Yosef's Economic Policies/2

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Yosef's Economic Policies

Exegetical Approaches

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Development of Yosef's Character

The details of Yosef's economic policies help the reader better appreciate the character of Yosef, revealing both his intense care for his family and his wisdom in dealing with the Egyptian crisis.

What's special about Yosef? These commentators differ regarding which attributes of Yosef they think emerge from the episode:
  • Honesty - Many commentators1 suggest that the story highlights Yosef's honesty and loyalty to Paroh.  The verse emphasizes that "וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת הַכֶּסֶף בֵּיתָה פַרְעֹה" to show that he took nothing for himself.2  All he did was aimed at enriching Paroh, and not at increasing his own power.3
  • Concern for family – Bavli Chulin, Rashi, Keli Yakar and Or HaChayyim suggest that Yosef's policy of population displacement served to help ease his family's immigration.4  It ensured that they were not singled out as foreigners5 since the entire country had similarly been displaced and impoverished.6  Maasei Hashem and Neziv add that it freed up Goshen, providing the family with a sheltered place to live that might prevent their assimilation.7
  • Wisdom and Concern for Egyptians –  Yosef, in his wisdom, recognized that harsh measures were necessary in order to ensure an adequate food supply without the raiding, corruption, and anarchy8 which often accompany the stress of famine.9  Yosef, though, tried to ease the necessary hardship in several ways, and as such succeeded in finding favor in the Egyptians' eyes:10
  • R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon maintains that Yosef offered to buy the Egyptian's cattle so they would no longer have to feed them.
  • Shadal, R. Hirsch and Neziv assert that, when displacing the people, Yosef made sure to move the Egyptians as groups together (city by city) so they could still maintain social ties.
  • According to Ramban, even though the people offered themselves as slaves, Yosef did not accept their offer and bought their land but not their bodies.11 This earned them his respect.
Did Yosef enslave the Egyptians? Ramban12 asserts that Yosef did not take the Egyptians as slaves but rather as tenant farmers.13  Moreover, he suggests that the terms were better than expected, for only a fifth was to go to the landlord.14
"וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים" - why?
  • According to many of these exegetes15 the population transfer served to concretize the fact that all land belonged to Paroh.16
  • The others suggest that making everyone foreigners meant that the Israelites would not be treated as such.  In addition, the exodus from Goshen opened it for settlement by Yosef's family.
"וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים" - for payment? Ramban raises the possibility that when Yosef initially "gathered" food during the years of plenty, he did so by buying it.  If so, Yosef emerges as a crafty business man, buying cheaply when demand is low and selling it at a vast profit when demand was high. It also means that Yosef did not expect the people to pay exorbitantly for what was rightfully theirs to begin with.
Mention of the Israelite's proliferation – This position might suggest that the proliferation is mentioned to highlight Yosef's success in caring for his family.  His policies accomplished his goal, and helped turn his family into a nation to be reckoned with.
"וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית" - When does the story take  place? These commentators differ regarding the timing of the episode::
  • Second year of famine - Rashi, Maasei Hashem and Neziv assume that the Egyptian's request takes place in the second year of the famine.17 This position is consistent with these commentators' assumption that some of Yosef's policies were aimed at easing his family's move to Egypt.
  • Seventh year of famine - Radak, Ramban, and Shadal assert that the verse refers to the second year after the Egyptian's money ran out, which was in the seventh year of the famine.18 The later dating is compatible with these exegetes' understanding that the story focuses on Yosef's honesty and the success of his policies.
Two-fold mention of priestly exemption
  • According to Ralbag the "כהנים" are not cultic priests but important officers.19  Their exemption was an effort to keep the elite pleased so as to prevent rebellion.  Ralbag sees this as another example of Yosef's wise strategies.20
  • Others might suggest that the verses are purposefully drawing a parallel between the priests and Israelites to show how Yosef succeeded in raising his family to that same status.
What happened to Canaan? Most of these commentators do not address the repeated mention of the impoverishment of Canaan21 and do not comment on the level of its devastation.22
Was Yaakov's family originally intending to stay ?
Evaluation of Yosef's actions – This position views Yosef's actions favorably, trying to see the positive aspects of all his policies.

