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"With that he embraced his brother Benjamin around the neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and he wept upon them.” (45:14-15). “Joseph ordered his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel; he presented himself to him and, embracing him around the neck, he wept on his neck a good while” (46:29).
The following story is told about the power of pure tears and their ability to transform a situation. One time the Polish government had passed a law that, if implemented, would have made it impossible for Jewish education to continue. The whole Torah world was incredibly nervous that this decree would mean the end of Torah education in Poland. Unsure of what to do, it was decided that the great Chofetz Chayim (1838-1933) would travel to Warsaw to meet with the Polish minister in charge of education and ask him if he could rescind the decree.
The Polish minister did not speak Yiddish and the Chofetz Chaim only wanted to speak in Yiddish. A translator was present to translate the Chofetz Chayim’s words. The Chofetz Chayim began to speak in Yiddish but after a few words he simply broke down in tears and was unable to continue. The translator began to translate the few words that the Chofetz Chayim spoke. The minister cut him off. He said, “I don’t know Yiddish at all, but I understand these tears. From these tears I can see how important this matter is to your community. I rescind the decree at once.”
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