Wagons and Unity - Vayigash

27. "And they told him all of Joseph's words that he had said to them, and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of their father Jacob was revived." כז. "וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵהֶם וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב 

"אֲבִיהֶם

The first question that comes up when reading this pasuk is what was so special about the wagons Joseph sent that when Yaakov saw them his spirit was finally revived after so many yesrs of agony and sadness. 

What strengthen the question even more is the fact that the brothers of Yoseph told Yaakov already that Yosef was alive yet that wasn't a good enough reason to "come back to life"?!..

Rashi on the spot also had this question and so he brought the Midrash Raba to answer it; the Midrash says that Yosef told his brothers to tell Yaakov that he is alive and if Yaakov won't believe them then show him the wagons as a proof because the last Parasha that Yosef was learning with Yaakov before he disappeared was Parashat HaAgalot.

Yet the question is still to be asked, a father hears that his son is alive after so many years wouldn't that be enough to make him the happiest on earth?! What is so great about the fact that he still remembered what parsha they learned before he left ?!

The "Aruch Laner" explains that from the parsha of the wagons we learn an important lesson in avodat Hashem. The Parasha describes how each tribe president brought their offering to Hashem each day of the week and then to bring the wagons that carried the klei hakodesh two tribe presidents would carry one wagon so total of 6 wagons, the Aruch Laner asks how come when it came to carrying the wagons you had two tribe president carrying one wagon while the daily offering was given by each tribe separately?, he learns from here that the Torah comes to teach us that Avodat Hashem has two parts one is the individual the other is the social part.

We all must work on our middot and also try to become better people however one cannot take himself hide in a cave and learn Torah forever trying to become like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Hashem wants us to socialize and help others grow as well and also deal with certain nisyonot that involves society, through this we will come to unity and only through completing these two parts our avodat Hashem can get close to perfection.. It's a life long process but never too late to start.

Yaakov avinu was worried that after so many years of separation his sons will not be as close and united as they should've been and he knew that the only way for Am Israel to survive was to stick together with unity. When Yosef sent Yaakov the wagons at that moment Yaakov worries went off, the wagons represent the part of unity in avodat Hashem as we explained above and therefore when Yaakov saw the wagons he knew that his sons are still united together and that was the reason his spirit was revived.

Shavua tov may we all see Brachot viyeshuot.

(Based on the works of the book Haim Sheyesh Bahem)