Difference between revisions of "Who Sold Yosef/2/en"

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
<page type="Approaches">
 
<page type="Approaches">
 
<h1>Who Sold Yosef?</h1>
 
<h1>Who Sold Yosef?</h1>
 
 
<div class="overview">
 
<div class="overview">
 
<h2>Overview</h2>
 
<h2>Overview</h2>
Line 13: Line 12:
 
</continue>
 
</continue>
 
--></div>
 
--></div>
 
 
<approaches>
 
<approaches>
  
Line 20: Line 18:
 
<p>Yosef's brothers were the ones who sold him, but Reuven was elsewhere when the sale occurred.<fn>Binyamin was also not present, as he was much younger and at home with Yaakov.</fn></p>
 
<p>Yosef's brothers were the ones who sold him, but Reuven was elsewhere when the sale occurred.<fn>Binyamin was also not present, as he was much younger and at home with Yaakov.</fn></p>
 
<mekorot>
 
<mekorot>
<multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah84-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-8" data-aht="source">84:8</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-15" data-aht="source">84:15</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-19" data-aht="source">Vilna 84:19</a><a href="BereshitRabbahAlbeck84" data-aht="source">Albeck 84:19</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-22" data-aht="source">84:22</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>,<fn>There are conflicting textual witnesses as to whether Bereshit Rabbah 84:8 and 84:22 read "מדיינים" or "מדנים", and this has important ramifications for understanding its position. See also below for the similar question regarding the text of Rashi.</fn> <multilink><a href="TanchumaBuberVayeshev13" data-aht="source">Tanchuma (Buber)</a><a href="TanchumaBuberVayeshev13" data-aht="source">Vayeshev 13</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About Tanchuma (Buber)</a></multilink>,<fn>See also the slightly clearer version of the Tanchuma cited by R. Elyakim in <multilink><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Minchat Yehuda</a><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda b. Elazar (Minchat Yehuda)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda b. Elazar</a></multilink>.</fn> <multilink><a href="PsJBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Targum Pseudo-Jonathan</a><a href="PsJBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28-29</a><a href="Targum Pseudo-Jonathan" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-3" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:3</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:29</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>,<fn>A precise reconstruction of the details of Rashi's position depends in great part on establishing the correct text of his comments on 37:3 and 37:28 (see above for the similar question regarding the text of Bereshit Rabbah), and determining the relationship between these seemingly contradictory interpretations – see also the notes below. Most printed editions read "מדינים" in the text of Rashi on both 37:3 and 37:28. Accordingly, it is possible that Rashi 37:3 (like Rashi 37:28) refers to only three groups, with the "סוחרים" and "מדינים" being two names for the same people. However, MS Leipzig 1 reads "מדנים" in the text of Rashi on both verses, and see also the discussion in <multilink><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Minchat Yehuda</a><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda b. Elazar (Minchat Yehuda)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda b. Elazar</a></multilink>. According to this version, the "סוחרים" and "מדנים" would be two different groups, and Rashi's two interpretations would appear to be based on two conflicting Midrashim (Bereshit Rabbah and Tanchuma) and incompatible with each other.</fn> <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:25</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RTam" data-aht="source">R. Tam</a><a href="RTam" data-aht="source">MS Dresden 399</a><a href="R. Yaakov b. Meir (R. Tam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Tam</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RAvrahamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">R. Avraham b. HaRambam</a><a href="RAvrahamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Avraham Maimonides" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Maimonides</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:25</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Nachmanides</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="MaaseiHashem35" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Hashem</a><a href="MaaseiHashem35" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Avot 35</a><a href="R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi</a></multilink>
+
<multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah84-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-8" data-aht="source">84:8</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-15" data-aht="source">84:15</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-19" data-aht="source">Vilna 84:19</a><a href="BereshitRabbahAlbeck84" data-aht="source">Albeck 84:19</a><a href="BereshitRabbah84-22" data-aht="source">84:22</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>,<fn>There are conflicting textual witnesses as to whether Bereshit Rabbah 84:8 and 84:22 read "מדיינים" or "מדנים", and this has important ramifications for understanding its position. See also below for the similar question regarding the text of Rashi.</fn> <multilink><a href="TanchumaBuberVayeshev13" data-aht="source">Tanchuma (Buber)</a><a href="TanchumaBuberVayeshev13" data-aht="source">Vayeshev 13</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About Tanchuma (Buber)</a></multilink>,<fn>See also the slightly clearer version of the Tanchuma cited by R. Elyakim in <multilink><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Minchat Yehuda</a><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda b. Elazar (Minchat Yehuda)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda b. Elazar</a></multilink>.</fn> <multilink><a href="PsJBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a><a href="PsJBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28-29</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-3" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:3</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="RashiBereshit37-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:29</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>,<fn>A precise reconstruction of the details of Rashi's position depends in great part on establishing the correct text of his comments on 37:3 and 37:28 (see above for the similar question regarding the text of Bereshit Rabbah), and determining the relationship between these seemingly contradictory interpretations – see also the notes below. Most printed editions read "מדינים" in the text of Rashi on both 37:3 and 37:28. Accordingly, it is possible that Rashi 37:3 (like Rashi 37:28) refers to only three groups, with the "סוחרים" and "מדינים" being two names for the same people. However, MS Leipzig 1 reads "מדנים" in the text of Rashi on both verses, and see also the discussion in <multilink><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Minchat Yehuda</a><a href="MinchatYehudaBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda b. Elazar (Minchat Yehuda)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda b. Elazar</a></multilink>. According to this version, the "סוחרים" and "מדנים" would be two different groups, and Rashi's two interpretations would appear to be based on two conflicting Midrashim (Bereshit Rabbah and Tanchuma) and incompatible with each other.</fn> <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:25</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RTam" data-aht="source">R. Tam</a><a href="RTam" data-aht="source">MS Dresden 399</a><a href="R. Yaakov b. Meir (R. Tam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Tam</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RAvrahamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">R. Avraham b. HaRambam</a><a href="RAvrahamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Avraham Maimonides" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Maimonides</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit37-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:25</a><a href="RambanBereshit45-27" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:27</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Nachmanides</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="MaaseiHashem35" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Hashem</a><a href="MaaseiHashem35" data-aht="source">Ma'asei Avot 35</a><a href="R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi</a></multilink>
 
