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Dafei Tang

Vayigash – Judah and Joseph

Two Kings

Judah from the House of Leah obtained Kingship, and Joseph from the House of Rachel obtained the birthright, as it is written:

כִּי יְהוּדָה גָּבַר בְּאֶחָיו, וּלְנָגִיד מִמֶּנּוּ; וְהַבְּכֹרָה, לְיוֹסֵף For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came he that is the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s (1 Chronicles 5:2)

 

The gematria of Prince Judah Firstborn Joseph is 475:

Prince Judah Firstborn Joseph נָגִיד יְהוּדָה בְּכֹר יוֹסֵף 475

 

The mid-point number of 475 is 238, which is the same gematria of “and the birthright” וְהַבְּכֹרָה in above verse, 238 is also the gematria of Rachel רָחֵל, the mother of Joseph. This comes to teach us that Joseph is at a higher level than Judah.

This is because the first-born has three forms of prominence, namely, birthright, priesthood, and kingship, which were intended for the children of Israel as a nation, as it is written:

וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים, וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation…(Ex 19:6)

 

It is explained that Kingdom is of kingship, priests are of priesthood, and holy nation is of the firstborn which is to be separated from among the nations.

Astonishingly, the gematria of the phrase “and a holy nation” is 435, which is exactly the sum of “the kingship, and the priesthood, and the birthright”, as follows:

The kingship, and the priesthood, and the birthright הַמְּלוּכָה וְהַכְּהֻנָּה וְהַבְּכֹרָה 435
And a holy nation וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ 435

 

At the individual level, these three titles are embodied in the one person Mashiach, for “The Mashiach the Prince” הַמָּשִׁיחַ הַנָּגִיד in gematria is also 435, which when spelled out in gematria is exactly 1541, the gematria of Israel (the collective level) when Alef is counted as both 1 and 1000, as follows:

 

The Mashiach the Prince הַמָּשִׁיחַ הַנָּגִיד 435
Spelled out הי מם שין יוד חית הי נון גמל יוד דלת 1541
Israel (alef = 1 and 1000) יִשְׂרָאֵל 1541

 

Leah symbolizes the concealed world, but Judah from the House of Leah symbolizes the revealed Mashiach, i.e. Mashiach ben David.

Rachel symbolizes the revealed world, but Joseph from the House of Rachel symbolizes the concealed Mashiach, i.e. Mashiach ben Yosef.

The two Mashiach are one Mashiach revealed at two times. The first coming is the concealed Mashiach, and the second coming is the revealed Mashiach.

Mashiach ben Yosef is concealed, even to this day, until the time of the end when the same Mashiach will be revealed as Mashiach ben David.

The concealed Mashiach as symbolized by Joseph was revealed when Judah came near to him, as it is written:

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen 44:18) וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה 396

 

396 is the gematria of “David son of Jesse” דָּוִיד בֶּן-יִשָׁי, also the gematria of “salvation” הוֹשִׁיעָה, for this is the moment of truth, and the moment of salvation.

Just as the first Judah came near to Joseph to reveal his identity, so did the last Judah came near to Yeshua to reveal his identity, commonly known as the “kiss of Judah”, based on which we can derive the following phrase:

Then Judah kissed him וַיִּשַּׁק-לוֹ יְהוּדָה 482

 

When the two major events in history are juxtaposed as follows, the sum in gematria is 878:

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen 44:18) וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה 396
Then Judah kissed him וַיִּשַּׁק-לוֹ יְהוּדָה 482
  878

 

878 is exact the gematria of the following phrases concerning Mashiach:

Mashiach מָשִׁיחַ spelled out מם שין יוד חית 878
Time of the birth pang of Mashiach עֵת חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ 878
Yesod in Malchut יְסוֹד שֶׁבְּמַלְכוּת 878

 

Yesod in Malchut indeed, for Joseph is of the Sefirah of Yesod, and Judah is of the Sefirah of Malchut, when Judah came near to Joseph (Yeshua), this is liken to “Yesod entering into Malchut”:

Joseph the Yesod, Judah the Malchut יוֹסֵף הַיְסוֹד יְהוּדָה הַמַּלְכוּת 772

 

The average number of the two kings is: 772 / 2 = 386, which is the gematria of Yeshua יֵשׁוּעַ. This comes to teach us that the two Kings are indeed one Mashiach Yeshua.

 

Benjamin

Benjamin is the catalyst that induced the meeting of Judah with Joseph.

Benjamin is of the month of Kislev and Dan is of the month of Tevet, with Miketz and Vayigash connecting the two.

The lamp of Chanukah is to be placed on the left side, which is the side of darkness. As it is written:

בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת When thou lightest the lamps, the seven

lamps shall give light in front of the

candlestick (Num 8:2)

 

The gematria of Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ is exactly the same of Kislev and Tevet, for the light of Chanukah is that which connects the month of Kislev with Tevet:

When thou lightest בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ 527
Kislev, Tevet כִּסְלֵו טֵבֵת 527

 

Benjamin is of the right side, for his name בִּנְיָמִן means “son of the right”, and Dan is of the left side, for his tribe camped on the north side, which is the same concept as the left side, the side of the darkness.

