Parashat Vayigash begins with the long-awaited face-to-face encounter between Joseph and Judah. After 22 years of regret over that fateful day when Joseph was sold, Joseph is facing his persecutors and is about to go head-to-head with Judah, whom they all recognize as their leader. Seemingly it is only Joseph that is fully aware of the stakes. Still, Judah is also painfully aware that Benjamin’s life hangs in the balance, as does the wholeness of Jacob’s family and the future of the Jewish people. It is not surprising then that so much meaning has been ascribed to this encounter and that its symbolism has been developed in many different directions. At the literal level, Judah’s encounter with Joseph symbolizes the coming together of the two most important forces in the Jewish people—forces that a few centuries later would split the nation in two: the Northern and Southern kingdoms. The Haftarah—the selection from the Prophets—was chosen to reflect the reunification of Joseph and Judah, as Ezekiel is instructed by God:
And you, O’ son of man, take a stick and write on it “Of Judah and the Israelites associated with him.” Take another stick and write on it, “Of Joseph, the tree of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel associated with him.” Bring them close to each other so they become one stick, joined together in your hand.[1]
Beyond its national symbolism, Judah approaching Joseph carries profound meaning in Divine service (avodat HaShem). It symbolizes the need for the unification of distinct approaches to serving the Creator.
In this week’s partzuf, we will look at some of the main interpretations given to the role of Joseph and Judah and the meaning of their encounter and place them in a unifying model.
Relating to a Tzaddik, Relating to God
Before we begin, let us consider what is probably the most obvious symbolism in Joseph and Judah’s meeting. Joseph is known as Joseph the Tzaddik. Thus, the words, “Judah approached Joseph” can refer to every Jew approaching a tzaddik without any intermediaries or barriers. Just as a true tzaddik is not seen as a barrier between the individual and God, so too, there should be no barrier between the individual and the tzaddik.
In light of this principle, which we first learn from Moses, whose self-nullification ensures that he does not get in the way of an individual’s connection with God, we find Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaching that, the words Judah spoke to Joseph, he simultaneously addressed heavenward, “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant….”
The Chatam Sofer expands on this idea, as does the Izbicer Rebbe. They suggest that when a Jew speaks, regardless of who they are addressing, they should have the intention that, in essence, they are speaking with God. This was the approach taken by all the tzaddikim, the disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov.
Crown: Pleasure in the Divine and Acceptance of the Yoke
There are a number of different interpretations that correspond to the crown in its complexity. In general, Joseph and Judah represent pleasure and will, the interior and exterior parts of the crown known as Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin.
Joseph represents the interior aspect of the crown, the Divine delight or pleasure in serving God referred to as “the Head of Nothingness” (Reisha deAyin). A person who attains this state experiences a (paradoxical) revelation of the true being, and this can even be sensed by the physical body. For example, it is told of the great tzaddik, Rebbe Nachum of Chernobyl, although he lived in extreme poverty and had almost nothing to eat, his body became physically robust and fat from the Divine pleasure he experienced in responding with fervor, “Amen, yehei shemei rabbah mevorach.”
Judah represents the exterior aspect of the crown, Divine will, which manifests as the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, serving God beyond reason and intellect. So, while Joseph reflects the Divine pleasure that transcends understanding, Judah reflects the unwavering commitment and submission to God’s will, also beyond intellect and comprehension. This means that Judah represents a submission to the Divine will that is not an intense emotional longing but rather the simple will of a faithful servant who exists solely to fulfill the will of their master, without any other considerations. It is not driven by a passionate emotional desire to nullify oneself and be included in God but instead by the straightforward will of a true servant. This servant has nothing in life other than his master, and his entire being is directed toward fulfilling the master’s will. This is undoubtedly a service that transcends reason and understanding—it is inherently Jewish.
Which is higher: acceptance of the yoke or Divine pleasure? This is a deep question explored extensively in Chassidic teachings, particularly in Chabad. Each has a unique advantage over the other. But in truth, they need to work together. Divine pleasure is akin to light, while submission to Divine will serves as its vessel. “Judah approached him” reflects the dynamic in which kabbalat ol pleads and entreats Divine pleasure, the force that actualizes goodness in the world; Divine pleasure is the “king” in this dynamic, and everything flows according to its decree. However, Judah’s submission and acceptance of Joseph’s sovereignty act as the foundation and vessel that makes it possible to capture the pleasure of the Divine allowing it to be revealed and ensuring that God’s beneficence is expressed in all creation.
