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From: Yeshivat Har Etzion Office <office@etzion.org.il> To: yhe-intparsha@etzion.org.il Subject: INTPARSHA62 -11: Parashat Vayigash
YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA
PARASHAT VAYIGASH
Yosef's Brothers
By Rav Michael Hattin
INTRODUCTION
Last time, in Parashat Vayeshev, we began to consider the story of Yosef and his brothers. We briefly outlined the primary catalysts in the account of Yosef's descent to Egypt: his intentional arousal of his brothers' enmity, his donning of the coat of many colors, and his premature dreams of greatness. Additionally, we recounted the role of his brothers in the terrible crime of his sale: their initial schemes to kill him, Reuven's unsuccessful attempt to return him to his father, and Yehuda's embraced suggestion of selling him to the Ishmaelites. Recall that with Yosef's auction, the involvement of his brothers in his life abruptly ended, as the Torah shifted its focus to describe his trials, travails and triumphs in the house of his new master Potiphar and eventually in the service of Pharaoh himself. In the end, Yosef achieves the promise implied in his dreams by becoming Viceroy of Egypt. Except for one unusual, puzzling and seemingly unrelated incident concerning Yehuda and Tamar, the brothers completely disappear from the account until more than twenty years later when the famine predicted in Pharaoh's dream strikes Canaan and the region, and the brothers are forced at their aged father's behest to reluctantly journey to Egypt in search of provisions. Yaacov, fearing for the well-being of Binyamin, Yosef's younger brother and the only remaining progeny of beloved Rachel, refuses to allow him to accompany the others on their trek.
In Parashat Miketz, the brothers thus reenter the narrative, as they stand and then kneel before the Viceroy of Egypt, none other than their long-lost and presumably unmissed brother Yosef. Yosef, now dressed as an Egyptian in the honored robes of his high office, shielded from prying questions by an official interpreter, immediately recognizes them but they fail to discern his true identity. What follows is a troubling series of events in which Yosef subjects his brothers to great psychological stress by accusing them of espionage, imprisoning them, and demanding that they bring their brother Binyamin before him in order to corroborate their counter claims of no wrong doing. The commentaries grapple with Yosef's cruel conduct and attempt to explain his motives: is he driven by vengeance, is he obsessed with the fulfillment of his prophetic dreams, or is there perhaps another way to explain his seeming hard heartedness?
THE FIRST EXCHANGE BETWEEN YOSEF AND HIS BROTHERS
We will attempt to ascertain Yosef's true intent by carefully considering the various elements of his plan and gauging them against the reaction of his brothers. In so doing, we will be able to trace the brothers' progression as they come to their own dawning realizations about their role in the dastardly deed of two decades earlier. Let us begin by cataloging the several steps of Yosef's maltreatment of his brothers and noting their response.
(1) YOSEF - "Yosef saw his brothers and recognized them. He behaved cruelly towards them and spoke harshly.he said to them: 'you are spies, and you have come to ascertain the weakness of the country!'" (Bereishit 42:7-9)
BROTHERS - "They said to him: 'no sir, we are the sons of one father. We are truthful, we are not spies.we twelve are sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest brother remains with his father, and one is no more.'" (42:10-13)
(2) YOSEF - "Yosef said.'you are spies. Corroborate your claims by bringing your young brother here'.he placed them in prison under guard for three days. On the third day he said: '.if you are truthful, let one of you be imprisoned, while the rest of you bring back provisions for your households. Bring your younger brother to me to corroborate your words so that you do not die.' They did so." (42:14-20)
BROTHERS - "The brothers said to each other: 'we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw his distress as he cried out to us but we did not respond. Therefore this tribulation has befallen us!' Reuven said to them: 'I told you not to harm the child but you would not listen, and now his death is being requited!'" (42:21-22)
(3) YOSEF - "Yosef turned from them and wept.he took Shimon and imprisoned him before their eyes. He commanded that their vessels be filled with grain and that each brother's money be returned to his sack." (42:24-25)
BROTHERS - "They took their provisions and placed them upon their donkeys and traveled from there. At the inn, one of them opened his sack in order to feed his donkey and saw his money in plain view.their hearts were afraid and they exclaimed: 'what is this that God has done to us?'" (42:26-28)
THE BROTHERS' FIRST JOURNEY TO EGYPT
In this preliminary exchange between Yosef and his brothers, which we might call 'The Brothers' First Journey to Egypt,' three discrete elements are discernable. First, Yosef speaks harshly to them and accuses them of espionage, then he incarcerates them for three days, and finally he imprisons Shimon alone and then sets the stage for the next encounter by returning their money to them. We may note that Yosef himself weeps during the course of the meeting and must turn aside to regain his composure before continuing with the subterfuge. The alarm and distress that Yosef engenders in this first exchange pivots around the threat of unjust imprisonment 'under guard.'
