Dec. 25, 2025

Parshas Vayigash: Rope by Rope: The Art of Relentless Strategy

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Season 1

The air is tight with silence, the court of Yosef unmoving, and then Yehuda steps forward. That one act—crossing an invisible line of protocol—opens a masterclass on courage, responsibility, and the kind of reasoning that can thaw a heart guarded by power. We trace the moment Binyamin’s fate hangs by a thread and watch how Yehuda weaves threads into a rope: memory, duty, empathy, and personal guarantee, each linked to the next until justice can breathe.

We walk you through the Midrash on “deep waters are counsel in the heart of man,” turning a vivid parable into a practical tool. Imagine a well of ice-cold water no hand can reach; now imagine building a rope, thread by thread, until the bucket touches what lies beneath. That’s the framework here—rope-to-rope reasoning—steady, disciplined, and exact. We explore how this method shows up in Yehuda’s speech and why it works: it respects truth, invites empathy, and keeps going until the right argument lands.

The Malbim adds dimension by distinguishing knowledge you’re taught from insight you derive. We connect that to real scenarios—improving prayer and focus, making a case in court, navigating a tough real estate market—showing how to ask better questions, follow causes upstream, and iterate without ego. The takeaway is as simple as it is demanding: don’t quit before the well. If the first approach fails, add another rope. Adjust with humility, test with clarity, and keep your hands steady until the bucket rises with something cold, clear, and unmistakably true.

If this resonated, subscribe, share the episode with someone who’s one step from a breakthrough, and leave a review telling us the next “rope” you’ll tie.

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com

00:00 - A Court Held Breath

01:10 - Yehuda Breaks Protocol

02:25 - The Stakes For Binyamin

04:36 - Yehuda’s Strategy Takes Shape

07:20 - The Emotional Levers

09:10 - Guarantee And Responsibility

11:30 - The Reveal Begins To Loom

13:50 - Midrash: Deep Waters Of Counsel

16:40 - Rope To Rope: Building Arguments

20:05 - Wisdom, Understanding, And Deduction

WEBVTT

00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.839
The tension in the room is suffocating.

00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.120
We are in to set the scene.

00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:17.039
We're in the grand opulent court of the Egyptian viceroy Yosef Hatsadek.

00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:22.879
He is the second most powerful man in the entire known world.

00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.519
Second only to Paro, that is.

00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:27.760
This is the scene.

00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:36.960
At the beginning of Parshas of Aigash, the atmosphere is one of silence.

00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:43.039
The buzz of the Egyptians in the court has died down.

00:00:43.920 --> 00:01:02.479
The guards, the sophrim, the attendants all watching in stunned silence, as one of the Shivatim, or as they saw them, the Hebrew shepherds, is about to do the unthinkable.

00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:08.640
He is to approach the viceroy without permission.

00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:15.120
Vayigash love Yehuda.

00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.239
Yehuda steps forward.

00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:28.719
Yosef Hatsadek, totally unrecognized or by his brothers, sits elevated on his throne.

00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:45.519
The brothers stand clustered below, maybe covered in some dirt from their travels, maybe exhausted, maybe terrified, and definitely holding their Gemaras in hand.

00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:52.879
But they sit there in front of Yosef, a standoff.

00:01:54.239 --> 00:02:05.760
Standing slightly apart from his brothers, Yehuda, he steps across this invisible line of protocol as he comes closer to Yosef.

00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:11.840
This act of Vajigash a love Yehuda alone is dangerous.

00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:14.639
Approaching the ruler?

00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:19.680
Stepping forward without Rushus without permission?

00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.840
It could mean certain death.

00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:26.879
The stakes are too high, though.

00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:29.439
The situation too desperate.

00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:43.680
Yosef Atzadik, the viceroy of Egypt, has declared that Ben Yomin, the youngest and the most treasured son of Yaakov, must remain in Egypt as a slave.

00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:56.240
Because of an alleged crime, a total hoax set up by Yosef, that Ben Yamin stole the silver goblet of royalty.

00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:00.879
Yehuda has to step forward.

00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:05.759
He's personally guaranteed Ben Yemen's safety to his father, you know.

00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:19.360
He knows that if he does not do something, and God forbid does return home without Ben Yemen, it will literally kill his Tati.

00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:29.360
Yosef watching Yehuda step forward can picture him.

00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:32.639
This is before he's revealed himself.

00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:38.719
He seems unyielding, he seems cold.

