Yehuda Confronts Yosef in Art/0

Yehuda Confronts Yosef in Art

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Introduction

Parashat Vayigash opens with Yehuda's impassioned speech on behalf of Binyamin. The three artworks displayed here, by Willem de Poorter,¹James Tissot,² and Arent de Gelder,³ all illustrate the moving scene. The artists differ both in their choice of which characters to include and in how they depict those characters, allowing for different readings of both Yehuda and Yosef and, thus, of the reconciliation as a whole.

Contrasting Images

De Poorter

De Poorter's sets the scene in a dark room and fills his image with figures. A servant points to the silver goblet and accuses the brothers of theft, while a richly robed Yosef stands opposite and listens. Yehuda and three of the brothers kneel on the floor, their faces lifted towards Yosef. In the background, several unknown characters, perhaps Yosef's servants or more of the brothers, watch the proceedings.

Tissot

In contrast to the other artists, Tissot chooses softer colors and fills his painting with light. The effect removes much of the tension and emotion suggested by the other portrayals. Unlike De Poorter, he depicts just Yosef and Yehuda. Yehuda is no longer kneeling or imploring, but rather sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking calm and collected. Yosef, for his part, is not towering over the accused, but sitting on a step, just one level above Yehuda. His chin rests on his hand as he pensively contemplates his brother's words.

De Gelder

De Gelder's painting, like Tissot's, focuses on just Yosef and Yehuda, but resembles more of a portrait than a Biblical scene. Yehuda kneels in front of his brother, his hands clasped in front of him in a gesture of pleading. He is placed in a dark corner of the image, and the viewer can see little more than his anguished face, begging for mercy. Yosef stands above him, grasping the silver goblet in his hand. He turns towards Yehuda, his gaze concerned and filled with emotion.

Relationship to the Biblical Text

The artists' choices reflect certain ambiguities in the Biblical text and different possible interpretive stances:

Yehuda

Both De Poorter and De Gelder portray Yehuda in a posture of submission, kneeling before Yosef. Moreover, De Gelder's Yehuda is clearly distressed. His face cries out his pain and one can almost hear him imploring Yosef. Tissot's Yehuda, in contrast, does not give off the same feeling of subservience or desperate beseeching. He sits on the floor, seemingly unruffled, counting on his fingers as he speaks and states his various points.

What do we know of the emotions of Yehuda as described in Tanakh? Does he stand meek and pleading before Yosef, hoping to earn his compassion as he speaks of his elderly father?⁴ Or, is he confident in the innocence of Binyamin, and thus able to speak to Yosef more as an equal? Perhaps one might go even further, and suggest that Yehuda is aware of Yosef's role in the framing, and, as such, stands before him defiant and accusing.⁵ See Yehuda's Oration for more.

The Brothers

While both De Gelder and Tissot depict just Yosef and Yehuda in their scene, De Poorter includes several more of the brothers and other bystanders as well. Who was present when Yehuda approached Yosef? Was he alone or was he accompanied by others? The Biblical text is sparse enough to allow for both possibilities.⁶ The difference might relate both to how one perceives the brothers and how one understands Yehuda's goals in speaking. Were the brothers united in their desire to protect Binyamin,⁷ and ready to back up Yehuda if necessary, or did only Yehuda feel responsible?⁸ Did Yehuda want the strength and support provided by the brothers' presence,⁹ or did he prefer for tactical reasons to make his case in private?¹⁰ See The Messages of Yehuda's Oration for elaboration.

Yosef

De Gelder's Yosef is filled with emotion, his face a mix of sadness and compassion. Tissot's Yosef, in contrast, is contemplative, and looks almost as if he is trying to figure something out. What was Yosef thinking as he listened to Yehuda? Did Yehuda's words reveal to Yosef hitherto unknown facts that made him see the sale or his brothers in a new light?¹¹ Did Yosef find himself forced to rethink his original strategy of how to deal with his brothers?¹² Had he expected Yehuda to stand up and protect Binyamin, or was he surprised, and moved, by Yehuda's passionate plea? And, what was it that moved him – Yehuda's offer to be enslaved in Binyamin's stead or news of his aging father? For elaboration, see Why did Yosef Frame Binyamin?

¹ Willem de Poorter (1608-1648?) was a Dutch painter, known for his figure scenes. He might have been a student of Rembrandt, and many of his works (this one included) resemble Rembrandt in style. This painting is currently housed in the Kaluga Regional Art Museum.

² James Tissot (1836-1902) was a French painter who spent the later part of his career painting Biblical scenes. This painting can be found in the Jewish Museum, New York.

³ Arent (or Aert) de Gelder 1645-1727) was a Dutch painter, one of Rembrandt's last students in Amsterdam. Rembrandt's influence can be seen in the similar brushwork and use of chiaroscuro (contrasts of light and dark). This painting is located in the Palatinate Museum, Heidelberg.

⁴ See, for example, R. Shemuel b. Chofni GaonBereshit 44:18About R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 44:18About R. Avraham Maimonides, and RalbagBereshit 44–46 Toelet 1About R. Levi b. Gershon who understand Yehuda's speech in this manner.

⁵ See R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 44:18Bereshit 44:19-23Bereshit 44:32-34Bereshit 45:1About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor who adopts this understanding and asserts that Yehuda's speech is an implicit reproach to Yosef. See also Bereshit Rabbah93:793:8About Bereshit Rabbah and Tanchuma (Warsaw)Vayigash 5About the Tanchuma who paint an openly brazen and angry Yehuda, undaunted by Yosef. The midrashim, in fact, suggest that it is Yosef who has what to fear from Yehuda, as he and the brothers are capable of destroying all of Egypt in their wrath.

⁶ Yehuda's speech is a monologue with no interruptions by any of the brothers, allowing one to assert that he alone was in the room when speaking. On the other hand, when Yosef reveals himself, he first dismisses "all those who were standing before him" suggesting that others were indeed present. In addition, it seems that the brothers are already present at the time as the text does not specify that Yosef had to call them back. Nonetheless, it is possible that the text simply left out such mundane details so as not to take away from the suspense of the storyline.

⁷ See JosephusAntiquities 2:6:8About Josephus who presents the brothers as all prepared to give themselves to be punished instead of Binyamin.

⁸ See R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 44:32-34About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor who suggests that Yehuda's main motivation for protecting Binyamin was his promise to his father.

⁹ See Bereshit Rabbah93:7About Bereshit Rabbah and Tanchuma (Warsaw)Vayigash 5About the Tanchuma which portray the brothers as ready to fight all of Egypt, if need be.

¹⁰ See AbarbanelBereshit 44About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel who suggests that since Yehuda was in effect trying to bribe Yosef, he preferred to do so without witnesses.

¹¹ See R. Shemuel Feigenson, עלבונה של תורה: חלק עוללות (Berlin, 1929): 12-13 (an earlier version was printed as a note at the end of the 1928 Vilna edition of the Yerushalmi Berakhot), Avraham Korman, 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", Megadim 1 (1986): 20-31 who all suggest that Yosef had thought that his father had abandoned him. Only when Yehuda says that his father believes him to be dead does Yosef realize his error. See Why did Yosef Frame Binyamin for more.

¹² See R. Yehuda HeChasidBereshit 43:7About R. Yehuda HeChasid and ShadalBereshit 45:1About R. S.D. Luzzatto who assert that Yosef's original plan was not to reveal himself to the brothers at this point but to reunite solely with Binyamin. Only after hearing Yehuda's words does he change his mind. For elaboration, see Why did Yosef Frame Binyamin.