You’ll Find Unity in the Most Unusual Place

3 minutes to read

I often write about the three realms: physical, mental, and spiritual in which we must intentionally build our lives. People often equate the heart to the spirit and the mind to emotion and intellect, and perhaps the stomach to physicality. Where in the body are all three are unified? Parshas Vayigash answers:

“And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.’”(Bereshis/Genesis 45:14)

In this week’s parsha we find Joseph’s brothers have learned their lesson. Judah steps forward to take Benjamin’s place as a slave. Overcome with emotion Joseph clears the room and reveals himself to his brothers. He convinces them to bring Jacob and their households to Egypt where he will take care of them. At first, Jacob does not believe his sons when they say Joseph is still alive. But the brothers finally convince him and they load up the wagons and move to Egypt where they settle in Goshen.

The famine comes. It is harsh. The Egyptians spend all of their money buying food then sell their animals, land, and finally themselves so that they will live. Only the priests are exempt.

The Nature of Connection

Often through death, we learn about the true nature of life.

Think about your children. You eat with them (the physical realm), help them with their homework (the mental realm), and exchange gestures of affection like hugs and kisses and loving words (the spiritual realm). As they grow up how you interact may change but the relationships stay strong by building them in all three realms.

When one of your children leaves home the physical bond is disrupted. You may feel sad but you rebuild the connection emphasizing the mental and spiritual bond. Only, Heaven forbid, at death is unity severed forever.

Unity in Relationships

Of course, if you think about it carefully, had Joseph literally fallen on their necks he probably would have broken them. The neck metaphorically describes the nature of the reunion.

The neck connects the head to the rest of the body through three main parts: the esophagus (gullet), the blood vessels (jugular veins and carotid arteries), and the trachea (windpipe). Each equates to one of the three realms.

Physical Realm: Esophagus – Ingests food that nourishes the body

Mental Realm: Blood Vessels – Carry blood to and from the brain vitalizing its intellectual capacity

Spiritual Realm: Trachea – Produces the sound of prayer and words of love

Joseph falling on the necks of his brother and father signifies their complete reconnecting. The bond that his presumed death had severed was made whole again.

When working on relationships a person tends to focus on one realm. Some excel at speaking loving words others at doing things, such as making meals, that physically support the relationship. Create ways that expand your repertoire so you bond in all three realms. By doing so you’ll bring unbreakable unity to your relationships.

Question – What things do you do to bond in each of the three realms? Please leave a comment below.

Every year beginning on Simchas Torah, the cycle of reading the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, ends and begins again. Each Sabbath a portion known as a sedra or parsha is read. It is named after the first significant word or two with which this weekly reading begins.

What verse in the Old Testament would you like to know more about? Ask a question and I will answer it in a future Parsha Nugget!