00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:46.479
He seems covered in Egyptian royalty and bureaucracy.

00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.520
Maybe even seemingly cruel if you've never heard the end of the story.

00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.479
Yehuda on the other side.

00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:04.000
Fierce sense of responsibility and prepared to do whatever it takes to win the great debate.

00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:08.080
The opening moment and Yehuda approached him.

00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:10.159
Can you feel the tension?

00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:14.800
Is not but a physical step.

00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:23.600
It doesn't say by Krav he came close, but Vaiigash, a confrontation of wills to make a plea.

00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:27.519
A quasi-battle cry.

00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:37.759
As Yehuda is about to deliver one of the most powerful speeches ever delivered in the Torah.

00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:43.199
Maybe only dwarfed by Moshe's speech in Savrid Devarim.

00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:47.600
Spoiler alert.

00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.920
Fast forward a bit.

00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:53.839
Yehuda is heroic.

00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:57.120
Yehuda, he won the argument.

00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:11.040
He manages to have a very systematic unpacking of the issues to deliver a speech that would win the day.

00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.240
Read the Psukim.

00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:19.120
He begins by reminding Yosef.

00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:21.519
We're in this situation.

00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:25.680
We never wanted to bring Bin Yum, and the only reason we brought him was because of you.

00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:29.040
You asked us, you forced us into this situation.

00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:35.120
Can't plague us for something that you decided needed to be done.

00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:42.959
Yeah pulls at the nerves, at the emotional hooks by mentioning his father's pain.

00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.480
Please stop this madness.

00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:50.319
Don't bring more pain to my father.

00:05:52.560 --> 00:06:00.319
If you should make one poor move.

00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:06.240
Keep us in this situation and remove bin Yamun from my father?

00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.720
Ako's already old and he's already lost another son.

00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:14.319
He's lost Yosef.

00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:20.720
Benafshay Kesura Binafshay, his soul is bound up with Ben Yamun's.

00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:25.279
If you don't let Ben Yamun come home, you'll be murdering your old man.

00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:34.319
Yosef also hears the mentioning of the quote unquote dead brother.

00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:43.759
Yehuda masterfully is pulling on Yosef's emotional cords.

00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:48.639
Yehuda has a personal guarantee that he voices in this argument.

00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:54.720
Arvus! He reveals his personal stake in the matter.

00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.120
I'm a guarantor for the boy.

00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:00.480
I can't let Ben Yamin not return home to his Tati.

00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.680
A total shift.

00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:13.600
Or after some discussion, there's a grand reveal.

00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.800
The Vani Yosefai, everything starts to simmer down.

00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:25.120
But it all began with a Vayigashi love Yehuda.

00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:50.639
Yehuda's tact, his finesse is on full display, and the lesson in success and victory we don't need to guess at because the Medrish deduces from Yehuda's actions how success happened for Yehuda, and how we too can mimic success in our own lives.

00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.720
Dovar Akhar, the Medrish, Medrish Rabbah says another matter.

00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:01.040
The Posak says in Mishlay, Mayim Amukim Aitza Belev Ish.

00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:06.240
Posak says, you need to know this Posak for the following talk.

00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:13.120
That the deep waters are the advice in the heart of man.

00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.720
V'ish chivuna yidlena.

00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.399
But a man of understanding can draw them out.

00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:28.560
The Medris says, Let me give you a parable, let me tell you a story as to what this posak means to tell.

00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:43.360
A deep well with cold water.

00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.480
And its waters were cold and juicy.

00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:55.279
Think ice cold Fiji water.

00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.360
Anything other than aqua fina.

00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:59.120
That stuff is gross.

00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:10.320
Think it's been through the Brita filter multiple times, and it's been put into the freezer until it's cold enough to almost freeze, but it's that perfect water.

00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:12.320
You know what I'm talking about.

00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:20.240
But nobody can reach the water because it's at the very bottom of a well.

00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:22.000
What to do?

00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:27.679
Came a man.

00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:32.399
Someone came and tied a rope to a rope.

00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:38.000
And tied thread to thread.

00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:42.639
Meshika be mesh and cord to cord.

00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:45.759
Vidola Hymena Veshasa.

00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:55.120
And he was therefore able to use this rope to draw water from the well and drink from it.

00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:16.799
So then after this man created this new pulley system with this long rope, I'm assuming the Medrish means he put a bucket at the end of it to draw the water out, everyone became began to draw water from it.