Crown: Exile and Redemption
Expanding on this idea, it is written[2] that Joseph’s pleasure is akin to the verse in the Song of Songs, “How beautiful and how pleasant is pleasurable love”[3] (אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים). Joseph, even when he is in prison, enduring suffering in Egypt, remains in a state of inner joy and Divine pleasure. No matter where he finds himself—even in the pit with snakes and scorpions or confined in prison—he experiences Divine success and pleasure in his path.
In contrast, Judah often willingly places himself in peril. Like Joseph, his life is filled with trials, challenges, and hardships. But unlike Joseph, Judah does not experience Divine pleasure, even though he yearns for it with all his being. In the Song of Songs, Judah’s state is described as, “I am love-sick”[4] (חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי). As such, Joseph represents the Jew in times of redemption, such as during the existence of the Temple, when we can experience Divine pleasure. Judah, on the other hand, represents the Jewish people in exile, longing and yearning for divine closeness.
Chasidut teaches that there is more of the essence revealed during exile. This is one of the great innovations of the Ba’al Shem Tov: the longing and thirst for God in exile surpass the satisfaction of redemption. The Ba’al Shem Tov explains this with regard to the verse “So, too, I have seen You in the sanctuary”[5]: If only, when I return to the Beit HaMikdash, I could retain the same yearning I felt in the wilderness, in a dry and parched land without water.
In this light, Judah approaching Joseph reflects exile approaching redemption. Both are rooted in the crown. The root of redemption is in Divine pleasure (אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים), while the root of exile in the will of the crown (חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי) whose root is in the highest part of the crown, faith. According to this interpretation, the encounter of Judah and Joseph speaks directly to us in our time known as ikveta deMashicha—the footsteps of the Messiah. It describes the moment when exile reaches out to unite with redemption—Judah approached him.” This is happening in our time, right now.
Unity and Multiplicity
If Judah symbolizes the Jew in exile—a Jew characterized by self-sacrifice, acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, and adherence to mitzvot not for personal gratification but purely out of submission to God’s will—then Judah also reflects the state of “I am asleep,” which relates to exile. Nonetheless, even in this state of sleep in exile, “my heart is awake” which suggests some level of awareness, it is like someone asleep but experiencing a vivid dream—ultimately, they are still asleep.
In contrast, Joseph represents the Jew who is fully awake. Joseph symbolizes the Jew in redemption, one who is spiritually awake and alive, experiencing true delight and joy in Divine service.
Now the difference between them is that a person who is awake perceives all the details of reality, everything they experience around them, as a unified whole. Just as when the body functions, one experiences it as a single cohesive entity without focusing on individual organs. Interestingly, the hallmark of being awake is perceiving the world as unified. What is sleep? A sleeping person experiences every phenomenon in the world as separate and disconnected. They live in a reality of multiplicity. In contrast, the hallmark of being awake is living in a reality of unity and harmony. Thus, if a person truly feels separation in the world they live in, it is a sign they are spiritually asleep.
A person doesn’t always know whether he is awake or asleep. However, according to these teachings, there is a clear sign: if the world appears as one unified whole, you are awake. If you see the world as filled with contradictions, with phenomena that are different and conflicting, it is a sign you are asleep.
Indeed, it is written that the essence of a dream is the coexistence of opposites, constant contradictions. And yet, in this state, Judah demonstrates simple acceptance of the yoke of Heaven and performs mitzvot with the mindset of “they were not given for personal enjoyment.” Joseph, however, operates on an entirely different level. He sees the same reality but perceives it as a unified whole. For Joseph, everything he sees, everything that happens, is one picture reflecting God, the Master of the Universe, in simple clarity.
Judah and Joseph’s perspectives are described in Chasidic thought as representing two states of mind. Joseph’s is termed, “Divinity is a given and the world is a novelty” (אֱלֹקוּת בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וְעוֹלָמוֹת בְּהִתְחַדְּשׁוּת). Judah’s experience is the opposite. He lives in a dream state where “the world is a given and Divinity is a novelty” (עוֹלָמוֹת בִּפְשִׁיטוּת וֶאֱלֹקוּת בְּהִתְחַדְּשׁוּת). In his perception, the world is made up of different things—different people, different opinions, and each distinct from the other. This multiplicity is Judah's default state. If he occasionally has a spark or flash of divine revelation, it is referred to as “Divinity is a surprise”—a novelty.
