Sidrah
A leader’s tears: this week’s parashah, Mikketz
“And he turned away from them, and he wept” Genesis 42:24
December 18, 2025 10:26
“And he turned away from them, and he wept” Genesis 42:24
December 18, 2025 10:26Many of us feel familiar with the story of Joseph and his brothers, not from our in depth reading of biblical text, but from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. What we may be less aware of, though, is the emotional journey Joseph undergoes, beginning in this week’s parashah, Mikketz.
Over the next three weeks Joseph is overcome by tears repeatedly, with each episode revealing a bit more of Joseph’s inner world. His tears mark a process of increasing self-discovery and reflection.
This week, Joseph is conservative in his display of emotion. He weeps twice but does so in privacy, the first time turning away from his brothers, and the second time retiring to his private chambers before releasing his tears.
At this early stage in the reunion with his brothers, Joseph’s act is one of self-preservation and protection. For although our tears act as a powerful communication device, they are exposing and often portrayed as a sign of weakness.
Having risen to a position of authority, Joseph chooses to hide his tears perhaps believing, as many still do today, that strong leaders do not show vulnerability and emotion
As the narrative unfolds over the next few weeks, Joseph’s tears chart his growth and take us on a journey of revelation and of self-acceptance. They show us how Joseph develops week to week to become more self-assured, and to act with more authenticity, until at last he is reunited with his father and weeps on his neck without restraint.
Through his tears, he discovers a balance between power and vulnerability, and eventually his cries come forth in both his public persona and his personal life. It is this that makes him such an influential leader in our narrative.
The Talmud teaches: “Since the day the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer were locked… but the gates of tears were never sealed” (Berachot 32b).
Joseph shows us that our genuine, heartfelt emotions, even when uncomfortable, can help us to connect with one another and with the divine. In a society that often treats crying as taboo, our tears can in fact be a sign of courage, when and if we choose to share our feelings.
The gates of tears will always remain open. It is only when we are willing to express ourselves, and find strength in our vulnerability, that we are able to walk through them.
Image: Joseph receiving his brothers in Egypt, Francesco Bacchiacca, 1515 (Wikimedia Commons)
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