Parshas Vayigash: Out of the Woodwork

Yechezkel 37:15-28

In this week's haftorah, Yechezkel depicts the symbolic fusion of two blocks of wood, representing the divided Jewish People embodied by Yehuda and Yosef. The ultimate redemption can only be achieved when these two branches unite.

Following the transmission of this prophecy, Yechezkel is told that the people will ask הֲלֽוֹא־תַגִּ֥יד לָ֖נוּ מָה־אֵ֥לֶּה לָּֽךְ׃, will you not tell us what these things are to you? It might seem perplexing why a message of unity requires clarification – isn't the concept self-evident?

Unfortunately, unity is not simple. When people are not physically together, they no longer share a common experience. Without the shared narrative, the points of connection diminish and they drift apart. So how then can the different groups be reunited, and what purpose would such unity serve? 

The Radak proposes two possibilities in interpreting the imagery of wooden blocks fusing. Firstly, through sheer strength and persistent effort, these entities can be joined. Secondly, he suggests a thought from his father, that there is a miraculous fusion, creating a new entity – a complete piece of wood. Notably, this analogy implies that for two pieces of wood to become one, they must originate from the same source.

Yechezkel's response to the people emphasizes that, despite the absence of a shared national narrative, they are fundamentally the same people, cut from the same original piece of wood. Reuniting is not about reinvention but returning to their shared essence. This message is remarkably relevant today, especially amidst a catastrophic war in Israel. Despite the fact that the Jewish nation is spread across the globe, we are united in our connection to the Land of Israel. In facing these challenges, we should find solace in the understanding that the return to our homeland is grounded in the recognition that, despite geographic divisions, we are one spiritual unit. Our connection transcends physical space, uniting us as one nation forever.

The prophetic words of the Haftorah underscore this unity, וְעָשִׂ֣יתִי אֹ֠תָם לְג֨וֹי אֶחָ֤ד בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ בְּהָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמֶ֧לֶךְ אֶחָ֛ד יִֽהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּ֖ם לְמֶ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֤א יהיה־[יִֽהְיוּ־] עוֹד֙ לִשְׁנֵ֣י גוֹיִ֔ם וְלֹ֨א יֵחָ֥צוּ ע֛וֹד לִשְׁתֵּ֥י מַמְלָכ֖וֹת עֽוֹד׃ I will make them a single nation in the land, on the hills of Israel, and one king shall be king of them all; they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms, ever again. These words echo the timeless truth that our unity surpasses geographical boundaries, ensuring our perpetual oneness as a nation.