</mekorot>
 
</mekorot>
 
<point><b>"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ"</b> – This approach subdivides into differing interpretations of how these three verbs relate to the Midianites who were introduced at the beginning of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים"):
 
<point><b>"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ"</b> – This approach subdivides into differing interpretations of how these three verbs relate to the Midianites who were introduced at the beginning of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים"):
Line 52: Line 50:
 
<point><b>"וְאָחִיו מֵת"</b> – Rashi suggests that when Yehuda says this to Yosef, he is lying, fearful of telling the vizier of Egypt that his brother had been sold.<fn>Some of the Tosafists (see R"C Paltiel and R. Ephraim) prefer not to have the brothers lie, and suggest instead that since a slave is considered as a dead person, Yehuda was in fact telling the truth.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>"וְאָחִיו מֵת"</b> – Rashi suggests that when Yehuda says this to Yosef, he is lying, fearful of telling the vizier of Egypt that his brother had been sold.<fn>Some of the Tosafists (see R"C Paltiel and R. Ephraim) prefer not to have the brothers lie, and suggest instead that since a slave is considered as a dead person, Yehuda was in fact telling the truth.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה"</b> – At face value, this verse reflects Yosef's belief that his brothers were the party which sold him, and it supports this approach.</point>
 
<point><b>"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה"</b> – At face value, this verse reflects Yosef's belief that his brothers were the party which sold him, and it supports this approach.</point>
<point><b>Did Yaakov ever find out?</b> <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink> discusses whether it is possible that Yaakov never became aware of the extent of the brothers' hatred or their role in Yosef's sale.&#160; This question depends on whether the brothers are telling the truth in Bereshit 50:16-17 when they claim that Yaakov requested that Yosef forgive his brothers.</point>
+
<point><b>Did Yaakov ever find out?</b> <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit45-27" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit45-27" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:27</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>&#160;contends that Yaakov never became aware that the brothers sold Yosef, but rather thought that others had abducted Yosef and sold him.&#160; According to this,&#160;the brothers are not telling the truth in Bereshit 50:16-17 when they claim that Yaakov arranged for a message be delivered to Yosef (after Yaakov's death) requesting that Yosef forgive his brothers (see also Radak and Ralbag there). In contrast, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink> cites the opinion of R. Mordechai Mortara that Yaakov must have been aware of the brothers' role in Yosef's sale, or else the message to Yosef would not have been credible.</point>
 
<point><b>Does Binyamin ever find out?</b> <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit45-4" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit45-4" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:4</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink>&#160;suggests that Binyamin may have never learned the true story.&#160; He explains that when Yosef revealed himself to the brothers as "Yosef whom you sold to Egypt" Binyamin was not within hearing range.&#160; He points out that immediately beforehand, Yosef said to the brothers, "גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי", asking them alone to come close,<fn>The phrase is otherwise difficult, since Yosef would seem to have no reason to ask the brothers to approach if he had been talking to them already.&#160; Others explain that Yosef did not want the Egyptians to overhear that his brothers had sold him.</fn> so that Binyamin would not overhear.<fn>Since Binyamin was the one of accused of theft, it is very possible that he was in custody and stood somewhat at a distance from the rest of the brothers who spoke to Yosef in his defense.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>Does Binyamin ever find out?</b> <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit45-4" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit45-4" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:4</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink>&#160;suggests that Binyamin may have never learned the true story.&#160; He explains that when Yosef revealed himself to the brothers as "Yosef whom you sold to Egypt" Binyamin was not within hearing range.&#160; He points out that immediately beforehand, Yosef said to the brothers, "גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי", asking them alone to come close,<fn>The phrase is otherwise difficult, since Yosef would seem to have no reason to ask the brothers to approach if he had been talking to them already.&#160; Others explain that Yosef did not want the Egyptians to overhear that his brothers had sold him.</fn> so that Binyamin would not overhear.<fn>Since Binyamin was the one of accused of theft, it is very possible that he was in custody and stood somewhat at a distance from the rest of the brothers who spoke to Yosef in his defense.</fn></point>
 
