When Judah went to Egypt - Miketz

KMTT's podcast about the weekly portion is delivered this week by rabbi Ezra Bick - next week regular rabbi Chanoch Waxman will return. Bick neatly continues where Waxman left off last week. We continue to discuss the position of Judah among his brothers. Like last week, we try to discover where Judah becomes the primus inter pares.

In Parshat Miketz (or Mikeitz), hunger strikes Canaan and a travel to Egypt is needed. The brothers should go, but among them, should Benjamin come along? Eventually he must, but how to persuade Jacob, who is already heartbroken for the loss of Joseph. The oldest, Ruben, takes a try, but does not succeed.

It is from here that Judah takes the lead. Judah convinces Jacob and the whole bunch journeys to Egypt. In the next parasha (vayigash) Joseph will play his trick on Benjamin and Judah will proceed his leading role, as Ezra Bick explains. More next week from rabbi Waxman.