Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open parshat Vayeshev in a way most of us never heard growing up. Instead of a childish tale of jealous brothers and a flashy coat, we meet two kings of Am Yisrael – Yosef and Yehuda – and an underground story of sacrifice, responsibility, and teshuva.

Drawing on Ishbitz, Zohar and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, Rav Shlomo explores the possibility that Yosef actually prayed to be the one who goes down to the exile of Egypt, taking the chains of slavery so his father and brothers wouldn’t have to. The brothers, for their part, are not cartoon villains, but holy tribes testing whether Yosef is truly one of them, and sending him off with tears and blessings. Yosef blesses Yehuda with the power of teshuva; Yehuda blesses Yosef with the strength to remain a tzaddik in exile – and both brachos come true.

From this hidden story of two kings, Rav Shlomo speaks to our own lives: what it means to carry pain for our family and our people, to do the right thing even when we know we’ll still need to do teshuva, and to hold both kochos – not falling, and getting back up when we do.

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