In this week’s Torah portion, we reach the end of the Joseph story – a story of a dysfunctional family, of a son who was treated differently from his brothers, and how his brothers left him to die.

For the last two weeks, we’ve followed the story. We’ve seen Joseph left for dead, sold into slavery, and falsely imprisoned. And finally, we saw Joseph become the second most powerful man in Egypt.

This week, the story is resolved. Joseph’s brothers came to him, not knowing who he is, begging for food in the middle of a famine. And Joseph realizes his brothers, too, have suffered. Overwhelmed by compassion, Joseph reveals himself and forgives them.

And Joseph was not able to restrain himself before everyone who stood before him, and he said, “Let everyone leave me.” And no one stood before him when he revealed himself to his brothers. And he gave out a great wail. And Egypt heard, and Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” And his brothers were not able to answer him because they were afraid.

And Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close,” and they came close. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother who you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be sad and don’t be upset because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to save lives.”

Suddenly, their lives became part of a much greater story. God has sent Joseph before them to save lives and to prepare them for a great deliverance. What was once a family dispute becomes a prolog for the Exodus, for the crossing of the sea, and for the entire future of the Jewish people.

And what’s more, Joseph suggests, each of his brothers had a role in God’s plan. As Mordechi Yosef of Izbitza put it:

Joseph spoke to their hearts, and told them that deep in their souls, they were only performing God’s will. And the same is true for all Jews. God plants a light in our hearts, prompting us to fulfill a divine purpose.

Joseph’s revelation changed their lives. It turned suffering into meaning. And it only happened because Joseph was performing a mitzvah. For years, he had been feeding the hungry, providing food for the entire known world in the midst of a famine. And in the end, it was this mitzvah that brought the family together.

Like Joseph, I have experienced my own suffering. My childhood was difficult and I endured decades of pain. But along the way, I learned an important lesson. The way we conquer our trauma and pain is by bringing kindness to others. I’ve been serving the Jewish community for thirty years now, and I’ve changed many people’s lives. Looking back on my life, on the people I was able to help, I wouldn’t change a moment. The pain and the trauma were merely part of God’s plan, a way of teaching me to have compassion for others.

Our lives are part of part of a far bigger story – a story of helping and being helped, of creating community and helping each other to heal.

This is the life that God meant for each us us. God has planted a light in our hearts, prompting each of us to fulfill a divine purpose.

May you find your purpose, just as I have found mine, and may you bring God’s light into the world.