00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.600
They used his new system and device.

00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:23.600
So too says the Medrish.

00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:33.200
Yehuda did not relent.

00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:36.399
From what?

00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:45.120
He kept responding to Yosef on each and every matter and pulling at the cords of his heart.

00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:55.519
That's what the Pusak means.

00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.000
Like deep water is counsel in the heart of man.

00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:08.399
It's referring to the tactic that Yehuda used to win against Yosef.

00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:21.840
He kept attaching ropes and relentlessly building arguments and trying at whatever it was until you finally could get to the winning argument.

00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:30.559
Five, six, seven different arguments in his speech until finally something worked to lead to an Ani Ysaf.

00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:32.559
Isn't this awesome?

00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:34.960
Yahoo does win?

00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.080
It's the wisdom of King Solomon and Mishle.

00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:45.519
That you have to find the deep, cold, and beautiful waters of success.

00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:46.960
How do you do that?

00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:49.679
You tie rope to rope.

00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.960
You draw at straws, you keep extending.

00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:55.039
It's a little bit dirty.

00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.039
You have to go cord to cord.

00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:02.320
Whatever the difference between a Meshika and a hevel is.

00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:04.720
But this is what it means.

00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:10.639
It's deep within a person's heart, deep within his Aitza, deep within his mind.

00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:17.039
That's what you'll find somewhere buried and nestled and burrowed inside of all the proper approaches to your problems.

00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:37.440
You'll finally, if you use Aitza, if you finally keep tying and tying and connecting and building rope into rope, will you finally reach the one long cord that will connect you to the deliciously successful frozen Fiji Britta purified waters at the bottom of the well?

00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:40.639
Which is metaphorically our success here.

00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:47.759
Everyone can begin to drink from the well once you've tied the rope.

00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:53.039
But how many ways, how many times does Yehuda keep tying his rope?

00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:55.440
You have to see the beauty of the measures here.

00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:24.159
All of his argument go through the entire speech, and you'll see how Yehuda is methodically and systematically connecting rope to rope, end of the rope to a new rope, and going deeper and pulling at Yosef's heart and connecting more ideas and thoughts until finally he's able to pull up this long makeshift rope from the recesses of his heart, that he finally has the right Aitza until he was Omar Alibachel Yosef.

00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:27.679
Oh, how marvelous is this.

00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.320
Friends, for Aravaidas Arkadesh.

00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:41.679
In the deep water, somewhere down there is finally the Aitza that you'll find in the heart of man.

00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.519
You'll be able to draw it with V'ish Tvuna Yidlenu.

00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.200
You have to use your tfun, you have to use your sechel, you have to think to draw it out.

00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.039
The Malbum has an unbelievable way of explaining this Pasuk.

00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:03.039
He explains how there's different ways that you can get to this piece of advice to tie rope to rope.

00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:07.919
I urge you to see it in Peric off Pasuk Hei.

00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:16.960
But he explains how you can either use this chachma that people can tell you wisdom and you can learn wisdom from people.

00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:48.000
Or you can try to use Bina and Tavuna, which is about understanding and discerning one matter from one, and then connecting that to the next thing to launch your large web and strings until you finally come to that aha moment that can be deduced by tying strings to strings, by drawing it up from the depths of your soul with your bina, with your understanding, even without anyone else teaching it to you.

00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.480
If you want to draw it up from yourself and not just use wisdom and hear it from other people?

00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:09.840
Which is the best way that I should use to get my first listing at the house?

00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:19.120
Which is the best way that I can finally say over this argument in court in a way that will pull at the judge's heart or at the jury's heart.

00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:25.360
Use Hakiros, Hevinam Ali Day, Hakeshim, Toyimekido, Mayam Amukim Amuk.

00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:31.360
It's like tying rope to rope, connecting piece of wisdom to another piece of wisdom.

00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:35.440
Shemekashir Hevel Bechel al Yoirikide El Amayim.

00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:48.879
This Malbin reads the posic in Mishlay with the most beautiful and eloquent explanation of how wisdom works and deduction and re Deductive reasoning works.

00:15:54.480 --> 00:16:03.600
Until you keep tying rope to tying rope, connecting one thing to the next until you finally come out with that MS.

00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:06.480
To your power of understanding.

00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:19.200
Logical deductions one to another until you bring forth the truth to the power of understanding of the deliciously cold and pleasant, evervescent waters of success.

00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:20.240
Noira.