As for the brothers, to Yosef they vehemently deny any wrongdoing and loudly proclaim their complete innocence. Among themselves, however, they soon ponder their own guilt concerning Yosef's maltreatment at their hands much earlier, a gnawing suspicion that is immediately confirmed by Reuven's explicit linkage. In the meanwhile, Shimon is singled out for especially harsh treatment, and then 'one' of the other brothers, who remains unnamed, triggers the next spasm of introspection by his discovery of the returned money. What is most remarkable about the brothers' reaction is that they connect their present misfortune with ancient events of more than twenty years earlier, evil deeds that they had long since buried under the rubble of willful forgetfulness. Let us note that in their initial claims to Yosef they indicate that 'the youngest brother is with our father (in Canaan), and one of the brothers is no more,' thus exonerating themselves from any role in Yosef's demise.
THE RETURN TO CANAAN - INTERLUDE OF GRIEF
The brothers return to Canaan with heavy hearts. They describe to their aged father in halting words all that befell them and then stand by to witness his predictable reaction of intense grief and disappointment: "Yaacov their father said to them: 'you have made me bereft of my children. Yosef is no more, Shimon is no more. If you will take Binyamin, I cannot bear it!'" (Bereishit 42:36). Reuven tries to reassure his father and to convince him to release Binyamin to his care: ".kill my own two children if I fail to return Binyamin to you.,'" but Yaacov is adamant that he will not risk the loss of his beloved Binyamin by allowing him to descend to Egypt. Thus, Shimon remains incarcerated for some time.
Time passes, the famine continues to rage and the family of Yaacov begins to starve. Yaacov again asks his sons to go to Egypt in order to secure sustenance but now it is Yehuda's turn to respond: ".if you do not send our youngest brother we cannot go, for the man said to us not to appear before him without our youngest brother.send him with me. I will guarantee his safety.if I do not return him to you, then I will stand iniquitous before you until the end of time!" (43:3-9). Yaacov relents, sending off the brothers with Binyamin, with a gift offering for the Viceroy, with the returned funds, and with his tremulous blessings for their success. The brothers depart and set their course for Egypt.
In this intermediate section between the two episodes of their meeting with Yosef, the focus is clearly on Yaacov and his grief. The brothers must see theifather in mourning, stricken with fear over the fate of Shimon and terrified of losing Binyamin, his other 'favorite.' Significantly, Reuven's initial attempts to win his father's confidence are rebuffed, while Yehuda's subsequent efforts, colored by the pangs of hunger, are haltingly accepted.
THE BROTHERS' SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT
The brothers now return to Egypt and stand again in Yosef's presence. As before, let us list what transpires as a function of Yosef's conduct and the brothers' response.