Wisdom: First Refinement and Second Refinement
The sefirah of wisdom is associated with both Creation and with its refinement. These are captured in the verse, “You made them all with wisdom”[6] and in the Zohar’s statement, “All are refined through wisdom.” Refinement though is a complex process and Joseph and Judah have different roles in it. Joseph’s role is described in his first dream, “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field”—meaning, we were engaged in the work of refinement—“and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright,” indicating that Joseph’s refinement surpasses that of his brothers. Then, his brother’s sheaves bowed down to Joseph’s. Chasidic teachings explain that Judah’s refinement corresponds to the first refinement that occurs in the lower worlds (Beriah, Yetzirah, and Assiyah), while Joseph’s refinement corresponds to the second refinement that takes place in the higher world of Emanation (Atzilut).
The first refinement, performed by the tribes in general and by Judah in particular focuses on the nullification of the ego (בִּטּוּל הַיֵּשׁ). This entails taking one’s ego, one’s sense of self, or the ego of any entity, and causing it to feel nullified, making it submit before the Divine nothingness (ayin) that continuously brings it into existence. Submission of one’s own ego—recognizing the falsehood of one’s self-centered desires and relinquishing them—is not an easy task.
The second refinement, associated with Joseph, is the nullification of being (בִּטּוּל בִּמְצִיאוּת) itself. In this state, the Divine nothingness is no longer something external that flows into oneself—it becomes one’s very essence. The individual no longer feels separate from the Divine; rather, he truly becomes one with the Ayin. For Judah to approach Joseph reflects Judah’s agreement and submission to Joseph’s vision as expressed in his dream. He accepts Joseph’s role in bringing all their sheaves to a state of nullification of being, within the World of Emanation.
Binah: Joseph – Light; Judah – Vessel
One of the most basic concepts in Kabbalah and Chasidut is that there are lights, and vessels that contain them. Without a vessel, a light cannot express itself properly. The state in which a light is contained in a vessel is known as tikkun. While in wisdom we spoke of refinement (בֵּרוּרִים), in binah we speak of tikkun (תִּקּוּן), or enclothement of lights in vessels. It is in the World of Creation (בְּרִיאָה) that we find the initial revelation of vessels into which the light needs enclothe and the World of Creation corresponds to the sefirah of understanding (Binah). Thus, interpretations of Joseph as light and Judah as vessel correspond to the sefirah of understanding in our partzuf.
While the root, or Divine source of the vessels is considered higher than that of the lights, the vessel must still receive from the light, and the light must be willing to dwell within the vessel. “Judah approached him” thus symbolizes the state in which the vessel ascends to meet the light. A proper enclothement or tikkun of light in a vessel requires that the light and the vessel be balanced. One way of thinking of this is that since the vessel is ascending, the light needs to be willing to descend. If the amount of ascent exhibited by the vessel is not balanced with the amount of descent exhibited by the light, tikkun will not be achieved. The sense of balance in Hebrew (אִזּוּן) is derived from the word for “ear” (אֹזֶן)—in humans, this is also true anatomically—and the ear and hearing are also associated with the sefirah of understanding.
One of the best parables used to illustrate the relationship between the light and the vessel is between spouses, a topic we have addressed in length in our works on marriage. Another image that can be used is that of the relationship between the spiritual and the material. If they cannot be balanced then the material realm is left soulless, like the Torah’s description of the earth as “chaotic and void,”[7] the Biblical source for the notion of the World of Chaos that shattered and fell. There are a number of possible distinct scenarios of chaos that are beyond our scope here. Another important relationship that captures the need for tikkun between the light and the vessel is the way in which prayer and Torah need to be integrated. Prayer, the toil of the heart is the vessel represented by Judah while the Torah in it, the intent one has—the toil of the mind—is the light that needs to be integrated and is represented by Joseph.
