And Judah Approached Him – 1
It is interpreted in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar], “‘And Judah approached him,’ for Judah is the Nukva [female] meaning a prayer, and Joseph is redemption.” The text tells us that when they approached each other for a Zivug [coupling] until, “And Joseph could not withhold himself” and revealed to them those Mochin [lights].
In regard to the above-said, we can interpret the verse, “And Judah approached him and said, ‘My lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are as Pharaoh.’” Here he brings an order by which to approach a prayer and ask the Creator to save him.
When a person wants to walk on the path of truth, and truth is called Lishma [for Her sake]—as Maimonides says in Hilchot Teshuva—he sees that he is far from the truth.
A prayer is Malchut, who is called Judah, who was a Melech [king], for Israel are sons of kings, the sons of Malchut. Malchut is called “the assembly of Israel,” the collection of the soul of Israel. Hence, each one is called Malchut.
When he comes to pray to the Creator to bring him closer to His true work, which is called “truth,” he says to the Creator, “Our sages said, ‘I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.’ Thus, what I ask of You, to give me the light of Torah, is not because I need the Gadlut [greatness/adulthood] of the Mochin. Therefore, ‘Do not be angry with your servant,’ since all the light of Torah that I seek is not luxuries, but a necessity.”
“You are as Pharaoh,” since there are two kings in the world: 1) The King of all Kings, 2) An old and foolish king, called “Wicked Pharaoh.”
Since “You are as Pharaoh,” meaning I do not feel any greatness in the Creator, and do not have importance of Kedusha [holiness], but it has the same taste and value as Pharaoh, and even at the most important time, when both are of the same value and I must determine whether for Kedusha or for Tuma’a [impurity]—and this is called “for You are as Pharaoh”—when they are of equal weight, this is the most important time. Sometimes, Pharaoh is more important than the Kedusha.
Hence, when he asks the Creator to show him the light of His Torah, it is a necessity and not because he wants Gadlut. This is why he said, “Do not be angry with your servant.” This is the meaning of “And Judah approached him,” for approaching is only a prayer, which is Malchut.
Joseph is redemption, as in “Joseph could not withhold himself,” and revealed to him the Mochin. This is the meaning of “No man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.” When the Creator reveals Himself, “No man stood.” That is, at that time a person annuls his being and begins to walk on the path of truth.