Chazal in the פסיקתא note that this Parsha is unique in that – with the exception of 8 פסוקים- every פסוק begins with the letter ו. What is unique about the letter ו, that it begins almost every single פסוק in the פרשה?
The letter ו at the begining of a word serves as a חיבור- a connection. The ו החיבור serves as a symbol of connectivity. Nothing in life happens in a vacuum. Rather, one action leads to another. In this Parsha, the connection between events is highlighted.
We find this connectivity early on in the Parsha. The פסוק says:
ויבא יוסף את דיבתם רעה אל אביהם
Rashi notes that יוסף reported 3 false reports to his father about his brothers: That they ate אבר מן החי, they degraded the בני השפחות by calling them slaves, and were חשודים על העריות. Continues Rashi, יוסף was punished for each of these false claims. For saying they ate אבר מן החי, a goat was killed to cover up for מכירת יוסף, for claiming the called the בני השפחות slaves, יוסף himself was sold as a slave, and for claiming they were חשודים על העריות, יוסף was punished by having the ניסיון of אשת פוטיפר.
We see here the concept of the ו החיבור. The act of speaking negatively of his brothers had a direct effect on what happened to יוסף. Likewise, the חטא of מכירת יוסף also caused long term consequences, as that was what ultimately caused כלל ישראל to go down to מצרים and be enslaved for 210 years.
The concept of connectivity continues later in Parsha. When יוסף is seduced by אשת פוטיפר, the פסוק tells us: וימאן. The “Trop” on the word וימאן is the שלשלת. Rashi points out that יוסף was able to hold back, as the image of יעקב appeared to him, urging him to remain a part of כלל ישראל and not sever the chain of the מסורה by succumbing to the עבירה. This is highlighted by the שלשלת, which literally translates as a “chain.” By remembering that there’s a חיבור, a connection between each generation in כלל ישראל, Yosef was able to withstand the ניסיון.
Thus, the פרשה, through the many letter ו’s at the begining of the פסוקים, is reminding us that our words and actions do not remain static. Rather, everything we say and do causes a chain effect that will reverberate, for good or for bad.
We’ll conclude with a story that highlights this point. Rebetzin Batya Barg, author of the well-known book “Voices in the Silence,” passed away recently. In her book, she retells that one day, in the 1960’s, her father took her on a boat ride in their hometown of Kiev. During the ride, he asked her, as his only surviving child, to remain steadfast in her commitment and observance of Yiddishkiet. Pointing to a bridge in the distance, her father continued: ” You can tell if a bridge is strong if a train crosses it, and and all the carriages, including the last, make it safely across. You are the last carriage in our family train. Make sure you make it safely across the bridge of life.” He died shortly after, but his words resonated with his daughter, who remained a strong and proud Yid. Indeed, we are all carriages in the great train of כלל ישראל, connecting from generation to the next.
Weekly Parsha Shiur 