Knowledge: Joseph as Knowledge and Judah as Faith
Rebbe Nachman[8] interprets Judah as faith and Joseph as knowledge. We place this interpretation in the sefirah of knowledge (דָּעַת). In short, the idea is that there are two types of questions about Divinity in this world: Questions that have answers and questions without answers. To find answers to the first type, one must exert great effort to study, investigate, and understand—this is the toil of the mind, or Joseph. Not doing so can lead to inner heresy, creating internal conflict between the heart and the mind. But one must acknowledge that there are questions for which, in this world, no answer exists. In such cases, one must strengthen themselves with simple faith—this is the toil of the heart, or Judah. As simple faith becomes more tangible, it transforms into a known reality, it becomes revealed and evident to me. Again, the proper relationship between knowing and faith needs to be struck in life.
In the future, all faith will become included within knowledge, within Joseph, which is why “Judah approached him”—faith aspires and yearns to be integrated into knowledge.
Loving-kindness: Joseph as Shabbat Service and Judah as Weekday Service
Here we turn to the Noam Elimelech and the Sefat Emet. The Sefat Emet teaches that Judah represents weekday service, while Joseph represents Shabbat service. Joseph embodies the pleasure of Shabbat (Oneg Shabbat), whereas Judah represents service through toil and effort, the labor of the weekdays. Loving-kindness is just below wisdom, and the work of the weekdays represents the first or initial refinement (Judah) we reviewed in connection with wisdom, while the spiritual work we do on Shabbat represents a second, higher refinement (Joseph). The first day of the week—Judah’s toil and effort—is associated with the sefirah of loving-kindness.
To complete our placement of this interpretation in the sefirah of loving-kindness, we add the insight of the Noam Elimelech that the difference between the weekdays and Shabbat is that Shabbat is Divine service entirely driven by love. He further explains that the essence of weekday awe (if Shabbat is love then the weekdays are awe) should emerge from love. This is the deeper meaning of “Judah approached him.” Judah’s toil during the weekdays, rooted in awe, is elevated and transformed when infused with love, creating a unified Divine service.
Might: Judah as the Plower and Joseph as the Harvester
Here we place the interpretation offered by the Sochatchov rebbes, the Shem MiShmuel and his father, the Avnei Nezer. In understanding, we identified Judah and Joseph as the heart and the mind. By approaching Joseph, Judah—the heart—expresses a yearning to ascend. Now, in the sefirah of might, which is directly under understanding, the Shem Mishmuel writes that Judah represents a broken heart. This broken heart is the ultimate vessel (Judah, again) as declared by the verse, “A broken and contrite heart, O’ God, You will not despise.”[9]
Now, the Midrash connects our verse “Judah approached him” with a prophecy from Amos: “The plowman shall meet the harvester, and the treader of grapes he who sows seed.”[10] The plowman (חוֹרֵשׁ) represents Judah. The harvester (קוֹצֵר) represents Joseph. This is a Messianic prophecy, akin to “She conceived and gives birth together,” – the future state where investment and profit will occur simultaneously. However, the Shem Mishmuel recounts that his father explained the term plowman as referring to Judah, symbolizing one who breaks their heart by plowing their inner self. This is the work of cultivating a broken heart. Just as plowing “softens the earth,” so plowing one’s inner self turns a heart of stone into a heart of flesh—i.e., a broken heart.
Elsewhere, the Avnei Nezer, in his commentary on the laws of reaping, explains that the essence of reaping or harvesting is separating the crop from the earth. The Shem Mishmuel expands on this by drawing from the Maharal of Prague: harvesting represents the ability to sever the intellect from its attachment to corporeality. As long as the mind cannot conceive of abstract ideas in their pure form, it remains bound to materiality and lacks the quality of a truly “detached intellect” (שֵׂכֶל נִבְדָּל), as it was referred to by philosophers. A detached intellect can fully grasp spiritual concepts, free of the distortions of material imagination based on the illusory world.
Beauty: The Concealed Tzaddik and the Revealed Tzaddik
In beauty (tiferet) we place an interpretation from Rebbe Naftali of Ropshitz. One of the defining characteristics of the sefirah of beauty is that it has one concealed third (its Chabad) and two revealed thirds (its Chagat and Nehi). The idea here is that there are two types of tzadikim: a concealed tzaddik who has a desire to be revealed (this is the “eighth of an eighth of pride” within him) and revealed tzaddikim. While living in Egypt, Joseph, sitting on the royal throne shows no outward sign whatsoever of being a Jew. He appears to be an Egyptian, yet his attachment to God surpasses, by an immeasurable degree, that of his brothers. Joseph represents the tzaddik whose Divine service of God is entirely concealed, whereas Judah represents the tzaddik whose service is entirely revealed to all.
