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The following is from the sefer Rav Schwab on Chumash.</div>
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Bereishis 46:30</div>
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<span class="co_VerseNum">ל</span><span class="co_VerseText">וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף אָמ֣וּתָה הַפָּ֑עַם</span><br>
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<span class="co_VerseText">אַֽחֲרֵי֙ רְאוֹתִ֣י אֶת־פָּנֶ֔יךָ כִּ֥י עֽוֹדְךָ֖ חָֽי</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="co_VerseText">
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And Yisrael said to Yosef, "Now I can die; after I have seen your face that you are still alive."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Regarding this pasuk, I heard a beautiful explanation from my rebbi,
<div>Harav Shlomo Breuer, in Frankfurt. When Yaakov Avinu finally met</div>
<div>his beloved son Yosef in Egypt after twenty-two years, during which</div>
<div>period he thought that Yosef had died, the Torah, in describing their first</div>
<div>meeting, tells us (Bereishis 46:29): -He fell on his neck, and he continued to cry on his neck.</div>
<div>Rashi (ibid.), quoting Chazal, explains that it was only Yosef who hugged and kissed his father,</div>
<div>-but Yaakov, at that exalted moment-instead of embracing his beloved son-was</div>
<div>saying Krias Shema. And then Yaakov speaks (ibid. 46:30): "Now I can die; after I have seen your face."</div>
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<div>To explain this remarkable Chazal, Rav Breuer said as follows: During</div>
<div>the twenty-two years when Yaakov Avinu, dressed in sackcloth, mourned</div>
<div>and cried over what he thought was the loss of his beloved son Yosef,</div>
<div>his life was not worth much to him. Like the other Avos, Yaakov kept all</div>
<div>the mitzvos before they were given, including the daily saying of Krias</div>
<div>Shema. And when he said the words וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽך, it was</div>
not very difficult for him to offer his life for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. In this<br>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">state, he would not be giving up very much, as life was almost worthless
<div>to him. However, after seeing that Yosef was not only alive, but wearing</div>
<div>the Egyptian crown on his head, surrounded by the trappings of royalty,</div>
<div>Yaakov's life took on new meaning. Now that he was reunited with his</div>
<div>beloved son, his life had become precious again. And it was precisely</div>
<div>at that exalted moment, when his life had taken on such great value,</div>
<div>that he offered to give it to Hakadosh Baruch Hu if the need arose. Now</div>
<div>he was really offering his most precious possession: his life in its most</div>
<div>exalted state! It was therefore necessary for him to recite Krias Shema at</div>
that moment, and say - I am prepared to offer everything- including <br>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">my very precious life-for Hakadosh Baruch Hu, if the need arises.<br>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For the record, Rav Schwab is referring to Rabbiner Dr. Shlomo Zalman Breuer, zt"l, RSRH's son-in-law and successor.</span></div>
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