Torah FeedParashat Vayigash
Genesis 44:18 to 47:27, 106 verses. Next read on Shabbat, December 19, 2026.
Updated September 24, 2026
וַיִּגַּשׁ
- Book
- Genesis
- Reading
- 44:18 to 47:27
- Verses
- 106
- Position
- 11 of 54
Opening verse
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר־נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל־יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה׃
Then Judah came near unto him, and said: ‘Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
Read the full text from the start of the portion: Genesis 44 in Hebrew and English.
Summary
Judah steps forward and offers himself as a slave in Benjamin's place, so that his father will not lose a second son. Joseph can no longer hold back. He clears the room, weeps, and says, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" He tells the brothers that God sent him ahead of them to preserve life. Pharaoh invites the whole family to Egypt. Jacob, reassured by God in a night vision, comes down with seventy souls and is reunited with the son he thought dead. The family settles in Goshen, and Joseph manages Egypt through the famine.
Key moments
- Judah's plea (44:18 to 44:34)
- "I am Joseph" (45:1 to 45:15)
- Jacob comes to Egypt and meets Pharaoh (46:28 to 47:12)
When is Vayigash read?
Upcoming Shabbat readings in the Diaspora calendar:
- Saturday, December 19, 2026
- Saturday, January 8, 2028
- Saturday, December 23, 2028
In some years this portion is read together with its neighbor as a double portion. The dates above include those weeks.