It follows that the union of Joseph and Judah symbolizes the light of Chanukah shining from Kislev to the darkness of Tevet.

Benjamin symbolizes the Holy Temple, which is built in Benjamin’s territory; Dan symbolizes the destruction of the Holy Temple, for the 10th of Tevet marked the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem.

Benjamin therefore represents redemption, for he was born on the way returning to the Land of Israel, and Dan represents exile, for the tribe of Dan is the tribe at the lowest level, the last one in the wilderness procession and also called a snake by Jacob.

Judah ascended to kingship precisely at the moment when he willingly decided to sacrifice for Benjamin at which moment the identity of Joseph is revealed.

What is meant by the free will of man in its final analysis is nothing more than a part and parcel of the Divine plan. For even though the brothers sold Joseph due to their “baseless hatred”, it is nonetheless summarized by Joseph as the plan of God, as it written:

וְעַתָּה, לֹא-אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה, כִּי, הָאֱלֹהִים So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God (Gen 45:8)

 

Likewise, whatever free will the last Judah has used to betray Yeshua by his kiss, it is nonetheless part and parcel of the Divine plan of redemption, for Mashiach ben Yosef must die and be raised from dead, and from that perspective, the last Judah has sacrificed himself in revealing Yeshua to fulfill the will of God.

Parashat Vayigash represents the final redemption, as symbolized by the union of Joseph and Judah, the two Kings becoming one, and two Mashiach being revealed as one, but this is also the same Parashah of exile, as symbolized by the descent of the 70 souls to Egypt.

For the light of Chanukah is the light of Mashiach, but if the light is not accepted, darkness ensued, which is exactly what the month of Tevet came to represent, being the darkest month of the year, representing the longest exile, the exile of Edom, due to the rejection of Mashiach ben Yosef.

Paradoxically, Dan is called a snake נָּחָשׁ, and the son of Dan is called Hushim חֻשִׁים, both in gematria are 358, this is the potential for Mashiach מָשִׁיחַ, as the verse says “sons” instead of “son” alluding to Mashiach.

וּבְנֵי-דָן, חֻשִׁים And the sons of Dan: Hushim (Gen 46:23)

 

According to Arizal, the month of Tevet is the month of Dan but according to Zohar, the month of Tevet is the month of Esau.

According to tradition, Hushim killed Esau on Rosh Chodesh Tevet, symbolizing the conclusion of the final exile, the exile of Edom. “And he killed Edom ” in gematria is the same of “lion with lamb together” which is 626, the gematria of YHVH 26 squared, which is the time when the knowledge of God shall fill the earth:

And he killed Edom וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת-אֱדוֹם 676
Lion with lamb together אַרְיֵה עִם-כֶּבֶשׂ יַחְדָּו 676

 

If the Mashiach is to be concealed, what better place than the Kingdom of Edom? As it is written:

מִי-זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם Who is this that cometh from Edom…(Isa 63:2)

 

This is Mashiach ben David coming out of Edom, or rather disguised in the Kingdom of Edom, to parallel Joseph coming out of Egypt, or disguised in Egypt so his brothers could not recognize him. The gematria of above four words is 156, exactly the same gematria of Joseph יוֹסֵף.

 

The Two are One

The theme of Vayigash is two becoming one:

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen 44:18) וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה 396

 

As explained above, the gematria is 396, the same gematria of “David son of Jesse” דָּוִיד בֶּן-יִשָׁי. When the three words are spelled out, the gematria is 1818, exactly the progressive and regressive revelation of the name Mashiach, as follows:

David son of Jesse דָּוִיד בֶּן-יִשָׁי  
Spelled out דלת וו יוד דלת בית נון יוד שין יוד 1818
מָּשִׁיחַ מ מש משי משיח משי מש מ 1818

 

When David is spelled without the Yud, the gematria of “David son of Jesse” דָּוִד בֶּן-יִשָׁי is 386, the same gematria of Yeshua יֵשׁוּעַ.

The theme of this week’s Haftarah is also about the union of the two, i.e. the tree of Joseph and the tree of Judah:

Tree of Joseph and tree of Judah becoming one tree עֵץ יוֹסֵף וְעֵץ יְהוּדָה לְעֵץ אֶחָד 715

 

The mid-point number of 715 is 358, which is the gematria of Mashiach מָּשִׁיחַ, meaning, the two Mashiach are one.

The tree of Joseph is also represented by the tree of Ephraim, the gematria is 681:

Tree of Ephraim, tree of Judah עֵץ אֶפְרַיִם עֵץ יְהוּדָה 681

 

681 is exactly the gematria of the two Mashiach being one, as follows:

Son of Yosef and son of David is one Mashiach בֵּן יוֹסֵף וּבֶן-דָּוִד לְמָשִׁיחַ אֶחָד 681

 

When the gematria of the two Mashiach is added, the sum is 1417, exactly the gematria of “and the virgin conceived Mashiach”, as follows:

Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David is one Mashiach הַמָּשִׁיחַ בֵּן יוֹסֵף וְהַמָּשִׁיחַ בֵּן-דָּוִיד לִמְשִׁיחַ אֶחָד

 

1417
And the virgin conceived Mashiach וַתַּהַר הַבְּתוּלָה מָּשִׁיחַ 1417

 

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