In this week's parsha, from Perek 45 Pasuk 25 until Perek 46 Pasuk 8, the Torah describes how Yosef's brothers returned to Israel to tell Yaakov that Yosef was still alive, and how Yaakov accompanied them back to Mitzrayim. Throughout these psukim, the Torah interchanges the use of Yaakov's two names, calling him Yaakov or Yisrael alternately, sometimes changing within the same pasuk.

What do these changes mean? Why is there such an emphasis on alternating between his names, and even mixing them up?

A second question concerns the meeting between Yosef and Binyamin once Yosef reveals himself. Chazal say that when they cried on each other's necks, Yosef cried over the destruction of the two Batei Mikdash, which were to be in Binyamin's territory, and that Binyamin cried over the destruction of the Mishkan, which was to be in Yosef's (Ephraim's) territory. These were tears of sadness over the coming destructions that they foresaw. But at the end of the Midrash, it is explained that Hashem comforts the Bnai Yisrael through a salvation brought about by tears, just as Yosef reconciled with his brothers through tears, and quotes the pasuk in Yirmiyah 31:8: "In tears they shall come and with pleadings I will lead them, I will lead them to rivers of water on a straight path where they shall not fail, because I will be a father to Israel and Ephraim shall be my first born."

The Radak on that pasuk explains that the tears described in our pasuk, and all those similar to it, are tears of joy. And apparently, from a simple explanation of the pasuk in our parsha, the Radak was right. Yosef and Binyamin were happy to see each other. So how does Chazal insert tears of sadness here?

When the name Yaakov is used, it refers to a lower position, one of subservience. "His hand was holding onto Esav's heel". When the name Yisrael is used, it refers to authority and domination. "Because you prevailed with G-d". Yaakov went through a number of stages in this story with his sons.

The Midrash in Parshat Vayetze describes the story of Yaakov as he goes to sleep. "He took from the stones of the place". Yaakov tried to bring together 12 stones. They symbolized for him that he would build the Jewish nation. When the brothers returned from shepherding with Yosef's cloak, Yaakov "refused to be comforted". He wasn't mourning only for his own personal loss, but rather for the loss of the unification of the 12 tribes. Rashi says that he felt there was no longer any guarantee that he would not see Gehenom, since the prediction of the 12 tribes was now, apparently, not to be. The Yalkut Shimoni describes it as "the breach of the covenant of the tribes". And the Midrash expands on this by describing that everything Hashem does in this world is based on the number 12. There are 12 months, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 hours in a day, and 12 hours in a night.

What is the significance of the number 12? And why is it so important to Yaakov that the number of tribes be the whole 12?

The Maharal, in Gevurot Hashem 13, says that there are 12 diagonals. If one thing expands in every direction in a space, it expands along diagonal lines (based on Sefer Yetzirah). If you take a cube, there are 12 edges where two sides meet. Each of these directions is a direction of expansion, and by extension, a direction of control. In the same way, the 12 tribes represent the expansion and spread from one root - Yaakov. In fact, the word "Shevet" in Hebrew, means "branch", and is also used to mean "stick" - which is a branch. Once each of the 12 extensions - branches - is counted, if you add the root - Yaakov - you get 13, which is the gematria of the word "Echad". Yaakov included all of the foundations of the nation, and each of the sons took on a particular characteristic. Yehuda took on kingship, Yissachar, Torah learning, Zevulun, commerce, Dan, judgment, etc.

If Yaakov had fathered 12 tribes, then he himself was complete. From him spread a composite wholeness through the entire world. As soon as this "covenant of the tribes" was breached, this meant that Yaakov himself was no longer complete, and that the Bnai Yisrael would not be a complete nation.

But when the sons return with the news that Yosef is alive, the Torah relates that "All the tribes of Israel are 12". The Midrash states that just as there are 12 hours, 12 signs of the zodiac, etc, there are also 12 tribes - exactly as the Yalkut Shimoni above. The completeness returned to Yaakov and his sons.

At the beginning of the brothers' encounter with Yaakov, they are meeting Yaakov - the subservient. But once Yaakov becomes convinced that Yosef truly is alive - "Vatechi Ruach Yaakov Avihem" - the next sentence begins "Vayomer Yisrael". His full and straight stature returns.

Now we examine the rest of the psukim mentioned above. "Yisrael" travels to Beer Sheva, where Hashem reveals Himself in a vision of the night and says, "Yaakov, Yaakov". And it is "Yaakov" that leaves Beer Sheva on the way to Mitzrayim. Why does "Yaakov" return in place of "Yisrael"?

The Sforno relates that Yaakov did not want to go to Mitzrayim as Yosef had bade him to do. Yosef wanted him to come down to Mitzrayim to live there temporarily and so that Yosef could support him. But Yaakov figured only to "see" Yosef before he died. It would be just a short visit before returning to Eretz Yisrael. In Beer Sheva, Yaakov offered sacrifices to "Hashem the G-d of his father Yitzchak." Why not also the G-d of Avraham, or just the G-d of his fathers?

