Difference between revisions of "Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin/2"
(Original Author: Neima Novetsky, Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
(Original Author: Neima Novetsky, Rabbi Hillel Novetsky) |
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<li>Sefer HaYashar and the Biur assert that Yosef had actually revealed himself and his entire scheme to Binyamin earlier,<fn>They suggest that Yosef told Binyamin that if the brothers passed the test he would reconcile, but if not he would send them away and keep Binyamin with him. Compare Shadal'sapproach below.</fn> so Binyamin did not suffer from any anxiety or the like.</li> | <li>Sefer HaYashar and the Biur assert that Yosef had actually revealed himself and his entire scheme to Binyamin earlier,<fn>They suggest that Yosef told Binyamin that if the brothers passed the test he would reconcile, but if not he would send them away and keep Binyamin with him. Compare Shadal'sapproach below.</fn> so Binyamin did not suffer from any anxiety or the like.</li> | ||
− | <li>Others focus on the problematic slandering of Binyamin's character. This, perhaps, in part, motivates Abarbanel to suggest that Yosef made sure that the brothers knew Binyamin was framed (see above). R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, in contrast, asserts simply that the ends (the reuniting of the family and assuaging of Yaakov's longing) | + | <li>Others focus on the problematic slandering of Binyamin's character. This, perhaps, in part, motivates Abarbanel to suggest that Yosef made sure that the brothers knew Binyamin was framed (see above). R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, in contrast, asserts simply that the ends (the reuniting of the family and assuaging of Yaakov's longing) justified the means (the temporary slandering.)</li> |
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<point><b>"הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת עֲוֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ"</b> – Seforno understands that the brothers are saying that though they are innocent of this charge, Hashem is repaying them for a different sin, the selling of Yosef. If so, this is exactly what Yosef was trying to determine, whether the brothers regretted their original actions or not.</point> | <point><b>"הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת עֲוֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ"</b> – Seforno understands that the brothers are saying that though they are innocent of this charge, Hashem is repaying them for a different sin, the selling of Yosef. If so, this is exactly what Yosef was trying to determine, whether the brothers regretted their original actions or not.</point> | ||
<point><b>Why did Yosef not contact Yaakov immediately?</b> – Ramban asserts that Yosef wanted to realize his dreams, which necessitated Yaakov and all of Yosef's brothers (including Binyamin) coming down to Egypt and bowing to him. R. Yonah adds two more possibilities, that Yosef might have seen his exile as atonement for his own misdeeds in slandering his brothers, or alternatively, that Yosef feared that alerting Yaakov to the sale and his sons' behavior would have caused him more distress than his inability to reunite with Yosef.<fn>Cf. R"Y HeChasid below.</fn></point> | <point><b>Why did Yosef not contact Yaakov immediately?</b> – Ramban asserts that Yosef wanted to realize his dreams, which necessitated Yaakov and all of Yosef's brothers (including Binyamin) coming down to Egypt and bowing to him. R. Yonah adds two more possibilities, that Yosef might have seen his exile as atonement for his own misdeeds in slandering his brothers, or alternatively, that Yosef feared that alerting Yaakov to the sale and his sons' behavior would have caused him more distress than his inability to reunite with Yosef.<fn>Cf. R"Y HeChasid below.</fn></point> | ||
− | <point><b>Crux of the position</b> – This position views Yosef as having moved beyond the pain he endured at the hands of his brothers and being nobly concerned with the welfare of his family. The brothers also, have come full circle, repented for their sins, and become altruistic people. | + | <point><b>Crux of the position</b> – This position views Yosef as having moved beyond the pain he endured at the hands of his brothers and being nobly concerned with the welfare of his family. The brothers, also, have come full circle, repented for their sins, and become altruistic people. Thus, the reader is left with an optimistic view of a righteous family reunified.</point> |
