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Torah Portion -
Vayechi
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Written by Rafi Jager
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In this week's Parsha, our forefather Yaakov blesses each of his children before he dies. Yehudah receives a relatively large blessing, and included in it is an acknowledgment that he has "elevated himself" (Genesis 49:9). Rashi explains that one of the things that this refers to is Yehudah's admission of guilt after the incident with Tamar several weeks ago (Parshiot). Yehudah had wrongfully accused her of a fault and decreed the harsh punishment of death upon her. When he found out that it was in truth
his own mistake and not hers, he publicly admitted that he was wrong, something which is not so easy for people to do, especially when one's reputation is on the line. It took a big man like Yehudah to admit the truth, and he was rewarded for it.
We can take this message and apply it to our lives as well. Whenever we are in a situation in which we initially thought that we are right and we suddenly realize we are wrong, we should not cover up our mistake in order to save face. Rather, we should admit the truth, even though it may bring us shame, for ultimately it will be to our benefit. We will have brought peace to Hashem's world, and He will surely reward us for it.
Good Shabbos!
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