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This week’s Parshah contains the unfortunate saga of Yosef and his brothers–Yosef, although with the best of intentions, reports actions taken by his brothers that appear to be negative to their father Yaakov, and the rest of his brothers, who anyways had feelings of negativity towards Yosef due to the fact that Yaakov seemed to show him favoritism, react with intense animosity. The Torah relates how they eventually decided to kill Yosef due to his antagonistic behavior, until Reuvain steps in and offers, that rather than kill Yosef with their bare hands, it would be better to throw Yosef into one of the pits, where Yosef can die without their direct action. Unbeknownst to the rest of the brothers, Reuvain’s true intention was to save Yosef from the pit at a later time. In the interim, Yehuda rationalizes that rather than kill Yosef, it would be best to sell him as a slave to a traveling caravan, which the brothers do. When Reuvain returns, he reacts with intense grief, and exclaims “...and as for me–where can I go?” [See Bereishit 37’ 30’.]

This proclamation of Reuvain needs further analysis. The reader of the Torah will recall that in Parshat VaYishlach, we discover that Reuvain was stripped of his firstborn rights for violating the proper measure of respect due to Yaakov, his father [see Bereishit 35’ 22’]. Those rights were going to be given to Yosef, in the form of his two sons [Ephraim and Menashe] each receiving a portion in Eretz Yisrael, correlating with the double portion typically given to a firstborn according to Jewish law.

Rather than react with bitterness, Reuvain accepted the decree of his father, and understood that he had sacrificed his rights to the firstborn due to his brash action in violating the commandment to honor one’s father. In this, Reuvain differed to the extreme from his uncle Esav, who, although having SOLD his rights to the firstborn, was still bitter and murderous towards Yaakov when Yaakov claimed the Berachot from Yitzchak that were rightfully due to the firstborn–in this case, Yaakov, who had legally purchased that very privilege! Reuvain, however, was gracious, and understood that he had erred. The culmination of Reuvain’s repentance was his desire and efforts to save the life of Yosef relayed in this Parshah. For it stood to reason, that if Yosef would be killed by the Shevatim, the firstborn privileges would return to Reuvain–and yet, rather than act with his own self interest, Reuvain, of the 10 brothers involved [excluding Binyamin, and of course, Yosef], surreptitiously seeks to save Yosef, thus reflecting a total repentance for his prior misdeed. It is with this in mind that we understand Reuvain’s great grief expressed upon the discovery of the disappearance of Yosef–for this was the culmination of his Teshuvah!

Through this prism, we can also understand the great depth that Leah had when naming Reuvain, as Rashi states:

[Bereishit 29’ 32’]

“Leah called him Reuvain, in order to prophetically allude to the difference between Reuvain and his Uncle Esav, for the word Reuvain can be interpreted as “Re’uo”--see the difference between my son [Bein] and his uncle, for Esav reacted by seeking to kill Yaakov, and Reuvain sought to save Yosef.”

Rokeach comments [Bereishit 35’ 21’-22’] that it is due to this effort of Reuvain to save Yosef that Reuvain is blessed with [see Chapter 33 in Sefer Devarim] the double blessing of “Reuvain shall live and not die.” Much ink has been spilled seeking to clarify the double and seemingly redundant expression; Fascinatingly, Rokeach explains, that the doubling of the phrase is measure for measure for what Reuvain states here–”We shall not kill a soul” and “We shall not spill blood [Bereishit 35’ 21’-22’].” In return for his twofold expression seeking to save Yosef, he is blessed twice over by Moshe with the prayer “Reuvain shall live and not die.” [The matter still requires further analysis, for the secrets of the Torah know no limits.]

Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.

Have a Great Shabbas.