Romi Morales
When Yaacov asked Yosef to go to the camp to check on the rest of his sons, he never imagined that this would be the last time they would see each other or that these would be the last words they would say to each other. The farewell between them was surprising and unexpected. Perhaps for that reason, it was deeply painful. In Yaacov’s memory remained the image of his son Yosef, representing his values, ideas and principles, dressed in a special robe, symbol of the affection he had for him. Years later, in an equally unforeseen manner, Yaacov receives the news that Yosef is alive and asks to meet him again. However, Yaakov’s reaction is strange: “But Yaakov’s heart was not moved because he did not believe them. Only after hearing from his sons did his heart revive and he hurried to their reunion. What could have triggered Yaacov’s first reaction? What made him change his attitude drastically? What does this have to do with our task as madrichim and leaders in the Tnua? This and more will be discussed below. Let’s get started!
Cambios superficiales, cambios para adaptación
In the last parashah we saw the beginning of the great change in Yosef. Among other things, our sources relate that Paroh says to Yosef: “I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took off his ring and placed it on Yosef’s hand, and clothed him in fine linen garments and put a gold chain around his neck. And he made him ride in the second chariot in order of importance that he had, and they made a pilgrimage in his wake: reverence him. And he made him viceroy over all the land of Egypt (…) And Pharaoh named him Zaphnath-paneah (discoverer of the unseen) and gave him Asenath, daughter of Poti the priest of On, to wife. And Joseph went out to go throughout all the land of Egypt” (Miketz, 41:41-47). Here we see how there are certain elements that Paroh changes in Yosef to help him go from being “a simple Hebrew prisoner to being the influential Viceroy of Egypt”.
These include superficial changes: clothing, name, status symbols and social framework. The main purpose of these elements is to generate a process of adjustment to the new environment, situation or culture, without necessarily losing the essential characteristics. By making superficial changes, people can adapt to a new reality and significantly influence the environment, as happened with Yosef.
In the context of Tnua, we tend to ask ourselves what changes we need to make in order to adapt and influence the context in which we work. We tend to believe that change is positive and necessary, especially in terms of superficial changes. Although this word, in recent times, has gained a negative connotation, in our context it does not respond to that perception. “Superficial” means that the change does not touch the essential core of the organization, but everything around it. Some examples of superficial changes in Tnua are: adapting our didactic strategies, pedagogical tools and educational dynamics, updating the models and theories that allow us to understand reality, as well as the people with whom we share the processes and our role in it. These changes are fundamental to remain relevant. However, it is important to understand where is the limit between “superficial” and “profound” changes, so that we do not overdo it and, without wanting to, change so radically that we end up being something totally new, different and unrecognizable, as happens with Yosef until the reunion with his brothers.
Cambios profundos, cambios para transformación
When Yosef’s brothers arrive in Egypt, he immediately recognizes them; however, they do not recognize him. Only after Yosef confesses his true identity to them and asks for his father do his brothers begin to understand who the viceroy of Egypt really is. This makes sense, since up to that point all the interactions of Yaacov’s sons were with an apparently Egyptian person in their entirety: Yosef speaks, dresses and lives as an Egyptian, occupying one of the most important positions within that society. Until then there was no hint in Yosef connecting him to his Hebrew identity. After confessing who he is, Yosef asks his brothers, “Is my father still alive?”. It is this question that helps his brothers recognize him. But why, if Yosef already knew that his father was still alive?
Bearing in mind that generally, the roles of father and mother are deeply related to roots, we can think that perhaps Yosef’s question is not addressed to his siblings, but to himself. “Are my Hebrew roots still alive and strong despite time, distance and pain after the changes that have happened? Am I still the Yosef that my father knew, the Yosef that he loved so much?”. In other words, what he is trying to ask himself is whether the change that at the time began as superficial became such a profound change to the point that his closest ones cannot recognize him, even having him so close. From this example, we can understand that the difference between these changes is that the “deep change” touches the very essence of our being. In concepts related to Tnua, we would be talking about changes in our basket of values(tnuati DNA) and in our conception of the world (ideas and principles that allow us to understand the world and act in it). When the changes that are made are profound, we do not speak of adaptation, but of transformation.
Entre adaptación y transformación: integración. Entre cambios superficiales y profundos: cambios sinérgicos
Yaacov hears that his son is alive, but at first he does not allow himself to get excited. It would seem that the same questions that Yosef asks himself, are the ones that occupy Yaacov. “Who is really the Yosef who is as viceroy in Egypt? If he was the same one I loved so much and who loved me so much, why didn’t he try to contact me, having so many tools available to do so? Maybe the Yosef who asks to meet me again today is not the one I knew, the one with whom I shared values, ideas, a special way of seeing the world. Maybe the change in him is so deep and the transformation so drastic that there is no possible way to reconnect as in the past”. Questioning, mixed feelings and uncertainty are present, until his sons repeat the things that Yosef has asked to pass on to his father. Yosef asks Yaacov “to come to Egypt with all his descendants, for in the years of hardship to come, he wants to take care of them”. Thus Yosef manifests that the value and importance of the family has not changed and continues to be essential for him. In other words, the core has not changed, and it is this understanding that drives Yaacov to change his attitude and go out to meet them.
In Yosef we see neither superficial change nor profound change. We see a change that embraces the essential and, as this is strong and secure, allows contact with difference without leading to assimilation (understood as the loss of one’s own essence and its substitution by the essence of the Other). These are synergistic changes and occur when different elements, ideas or identities adjust to each other, not to transform or adapt, but to create a new dynamic or structure that enriches both parties while respecting their individual essence. The process that ensures that synergistic changes occur, we will call integration.
In Tnua it is important to understand the relevance of integration inside and outside Am Israel. Outwardly, we cannot deny that our chanichim and chanichot live in the communities of the Diaspora. They are in constant and deep contact with the general society, with which they share many central elements of the culture and therefore of their own identity. In this context, the place of Tnua is critical, since it is the educational platform that allows strengthening and enriching the essential core of each and every one of our chaverim, so that when they come into contact with the outside world, they can enrich and contribute to their environment and learn from others without this being a threat to their Jewish and Zionist identity. Within the Jewish people, it is no less important to generate processes of integration that allow the generation of bridges of meaning and significance. Connecting with others without expecting to change them, under the understanding that their difference brings interesting things from which we can learn, without losing our values, is fundamental if we want to be the ones who contribute to close the gaps that the current radicalism has generated in Am Israel.
En conclusión
Vaigash shows one of the most exciting reunions in the Torah. Here we see that, by protecting the core, an authentic bond can survive the passage of time, distance and the most complex adversities. I invite you to continue educating our chanichim and chanichot so that they learn to care for and enrich their core, so that their identity will be stronger and the bond with Am Israel will grow and radiate only beautiful things to all the people around us.