</category>
 
</category>
Line 68: Line 66:
 
<point><b>How many sales?</b> Yosef was sold only twice. The brothers sold him to the combined Yishmaelite / Midianite / Medanite caravan, who then resold him to Potiphar.</point>
 
<point><b>How many sales?</b> Yosef was sold only twice. The brothers sold him to the combined Yishmaelite / Midianite / Medanite caravan, who then resold him to Potiphar.</point>
 
<point><b>"וְאָחִיו מֵת"</b> – R"Y Bekhor Shor does not comment on this verse, but he could maintain, like Rashi above, that Yehuda was simply lying, or that he thought Yosef was as good as dead.</point>
 
<point><b>"וְאָחִיו מֵת"</b> – R"Y Bekhor Shor does not comment on this verse, but he could maintain, like Rashi above, that Yehuda was simply lying, or that he thought Yosef was as good as dead.</point>
<point><b>Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov?</b> R"Y Bekhor Shor<fn>R"Y Bekhor Shor is the first medieval commentator to grapple with this question. He also notes that according to Rashbam's approach below that the brothers did not sell Yosef, it is strange that Yosef would never have sent to his father.</fn> explains that when the brothers sold Yosef, they forced him to take an oath that he would never reveal his identity or communicate with Yaakov.<fn>R"Y Bekhor Shor's answer (see also his comments to Bereshit 42:7 and 45:16) bears resemblance to that of the Tanchuma Vayeshev 2 (and see Oxford-Bodley MS 156 of that Tanchuma). For elaboration, see <a href="$">Why Didn't Yosef Send to Yaakov?</a> and <a href="Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin" data-aht="page">Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin?</a>.</fn></point>
+
<point><b>Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov?</b> R"Y Bekhor Shor<fn>R"Y Bekhor Shor is the first medieval commentator to grapple with this question. He also notes that according to Rashbam's approach below that the brothers did not sell Yosef, it is strange that Yosef would never have sent to his father.</fn> explains that when the brothers sold Yosef, they forced him to take an oath that he would never reveal his identity or communicate with Yaakov.<fn>R"Y Bekhor Shor's answer (see also his comments to Bereshit 42:7 and 45:16) bears resemblance to that of the Tanchuma Vayeshev 2 (and see Oxford-Bodley MS 156 of that Tanchuma). For elaboration, see <a href="Yosef's Treatment of his Family" data-aht="page">Yosef's Treatment of his Family</a> and <a href="Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin" data-aht="page">Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin?</a>.</fn></point>
 
</category>
 
</category>
 
<category name="None of the Brothers">
 
<category name="None of the Brothers">
Line 74: Line 72:
 
<p>While Yosef's brothers planned on selling him, they never actually succeeded in doing so, as the Midianites preempted them by abducting Yosef from the pit.</p>
 
<p>While Yosef's brothers planned on selling him, they never actually succeeded in doing so, as the Midianites preempted them by abducting Yosef from the pit.</p>
 
