וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָהVayered Mitzrayma: “He went down to Egypt.” This comes to teach us that when Jacob said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I must go and see him before I die.” (Gen. 45:28) it was his intention to go down to Egypt but to stop at the border. He thought that Joseph would come up and meet him there. Once Jacob saw Joseph, he would return to the land of Canaan. Immediately after the Torah states, “I will go and see him,” it states, “So Israel set out with all that was his…” (Gen. 46:10), meaning he took what he needed for the trip. It didn’t occur to him to take his herds, flocks, and his possessions, as it said afterwards. “That night God appeared to Jacob and said, “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt…” (Gen. 46:3 ) Thus, the statement, “Compelled by the word of God….” teaches us that he was then told that he must go down to Egypt. Only then does it state, “and they took along their livestock and the wealth that they had amassed in Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his offspring with him came to Egypt:” (Gen. 46:6)

וַיָּ֥גׇר שָׁ֖םVa’yagar sham: And he sojourned there: “This teaches us that our ancestor Jacob did not intend to settle in Egypt.” This verse teaches us that from the moment that Jacob went down to Egypt and while he was there, even though he lacked for nothing and had a comfortable life because Joseph supported him and his children ministered to him, even so he acted as one who planned to live there temporarily. He constantly expected the Holy One to tell him to return to the land of his ancestors, as God said, “I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will bring you back,” (Gen. 46:4) Jacob was convinced that this would happen in his lifetime. That is why it states, “And he sojourned (Va’yagar) there.” Though he said to Pharaoh, “Pray, then, let your servants stay in Goshen,” he did so that it appears that he planned to stay in Egypt permanently, he only came because of the famine. However, when they (the brothers) found it so good, they decided to remain permanently in Goshen. If this had not been the case they would have returned to their land as soon as the famine ended. This verse comes to teach us that originally, “They came to sojourn,” there and that they did not go down to Egypt to settle there. This teaches us that we should not make our dwellings in exile permanently by purchasing homes, fields and vineyards. Rather one should live like temporary residents in the land and will one day return to our land. One who does so will be called, “One who expects redemption,” as we are obligated to be.