(1) YOSEF - "When Yosef saw Binyamin with them, he said to his servant: 'bring these men to my home and prepare a festive meal, for they will eat with me at noon.'" (Bereishit 43:16)
BROTHERS - "The brothers became afraid when they were brought to Yosef's house. They said: 'It is because of the money that was returned to our sacks.we will be falsely accused.and taken as slaves!' They approached the valet and explained.but he said: 'do not be afraid, for your God and the God of your fathers has given you treasure in your sacks. Your payment was received by me!' He released Shimon to them." (43:18-23)
(2) YOSEF - "Yosef returned home and they presented him with their gifts.He saw Binyamin among them.he quickly left their presence and wept.they served the meal, and he seated the brothers according to their age." (43:26-33)
BROTHERS - "The brothers were amazed.Binyamin received a portion five times as great as theirs, and they drank and feasted with him (Yosef)." (43:33-34)
(3) YOSEF - "Yosef commanded his servant to fill the brothers' sacks with grain and to return their money to them. He further said: 'Place my silver goblet in the sack of the youngest.as morning broke, they were sent on their way.They had scarcely left when Yosef's servant pursued them and apprehended them, saying: 'why did you repay kindness with wickedness? This goblet is my masters, he divines by it, you have done a grievous deed!'" (44:1-5)
BROTHERS - "They said to him: 'why does our master say such things?.How could we dare steal anything from your master's home? If it is true, then the one with who it is found shall die, and we shall all be your slaves!' He said: 'so be it. The one with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.' The brothers quickly removed their sacks and opened them. He checked in all of their sacks, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the goblet was found in Binyamin's sack! They tore their garments, loaded their donkeys and returned to the city." (44:7-13)
THE SECOND EXCHANGE
In this second encounter between Yosef and his brothers, three steps are again evident. This time, though, Yosef conducts himself as the paragon of graciousness. He invites the brothers to eat with him, a singular honor indeed to sup with the Viceroy. He sees Binyamin, momentarily loses his composure, but then seats them and serves them. They are merrily sent on their way at dawn, no doubt after sleeping the pleasant sleep of complete relief. Suddenly, however, they are pursued, accused of theft and forced to return, as Yosef's scheme approaches its climactic conclusion.
Concerning the brothers, they sincerely demonstrate deep concern about the returned funds and try to present a convincing case. Surprisingly, their fears are completely dispelled as Yosef's servant announces that God must have planted treasure in their sacks, since he did receive their payment initially. Their guard is further let down when Yosef returns, graciously receives their gift and feasts with them. It is with complete shock, then, that their fortunes are reversed as Yosef's silver goblet, surreptitiously deposited in Binyamin's sack, serves as the unjust pretext for seizing him as a slave!
We may note that in this second series, the initial fears and misgivings of the brothers, their faded memories of what they had done to their brother Yosef years before, are at first allayed, only to abruptly resurface with ominous effect. Additionally, it seems that this time around, it is the motif of 'money, silver' and 'ill-gotten gains' that constitutes the source of the brothers' downfall.
YOSEF'S REVELATION TO THIS BROTHERS
In the final act of the drama, it is Yehuda who must take the primary role. Responding to Yosef's claim of having ascertained their guilt through divination, Yehuda pleads on behalf of Binyamin, readily admitting the brothers' guilt: "What shall we say? How can we be righteous? God has discovered your servants' iniquity! Behold, we are your slaves, both us as well as the one with whom the goblet has been found!" (44:16). When Yosef refuses and instead demands only Binyamin's custody, Yehuda responds with his pained and eloquent description of their younger brother's death (i.e. Yosef), Yaacov's resultant intense and never assuaged grief, and the certainty of Binyamin's seizure resulting in their aged and broken father's demise. Nobly, Yehuda offers to take Binyamin's place, for he cannot bear the thought of facing his father's anguished distress. Finally, as the drama comes to a close at the beginning of Parashat Vayigash, Yosef relents. In his third and most emotional outburst, he breaks down and cries, at last revealing his true identity to his brothers!
How are we to understand Yosef's conduct throughout this ordeal? What must he achieve by subjecting his brothers to intense emotional torment? It is difficult to see vengeance as his primary goal, as if he must repay his brothers for all the grief that they brought upon him when they concluded his sale with the Ishmaelites. After all, did he not twice cry as he went through with his scheme, indicating that he was himself distressed by the pain that he imposed upon his brothers? We must therefore search elsewhere for the cause behind his conduct, and our search is aided by the structural analysis of above. Recall that the two descents to Egypt, and the two exchanges with Yosef, revolved around unjust incarceration and unjust gains. Note also that it is Reuven and Yehuda who take the most prominent roles as advocates, while Shimon and 'one' of the other brothers are charged with indiscretion. Finally the entire orchestration set into motion by Yosef revolves around wresting Binyamin from Yaacov's protective embrace and placing the brothers in a charged situation where they must rescue him, even at the cost of their own freedom.