<mekorot>
 
<mekorot>
<multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="RashbamBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="RashbamBereshit42-21" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:21</a><a href="RashbamBereshit42-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:28</a><a href="RashbamBereshit45-24" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:24</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>,<fn>Rashbam is the first exegete to suggest that this is what actually transpired. However, the notion that the brothers were uninvolved in the sale is found already in the <a href="TestamentBenjamin2" data-aht="source">Testament of Benjamin</a> which presents this as the white lie that Yosef related to Binyamin and instructed his brothers to tell Yaakov. See also the account of Artapanus cited by Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica 23.</fn> <multilink><a href="RYHeChasidBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda HeChasid</a><a href="RYHeChasidBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="MoshavZekeinimBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Moshav Zekeinim Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda HeChasid" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda HeChasid</a></multilink>,<fn>This is the position recorded by his son. The Moshav Zekeinim cites a somewhat different version which integrates an additional element that the Yishmaelites and Midianites had a dispute over their competing claims to Yosef, and they compromised and jointly sold him in Egypt.</fn> <multilink><a href="ChizkuniBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Chizkuni</a><a href="ChizkuniBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach (Chizkuni)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BinahLaIttim57" data-aht="source">R. Azariah Figo</a><a href="BinahLaIttim57" data-aht="source">Binah LaIttim 57</a><a href="R. Azariah Figo" data-aht="parshan">About R. Azariah Figo</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Shadal's cousin and Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:29</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="ShadalBereshit42-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:22</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. S.D. Luzzatto</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="MalbimBereshit37-27" data-aht="source">Malbim</a><a href="MalbimBereshit37-27" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:27-29</a><a href="MalbimBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="R. Meir Leibush Weiser (Malbim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Leibush Weiser</a></multilink>
+
<multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="RashbamBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="RashbamBereshit42-21" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:21</a><a href="RashbamBereshit42-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:28</a><a href="RashbamBereshit45-24" data-aht="source">Bereshit 45:24</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>,<fn>Rashbam is the first exegete to suggest that this is what actually transpired. However, the notion that the brothers were uninvolved in the sale is found already in the <a href="TestamentBenjamin2" data-aht="source">Testament of Benjamin</a> which presents this as the white lie that Yosef related to Binyamin and instructed his brothers to tell Yaakov. See also the account of Artapanus cited by Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica 23.</fn> <multilink><a href="RYHeChasidBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda HeChasid</a><a href="RYHeChasidBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="MoshavZekeinimBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Moshav Zekeinim Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Yehuda HeChasid" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda HeChasid</a></multilink>,<fn>This is the position recorded by his son. The&#160;<a href="MoshavZekeinimBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Moshav Zekeinim</a> cites a somewhat different version which integrates an additional element that the Yishmaelites and Midianites had a dispute over their competing claims to Yosef, and they compromised and jointly sold him in Egypt.</fn> <multilink><a href="ChizkuniBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Chizkuni</a><a href="ChizkuniBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach (Chizkuni)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BinahLaIttim57" data-aht="source">R. Azariah Figo</a><a href="BinahLaIttim57" data-aht="source">Binah LaIttim 57</a><a href="R. Azariah Figo" data-aht="parshan">About R. Azariah Figo</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Shadal's cousin and Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:28</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:29</a><a href="ShadalBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="ShadalBereshit42-22" data-aht="source">Bereshit 42:22</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. S.D. Luzzatto</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="MalbimBereshit37-27" data-aht="source">Malbim</a><a href="MalbimBereshit37-27" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:27-29</a><a href="MalbimBereshit37-36" data-aht="source">Bereshit 37:36</a><a href="R. Meir Leibush Weiser (Malbim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Leibush Weiser</a></multilink>
 
</mekorot>
 
</mekorot>
 
<point><b>"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ"</b> – According to this approach, the subject of all three of these verbs is the Midianites, as they are the direct antecedent in the first part of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים").&#8206;<fn>Rashbam also argues that "וַיַּעַבְרוּ" implies that the Midianites happened to chance by the pit, and not they were sent to do so as part of the terms of the transaction. This claim requires further examination.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ"</b> – According to this approach, the subject of all three of these verbs is the Midianites, as they are the direct antecedent in the first part of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים").&#8206;<fn>Rashbam also argues that "וַיַּעַבְרוּ" implies that the Midianites happened to chance by the pit, and not they were sent to do so as part of the terms of the transaction. This claim requires further examination.</fn></point>
Line 90: Line 88:
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
 
<li>Rashbam and Shadal's cousin identify the Medanites as the Yishmaelites, with Shadal's cousin suggesting that all of the sons of Avraham (besides Yitzchak's line) can be referred to as Yishmaelites. This is how they eliminate the contradiction between 37:36 and 39:1.</li>
 
<li>Rashbam and Shadal's cousin identify the Medanites as the Yishmaelites, with Shadal's cousin suggesting that all of the sons of Avraham (besides Yitzchak's line) can be referred to as Yishmaelites. This is how they eliminate the contradiction between 37:36 and 39:1.</li>
<li>Shadal and Malbim, in contrast, identify the Medanites with the Midianites. They propose that 37:36 is not saying that the Medanites physically brought Yosef to Egypt (as that would contradict 39:1), but simply trying to suggest that they were the main cause of Yosef's going to Egypt, as they were the ones who originally drew him from the pit.<fn>This is also how R"Y Bekhor Shor understood this approach. R"Y Bekhor Shor, though, rejects this interpretation since 37:36 not only speaks of Yosef being brought down to Egypt, but also specifies that he was sold to Potiphar.</fn></li>
+
<li>Shadal and Malbim, in contrast, identify the Medanites with the Midianites. They propose that 37:36 is not saying that the Medanites physically brought Yosef to Egypt (as that would contradict 39:1), but that they sold Yosef towards Egypt (ie. with the intent that he arrive in Egypt).<fn>This is also how R"Y Bekhor Shor understood this approach. R"Y Bekhor Shor, though, rejects this interpretation since 37:36 not only speaks of Yosef being brought down to Egypt, but also specifies that he was sold to Potiphar.</fn> Alternatively, the verse might simply mean that the Midianites were the main cause of Yosef's going to Egypt, as they were the ones who originally drew him from the pit.</li>
 
</ul></point>
 
</ul></point>
 
<point><b>How many sales?</b> According to this approach, there were only two sales. The Midianites stole Yosef from the pit and sold him to the Yishmaelites who, in turn, sold him to Potiphar.</point>
 
