Our Parasha relates, that after Yosef told his second dream to his father and to his brothers, (37:1-18) ‘his brothers were jealous of him..they ‘went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem.
‘His father said to him: ’Your brothers are pasturing in Shechem.. Come, I will send you to them..Go now, look into the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word.
‘So he sent him from the depth of Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem.
‘A man discovered him..he was blundering in the field; the man asked him, saying:’What do you seek?’. And he said:’ My brothers do I seek; tell me, please, where are they pasturing?
‘The man said: They have journeyed on from here, for I heard them saying: Let us go to Dothan. So Yosef went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
‘They saw him from afar.. they conspired against him to kill him, but, as the Torah relates: (37:28)’They sold Yosef to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; they brought Yosef to Egypt…(37:36):’Now the Medianites had sold him to Egypt, to Potiphar, the Chamberlain of the Butchers.’’
Rashi brings the Midrash Rabba, as his commentary, on the passuk: 'From the depth of Hebron (37:12): But is not Hebron on a mountain? As it is stated: ’And they ascended ..and he came as far as Hebron’. But it is to be understood that he sent him from the deep counsel of the righteous man who is buried in Hebron - Avraham - to fulfill what was said to Avraham between the parts.
He does likewise, on the passuk:’They have traveled away from here’: They removed themselves from brotherhood.
Abarbanel asks the obvious question: ow was Yaakov not fearful of sending Yosef to check on them - and on their work - lest they harm him, as undoubtedly he knew of their animosity to Yosef? And how was Yosef himself not afraid of them, knowing that they would not even speak peaceably to him - what greater proof could there be, than this?
Answers Rav Matityahu Salomon: The answer to this - and all the other myriad questions that arise on this whole episode, lies in four words:’the depth of Hebron’ - as Rashi brings: it is all in fulfillment of what was decreed in the covenant of the parts, with Avraham - who was buried in Hebron - that his seed would be enslaved in a land not theirs.
No wisdom or counsel - not of Yaakov nor in the righteous Yosef, nor in his brothers- prevails only the counsel of Hashem, who allows each and every one of them to err, and blinds their minds.
It is called ‘deep counsel’, because it was concealed, appearing to be all bad, yet - in reality - it was all for the good.
Rav Chaim Friedlander adds: The decree was the only truth, and all the actions of the parties were in vain, as Hashem brought to Yosef a guide to unknowingly put him into the hands of his brothers, when by all logic he should have turned around and returned to his father, and this through the intervention of an angel.
The purpose of all this, was to inform us that all was by the hand of Hashem.
This concealed course of action: the fall from prominence - Yosef being cast into a well - it itself was the cause of his ascent from the well, and to his rise to greatness, in Egypt.
The Malbim elucidates, as to how Yaakov sent Yosef on this seemingly perilous mission:’Bring me back word’: He thereby made him a shaliach mitzvah on his return - as well as on the way there.
‘And he sent him from the depth of Hebron’ having accompanied him till there.
Our Sages said : From the deep counsel which was given in Hebron, meaning: in the natural order of things, it was not appropriate that Yaakov should send the cherished child of his old age, to a dangerous place - if he was fearful for the brothers, who were brave and had their servants with them, how was he not afraid to send Yosef unaccompanied to a place where enemies lurked? - it was only that he was directed from Above, that he did so.
Let us now bring the answer of Abarbanel, to the question he raised. The Torah relates that -, because of the hatred of Yosef of his brothers - they went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem, thinking that by distancing themselves from Yosef, he would not bring tales of their misdeeds - in his eyes - to their father, and also, that they would not witness the honor their father bestowed upon him.
Perhaps, also, that one day he would go there, and they would repay him for his deeds against them, as indeed happened - and their father would think that the enemies in that place, killed him.
The Torah relates that Yaakov, out of his love for Yosef, told him, in a joyful manner: ’Your brothers are pasturing the sheep in Shechem’,,yet you are sitting here - I do not want this: ’Go, and I will send you to them’, and you will pasture their father’s flock flock like them, as you are all my sons, and why should you have this advantage over them.’
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch also comments on the concern of Yaakov for the unity of his sons, saying: Yaakov was concerned about the split between Yosef and his brothers - he didn’t want it to widen, but - at the same time - wanted to put to the test the feling of amity in his heart.
Initially, he does not give him a task, but only says: Better I send you to their flock, better that you should be with them.
Yosef is ready to do so immediately - his heart pure and devoid of any sense of superiority.’
Returning to the exposition of Abarbanel: Yosef, in his humillity, answered: 'Here I am’, meaning: I will do, as you say.
When his father heard his humble response, he added: I do not want you to stay there, but only that you go there and look into the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock - perhaps out of concern , they being in Shechem, they might come to harm - but, immediately :’bring me back word’, and don’t tarry with them.
Out of his love for him, he accompanied him from Hebron to the valley of the city - as we read:’so he sent him from the depth of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.
The Torah next describes what befell Yosef on his journey: that A man found him..he was blundering in the field’, who asked him: What do you seek - as he seemed to be seeking something, though his answer suggested a deeper query, as he asked: What are you seeking, meaning do you know if what you are seeking is for your benefit, or perhaps to your detriment.
Yosef took this in its literal sense, and, so that he stayed faithful to his father’s command, answered: My brothers, as the man’s answer suggested that he knew him, and. - certainly - his brothers, and implored him:’please tell me, where are they pasturing?’, as it was not possible that you did not see their flocks on the way you came.