Joseph serves God exclusively in concealment, through the cleaving of his thoughts, while his adherence to mitzvot is completely imperceptible to someone who is not aware of who he is. He might appear to be a simple water-drawer.
With respect to the sefirah of beauty, Torah corresponds to its middle third (Chagat) and the mitzvot and prayers correspond to its lower third (Nehi). The imperceptible Divine service of the concealed tzaddik corresponds to its upper third (Chabad).
At the beginning of Keter Shem Tov, it is written that the Divine service of beauty is to bring God a sense of satisfaction, as it were, nachas that His will was done, “Israel with whom I beautify Myself”[11] (יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר); if your intention is for God to take pride in you, that is the service of Tiferet. There are those for whom this manifests without any outward sign, to the extent that others might think, like in Joseph’s case, that he was an Egyptian. This is why there are many stories of Eliyahu HaNavi appearing as a non-Jew.
Judah thus recognizes the existence of the extraordinary concealed tzaddik and draws near to him. This concept applies to our own Divine service as well. Torah and mitzvot are essential, but there is also a hidden dimension of service, a major principle embodied by the true concealed tzaddik, who should also exist within each of us. If we do not yearn for it, we become self-important, coarse, and disconnected.
Victory and Acknowledgment: Pleading for the Power to Reveal Godliness in Nature
Here we place another explanation from Rebbe Nachman who speaks about humanity's fundamental error: perceiving only reality’s revealed aspect (laws of nature) and missing its concealed Godliness. Because we see the world as governed solely by nature, we focus on intermediaries, such as medicine and doctors (for health) or business and a career (for livelihood), and elevate them to primary importance, forgetting the Creator. Judah approaching Joseph here takes us back to the idea that Judah is actually speaking to God. Thus, when he says to Joseph, “For you are like Pharaoh” he is saying to God: “You are perceived only according to what is revealed [Pharaoh, which means revealed in Hebrew].” No one sees You.
We place this in victory and acknowledgment, because they correspond to the two principles of faith of the Torah’s inner dimension that “The tzaddik decrees, and God fulfills” (victory) and “God decrees, and the tzaddik annuls” (acknowledgment).[12] Rebbe Nachman explains that Judah is here asking for the power to overturn and annul Divine decrees, because if granted this ability, it would reveal to everyone that the world is governed by God and not by nature alone.
Foundation: A Tzaddik Who Stands the Test and the Baal Teshuvah Who Falls and Gets Up
Foundation is deeply tied to the rectification of the covenant (tikkun haBrit). Rebbe Tzaddok HaKohen, quoting his teacher the Izbicer Rebbe, the Mei HaShiloach, returns to the midrash we saw earlier (in the sefirah of might) regarding the verse “And the plowman shall meet the harvester,”[13] with Joseph likened to the harvester and Judah to the plowman. Joseph is the consummate tzaddik—the righteous individual—who stands firm in the face of tests, particularly those connected to the covenant. Rebbe Tzaddok explains that Judah represents the ba’al teshuvah who endeavors to rectify the blemish of the covenant. This is because Judah who experienced failure and got up again, embodying the ba’al teshuvah, in contrast to Joseph the tzaddik who never fell.
This is precisely what the Izbicer Rebbe teaches: even when someone stumbles in a matter for which it is said there is no repentance, they should not despair. They possess azut d’kedusha (holy boldness) and firmness. The mark of a true ba’al teshuvah is a resolute and determined personality. On the other hand, a consummate tzaddik is not firm; he is gentle
This is one of the foundational principles of Izbica and later Rebbe Tzaddok, who inherited it from his teacher. A ba’al teshuvah who is despondent—as, unfortunately, many are—is not a true ba’al teshuvah at all. A genuine ba’al teshuvah is characterized by boldness. His boldness is reflected in the verse, “I am impoverished, but He [God] saves me.”[14] He does not despair but approaches God boldly, even when he falls repeatedly, he persists, and in the end, he gets up. As the Mitteler Rebbe writes in Derech Chaim regarding the blemish of the covenant: God takes pleasure even in those who struggle to fully overcome their failings. Even if they fall, their persistent efforts to succeed and rectify their actions bring God pleasure.