<point><b>How many sales?</b> According to this approach, there were only two sales. The Midianites stole Yosef from the pit and sold him to the Yishmaelites who, in turn, sold him to Potiphar.</point>
<point><b>"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה"</b> Rashbam explains that while the brothers did not actually sell Yosef, since their actions resulted in his sale, it is considered as if they sold him.<fn>R. Yehuda HeChasid and Shadal bring a number of additional cases where actions are attributed to someone who was only an indirect cause. [See also R. Bachya who references the verse in Shemuel II 12:9: "וְאֹתוֹ הָרַגְתָּ בְּחֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן" and cf. Ramban above regarding the Yishmaelites and Midianites.] R. Azariah Figo and Malbim explain similarly, and go a step further by attempting to claim that Yehuda's words "וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים" also meant that the brothers only cause Yosef's sale, but not actually sell him.</fn> Shadal's cousin adds that it is also possible that Yosef himself mistakenly assumed that the brothers had sold him to the Midianites who had then proceeded to claim their purchase from the well.<fn>This is also the option favored by Shadal himself.</fn></point>
+
<point><b>"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה" – What did Yosef think?</b> Rashbam explains that while the brothers did not actually sell Yosef, since their actions resulted in his sale, it is considered as if they sold him.<fn>R. Yehuda HeChasid and Shadal bring a number of additional cases where actions are attributed to someone who was only an indirect cause. [See also R. Bachya who references the verse in Shemuel II 12:9: "וְאֹתוֹ הָרַגְתָּ בְּחֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן" and cf. Ramban above regarding the Yishmaelites and Midianites.] R. Azariah Figo and Malbim explain similarly, and go a step further by attempting to claim that Yehuda's words "וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים" also meant that the brothers only cause Yosef's sale, but not actually sell him.</fn> Shadal's cousin adds that it is also possible that Yosef himself mistakenly assumed that the brothers had sold him to the Midianites who had then proceeded to claim their purchase from the well.<fn>This is also the option favored by Shadal himself.&#160; See also <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit37-28" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink>'s interpretation of Yaakov's blessing to Yosef.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>"כִּי גֻנֹּב גֻּנַּבְתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ הָעִבְרִים"</b> – Shadal's cousin reads these words of Yosef as a reference to the Midianites stealing him from the pit. Shadal, though, thinks that Yosef is referring to his brothers stealing him from Yaakov, and that this statement merely reflects Yosef's own erroneous assumption that his brothers had sold him.</point>
 
<point><b>"כִּי גֻנֹּב גֻּנַּבְתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ הָעִבְרִים"</b> – Shadal's cousin reads these words of Yosef as a reference to the Midianites stealing him from the pit. Shadal, though, thinks that Yosef is referring to his brothers stealing him from Yaakov, and that this statement merely reflects Yosef's own erroneous assumption that his brothers had sold him.</point>
 
<point><b>Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov?</b> R"Y Bekhor Shor notes that Rashbam's approach has the greatest difficulty explaining why Yosef did not send to his father, given the fact that he had not even been sold by his brothers.<fn>Shadal above would answer that Yosef himself mistakenly thought that the brothers had sold him, and was unaware that they were uninvolved.</fn></point>
 
<point><b>Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov?</b> R"Y Bekhor Shor notes that Rashbam's approach has the greatest difficulty explaining why Yosef did not send to his father, given the fact that he had not even been sold by his brothers.<fn>Shadal above would answer that Yosef himself mistakenly thought that the brothers had sold him, and was unaware that they were uninvolved.</fn></point>
<point><b>Yaakov's Blessings</b> – In contrast to other exegetes,&#160;<multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit49-9" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit49-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:9</a><a href="RashbamBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> maintains that none of Yaakov's blessings in Bereshit 49 make reference to the brothers' sale of Yosef.&#160; Thus, Rashbam opts to interpret "וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" as referring to Mrs. Potiphar's attempts to harm Yosef, rather than the brothers.&#160; For elaboration on Rashbam's reading of the blessing to Yosef, see <a href="Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef" data-aht="page">Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef</a>.&#160; See also <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink> who discusses the consistency of this position with Rashbam's view that the brothers were not the ones who sold Yosef.</point>
+
<point><b>Yaakov's Blessings</b> – In contrast to other exegetes,&#160;<multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit49-9" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit49-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:9</a><a href="RashbamBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink> maintains that none of Yaakov's blessings in Bereshit 49 make reference to the brothers' sale of Yosef.&#160; Thus, for example, Rashbam opts to interpret "וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" as referring to Mrs. Potiphar's attempts to harm Yosef, rather than the brothers.<fn>Similarly, he does not think that Yaakov's rebuke of Shimon and Levi refers to the sale, though many other exegetes find allusions to it.</fn>&#160; See also <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink> who notes that this position could be consistent with Rashbam's view that the brothers were not the ones who sold Yosef.<fn>Shadal, himself, nonetheless explains the verse to be speaking of the brothers' hatred for Yosef.&#160; For further discussion, see <a href="Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef" data-aht="page">Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef</a>.</fn>&#160; For elaboration on Rashbam's reading of the blessing to Yosef, see <a href="Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef" data-aht="page">Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef</a>.</point>
 +
<point><b>What did Yaakov think?</b> <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit49-23" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:23</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink> suggests that, according to Rashbam, it is possible that Yaakov never knew even of the brothers' hatred of Yosef, but rather assumed (correctly) that Yosef had been abducted and sold by a different party.&#160; Shadal himself, though, in the later printed editions of his commentary,<fn>In this later version, Shadal writes: "כי הנה יוסף האמין שהם מכרוהו, וכן האמין יעקב, כי בודאי בניו לא הגידו לו שהשליכוהו לבור כדי שימות שם".&#160; However, in the manuscripts (1833 NLI MS, Pardo brothers MS, and others) which reflect the earlier drafts of Shadal's commentary, this theory does not appear (and he more simply suggests instead that: "כי אע"פ שלא מכרוהו הנה שנאוהו והיו סבת המכרו").</fn> contends that Yaakov assumed (incorrectly) that the brothers had been directly responsible.<fn>According to Shadal, the brothers could hardly tell their father the truth that they had not sold Yosef, but rather left him in a pit to die.&#160; See above for the argument of R. Mordechai Mortara (Shadal's student) that had Yaakov not thought that the brothers were responsible, the posthumous message the brothers arranged to have delivered to Yosef in 50:16-17 would not have been credible.</fn></point>
 
