Difference between revisions of "Yosef's Economic Policies/1/en"
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<p>What messages is the reader supposed to glean from the story and all its details?</p> | <p>What messages is the reader supposed to glean from the story and all its details?</p> | ||
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| + | <h2 name="">Economic wisdom or extortion?<br/></h2> | ||
| + | At first glance, Yosef's economic measures seem somewhat severe.  Though the Egyptians had given a fifth of their grain to be stored during the years of plenty, when famine strikes they find themselves forced to give up all their money and cattle and even offer themselves as slaves in order to buy food.  Yosef takes all their land and a fifth of any future produce for Paroh and then implements a policy of population displacement.  What was the purpose of these actions?  Were such draconian measures really needed to ensure proper distribution of the food or was Yosef being unnecessarily harsh? | ||
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| + | <h2 name="">Repetitions and Extraneous details</h2> | ||
| + | <p>The episode includes several details which are repeated more than once, making the reader question their import:</p> | ||
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| + | <li><b>Fate of Canaan</b> – When describing the impoverishment of the Egyptians, there is a three-fold mention that in Canann too, money was scarce .  Why does the Torah highlight this fact?  What does it reveal about the overall economic situation of Canaan and the devastation caused there by the famine?</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Yosef's family</b> – Yosef's economic policies are framed by details of Yosef's family settling and proliferating in Goshen.  The literary sandwiching suggests that the Torah is trying to connect the two issues.   What, though, is the point of the connection?</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Priestly exemption</b> – The priestly exemption from selling their land to Paroh is mentioned twice in this short unit; why is this necessary?  What is the reader supposed to learn from this fact?<br/> </li> | ||
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Version as of 14:08, 25 December 2014
Yosef's Economic Policies
Introduction
Egyptian History in the Torah?
After the Torah relates the arrival of Yaakov's family in Egypt, it describes at length Yosef's economic policies during the years of famine. The description is surprising, for it is not apparently clear what purpose this story holds for the reader. Why does the Torah, usually so careful and often sparse in its language, find it necessary to expound about Egyptian economics? In the words of Abarbanel:
ולמה נזכר בתורה כל הספור הזה המיוחד למצרים וחק החומש והעברת העם בערים וחק הכהנים כי זה יאות בספרי דברי הימים למצרים לא בתורת האל?!
And why does the Torah mention his whole story, which is unique to Egypt, and the law of the fifth, and the transferring of the people to cities, and the law of the priests, for this is fitting for Egyptian Chronicles but not for the Divine Torah?!
What messages is the reader supposed to glean from the story and all its details?
Economic wisdom or extortion?
At first glance, Yosef's economic measures seem somewhat severe. Though the Egyptians had given a fifth of their grain to be stored during the years of plenty, when famine strikes they find themselves forced to give up all their money and cattle and even offer themselves as slaves in order to buy food. Yosef takes all their land and a fifth of any future produce for Paroh and then implements a policy of population displacement. What was the purpose of these actions? Were such draconian measures really needed to ensure proper distribution of the food or was Yosef being unnecessarily harsh?
Repetitions and Extraneous details
The episode includes several details which are repeated more than once, making the reader question their import:
- Fate of Canaan – When describing the impoverishment of the Egyptians, there is a three-fold mention that in Canann too, money was scarce . Why does the Torah highlight this fact? What does it reveal about the overall economic situation of Canaan and the devastation caused there by the famine?
- Yosef's family – Yosef's economic policies are framed by details of Yosef's family settling and proliferating in Goshen. The literary sandwiching suggests that the Torah is trying to connect the two issues. What, though, is the point of the connection?
- Priestly exemption – The priestly exemption from selling their land to Paroh is mentioned twice in this short unit; why is this necessary? What is the reader supposed to learn from this fact?