Kingdom: A King in Practice and A King in Potential
In the Zohar, the meeting between Joseph and Judah is described as “one world approaching another so that all becomes one. Because Judah is a king and Joseph is a king.” The Yitav Lev, another Chassidic work, explains that Joseph is the king in practice, ruling Egypt as a sovereign and Judah, possesses the qualities of kingship, but he is a king in potential. This parallels the dynamic between David, Judah’s descendant, and Joseph. David is the archetype of the King of Israel lives and endures, but in the Torah itself, David is absent—his kingship lies far in the future, emerging from potential to actual only after a long journey. Meanwhile, Joseph embodies kingship realized in the present.
The Yitav Lev concludes with this idea, leaving us with a profound understanding of Malchut: the interplay between potential and actual kingship, humility and recognition, and the ultimate emergence of hidden sovereignty into revealed leadership.
Every Jew is a king in potential. Earlier, we mentioned that the eighth of an eighth of pride is what allows each of us to speak up even against other kings, as we saw in the verse, “I will speak of Your commandments before kings and will not be ashamed.” Within the realm of potential, there are various levels, depending on how deeply concealed the potential is. Regardless of the depth the potential is hidden at, to bring it into practice, boldness is required. The king in potential must not only refrain from being ashamed before the king in practice but by declaring the truth of the Torah, he causes his potential kingship to actualize. This is especially pertinent in our time when we yearn for the reestablishment of the Davidic lineage, which like a shoot emerging from a root, will sprout forth. How it grows depends on our being able to behave as kings.
One of the profound teachings from Izbica is the revelation that the king in practice is also our brother. We often perceive the king in practice as our greatest adversary, our number one enemy. Yet, as it will be revealed in the future that a Jew never truly sinned, so too will it be revealed that the seemingly antagonistic king in practice is, in fact, my brother. This “adversarial” king is waiting for the king in potential to take initiative, to rise with strength and address him directly, as one king speaks to another. When this happens, the king in practice will be compelled to reveal his true nature and admit that he is a brother. At that moment, he will openly acknowledge the truth, marking the synthesis of Judah with Joseph. Joseph says, “It was God who sent me here to sustain you.” But Joseph also knows the greater truth: that it is Judah who is destined for kingship. The time will come—and the bolder we are with holiness, the sooner it will arrive—that the king in potential will rule in practice, eternally.
This is the ultimate interpretation within the ten sefirot of “Judah approached him.” The king in potential must approach the king in practice with unwavering boldness and truth. He must speak plainly, from one king to another, declaring his purpose and destiny. Through this act of courage and authenticity, the hidden unity between them will be revealed, paving the way for the potential to become actualized and for Judah’s kingship to emerge fully and reign forever.
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crown-keter כֶּתֶר Joseph as Pleasure, Judah as Will (Yoke) Joseph as Redemption, Judah as Exile Joseph as Unity (Wakefulness), Judah as Multiplicity (Sleep)
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| wisdom-chochmah חָכְמָה
Joseph as Second Refinement, Judah as First |
understanding-binah בִּינָה Joseph as light, Judah as vessel Joseph as mind, Judah as heart
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knowledge-da’at דָּעַת Joseph as Knowledge of God, Judah as Faith in God
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| loving-kindness-chessed חֶסֶד
Joseph as Shabbat, Judah as Weekdays |
might-gevurah גְּבוּרָה Joseph as the Harvester, Judah as the Plowman
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beauty-tiferet תִּפְאֶרֶת Joseph as Concealed Service, Judah as Revealed Service
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victory-netzach נֶצַח and splendor-hod הוֹד Joseph as Concealed Godliness, Judah as Yearning to Reveal God |
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foundation-yesod יְסוֹד Joseph as a Tzaddik, Judah as a Ba’al Teshuvah
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kingdom-malchut מַלְכוּת Joseph as a King in Practice, Judah as a King in Potential |
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[1]. Ezekiel 37:16-17.
[2]. Rabbi Dov Ber Schneersohn, Derech Chaim.
[3]. Song of Songs 7:7.
[4]. Ibid. 5:8.
[5]. Psalms 63:3.
[6]. Psalms 104:24.
[7]. Genesis 1:2.
[8]. Likkutei Moharan, 62.
[9]. Psalms 51:19.
[10]. Amos 9:13.
[11]. Isaiah 49:3.
[12]. See in length in our Hebrew volume, Emunah VeMuda’ut.
[13]. Amos 9:13.
[14]. Psalms 116:6.