</category>
 
</category>
 
</approaches>
 
</approaches>
 
</page>
 
</page>
 
</aht-xml>
 
</aht-xml>

Latest revision as of 13:09, 30 April 2020

Who Sold Yosef?

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

The story of Yosef's sale focuses on the actions of two brothers – Reuven and Yehuda, and four groups of foreign nationals – Yishmaelites, Midianites, Medanites, and Egyptians. Commentators disagree about the internal relationships among both the brothers and the foreign parties, and the extent of the interaction between them. This has significant consequences for reconstructing the sequence of events in this episode as well as evaluating the brothers' character.

Bereshit Rabbah views the brothers as acting in unison to sell Yosef, with Reuven being the lone holdout. It also maintains that there were numerous unrelated groups of foreigners and multiple transactions, with the brothers' sale to the Yishmaelites being merely the first in a series. In contrast, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor portrays the brothers as divided between the two factions of Reuven and Yehuda, and the foreign nationals as all being part of the same caravan. According to him, half of the brothers sold Yosef to the foreign conglomerate which then proceeded to take him to Egypt. Finally, Rashbam presents all of the brothers including Reuven as one entity which was not responsible for Yosef's sale. He posits that the transaction was instead conducted between the different foreign groups themselves.

All of the Brothers (Except for Reuven) Sold Yosef

Yosef's brothers were the ones who sold him, but Reuven was elsewhere when the sale occurred.1