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<point><b>Why Binyamin?</b> | <point><b>Why Binyamin?</b> | ||
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− | <li><b>For Binyamin himself</b> – According to Shadal, Yosef was primarily interested in reuniting with Binyamin himself (as he was his full brother and the only one not involved in his sale),<fn>Cf. <multilink><aht source="ChizkuniBereshit44-2">Chizkuni</aht><aht source="ChizkuniBereshit44-2">Bereshit 44:2</aht><aht parshan="Chizkuni">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</aht></multilink> who contends that Yosef did not recognize Binyamin and the goblet accusation was designed to confirm through the brothers' reaction that it was, in fact, Binyamin who they had brought down.</fn> and far less concerned with seeing Yaakov.<fn>Some go so far as to argue that Yosef thought his father had rejected him. See Shemuel Feigenson, <a href="Media/1Bereshit/44/Elbonah Shel Torah.pdf">עלבונה של תורה: חלק עוללות</a> (Berlin, 1929): 12-13 (an <aht source="Feigenson">earlier version</aht> was printed as a note at the end of the <a href="Media/1Bereshit/44/Feigenson - Back of Yerushalmi.pdf">1928 Vilna edition</a> of the Yerushalmi Berakhot), <aht source="Korman">Avraham Korman</aht>, האבות והשבטים (Tel Aviv, 1981): 207-209, and R"Y Bin-Nun, "הפילוג והאחדות - כפל הטעות והלם הגילוי; מפני מה לא שלח יוסף שליח אל אביו", <a href="http://www.herzog.ac.il/tvunot/fulltext/mega1_ybn.pdf">Megadim 1</a> (1986): 20-31.</fn></li> | + | <li><b>For Binyamin himself</b> – According to Shadal, Yosef was primarily interested in reuniting with Binyamin himself (as he was his full brother and the only one not involved in his sale),<fn>Cf. <multilink><aht source="ChizkuniBereshit44-2">Chizkuni</aht><aht source="ChizkuniBereshit44-2">Bereshit 44:2</aht><aht parshan="Chizkuni">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</aht></multilink> who contends that Yosef did not recognize Binyamin and the goblet accusation was designed to confirm through the brothers' reaction that it was, in fact, Binyamin who they had brought down.</fn> and far less concerned with seeing Yaakov.<fn>Some go so far as to argue that Yosef thought his father had rejected him. See R. Shemuel Feigenson, <a href="Media/1Bereshit/44/Elbonah Shel Torah.pdf">עלבונה של תורה: חלק עוללות</a> (Berlin, 1929): 12-13 (an <aht source="Feigenson">earlier version</aht> was printed as a note at the end of the <a href="Media/1Bereshit/44/Feigenson - Back of Yerushalmi.pdf">1928 Vilna edition</a> of the Yerushalmi Berakhot), <aht source="Korman">Avraham Korman</aht>, האבות והשבטים (Tel Aviv, 1981): 207-209, and R"Y Bin-Nun, "הפילוג והאחדות - כפל הטעות והלם הגילוי; מפני מה לא שלח יוסף שליח אל אביו", <a href="http://www.herzog.ac.il/tvunot/fulltext/mega1_ybn.pdf">Megadim 1</a> (1986): 20-31.</fn></li> |
<li><b>Binyamin as a pawn</b> – For R"Y Bekhor Shor and R"Y HeChasid, though, holding Binyamin was only a means of achieving a reunion with Yaakov.<fn>Cf. R"Y Bin-Nun's article cited above who attempts to suggest that Yosef wanted to keep Binyamin with him so that he could find out why Yaakov had abandoned and rejected him.</fn> According to R"Y HeChasid, Yosef expected that Yaakov would come down to Egypt to plead for Binyamin and they would then be reunited. In contrast, R"Y Bekhor Shor posits that Yosef had cornered his brothers and left them no option other than to reveal the circumstances of his original sale to Yaakov.<fn>See below that R"Y Bekhor Shor maintains that Yosef was under oath not to reveal his identity, and only his brothers could release him from this commitment.</fn></li> | <li><b>Binyamin as a pawn</b> – For R"Y Bekhor Shor and R"Y HeChasid, though, holding Binyamin was only a means of achieving a reunion with Yaakov.<fn>Cf. R"Y Bin-Nun's article cited above who attempts to suggest that Yosef wanted to keep Binyamin with him so that he could find out why Yaakov had abandoned and rejected him.</fn> According to R"Y HeChasid, Yosef expected that Yaakov would come down to Egypt to plead for Binyamin and they would then be reunited. In contrast, R"Y Bekhor Shor posits that Yosef had cornered his brothers and left them no option other than to reveal the circumstances of his original sale to Yaakov.<fn>See below that R"Y Bekhor Shor maintains that Yosef was under oath not to reveal his identity, and only his brothers could release him from this commitment.</fn></li> | ||
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Version as of 07:03, 4 December 2013
Why Did Yosef Frame Binyamin?