Backdrop to Israelite Bondage

The story lays the background for the Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites.  Yosef's enslaving of the Egyptians later led to a backlash against his family who had been spared the severe policy.

Did Yosef enslave the Egyptians? According to these commentators, Yosef enslaved the Egyptian populace, a policy which they later resented.
"וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים" - why? The displacement ensured that all recognized that the land now belonged to Paroh.  Severing the people's ties to their land made it less likely that they would rebel in order to retrieve it.
"וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים" - for payment? This approach might suggest that Yosef gathered the food during the years of plenty without compensation.  If so, being forced to pay for what had originally belonged to them might have led to bitterness on the part of the Egyptians.
Contrast between Egyptians and Israelites – T. Granot and D. Sabato24  note that he verses set up a series of contrasts between the fate of the Egyptians and that of Yaakov's family.  These likely contributed to feelings of jealousy:
  • Food – While Yosef provides for his family so that they have "לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף", in Egypt there was no bread, "וְלֶחֶם אֵין בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ".
  • Land – The story is framed by the fact that Yaakov and sons are given an "אֲחֻזָּה", enabling them to settle comfortably in Goshen.  In the middle, though, all of Egypt loses their individual claims to the land.25 In essence, the foreigners become settlers while the settlers become foreigners.
  • Cattle – Yosef's family bring their cattle with them, and are provided with pasture land for them to graze.  The Egyptians, in contrast, are all forced to sell their cattle to Yosef so as to acquire food for themselves.
Mention of the Israelite's proliferation
  • This approach might suggest that this fact also serves to contrast the Egyptians who were on the verge of death with the Israelites who were bearing progeny.
  • T. Granot and D. Sabato, instead connect the description here to the similar depiction of proliferation mentioned in Shemot 1.The Torah's shared language connects the twostories to suggest that the more overt hatred of Shemot began already with jealousy emerging from this episode.
"וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית" - When does the story take place? These commentators do not take a position on the question.  The story might be happening in parallel to the events of the previous chapters (in the first two years of the famine, when Yosef reunites with his family) or they might be a continuation and occur towards the end of teh famine.  Either reading is compatible with this overall approach.
Two-fold mention of priestly exemption – D. Sabato suggests that mention of the priestly exemption highlights the Israelite's similar circumstances, setting both groups apart from lay Egyptians.
What happened to Canaan? This position does not relate to the issue.
Evaluation of Yosef's actions
  • Error in judgement – M. Pava26 and T. Granot view Yosef's harsh treatment of the Egyptians and favoring of his own family more as an error in judgement than a flaw in character.  Though Yosef's intentions were good, his actions led to resentment and moreover set a precedent for a totalitarian society in which national bondage is tolerated.
  • Unethical – D. Sabato evaluates Yosef more negatively.  He points to several later commandments that stand in opposition to Yosef's actions, suggesting that the Torah questions their morality:27 
    • Land of Paroh/Hashem – Thus, while Yosef worked so that "וַתְּהִי הָאָרֶץ לְפַרְעֹה", giving Paroh divine-like control, the Torah states that land can never be sold permanently, for it belongs to Hashem "". 
    • Slaves to Paroh/Hashem –The Egyptian people became "עֲבָדִים לְפַרְעֹה" while the Torah emphasizes Hashem's role in freeing the Children of Israel and forbids eternal bondage to another human, "". 
    • Preferential treatment of priests –Whereas the priestly exemption allowed them to maintain their land, Israelite priests are not given an inheritance at all.  They are not above the people, but meant to serve the public.
    • A fifth versus a tithe – Finally, Yosef commands the people to give a fifth of their produce to Paroh, to remind them that all they eat really belongs to him.  The Torah instead commands the nation to give a tithe to Hashem,28 to remind them that all stems from God. 

Cause of Prolonged Stay

The harsh conditions of the famine, highlighted in this episode, explain why Yaakov's family did not simply return to Canaan immediately, but rather stayed on foreign soil.

What happened to Canaan?
Was Yaakov's planning on staying
Did Yosef enslave the Egyptians?
"וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים" - why?
"וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים" - for payment?
Mention of the Israelite's proliferation
"וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית" - When does the story take place?
Two-fold mention of priestly exemption
Evaluation of Yosef's actions