Stepping Forward for the Sake of the Other

Parashat Vayigash, 2025

This week, we witness one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah. Yehudah steps forward, confronting the powerful Egyptian viceroy—whom we know to be his brother Yosef—and offers himself as a servant in place of Binyamin. Yehudah’s words are not just a plea; they are a declaration of responsibility: "For your servant became surety for the boy to my father… Now, therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy" (Genesis 44:32–33).

This moment, when Yehudah takes personal responsibility for his brother, is a turning point not only in the narrative but in the moral arc of the Torah. Yehudah’s act exemplifies the principle that true leadership, true righteousness, means stepping forward—not when it is easy, but when it is hard; not when it is for ourselves, but when it is for someone else.

What can we learn from Yehudah about our responsibility to our community today?

First, Yehudah shows us that responsibility is not passive. It requires action. It is not enough to hope that someone else will step up, to assume that others will take care of those in need. The needs of our communities—our synagogues, our schools, the vulnerable among us—demand that we step forward. Like Yehudah, we must say, "I will take responsibility."

Second, Yehudah’s courage reminds us that responsibility often requires sacrifice. By offering himself as a slave, Yehudah risks everything—his freedom, his future—for the sake of Binyamin and his father, Yaakov. Today, our sacrifices may not be as dramatic, but they are no less significant. Sometimes, responsibility means giving our time, our energy, or our resources, even when it is inconvenient. Sometimes, it means putting the needs of the community before our own comfort.

And third, Yehudah teaches us that responsibility is rooted in relationships. His plea to Yosef is not abstract; it is deeply personal. It is about the bond between brothers, the love of a son for his father. In our communities, too, responsibility begins with seeing each other as family—not as strangers, but as siblings. When we truly see each other, we cannot turn away from one another’s pain.

Today, we are called to follow Yehudah’s example. To look at our community and ask, "Where can I step forward? Whom can I serve? What am I willing to sacrifice for the sake of another?" The world needs people who will stand up and say, "I will take responsibility." The world needs us.

But it’s not just the world. It’s our community, right here, in this synagogue. Our synagogue needs people who will step forward and say, "Hineni—here I am." It needs people to teach, to volunteer, to lead. It needs people to step up when there’s a need and say, "I will take this on." It needs you.

Just as Yehudah stepped forward for Binyamin, we are called to step forward for one another. For the young person who needs guidance. For the elder who feels lonely. For the fellow member sitting just a few rows away who is struggling silently.

When we answer that call—when we step forward for the sake of others—we do more than fulfill our obligations. We become the Yehudahs of our generation. We become builders of a stronger, more compassionate, and more holy synagogue. And in doing so, we help create the kind of community where no one stands alone, where every person is seen, and where God’s presence can truly dwell.

So as we read Parashat Vayigash, let us hear Yehudah’s words not as a story of the past, but as a challenge for the present. Let us answer that challenge—not with hesitation, but with courage. This week, this Shabbat, ask yourself: Where can I step forward for my synagogue, my community, my people?