The Daily Chizzuk by Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – Why didn’t Yosef want to meet Yaakov?
Monday, 8 Adar-Bet 5784
“In my good fortune! For women have deemed me fortunate!” (Bereishit 30:13) — it is written that the women in the tribe of Asher were not Niddot [impure from menstrual blood].
The daughters of Asher merited that only Kohanim married them. The Kohanim only took wives from Asher, who were so modest, who never had an impure thought at all – none; no thought on some young man, absolutely nothing.
The daughters of Asher were so pure and pristine, that they did not even have niddah. During the entire First Temple period, there were no niddot amongst Asher.
And regarding Serach bat Asher, it is written that she entered with her body into the Garden of Eden, because she played on the harp in order to announce to Yaakov that Yosef was alive.
If a person plays on the harp, he will enter with his body to the Garden of Eden, like Serach bat Asher, who played on the harp. Because whoever would say to Yaakov that Yosef was alive, would die on the spot.
In Pesikta – Chelek 1 – Parsha 3, it is written that Yosef did not want to meet with his father Yaakov. This is incomprehensible; here, Yosef was the most faithful son. He was also angry at his father for not burying his mother with all the matriarchs.
Yosef also did not meet him, and Yaakov said, “I know that you are angry at me.” Such anger he had at his father. At the time of the death of Rachel, he was an eight-year-old child. Now he is thirty.
At the age of seventeen, they sold him, and when Rachel died, he was a child of eight, nine. He said to Yaakov, “Abba, bury Ema now. You couldn’t, you were poor.” Yaakov rode on donkeys. Today, there is a Mercedes, airplanes.
Yosef didn’t tell Yaakov because he was afraid of his resentment, but Serach bat Asher rectified this when she played on the harp and announced to Yaakov [that Yosef was still alive].
