Creating the Light of Moshiach in the Darkness
Vayeshev
In Parshas Vayeshev we read about the sale of Yosef by his brothers, which caused tremendous pain to Yosef and his father. Immediately afterwards, the Torah digresses to tell us about events in Yehudah’s personal life, concluding the birth of 2 sons Peretz and Zerach.
The Midrash teaches that at the time the brothers sold Yosef into slavery, Yosef was occupied with his fasting and sackcloth (mourning). Reuven was involved in his fasting and sackcloth… Yaakov was involved in his fasting and sackcloth. What was Hashem doing throughout all of this? He was creating the light of Moshiach.
What is the connection between the fasting and sackcloth of these Tzaddikim and the creation of the light of Moshiach? Surely there was a better and more appropriate time for Hashem to bring forth the light of Moshiach than at the time the sons of Yaakov were mourning together with their father?
The Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk presents an explanation, based on the principle in Jewish philosophy that nothing can emerge to its full and true actualisation without there first being an absolute state of absence or negation (העדר) and a state of nothingness. As our sages teach, “absence comes before creation.” The absence itself serves as the cause of the creation that follows it.
We see this dynamic at the beginning of Creation. The creation of light came as a result of the darkness that preceded it as it says; “the earth was empty of void” and then “Hashem said let there be light”. This is because the existence of the preceding darkness is the cause of the light.
Similarly, it says “and it was evening and it was morning.” This means that from the evening (darkness) we come to the morning (light) that follows it. Likewise, we say in Davening “He forms light and creates darkness.” Through first creating darkness, the light of morning can then emerge.
Like the act of Creation, the existence of the light that Hashem showers on a person also only comes when it is preceded by a state of darkness.
This is also the meaning of how Hashem conducts Himself towards the Jewish people in our Exile, where we experience constant suffering and misery. It is only through this darkness that He will save us and bring us to the great light of Redemption.
This is why the Neviim liken Golus to the birth pangs of labour. Yishayahu cried out “Like a woman with child approaching childbirth, writhing and screaming in her pangs, so are we become because of You, O Lord”.
A woman in labour does not give birth and experience Hashem’s salvation before her birth pains reach their crescendo. So too in our Exile we have suffered and no longer have strength to ‘give birth’ and are awaiting our salvation.
This is the idea of Moshiach. Our sages taught that on the day that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Moshiach was born. On the day that Hashem thought to destroy the wall of Yerushalaim, He began building the Third Beis Hamikdash. Since the day of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash was the greatest day of tears and mourning, on that very day, from that darkness and negation, Moshiach emerges.
With this we can understand the Midrash quoted above. Peretz and Zerach both allude to Moshiach. Peretz is the ancestor of Dovid Hamelech from whom Moshiach will descend. Zerach, meaning to shine, represents the light of Moshiach. With their birth, in a time of deep sadness, Hashem was initiating the beginning of our Redemption.
And so it was specifically at the time of that great darkness, where the entire family of Yaakov were suffering, fasting and wearing sackcloth, then “the light shone in the darkness for the upright”, when Hashem brought forth the light of Moshiach, Bimheira Beyameinu Amen.
The Midrash teaches that at the time the brothers sold Yosef into slavery, Yosef was occupied with his fasting and sackcloth (mourning). Reuven was involved in his fasting and sackcloth… Yaakov was involved in his fasting and sackcloth. What was Hashem doing throughout all of this? He was creating the light of Moshiach.
What is the connection between the fasting and sackcloth of these Tzaddikim and the creation of the light of Moshiach? Surely there was a better and more appropriate time for Hashem to bring forth the light of Moshiach than at the time the sons of Yaakov were mourning together with their father?
The Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk presents an explanation, based on the principle in Jewish philosophy that nothing can emerge to its full and true actualisation without there first being an absolute state of absence or negation (העדר) and a state of nothingness. As our sages teach, “absence comes before creation.” The absence itself serves as the cause of the creation that follows it.
We see this dynamic at the beginning of Creation. The creation of light came as a result of the darkness that preceded it as it says; “the earth was empty of void” and then “Hashem said let there be light”. This is because the existence of the preceding darkness is the cause of the light.
Similarly, it says “and it was evening and it was morning.” This means that from the evening (darkness) we come to the morning (light) that follows it. Likewise, we say in Davening “He forms light and creates darkness.” Through first creating darkness, the light of morning can then emerge.
Like the act of Creation, the existence of the light that Hashem showers on a person also only comes when it is preceded by a state of darkness.
This is also the meaning of how Hashem conducts Himself towards the Jewish people in our Exile, where we experience constant suffering and misery. It is only through this darkness that He will save us and bring us to the great light of Redemption.
This is why the Neviim liken Golus to the birth pangs of labour. Yishayahu cried out “Like a woman with child approaching childbirth, writhing and screaming in her pangs, so are we become because of You, O Lord”.
A woman in labour does not give birth and experience Hashem’s salvation before her birth pains reach their crescendo. So too in our Exile we have suffered and no longer have strength to ‘give birth’ and are awaiting our salvation.
This is the idea of Moshiach. Our sages taught that on the day that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Moshiach was born. On the day that Hashem thought to destroy the wall of Yerushalaim, He began building the Third Beis Hamikdash. Since the day of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash was the greatest day of tears and mourning, on that very day, from that darkness and negation, Moshiach emerges.
With this we can understand the Midrash quoted above. Peretz and Zerach both allude to Moshiach. Peretz is the ancestor of Dovid Hamelech from whom Moshiach will descend. Zerach, meaning to shine, represents the light of Moshiach. With their birth, in a time of deep sadness, Hashem was initiating the beginning of our Redemption.
And so it was specifically at the time of that great darkness, where the entire family of Yaakov were suffering, fasting and wearing sackcloth, then “the light shone in the darkness for the upright”, when Hashem brought forth the light of Moshiach, Bimheira Beyameinu Amen.