Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Bereshit 43/0"
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<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
<category>Parallels and Contrasts | <category>Parallels and Contrasts | ||
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<category>Allusions | <category>Allusions | ||
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<li>When trying to convince his father to let them bring Binyamin to Egypt, Yehuda refers to Binyamin as “הַנַּעַר” (verse 8), which is the word with which Yosef is introduced in 37:2.<fn>See "Character Titles" that Yehuda never refers to Binyamin by name in his speech, only as "our brother" or "the lad".</fn></li> | <li>When trying to convince his father to let them bring Binyamin to Egypt, Yehuda refers to Binyamin as “הַנַּעַר” (verse 8), which is the word with which Yosef is introduced in 37:2.<fn>See "Character Titles" that Yehuda never refers to Binyamin by name in his speech, only as "our brother" or "the lad".</fn></li> | ||
| − | <li>The balsam, spices, and ladanum that Yaakov instructs his sons to bring to Egypt as a gift (verse 11) call to mind the same items that were being carried on the caravan that | + | <li>The balsam, spices, and ladanum that Yaakov instructs his sons to bring to Egypt as a gift (verse 11) call to mind the same items that were being carried on the caravan that brought Yosef into slavery (see Bereshit 37:25).<fn>In the Mikraot Gedolot on Bereshit 37:25, highlight the words נְכֹאת וּצְרִי וָלֹט and choose concordance from the drop-down to see this inside.</fn> These are the only two mentions of these three items together in Tanakh, strengthening the allusion.  </li> |
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The text refers to Binyamin in several ways (in addition to using his proper name):<br/> | The text refers to Binyamin in several ways (in addition to using his proper name):<br/> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>"Brother" – In Yehuda's speech to his father, he does not refer to Binyamin by name, but rather as "our brother", perhaps reflecting that, in contrast to the sibling's earlier feelings towards Yosef, they felt a brotherly bond with Binyamin. Yaakov, too, refers to him as "your brother".</li> | + | <li><b>"Brother"</b> – In Yehuda's speech to his father, he does not refer to Binyamin by name, but rather as "our brother" (verse 4), perhaps reflecting that, in contrast to the sibling's earlier feelings towards Yosef, they felt a brotherly bond with Binyamin. Yaakov, too, refers to him as "your brother".</li> |
| − | <li>הַנַּעַר – The other term used by Yehuda to describe Binyamin is "הַנַּעַר", the lad. See "Allusions" above, that this is the same term used to describe Yosef when he is first introduced to the reader, perhaps | + | <li><b>הַנַּעַר</b> – The other term used by Yehuda to describe Binyamin is "הַנַּעַר", the lad. See "Allusions" above, that this is the same term used to describe Yosef when he is first introduced to the reader, and perhaps used here to allude to that story.</li> |
| − | <li>בִּנְיָמִין אָחִיו בֶּן אִמּוֹ – When Binyamin appears before Yosef, he is described as “Binyamin, his brother, the son of his mother”, with the text stressing that they are full siblings and reflecting Yosef’s feelings of closeness to him. </li> | + | <li><b>בִּנְיָמִין אָחִיו בֶּן אִמּוֹ</b> – When Binyamin appears before Yosef, he is described as “Binyamin, his brother, the son of his mother”, with the text stressing that they are full siblings and reflecting Yosef’s feelings of closeness to him. </li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</subcategory> | </subcategory> | ||
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</subcategory> | </subcategory> | ||
<subcategory>The Brothers | <subcategory>The Brothers | ||
| − | < | + | <ul> |
| + | <li>In contrast to earlier (and later) chapters where the siblings are often identified as "Yosef's brothers" or Yaakov’s sons, throughout the brothers’ journey to Egypt and experience there, they are referred to as “הָאֲנָשִׁים”.</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Sources and Secondary Literature</b>:</li> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>See R. Bachya that the brothers are so called because, in their fear, they took care to enter Egypt disguised so no one would know that they were brothers, but would instead think they were individual men.</li> | <li>See R. Bachya that the brothers are so called because, in their fear, they took care to enter Egypt disguised so no one would know that they were brothers, but would instead think they were individual men.</li> | ||
| − | <li> | + | <li>Professor Y. Grossman, יוסף: סיפורים של חלוות (Rishon LeZion, 2021): 304-305, suggests that through the lack of relational epithets, the text highlights that at this juncture in the story, the brothers are independent players with the free will to decide how they will act in the continuation of the drama – as Yosef's brothers and Yaakov's sons, or not.<fn>Alternatively, one might suggest that that using the genric term "men" might reflect the brother's lack of awareness of the family dynamics at play as they descend to Egypt.  At the moment, they are ignorant of the fact that their identity as "brothers" is about to be significant.</fn></li> |
| − | + | </ul> | |
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | <subcategory>Shimon | ||
