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This week's Parashah is highlighted by a couple of family reunions. First, Yosef finally reveals himself to his brothers, and then later, when Yaakov has that special reconnection with his son Yosef. Towards the build up of Ya’akov and Yosef’s embrace after years of longing for one another, Yosef sends his beloved father a sign.
When the brothers came back to Ya’akov Avinu they brought back wagons from Yosef. The Pesukim describe that when Ya’akov saw those wagons his spirit of life was revived.
What was it about those wagons that triggered this new sense of life for Ya’akov?
Rashi quotes that it was a Siman, a sign from Yosef that this was the last topic that the two were learning together before Yosef went missing. They were learning the Sugya of Eglah Aruphah, and that is why Yosef sent wagons, to remind Ya’akov that he was holding on to that last precious Chavrutah he had with his father.
The Da’at Zekainim reject Rashi and say that Agalot are wagons and Eglah Aruphah are not wagons, but calves. The Da’at Zekainim goes on to suggest that the last Sugya the two learned together was not about calves and the Eglah Aruphah, but about wagons.
Ya’akov and Yosef learned together the Parashah from Nasso about wagons. They were learning about what we just read this past week of Chanukah that the Nissi’im who brought oxen and wagons to transport the Mishkan.
What is unique about the wagons the Nissi’im brought to the Mishkan that gave Yaakov so much life?
The Nissi’im donating the Agalot and the oxen was so special because they each had their own Shevet. Each Shevet had their own uniqueness and individuality. Normally this brings about competition. The Nissi’im however, all got together and decided that even though we are all different, we want to all bring the same exact Korban. They all worked together to make sure they all brought the same Korban.
The Brothers mistake and failure was that everyone needed to be better than everyone else.
Yosef was sending a message to Ya’akov. We learned what you were trying to teach me the last day we spent together. We can all be great and all be leaders in our own right without trying to one up the next person.
The brothers learned the lesson the hard way, but Yosef was telling his father that we are now ready to live all together.
We can all give the same wagon, we can all give the same Korban on Chanukah, we can escape the fighting and competition and realize we are actually better when we are united and working together.