"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ" – This approach subdivides into differing interpretations of how these three verbs relate to the Midianites who were introduced at the beginning of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים"):
  • According to Rashi, all three verbs are unconnected to the Midianites, but rather refer back to the brothers who were the subject of the previous verses. The brothers pulled and raised Yosef from the pit and then sold him to the Yishmaelites precisely as they had planned. This position, though, is problematic, as the mention of the Midianites at the beginning of the verse becomes seemingly irrelevant and out of place.5
  • In contrast, the Ma'asei Hashem6 suggests that though the brothers are the ones who sold Yosef to the Yishmaelites, it was the Midianites, playing the role of porters and intermediaries in the sale, who pulled him out of the pit. This proposal easily explains the mention of the Midianites in the first clause of the verse, as they are the subject of what follows.
Yishmaelites and Midianites
  • Separate and equal – Bereshit Rabbah understands these to be two totally separate groups of merchants.7 The Yishmaelites bought Yosef from the brothers, and the Midianites subsequently bought him from the Yishmaelites and then marketed him in Egypt.8
  • Separate but unequal – R. Tam and the Ma'asei Hashem also view them as two distinct groups, but suggest that the Midianites played the role of middlemen in facilitating the sale of Yosef by the brothers to the Yishmaelites.9
  • Same caravan – On the other hand, Ibn Ezra,10 R. Avraham b. HaRambam, and Ramban maintain, that they were part of the same caravan.
    • Ibn Ezra asserts that these are simply two names for one group of people,11 but does not explain why sometimes they are referred to in one way and sometimes in another.
    • Ramban, in contrast, suggests that the Yishmaelites were the camel drivers12 while the Midianites were the slave owners.13
    • R. Avraham b. HaRambam's position is some place in the middle as he proposes that both the Yishmaelites and Midianites were distinct members of the caravan, but maintains that their names are sometimes interchanged as they shared a common lineage and features.14
Midianites and Medanites
  • Distinct – It appears15 that Bereshit Rabbah understands them to be two different groups. R. Avraham b. HaRambam also maintains that they were two distinct peoples, but says they were part of the same caravan.
  • Identical – Most of the medieval commentators16 identify the Midianites and Medanites with one another.17
How many sales?
  • Two – Most of these commentators maintain that there were only two sales: by the brothers to the caravan of Yishmaelites18 and by the Yishmaelites to Potiphar.
  • Three – Tanchuma (Buber)19 and Rashi on Bereshit 37:2820 assert that there were was a total of three sales: Yosef's brothers sold him to the Yishmaelites, the Yishmaelites sold him to the Medanites or Midianites,21 and the Medanites or Midianites sold him to Potiphar.
  • Four or five – R. Yudan and R. Chona in Bereshit Rabbah84:22About Bereshit Rabbah take the extreme position that Yosef was sold four or five times, with every (or almost every) group mentioned in the story participating in the series of transactions.22
Reuven's surprise – Rashi asserts that Reuven was not with the brothers during the sale, and hence was surprised when he returned to the pit to find Yosef missing. Rashi suggests that Reuven was either busy atoning for his sin with Bilhah (Bereshit 35:22),23 or that he had returned home to serve his father.24 Radak, though, suggests that Reuven had simply gone to graze his sheep in a different location25 when the plan to sell Yosef was hatched and implemented.
The cover-up – This position might suggest that the brothers first conceived of a cover-up only after Reuven returned, because their real goal was simply to ensure that Reuven did not get into trouble. Alternatively, only after seeing his distress did they realize how upset their father would be.
"וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו" – In response to Yehuda's proposal to sell Yosef, the verse tells us that "the brothers heard." Rashi maintains that this implies consent.26
"וְאָחִיו מֵת" – Rashi suggests that when Yehuda says this to Yosef, he is lying, fearful of telling the vizier of Egypt that his brother had been sold.27
"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה" – At face value, this verse reflects Yosef's belief that his brothers were the party which sold him, and it supports this approach.
Did Yaakov ever find out? RambanBereshit 45:27About R. Moshe b. Nachman contends that Yaakov never became aware that the brothers sold Yosef, but rather thought that others had abducted Yosef and sold him.  According to this, the brothers are not telling the truth in Bereshit 50:16-17 when they claim that Yaakov arranged for a message be delivered to Yosef (after Yaakov's death) requesting that Yosef forgive his brothers (see also Radak and Ralbag there). In contrast, ShadalBereshit 49:23About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto cites the opinion of R. Mordechai Mortara that Yaakov must have been aware of the brothers' role in Yosef's sale, or else the message to Yosef would not have been credible.
Does Binyamin ever find out? ShadalBereshit 45:4About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto suggests that Binyamin may have never learned the true story.  He explains that when Yosef revealed himself to the brothers as "Yosef whom you sold to Egypt" Binyamin was not within hearing range.  He points out that immediately beforehand, Yosef said to the brothers, "גְּשׁוּ נָא אֵלַי", asking them alone to come close,28 so that Binyamin would not overhear.29

Only Some of the Brothers Sold Yosef

One group of Yosef's brothers (led by Yehuda) sold Yosef, while another group of the brothers (headed by Reuven) were not present and did not participate.

Reuven out to lunch – According to R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, the brothers dined in shifts.30 While Yehuda's group ate lunch ("וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם"), Reuven's group was tending to the sheep.31 Thus, Reuven and his entire group of brothers were completely unaware of both Yehuda's proposal and the sale itself.32
"וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו" – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, this term implies not just hearing and consent, but also implementation ("ויעשו כן") of Yehuda's plan.
"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ" – Yehuda and his contingent of brothers are the subject of the verb "וַיִּמְכְּרוּ". It is unclear, though, whether the brothers also raised and pulled Yosef out of the pit, or if the buyers did that.33
"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה" – R"Y Bekhor Shor proves from this verse that the brothers were responsible for the sale.
Yishmaelites, Midianites, and Medanites – R"Y Bekhor Shor suggests that these three groups were all traveling together in one caravan, as they were related to each other, all being descendants of Avraham's concubines, Hagar and Keturah. As they were essentially all part of one broader population, the different names are used interchangeably in the text.34
How many sales? Yosef was sold only twice. The brothers sold him to the combined Yishmaelite / Midianite / Medanite caravan, who then resold him to Potiphar.
"וְאָחִיו מֵת" – R"Y Bekhor Shor does not comment on this verse, but he could maintain, like Rashi above, that Yehuda was simply lying, or that he thought Yosef was as good as dead.
Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov? R"Y Bekhor Shor35 explains that when the brothers sold Yosef, they forced him to take an oath that he would never reveal his identity or communicate with Yaakov.36

None of the Brothers Sold Yosef

While Yosef's brothers planned on selling him, they never actually succeeded in doing so, as the Midianites preempted them by abducting Yosef from the pit.

"וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ, וַיַּעֲלוּ... וַיִּמְכְּרוּ" – According to this approach, the subject of all three of these verbs is the Midianites, as they are the direct antecedent in the first part of the verse ("וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים").‎39
The original plan
  • According to most of these commentators, the brothers intended to sell Yosef to the Yishmaelites, but their plans were foiled when the Midianites beat them to it.40
  • R. Azariah Figo and Malbim, however, go a step further. They suggest that Yehuda never intended for the brothers themselves to sell Yosef. Rather, he persuades his brothers to leave the vicinity of the pit so that the Yishmaelites would find the abandoned Yosef and, of their own initiative, sell him as a slave.41
"וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו" – Shadal's cousin and Malbim interpret literally that all42 of the brothers agreed, but did not yet act on their plan.
Reuven's surprise – According to Shadal and Malbim, Reuven is with the brothers when they plan the sale, but hastily returns to the pit to save Yosef before the plan could be implemented, only to find the pit empty. Reuven is thus not the last, but rather the first, to discover that Yosef is missing.43 When he returns to his brothers, they are just as astonished as he is,44 and they all conclude that Yosef must have been devoured by a wild animal.
"וְאָחִיו מֵת" – Yehuda's later statement is readily understandable in light of the fact that the brothers truly believed that Yosef had died. Additionally, Shadal notes that Reuven's words, "וְגַם דָּמוֹ הִנֵּה נִדְרָשׁ", can be understood similarly.
No cover-up – The plans for what to tell Yaakov are discussed only after Reuven's discovery because until then none of the brothers were aware that Yosef was missing. Chizkuni adds that, as the brothers themselves believed that a wild animal consumed Yosef, their dipping of Yosef's tunic in blood was not intended to deceive Yaakov (but was merely an attempt to give him closure).45
No search for Yosef – Chizkuni and Shadal's cousin explain that although the brothers regretted their intended actions and tried to console Yaakov, they did not search for Yosef, because it was a foregone conclusion that he was dead.46
Yosef's brothers' character – Shadal's cousin explicitly states that taking this approach mitigates the brothers' sin – "כי בני יעקב שבטי יה אשר בחר לסגולתו אינם רשעים מתכונת נפשם הרעה", and transforms it into a temporary lapse for which they immediately repented: "ואף אם ברגע קטון חטאו מסיבת הקנאה והשנאה, כי הלא דרך אנוש למעול, אינם עומדים ח"ו במרדם, וקל מהרה יכירו חטאם וינחמו על כל אשר עשו, ויטרחו בכל יכלתם להינקות ממנו". Others have also suggested that this approach may be motivated by anti-Christian polemics.47
Yishmaelites, Midianites, and Medanites – This approach assumes that the Midianites and Yishmaelites are two distinct groups of people, with the Midianites being the original salesmen and the Yishmaelites the original purchasers.48 The approach subdivides, though, regarding the relationship of the Medanites to these two groups:
  • Rashbam and Shadal's cousin identify the Medanites as the Yishmaelites, with Shadal's cousin suggesting that all of the sons of Avraham (besides Yitzchak's line) can be referred to as Yishmaelites. This is how they eliminate the contradiction between 37:36 and 39:1.
  • Shadal and Malbim, in contrast, identify the Medanites with the Midianites. They propose that 37:36 is not saying that the Medanites physically brought Yosef to Egypt (as that would contradict 39:1), but that they sold Yosef towards Egypt (ie. with the intent that he arrive in Egypt).49 Alternatively, the verse might simply mean that the Midianites were the main cause of Yosef's going to Egypt, as they were the ones who originally drew him from the pit.
How many sales? According to this approach, there were only two sales. The Midianites stole Yosef from the pit and sold him to the Yishmaelites who, in turn, sold him to Potiphar.
"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה" – What did Yosef think? Rashbam explains that while the brothers did not actually sell Yosef, since their actions resulted in his sale, it is considered as if they sold him.50 Shadal's cousin adds that it is also possible that Yosef himself mistakenly assumed that the brothers had sold him to the Midianites who had then proceeded to claim their purchase from the well.51
"כִּי גֻנֹּב גֻּנַּבְתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ הָעִבְרִים" – Shadal's cousin reads these words of Yosef as a reference to the Midianites stealing him from the pit. Shadal, though, thinks that Yosef is referring to his brothers stealing him from Yaakov, and that this statement merely reflects Yosef's own erroneous assumption that his brothers had sold him.
Why Yosef never sent to Yaakov? R"Y Bekhor Shor notes that Rashbam's approach has the greatest difficulty explaining why Yosef did not send to his father, given the fact that he had not even been sold by his brothers.52
Yaakov's Blessings – In contrast to other exegetes, RashbamBereshit 49:9Bereshit 49:23About R. Shemuel b. Meir maintains that none of Yaakov's blessings in Bereshit 49 make reference to the brothers' sale of Yosef.  Thus, for example, Rashbam opts to interpret "וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" as referring to Mrs. Potiphar's attempts to harm Yosef, rather than the brothers.53  See also ShadalBereshit 49:23About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto who notes that this position could be consistent with Rashbam's view that the brothers were not the ones who sold Yosef.54  For elaboration on Rashbam's reading of the blessing to Yosef, see Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef.
What did Yaakov think? ShadalBereshit 49:23About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto suggests that, according to Rashbam, it is possible that Yaakov never knew even of the brothers' hatred of Yosef, but rather assumed (correctly) that Yosef had been abducted and sold by a different party.  Shadal himself, though, in the later printed editions of his commentary,55 contends that Yaakov assumed (incorrectly) that the brothers had been directly responsible.56