| + | <p>When Yaakov refers to Shimon, he does not do so by name, but rather says "" אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר". As Yaakov refers to Binyamin by name in the same sentence, the lack of name is striking.</p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li>See</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</subcategory> | </subcategory> | ||
<subcategory>Hashem | <subcategory>Hashem | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>Yaakov uses Hashem’s name of El Shaddai when he blesses the brothers before their journey. | + | <li>Yaakov uses Hashem’s name of El Shaddai when he blesses the brothers before their journey.</li> |
| − | < | + | <li><b>Commentators</b> discuss his use of this name.  </li> |
| − | < | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>Tanchuma notes that the name contains the word "", enough and that Yaakov is praying "He who said to the Universe, "Enough!", may He say "Enough!" to my troubles. </li> | + | <li>Tanchuma notes that the name contains the word "די", enough, and that Yaakov is praying "He who said to the Universe, "Enough!", may He say "Enough!" to my troubles. </li> |
<li>Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel suggest that this word means "God Almighty", stressing Hashem’s unlimited power, which Yaakov believes will be necessary to protect his sons. </li> | <li>Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel suggest that this word means "God Almighty", stressing Hashem’s unlimited power, which Yaakov believes will be necessary to protect his sons. </li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
| + | </subcategory> | ||
| + | </category> | ||
| + | <category>Key Words | ||
| + | <subcategory>אִישׁ (man) | ||
</subcategory> | </subcategory> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 12:35, 15 July 2023
Literary Devices – Bereshit 43
Parallels and Contrasts
Allusions
Through the use of allusions, the Torah presents the brothers’ journey to Egypt as a symbolic reenactment (and perhaps corrective) of Yosef’s journey to Egypt after they sold him:
- When trying to convince his father to let them bring Binyamin to Egypt, Yehuda refers to Binyamin as “הַנַּעַר” (verse 8), which is the word with which Yosef is introduced in 37:2.1
- The balsam, spices, and ladanum that Yaakov instructs his sons to bring to Egypt as a gift (verse 11) call to mind the same items that were being carried on the caravan that brought Yosef into slavery (see Bereshit 37:25).2 These are the only two mentions of these three items together in Tanakh, strengthening the allusion.
Character Titles
Binyamin The text refers to Binyamin in several ways (in addition to using his proper name):
- "Brother" – In Yehuda's speech to his father, he does not refer to Binyamin by name, but rather as "our brother" (verse 4), perhaps reflecting that, in contrast to the sibling's earlier feelings towards Yosef, they felt a brotherly bond with Binyamin. Yaakov, too, refers to him as "your brother".
- הַנַּעַר – The other term used by Yehuda to describe Binyamin is "הַנַּעַר", the lad. See "Allusions" above, that this is the same term used to describe Yosef when he is first introduced to the reader, and perhaps used here to allude to that story.
- בִּנְיָמִין אָחִיו בֶּן אִמּוֹ – When Binyamin appears before Yosef, he is described as “Binyamin, his brother, the son of his mother”, with the text stressing that they are full siblings and reflecting Yosef’s feelings of closeness to him.
Yosef
- Yosef – The narrator consistently refers to Yosef by his proper name.
- "האיש" – When the brothers and Yaakov speak of Yosef, however, they call him simply "האיש" highlighting their lack of knowledge of the identity of Yosef; in their eyes the individual with whom they have interacted is simply a powerful and inscrutable man.
The Brothers
- In contrast to earlier (and later) chapters where the siblings are often identified as "Yosef's brothers" or Yaakov’s sons, throughout the brothers’ journey to Egypt and experience there, they are referred to as “הָאֲנָשִׁים”.
- Sources and Secondary Literature:
- See R. Bachya that the brothers are so called because, in their fear, they took care to enter Egypt disguised so no one would know that they were brothers, but would instead think they were individual men.
- Professor Y. Grossman, יוסף: סיפורים של חלוות (Rishon LeZion, 2021): 304-305, suggests that through the lack of relational epithets, the text highlights that at this juncture in the story, the brothers are independent players with the free will to decide how they will act in the continuation of the drama – as Yosef's brothers and Yaakov's sons, or not.3
Shimon
When Yaakov refers to Shimon, he does not do so by name, but rather says "" אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר". As Yaakov refers to Binyamin by name in the same sentence, the lack of name is striking.
- See
Hashem
- Yaakov uses Hashem’s name of El Shaddai when he blesses the brothers before their journey.
- Commentators discuss his use of this name.
- Tanchuma notes that the name contains the word "די", enough, and that Yaakov is praying "He who said to the Universe, "Enough!", may He say "Enough!" to my troubles.
- Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel suggest that this word means "God Almighty", stressing Hashem’s unlimited power, which Yaakov believes will be necessary to protect his sons.