Yaakov was expecting to receive the same admonition as Yitzchak did - not to go down to Mitzrayim. But Hashem changed Yaakov's plans. Hashem told Yaakov to go to Mitzrayim, since in Eretz Yisrael there would be the danger of intermingling with the Cnaanim, a danger that did not exist in Egypt. There was no chance of the Jews initermixing with the Egyptians, who considered them unworthy to even eat in the same room as them, and Hashem promised Yaakov that "I will make you a great nation there", further removing that possibility.

The Ramban explains that this is the reason the name reverts back to Yaakov. Since the element of authority and domination could no longer show itself. Yaakov must revert to the element of subservience - of slavery in Egypt.

Two questions arise from this: First, why is it necessary to wreck the whole story? The brothers have come back with the joyous news that Yosef is alive, Yaakov will see him again, and then he can return to end his days in peace? Why destroy this by having him go to Mitzrayim to live out the rest of his life? And second, in the same pasuk where "Yaakov" travels to Mitzrayim, he is accompanied by the Bnai "Yisrael". Why is he referred to with the weaker name, while his children still bear the more dominant one?

The Maharal explains, in Gevurot Hashem 11, that Yosef was the king over Mitzrayim because his form - his spirit - ruled over his physical being. The Egyptians are people of material existence, defining everything in terms of the material and the physical. Yosef was a man of form, of spirit. The Maharal asks, if so, then why didn't Yosef rule from the outset? Why did he need to be a slave and prisoner for 13 years? The Maharal answers that this is how things happen in this world - through gradual development. At first, the form is subservient to the material, and it then gradually takes control over it. This is how a child comes into this world - a completely physical being, whose interests lie solely in the physical. But as he grows older and matures, his spirituality comes out and begins to assert control over his physical body.

The same happened with Yosef. It is sometimes the case that the form must gradually develop, precisely through slavery and the difficulties that the material places upon it. From this, the spirit can develop to the point where it controls the body.

The Maharal concludes that the same was true of the Bnai Yisrael. At first, they were enslaved to the material, to Egyt, and then, once their form and spirit were complete, they went out to take control over Mitzrayim, as happened on the night of Pesach.

Based on this, the descent into Mitzrayim was not just subservience, but was the beginning of the birth process of the Jewish nation. The form that is called "Am Yisrael" must begin from slavery to Egypt, just like the development of any child must begin through the slavery of its form and spirit to its material being.

And this is precisely what Hashem is telling Yaakov. You think that the completeness that is here now that the 12 sons are all alive is the end of the story? On the contrary, this is just the end of the introduction. Now, the much bigger story begins - the birth of the Jewish nation. Had it not been for the completeness of the family, it would have been impossible to move to the next stage - Am Yisrael. So now, you must go down to Mitzrayim, to slavery and to the element of subservience. But you should know that this is a descent for the purpose of ascending. From this, the Bnai "Yisrael" will come out.

And at the beginning of Sefer Shmot, we see the words "These are the names of the sons of Yisrael, coming to Egypt with Yaakov, each man and his household." Chazal in the Midrash say that the shvati were referred to with the salvation of Yisrael. So even though Yaakov is defined as "Yaakov", this is only on the private level. On the general level of the nation, we are already defined as the Bnai Yisrael.

The Midrash says that when Yaakov met Yosef, he recited Shma. The pasuk says "Shma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad". Rashi in Parshat Va'Et'chanan explains the pasuk as "Hashem, who is our G-d now, will be One G-d over the entire world in the future. And this is precisely what is happening in our story when Yaakov and Yosef meet. On the one hand, it is the peak of completeness, but on the other, it is the beginning of the slavery and darkness of Mitzrayim. The only way to contemplate this is through the understanding that the present leads to a more complete future.

This is also the explanation for the meeting between Yosef and Binyamin. The tears were tears of joy over the meeting. But again, the meeting was taking place in Mitzrayim, with the understanding that this was the beginning of slavery and darkness. How could slavery and darkness combine with tears of joy? Through the understanding that the slavery would lead to a much larger completeness. Here is the place where we can cry tears over the destruction that contain tears of happiness.

R' Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev writes, in Kedushat Levi on Eicha, about the Kina "Eli Tzion Ve'Areha K'mo Isha Betzireha", that the tears over the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash are likened to a the tears of woman in the delivery room. While these are apparently two complete opposites in terms of emotion, we understand that the distress is one that will lead to the birth of wholeness and happiness.

This is also represented by Rabbi Akiva's reaction to the other chachamim who were with him at the place of the Beit Hamikdash and saw the fox on the ground of the Kodesh haKodashim. The prophecy of the destruction and the prophecy of the rebuilding are dependent on each other. It is one long process. Now that the wheels have started moving with the destruction, the birth and salvation of the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash will also come.