Vayigash or Vaigash (וַיִּגַּשׁ — Hebrew for “and he drew near” or “then he drew near,” the first word of the parashah) is the eleventh weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 44:18–47:27. Jews read it the eleventh Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in December or January.
In the parashah, Judah makes a persuasive plea on behalf of his brother Benjamin, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, Jacob comes down to Egypt, and Joseph’s administration of Egypt saves lives but transforms all the Egyptians into bondmen.
In a Torah scroll (ספר תורה, Sefer Torah), the parashah occupies 178 lines, made up of 5,680 Hebrew letters, 1,480 Hebrew words, and 106 verses.
Read more about Vayigash: Readings, Commandments, In The Liturgy