Yaakov’s Search for Peace
The life of Yaakov Avinu (our forefather) was filled with challenges and complications, perhaps beyond that of any other Patriarch. A good deal of his problems concerned his relationship with his brother, Eisav. This matter came to a head with the epic confrontation, which resulted in a dramatic reconciliation.
For now, Yaakov thought that his difficulties were behind him and that he could live peacefully in the land of his fathers. Concerning this, the Rabbis say:
“Yaakov sought to live in peace, but the turmoil of Yosef sprang upon him. The Righteous seek to live in tranquility. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, says, ‘Is it not enough that the World to Come is prepared for them, yet they also yearn for tranquility in this world?’” (Bereishit Rabbah 84:3)
Apparently, this existence was not designed for calmness and quiet, but for man to engage in repairing the world both in a practical and spiritual sense. Man must confront the forces of nature as well as the social establishments that propagate oppression and false religion.
The truly righteous individual needs to endeavor to perfect himself through wisdom and refined character traits. But he cannot withdraw from the problems of mankind. He must, according to his ability, seek to expunge evil and contribute to the enlightenment of the world.
Man’s mission to initiate constructive changes in the established order guarantees that his life will not always proceed smoothly and comfortably, even after he has fought what seemed to be his major battles. A person can never know what hidden challenges lie in wait for him just around the bend.
Favoritism and the Seeds of Conflict
Yaakov’s new complications stemmed from the fact that he favored one son above all his other children. Love is in general a good thing, but not when it leads to a display of favoritism. As a result of this indulgence, the brothers hated Yosef and kept their distance from him.
Unfortunately, the matter did not end there. Yosef himself contributed to the hostility by certain unwarranted actions, such as reporting their perceived trespasses to his father. All of that induced a feeling of dislike in the brothers, and “they could not speak to him peacefully” (Bereishit 37:4).
Note: Rashi sees in this a virtue of the brothers, that they were not duplicitous, feeling one thing in their hearts but saying something different with their lips.
Had things remained at that level, there would have been a rift in the family, but no thought of killing Yosef or selling him as a slave to Egypt. However, “Many are the thoughts in the heart of man; but the plan of Hashem, that will prevail” (Mishlei 19:21).
The tenuous peace in the family was shattered by the dreams of Yosef, which aroused discontent. Is a person responsible for what he dreams? If that were true, then we would all be criminals! Yosef reported his dreams to his brothers in a manner that suggested that he regarded them as prophetic. The dreams depicted him in a position of rulership over the family.
The brothers viewed the dreams as an indication of Yosef’s delusions of grandeur, and this caused them to regard him as a potential adversary. The conflict came to a head on that fateful day when Yosef, alone, encountered them in Dotan, and they took harsh action against him.
The brothers were wrong in selling him as a slave to Egypt, but we must remember that these individuals were all leaders of the Shivtei Kah (Tribes of G-d), and we must seek to understand their perspective.
In order to protect the Abrahamic religious movement, it was necessary to prevent egomaniacal charlatans from ascending to positions of authority. To this end, Avraham had sent away Yishmael, and Rivka had thwarted Yitzchak’s intention to bestow the blessings on Eisav. Now this morally flawed upstart had won Yaakov’s favor, and because of his desire for power, he represented a clear and present danger to the emergence of Hashem’s Chosen Nation. They had a responsibility to do all in their power to protect the religious system of Avraham, but at the same time Yosef was “their brother, their flesh” (Bereishit 37:27). What could they do?
The Brothers’ Dilemma and Yosef’s Descent
The issue was extremely complex since the stakes were very high. At first, they concluded that eliminating Yosef completely was the only option, and they cast him into a deep pit. But when “they sat down to eat bread” (Bereishit 37:25), their minds kept working, and when they saw a caravan of traders heading to Egypt, Yehuda altered the plan.
They did not have to kill Yosef, who was their brother, he argued. They could solve the problem in a less catastrophic manner by selling him as a slave to Mitzrayim (Egypt), where he would no longer be a threat to them, and his life would be spared.
Note: They never contemplated that he could rise to be the ruler of Egypt. Because of their dislike of him, they never recognized his true greatness. Nor did they properly consider how far a person could travel with the winds of Divine Providence at his back.
Providence, Forgiveness, and the Torah’s Lesson
Ultimately, when they were desperate for food supplies, the brothers found themselves under the domination of the Egyptian ruler whom they did not recognize as Yosef. The original situation, where Yosef was at the complete mercy of his hostile brothers, was now reversed. Yosef could do with them as he pleased, but revenge was the farthest thing from his mind. He recognized that all that had occurred was in line with the Will of Hashem, Who had determined that Egypt would be the place in which Am Yisrael (the Nation of Israel) would emerge.
It is reasonable to surmise that he had reviewed his own behavior toward his brothers and had recognized the mistakes he had made, most notably the revelation of his dreams; which clearly was not calculated to enhance his popularity or likability.
The story of Yosef and his brothers presents the people who were the building blocks of Am Yisrael at their lowest point. They were mere mortals, liable to the flaws that all humans are subject to. Thus, we encounter in this epic narrative parental favoritism, youthful egotism, sibling rivalry, and even serious affliction of a brother.
This would have been more than enough to permanently undo the bonds that hold any ordinary family together. But this did not happen because of the greatness of Yosef HaTzadik (the righteous one), who wholeheartedly forgave them. Not only that, but he arranged for their resettlement in Egypt and provided for all their needs.
The brothers could not believe that Yosef, whom they had once seen only “from afar” (Bereishit 37:18), could so unconditionally absolve them. They suspected that he behaved this way only out of respect for Yaakov. After returning from the burial of their father in Canaan, they sent word to Yosef about a purported message from Yaakov. They fabricated and said that he had requested that Yosef refrain from any harmful action against his siblings, and they offered themselves as slaves to Yosef.
Yosef, whom the brothers still did not truly appreciate, was moved to tears by their distress. His reply is very instructive.
“Yosef said to them, do not be afraid; for am I in the place of G-d? You planned to do me harm; but Hashem utilized that for a good, in order to effectuate, as this day, the means to sustain a great nation” (Bereishit 50:19-20).
The point of the Torah is not that great people are saints who never do wrong. They are ordinary humans who are imperfect beings and capable of serious mistakes. What is unique, however, is the manner in which they react to their own shortcomings. They acknowledge their errors, overcome their base instincts, and act righteously.
The Torah is the ultimate guide to proper living, teaching us the ideals we should strive for and the means to attain them. It also recognizes that we are fallible and prone to transgressions. But when we trespass, we should not despair. Rather, we must recognize that if we do Teshuva (repentance) properly, we can reach the greatest heights of righteousness.
May Hashem assist us in this worthy endeavor.
Shabbat Shalom.
Questions? Comments?
Please reach out to Rabbi Mann on WhatsApp at 050-709-2372 or by email at rebmann21@aol.com.
Alternatively, contact Mitch Rosner on WhatsApp at 054-426-3419 or by email at mitchrosner@gmail.com.