Rashi teaches that Yaakov Avinu dispatched Yehudah on a mission to Egypt for more than merely making arrangements for the family’s arrival. The Midrash interprets l’horos as “to teach.” This implies that Yaakov sent Yehudah to establish the first yeshivah in Egypt. The “Yeshivah Gedolah of Goshen” set a precedent for all time. Torah education must be a community’s priority number one. A city without a makom Torah, place where Torah is studied, lacks the most critical component of its Jewishness. A Jewish community without a makom Torah is not Jewish!
Horav Moshe Yaakov Ribicov, zl, popularly known as the Sandlor/Shoemaker, derives another lesson from Yaakov. Every activity, endeavor, which a person takes on, must be focused on Torah. “What will this endeavor do for Torah?” should be one’s primary question. If the Torah component is not integral to the endeavor, the entire endeavor is lacking. This may be compared to one who is building a house. Before beginning the project, he should imagine where he will place his study/room for Torah study, prayer, solitude for spiritual seclusion. This room, which will be used primarily for spiritual purposes, should take precedence in his house. Everything else should fit in around his study. The place for development in Torah has primary significance. When one prioritizes the Torah in his every daily endeavor, he elevates his life from the mundane to the spiritual. This is the meaning of focused Jewish living.
