulfilled his obligation by mentally reciting just the first line out of reverence for his father's presence [גור אריה]. From a completely different, purely physical perspective, Jacob may have refrained from weeping simply to protect his own health, as sudden excitement and excessive joy could be physically dangerous for an elderly man [רלב״ג].