RELIVING THE PAST
In other words, what Yosef attempts to do in his carefully crafted artifice is to force the brothers to relive the trauma of his own sale more than two decades earlier. When the brothers first come down to Egypt, Yosef immediately recognizes them. No doubt, he exchanges some pleasantries, makes some innocent enquiries but soon discovers to his dismay that the brothers are the same brothers, never having confronted or resolved their tragic role in his presumed demise. They speak of Yosef as if he somehow disappeared, 'one of them is not,' as if they know nothing of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, as if they are blameless and completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Yosef speaks harshly to them, recalling their own harsh and hateful words to him on the eve of their evil scheme - 'they could not speak peaceably to him' (Bereishit 37:4). He accuses them of espionage, no doubt recalling their own charges that he would tell damaging tales to their father - 'Yosef brought evil reports of their conduct to his father' (37:2). Yosef then incarcerates them in a guarded prison referred to in the original Hebrew as the 'mishmar.' This is the very term that described Yosef's own incarceration in Potiphar's house when he stood accused by Potiphar's wife of wrongdoing (40:3). Significantly, though, Yosef at that time referred to it as 'the pit,' when he ruefully remarked to the butler that 'I have done nothing wrong to deserve being thrown into this pit!' (40:15). Could not the experience of three days of unjust incarceration be calculated to arouse in the minds of the brothers similar associations? Had they not themselves thrown him into the pit in order to silence his exaggerboasts and purported acts of spying?
As for Shimon, Yosef singles him out for special treatment. Could it be that Shimon's imprisonment is an oblique reference to his prominent role in Yosef's own seizure? It will be recalled that the Torah never mentions exactly which brothers were instrumental in formulating the plan to kill him. This is done out of consideration, to conceal the shame of a dastardly act. All that is stated is that "one brother said to his fellow: behold, here comes this 'master of dreams.' Now, let us kill him and throw his body into a pit and say that a wild beast has devoured him, then we shall see what will become of his dreams!" Nevertheless, an oral tradition has preserved the identity of the perpetrators: "Yosef imprisoned Shimon for he was the one who cast him into the pit. He was the one who said to Levi: 'behold, here comes this master of dreams' (quoted by Rashi, 42:24).
All of this misfortune begins to leave its mark, as the brothers painfully recall the episode of Yosef's imprisonment and sale. Reuven, who initially had tried to rescue Yosef, here returns again in a role of advocacy, in essence reliving his earlier intervention. His telling remark serves as the trigger for the brothers' belated introspection. The brothers return to their aged father in Canaan, and on the way 'one of them' discovers his money. Could it be that this brother who later "at the inn opened his sack to give provender to his donkey, and found his bundle of money inside" was none other than Levi, the same Levi that according to Rashi was Shimon's accomplice in clamoring for Yosef's death? The discovery of the money now fills the brothers with dread, for had they not used the funds to purchase grain and would they not now be accused of theft? Thus Levi now brings even more misfortune upon them!
BACK TO CANAAN
Coming home, the brothers must now face their father's grief. He exclaims that he has already lost Yosef years before, and now stands to lose Shimon and Binyamin as well. His pained protests at the prospect of releasing Binyamin, the remaining favorite, to their charge call to mind of course his reaction upon receiving the brothers' feigned report of twenty years earlier concerning Yosef's death. How terribly they had miscalculated the depth of their father's grief back then, to what great lengths had they subsequently gone in order to conceal their role in the affair! This time, however, any suppression or cover up is impossible: we are responsible for bringing this new disaster upon you and we must now suffer the results!
