Difference between revisions of "Why Live in Goshen/2"
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<point><b>Why continue in the shepherding profession?</b><ul> | <point><b>Why continue in the shepherding profession?</b><ul> | ||
<li>Yosef might have simply desired that his family be able to continue in their known profession.</li> | <li>Yosef might have simply desired that his family be able to continue in their known profession.</li> | ||
| − | <li>Alternatively, <multilink><a href="RBachyaBereshit46-32" data-aht="source">R. Bachya</a><a href="RBachyaBereshit46-32" data-aht="source">Bereshit 46:32</a><a href="R. Bachya b. Asher" data-aht="parshan">About R. Bachya b. Asher</a></multilink> posits that the occupation gave them both economic and spiritual benefits.  It helped them attain the necessary provisions of wool, meat and milk | + | <li>Alternatively, <multilink><a href="RBachyaBereshit46-32" data-aht="source">R. Bachya</a><a href="RBachyaBereshit46-32" data-aht="source">Bereshit 46:32</a><a href="R. Bachya b. Asher" data-aht="parshan">About R. Bachya b. Asher</a></multilink> posits that the occupation gave them both economic and spiritual benefits.  It helped them attain the necessary provisions of wool, meat and milk, while the solitude facilitated attaining closeness to the Divine.  Moreover, he posits that the Patriarchs knew that eventually they would be exiled to Egypt where there would be a danger of acculturating and worshiping Egyptian gods.  To prevent any notion of worshiping sheep, they chose the profession of shepherds which would make it difficult for their descendants to revere or seen any divinity in such animals.</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
<point><b>Location of Goshen</b></point> | <point><b>Location of Goshen</b></point> | ||
Version as of 22:00, 16 December 2015
Why Live in Goshen?
Exegetical Approaches
Good Land
Yosef wanted the brothers to live in Goshen because it had high quality land, with good grazing for their cattle.
אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה / רֹעֵה צֹאן – It is the brothers' occupation as shepherds which leads to the choice of Goshen for their settlement.
"בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ" – These commentators might understand this to mean the best of the land of Goshen, rather than the best of Egypt. If the brothers were shepherds, they had no special need for good agricultural land. Nonetheless, both R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ralbag assume that Paroh really settled the brothers in the best of the land as a whole.
כִּי תוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם כׇּל רֹעֵה צֹאן
- According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, the word "abomination" is simply the Torah's derogatory term to refer to Egyptian idolatry, and says nothing about the Egyptian's feelings towards shepherds.1 In fact, he claims that the Egyptians esteemed shepherds because they cared for and raised their gods, and for that reason desired that they live in a good portion of land.
- According to Rlbag, in contrast, the Egyptians found shepherds abominable,2 and would not want to live near them. Since there was an uninhabited area in Goshen, Yosef knew that he would be able to have his brothers settle there.3
Why continue in the shepherding profession?
- Yosef might have simply desired that his family be able to continue in their known profession.
- Alternatively, R. Bachya posits that the occupation gave them both economic and spiritual benefits. It helped them attain the necessary provisions of wool, meat and milk, while the solitude facilitated attaining closeness to the Divine. Moreover, he posits that the Patriarchs knew that eventually they would be exiled to Egypt where there would be a danger of acculturating and worshiping Egyptian gods. To prevent any notion of worshiping sheep, they chose the profession of shepherds which would make it difficult for their descendants to revere or seen any divinity in such animals.
Location of Goshen
"And you will be close to me"
"לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ"
"אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה וְאָנֹכִי אַעַלְךָ גַם עָלֹה"