The man answered: They have journeyed on from here.. I heard shepherds saying: Let us go down to Dothan - they must certainly be the brothers that you seek.
In his answer, the man also hinted - as he said: My brothers I am seeking that they had departed from brotherly feelings, and harbored ill feeling towards him.
Yosef, with his wisdom, understood the hint, but nevertheless continued, to fulfill his father’s command - also, Hashem was directing him, to ensure the fulfillment of the decree between the parts.
The Kli Yakar adds: 'A man discovered him in the field’: This was the angel Gabriel - from the words: ’A man found him’, we understand that this man was looking for Yosef, and going round for this purpose - and found him, not that Yosef found the man.
It was in the mind of the man to warn him to beware of his brothers, as he saw him wandering in the field with a mistaken belief, going in peace - when his brothers were not at peace with him.
He was therefore undoubtedly an angel, as he knew what was in Yosef’s heart - as if not so, how did he know that Yosef was ‘straying’.
Rav David Halevi Segal - the venerable Taz - adds: Unusually for him, Rashi brings midrashic commentaries - and not literal translations -in both instances we have brought.
It would have been enough in the second instance, if - to the man’s question: What do you seek - for Yosef to say: My brothers do I seek, but the man - instead - asked: What do you seek?’ - meaning: they seek to harm you, so why are you seeking them?.
To this, Yosef said two things:One: ‘ my brothers’: meaning: they are my brothers, even if I should fall into their hands, they will not find it in their hearts to harm me by their hands.
Second:’Tell me..’, and I will go to them.
The man answered him: They have traveled away from brotherhood, and you can no longer rely on them not harming you by their hands, as I heard them say, that they meant to kill you - not by their hands, but by the hands of others.
Yosef relied on this to say that he would go after his brothers, but will make sure to arrive there before them, so that the only way to harm me is by their own hands - which they will not do.
He therefore went to Dothan, making sure to arrive there before them.
Thus, Rashi was able to say, that his commentary was - as is his want - literal.
The Alshich Hakadosh brings a new understanding of our parsha, based on Yosef’s interpretation of his first dream: ’We were binding sheaves in the field - my sheave arose and remained standing, your sheaves gathered around, and bowed down to my sheave.'
Surely this means that if I go down to the field where they are grazing the sheep, there they will bow down to me - if so, why should I be afraid, and Hashem is with me - can they nullify that which comes from Hashem?
The first angel came to disabuse him, lest he be misled by his dream, as he understood it, as - even if that be its true meaning - men are creatures with choice, they may choose to do otherwise, in their burning envy of him.
More so, when that was not the true interpretation of his dream.
This is the meaning of: ’A man discovered him.. he was blundering in the field’, as it was Hashem’s Will that he go down to Egypt, to fulfill the decree.
For this reason, He did not want him to turn around, and go back, but - out of concern that he did so - prepared three angels to ensure that he proceeded.
This was because Yosef behaved towards hs brothers as a master, in reliance on his understanding of his dream, and this could lead to them killing him, out of their hatred.
Hashem therefore sent this first angel - but not to warn him of their murderous feelings about him, as this likely would have caused him to turn back, and return to his father, and Hashem’s Will would not have been done.
So what did He do? By steps guided him -in a way that he did not turn around and return home - while, at the same time, removing from his mind his understanding of his dream, as it surely would have led to his death by his brothers.
Therefore, the first angel came to let him know that he was mistaken as to the meaning of ‘THE field’ in your dream: it will not protect you against that which your brothers - in the exercise of their free choice - have in store, for you.
This left Yosef uncertain - whether to proceed or to return home - so along came the second angel, and asked him:’What do you seek?’: is it conflict with your brothers, or their goodwill?
To this, he replied:’My brothers do I seek’ - meaning that though it be that they do not seek amity, I seek theirs, so please tell me where they are pasturing, as if they are in Shechem, I am fearful as it is predestined for calamity.
The brothers’ separation from amity was not at this stage yet revealed to Yosef, lest he return from his course.
After he said that he sought their goodwill - even if that was not their desire - along came the third angel, and finally told him that they headed to Dothan, he was not deterred from continuing to them, saying to himself: the first angel only came to correct my mistaken understanding of my dream, and the second to adjure me to seek their goodwill, and the third one, that not only should I seek to be at peace with them, but even plead for it, against the bad-will in their hearts.
In the end, all emanated from Hashem, to bring about the decree between the parts.’
A parting gem from Rav Pinchas Friedman: The parasha, at the outset, told us that(37:2): ‘Yosef was seventeen years old’.
Traditionally, a child’s Torah education starts when he turns three.
Let us recall that - when Yaakov left home, to escape the murderous wrath of his brother, Esav, he spent fourteen years concealed in the Torah academies of Shem and Eber - two righteous teachers, who remained in their righteousness in the midst of wicked generations.
Their Torah teaching - which is what Yaakov, who was about to descend to live for the next twenty years in the household of the wicked Laban - enabled him to declare to Esav:’עם לבן גרתי - which homiletically is read, as. ותרי'ג מצוות שמרתי: yet, there, kept all the mitzvot.
This critical teaching was instilled into Yosef, by Yaakov, in the said fourteen years, before he set out on the fateful journey, which was to lead - by Divine Hand - to the exile in the idolatrous, impure Egypt, where it was decreed that they be in exile for hundreds of years.
By Hashem’s mercy, Yaakov instilling the fourteen years of Torat Shem and Eber into Yosef, Bnei Israel were able to emerge, as ‘Hashem’s nation.’
לרפואת כל פצועי צה"ל וכן נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.