The dramatic saga of Yosef and his brothers is the longest continuous story in Sefer Bereishit, if not in the entire Tanach. It has two primary themes: achdut (unity) and emunah (faith).
The first eternal lesson is that Jews must find a way to come together and to stay together. It's always been our dream; it's always been our nightmare. All the sibling rivalry of the Avot comes to a head in Yosef's story.
In a sense, Yosef caused the rivalry; now Yosef must end it.
Every cheder student knows Yosef's famous declaration: "Ani Yosef - ha'od avi chai?" ("I am Yosef, does my father yet live?") But the brothers' reaction to that bombshell is shock, fear, more distance: "And the brothers could not speak or answer; they trembled before him."
And so Yosef repeated his initial statement, but with one crucial addition: "Ani Yosef achichem...." - "I am Yosef your brother...." Amazing what one little word can accomplish!
And then Yosef brought his brothers close to him. Warmly, physically, with a kind of family bear-hug. And they responded in kind to him. See what a kiss, an embrace, a hug can do to bridge the widest chasm?
And then, when this closeness, this kiruv had been effected, it was time for the mussar to be taught.
Yosef gently but firmly explained that Hashem runs the world, that this entire, convoluted scenario - from pit to palace - had been orchestrated by the Divine Conductor. While the brothers had sold Yosef into slavery to prevent his dream (of their bowing down to him) from materializing, they unwittingly had caused it to come true, by setting in motion all the events that led to their coming to Egypt and prostrating before him.
"It is not you who have sent me here," says Yosef, "but Hashem." It is so hard for a human being to accept that G-d, and not he, runs the Universe. Yosef, whose every move was guided from above, must learn it. Yakov, who would not speak to Hashem for 22 years, so angry was he that his son was taken, must learn it. It is a lesson called emunah: If unity is the key to bein adam l'chavero (our relationship to others), then emunah is the key to bein adam l'makom (our relationship to Hashem).
Perhaps both ideas can be summed up all in one succinct, beautiful phrase:
Have faith, brother!
The first eternal lesson is that Jews must find a way to come together and to stay together. It's always been our dream; it's always been our nightmare. All the sibling rivalry of the Avot comes to a head in Yosef's story.
In a sense, Yosef caused the rivalry; now Yosef must end it.
Every cheder student knows Yosef's famous declaration: "Ani Yosef - ha'od avi chai?" ("I am Yosef, does my father yet live?") But the brothers' reaction to that bombshell is shock, fear, more distance: "And the brothers could not speak or answer; they trembled before him."
And so Yosef repeated his initial statement, but with one crucial addition: "Ani Yosef achichem...." - "I am Yosef your brother...." Amazing what one little word can accomplish!
And then Yosef brought his brothers close to him. Warmly, physically, with a kind of family bear-hug. And they responded in kind to him. See what a kiss, an embrace, a hug can do to bridge the widest chasm?
And then, when this closeness, this kiruv had been effected, it was time for the mussar to be taught.
Yosef gently but firmly explained that Hashem runs the world, that this entire, convoluted scenario - from pit to palace - had been orchestrated by the Divine Conductor. While the brothers had sold Yosef into slavery to prevent his dream (of their bowing down to him) from materializing, they unwittingly had caused it to come true, by setting in motion all the events that led to their coming to Egypt and prostrating before him.
"It is not you who have sent me here," says Yosef, "but Hashem." It is so hard for a human being to accept that G-d, and not he, runs the Universe. Yosef, whose every move was guided from above, must learn it. Yakov, who would not speak to Hashem for 22 years, so angry was he that his son was taken, must learn it. It is a lesson called emunah: If unity is the key to bein adam l'chavero (our relationship to others), then emunah is the key to bein adam l'makom (our relationship to Hashem).
Perhaps both ideas can be summed up all in one succinct, beautiful phrase:
Have faith, brother!