Although Reuven attempts to win his father's confidence, Yaacov rebuffs him: "My son will not go down with you!" (42:38) Eventually, the famine has its effect, and Yaacov reluctantly agrees to send Binyamin under Yehuda's aegis. Rashi advances his own reason for Reuven's failed entreaties, but it is clear that Providence must orchestrate events just this way: Reuven was directly blameless in the events surrounding Yosef's sale, but he did fail in not exercising his firstborn authority in order to put a halt to the brothers' wicked scheme. That failure, a function of his inadequacy and powerlessness to act in order to save his father's most beloved son is thus relived here as Yaacov refuses him, no doubt casting a burning question mark over Reuven's continued fitness to claim the coveted role of 'firstborn.' Yehuda, on the other hand, had first raised the sinister suggestion of selling Yosef to the Ishmaelites. Although his intervention preserved Yosef's life, it also caused him to descend to Egypt. Therefore, Yehuda must now relive his role by taking Binyamin, the 'Yosef figure,' down to Egypt, but this time with the oath that he will protect him at all costs.
RETURNING TO EGYPT - THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
The second exchange between Yosef and the brothers revolves around the money that reappears in their sacks, and the silver goblet that mysteriously finds its way into Binyamin's luggage. Try as they might, it seems that the brothers cannot shake themselves of the 'kesef' (money, silver) that so malevolently clings to them and to their possessions, bringing upon them such untold grief! Who could fail to see the connection between these 'ill gotten gains' and the 'twenty pieces of silver (kesef)' that constituted the price for Yosef's cruel and heartless auction to the Arabian traders plying their wares down to Egypt (37:28)? Yosef the Viceroy remembers it only too well, recalling how he sat, motionless and bound, on the lumbering camel at the rear of the winding caravan, as his brothers' disdainful expressions receded and disappeared. His brothers now relive it also, but finally with the dawning awareness that every deed has consequences, that there can be no evasion from the past, that no amount of mental and emotional gymnastics can forever self-conceal an act of evil.
As events unfold, the brothers come to finally own up to their act. Yosef's careful orchestration is calculated to place Binyamin in the exact same situation that he himself had experienced so long ago. Like Yosef, Binyamin is his father's favorite and the only tangible memory of Yosef that remains. Yehuda finally secures Yaacov's permission to take Binyamin in his care and Yosef soon showers his blood brother with extra attention. Yosef then instructs his servant to conceal his silver goblet in Binyamin's sack and to then accuse him of theft. Demanding that Binyamin be turned over, the servant meets with the brothers' refusal. Returning to Yosef they tearfully plead for his release and Yehuda steps forward to entreat Yosef in consideration of Yaacov's fragile emotional state. "When our father sees that his son is no more he shall die, and we shall be guilty of having brought down our father to the grave in sadness!" How striking is this passage, for it without doubt demonstrates that the brothers have finally changed their ways. This time, the brothers act in defense of their youngest sibling, even though he is their father's favorite. This time, they cannot bear the thought of seeing their father in mourning, even though for the last twenty- two years they had borne it well. This time, Yehuda is finally able to vocalize the words: "We have an elderly father, and a child of his old age whose brother has DIED." This time, the brothers are willing to suffer imprisonment so that Binyamin can go free.
Finally, now certain of his brothers' remorse and contrition, Yosef reveals his true identity. Had he done so at the moment of their initial meeting, his brothers would have never come to the state of true teshuva that characterizes their reconciliation now. The story of Yosef's brothers makes it clear that true repentance, although sometimes precipitated by external events, must nevertheless come from within. Yosef could have secured his brothers' impassioned pleas for forgiveness much earlier in the narrative, had he revealed himself immediately. But that repentance would have constituted nothing more than a startle response predicated on shock and fear, rather than a measured and considered act of real return. Our Sages say that "the Merciful One desires our hearts," for it is sincerity and truthfulness with ourselves that constitute the first steps in making restitution. Ultimately, we must strive to mend the torn and frayed threads of our own lives, the hurt feelings and tragic misunderstandings that destroy relationships. Inevitably, though, that process must begin with an honest examination of our own soul.
Shabbat Shalom
YESHIVAT HAR ETZION ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH ALON SHEVUT, GUSH ETZION 90433
Copyright (c) 2001 Yeshivat Har Etzion. All rights reserved.
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