00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:22.879
That's what Yehuda did.

00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.399
That's the lesson.

00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:27.919
That's how success is done.

00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:45.759
No matter what you're doing, it takes either just hearing the chachma from a wise man, but if you want to draw it from your soul, if you want to expound lessons, if you want to get to the depth of the topic, you need to tie rope to rope, quite literally.

00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:49.360
Why am I not praying well?

00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.720
A person will say.

00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:55.679
Why am I not winning in business?

00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.559
Why do I keep sinning in this area?

00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.840
Tie rope to rope and you'll get to the truth.

00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:05.519
Well, I'm tired in the morning.

00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.839
That's probably why I'm not dominating well.

00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:09.039
Why am I tired in the morning?

00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.599
Let's attach that rope to the next rope.

00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:17.519
The previous night I was up watching TV shows till the nth hour.

00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:19.920
Why am I watching TV shows?

00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.519
Let's connect that rope to, well, I like enjoyment.

00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:26.319
I need something to do to keep me busy.

00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:31.359
Let's connect that rope to, hmm, should I be more disciplined?

00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:34.799
Should I give this up for something better?

00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.720
Or am I content with this?

00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:39.839
Why does the market move?

00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.319
Why is there tension?

00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.720
Is it a buyer's market or seller's market?

00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:47.200
Is the real estate market good or is it poor?

00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:50.799
Why are houses not flying off the market like they used to?

00:17:50.880 --> 00:18:03.359
Let's connect rope to rope, go deeper and go deeper and make logical deductions until you finally pull up the Mayam Amukim Balev-ish, the Aitza that finally is the truth until you understand the matter.

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:06.799
That's what Yehuda did?

00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:11.119
Until he was Oymed Alibo Shell Yosef.

00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:16.880
And he was successful, and he never stopped tying ropes.

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.799
Kesher to a kesher.

00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.200
He never stopped tying cord to cord.

00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:25.359
Nima to Nima.

00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:28.400
Thread to thread.

00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:37.039
From the time that he stepped forward with a Vayigashi love Yehuda until finally he was able to save Minyamun.

00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.599
Save the Shift Eka.

00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.759
Save Klaliasraal as we know it.

00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:51.200
He kept drawing, connecting ropes until he got to the Aitzah the Nakudaha MS.

00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:56.960
This will solve our problems, folks.

00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.359
This will make us successful.

00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.319
We take a play out of Yehuda's playbook.

00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:10.480
We internalize the lesson of Yehuda and the lesson of the Poshukin Posukin Mishla.

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:17.279
That the answer lies somewhere inside of you, no matter what issue you have.

00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:24.960
You just may not have tied enough ropes to get to the bottom of it.

00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:35.440
You may not have logically deduced enough calculations that you've gotten to the fresh and cold truth of the matter.

00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:37.680
Think.

00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:39.039
Think.

00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:41.440
Deeply think.

00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:42.480
Deduce.

00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:43.440
Use your head.

00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:45.440
God gave you a good head.

00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:58.559
Because therefore you too can step forward in all of the tension and all of the silence and all of the terror.

00:19:58.960 --> 00:19:59.759
You can also pull up.

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.480
Aegash, a stepping forward.

00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.599
You just have to be relentless.

00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:08.880
You have to be relentless with the way that you tie ropes.

00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:16.319
You need to keep building until you finally get there and keep calculating and keep adjusting and keep manipulating and keep pivoting.

00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:27.920
Because if you haven't gotten to the truth, maybe you haven't deduced enough with enough honesty, intellectual honesty, and maybe you haven't actually hit the cold water.

00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:38.000
If you would stop, if Yehuda would have stopped the same way we would stop, God forbid we all would not be successful.

00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:46.079
But it is this week that we note that sometimes we need to tie another rope to go a little bit deeper.

00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:52.640
It's this week that we put our samurai sword and stab it into the ground and say, enough is enough.

00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:57.680
Let's get to the root of the matter and figure out how success will be done.

00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:09.440
We step forward with confidence, not arrogance, with humility and with hard work and with unbreakable will, resiliency.

00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:25.920
With the utmost resilience, we keep tying ropes one to the next until we get to the very bottom of this long well where all of the delicious, pure, and freezing cold ice waters of truth and success live.

00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.559
Good shabba's to you, and you should be Matzliach in all that you do.

00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:41.039
Keep tying those ropes and remain relentless in your approach and mindset to achieve success.