Vayeshev: From Bundles to Unity: A Lesson from Yosef’s Dream
Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky
This week's parsha, Vayeishev, tells the story of Yosef, one of Yaakov’s youngest children and his favorite. The Torah recounts how this favoritism, symbolized by the special coat Yaakov gave Yosef, led to jealousy among Yosef's brothers. Matters worsened when Yosef shared a dream he had: he and his eleven brothers were gathering bundles of stalks in the field, and the bundles of the brothers stood up and bowed to Yosef's bundle. This infuriated the brothers further, prompting them to exclaim, “Do you think you’ll rule over us and become our king?”
As the story unfolds, Yosef's dream eventually comes true. Years later, after Yosef becomes second in command in Egypt, a famine forces his brothers to descend to Egypt, where Yosef sustains them. This marks the beginning of the Jewish people’s first exile in Egypt.
Today, we too find ourselves in exile, having endured thousands of years since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash (may it be rebuilt speedily in our days!). What lessons can we draw from Yosef's dream, particularly the imagery of the bundles of stalks, to help us understand our mission during this long exile?
Chassidic teachings offer profound insight into this. They explain that the physical world is fractured and splintered by its very nature. The diversity of creation—different peoples, cultures, climates, and countless species of plants and animals—can make the world feel overwhelming and disjointed. Even within our own lives, the multitude of roles and responsibilities—family, work, and personal pursuits—can leave us feeling fragmented and lost.
Our Jewish souls, however, were sent into this world with a purpose: to heal the divide, bridge the gaps, and bring unity to this fragmented reality. The physical world appears disconnected only because it lacks a visible center point that unites everything. Our role is to demonstrate that, despite our differences, we are all working toward a common purpose: to sanctify the world and make it a dwelling place for G-dliness.
Yosef’s dream of binding the stalks into bundles symbolizes this mission. However, there are two approaches to creating these bundles. The first is merely to gather the stalks together into one bundle, keeping them from scattering. While this prevents separation, it does not achieve true unity. The second approach, and the one we strive for, is to actively bring the stalks together—connecting them in a meaningful way and aligning them with a shared purpose.
True unity is not just about keeping disparate elements together; it is about forging a deep, meaningful connection that transcends their differences. This unity must be active and intentional, reflecting the ultimate oneness of G-d that underlies all creation.
From a psychological perspective, this idea resonates with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow originally proposed that self-actualization—realizing one’s own potential—is the highest level of human achievement. However, in his later writings, Maslow introduced an even higher level: self-transcendence.
Self-transcendence goes beyond personal fulfillment; it involves connecting to a purpose greater than oneself. Yosef’s dream illustrates this concept. The bundles bowing to Yosef do not represent mere submission but rather the elevation of the physical and fragmented to align with a higher purpose. This teaches us that true unity is achieved not when we focus solely on self-realization but when we transcend ourselves to serve the greater good.
Exile, with its inherent disunity and disconnection, challenges us to transcend mere survival and even self-actualization. Yosef’s dream of bundles teaches us that through connection, purpose, and self-transcendence, we can elevate the scattered pieces of our lives and the world around us.
May we merit to complete this mission and see the ultimate unity of all creation with the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our days.
Adapted from Life Talks on the Parsha.