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
In attempting to understand Yosef's actions, exegetes present widely varying character portraits of Yosef. The majority of commentators, beginning already in the Second Temple period, depict Yosef as the architect of the processes of the brothers' repentance and the reunification of Yaakov's family. For them, the framing of Binyamin was designed to test the brothers, and they passed with flying colors. In contrast, other commentators view Yosef in a less positive light. R"Y HeChasid and Shadal maintain that Yosef was not originally planning on revealing himself to his brothers and was concerned only with reuniting with Binyamin and/or Yaakov. In their opinion, Yehuda's speech was not anticipated by Yosef, but rather caused a change of heart. Radak goes one step further and suggests that Yosef's actions throughout the story were meant to cause the brothers anguish for their actions toward him.
Testing His Brothers' Repentance
Yosef's actions were motivated by a desire to reunite his entire family. The planting of the goblet was devised to assess his brothers' degree of repentance, and to enable a familial reconciliation.
- R. Shemuel b. Chofni and Abarbanel view this as part of the test Yosef set up for the brothers. Abarbanel proposes that Yosef was preventing a potential flaw in his plan – that the brothers would erroneously conclude that Binyamin had actually stolen the goblet and from a sense of justice (rather than spite or hatred) allow him to be punished. He, therefore, planted not just the goblet but also all of their monies, to ensure that the brothers recognized that this was a set-up.5
- Ramban and Seforno, suggest, as above, that Yosef returned the money out of good will. Moreover, he does so with the brothers' knowledge,6 to compensate them for the troubles he had put them through when he had accused them of spying.7
- Sefer HaYashar and the Biur assert that Yosef had actually revealed himself and his entire scheme to Binyamin earlier,8 so Binyamin did not suffer from any anxiety or the like.
- Others focus on the problematic slandering of Binyamin's character. This, perhaps, in part, motivates Abarbanel to suggest that Yosef made sure that the brothers knew Binyamin was framed (see above). R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, in contrast, asserts simply that the ends (the reuniting of the family and assuaging of Yaakov's longing) justified the means (the temporary slandering.)
Reconnecting With Binyamin and Yaakov
Yosef's goal was to reunite with Binyamin and/or Yaakov exclusively, and he had no real interest in rehabilitating his relationship with the rest of his brothers.
- For Binyamin himself – According to Shadal, Yosef was primarily interested in reuniting with Binyamin himself (as he was his full brother and the only one not involved in his sale),10 and far less concerned with seeing Yaakov.11
- Binyamin as a pawn – For R"Y Bekhor Shor and R"Y HeChasid, though, holding Binyamin was only a means of achieving a reunion with Yaakov.12 According to R"Y HeChasid, Yosef expected that Yaakov would come down to Egypt to plead for Binyamin and they would then be reunited. In contrast, R"Y Bekhor Shor posits that Yosef had cornered his brothers and left them no option other than to reveal the circumstances of his original sale to Yaakov.13
Punishing His Brothers
Yosef's objective was to punish his brothers for their earlier treatment of him. This approach subdivides as to whether Yosef was exacting revenge or merely helping his brothers attain penance for their sins.