Yosef's Treatment of his Family/2

Yosef's Treatment of his Family

Exegetical Approaches

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Yosef Concerned over his Brothers

Testing his Brothers

Sources:Jubilees4243:1-30About Jubilees, PhiloOn Joseph XXXIXAbout Philo, JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 2:6:2Antiquities of the Jews 2:6:4Antiquities of the Jews 2:6:7Antiquities of the Jews 2:6:8Antiquities of the Jews 2:6:9About Josephus, R. Shemuel b. Chofni GaonBereshit 41:51Bereshit 42:7Bereshit 42:9-13, 15Bereshit 44:1Bereshit 44:2Bereshit 44:8Bereshit 45:3About R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, R. Yonah #2Derashot R. Yonah Parashat Vayigash, Sefer HaYashar53:16-23About Sefer HaYashar, Akeidat Yitzchak30, Questions 2-430About R. Yitzchak Arama, Abarbanel #2Bereshit 41Bereshit 41-42, questions 4,6Bereshit 42:7Bereshit 42:25Bereshit 43:33About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoBereshit 42:9Bereshit 43:16Bereshit 43:34Bereshit 44:1-2Bereshit 44:16About R. Ovadyah Seforno, BiurBereshit 41:51Bereshit 44:2About the Biur (Netivot HaShalom)

Why did Yosef not contact Yaakov immediately?

"כִּי נַשַּׁנִי אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִי וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִי"

Accusation of espionage

Initial returning of their payment

Favoring Binyamin

Second returning of payment

Framing an innocent person?

"הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת עֲוֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ"

Assisting his Brother's Repentance

Yosef inflicted suffering on his brothers in order to help them attain penance for their crimes.

Sources:Seikhel TovBereshit 37:36Bereshit 41:51Bereshit 45:1About R. Menachem b. Shelomo, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Bereshit 41:51Tzeror HaMor Bereshit 42Tzeror HaMor Bereshit 44About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), Abarbanel #1Bereshit 41Bereshit 41-42, questions 4,6Bereshit 42:7Bereshit 42:25Bereshit 43:33About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, R. Eliezer AshkenaziMa'asei Hashem Ma'asei Avot 38About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem), Keli YekarBereshit 42:7Bereshit 42:14Bereshit 42:16About R. Shelomo Ephraim Lunshitz, Or HaChayyimBereshit 42:9Bereshit 44:1-2About R. Chayyim b. Atar

Measure for measure – Abarbanel and the commentators who follow in his footsteps¹ note that the uncomfortable situations in which Yosef placed his brothers correlate to the experiences which they caused him to endure.

Why did Yosef not contact Yaakov immediately? According to the Keli Yekar, Yosef felt that if Hashem had not revealed his whereabouts to Yaakov, it must be because He wanted Yaakov to suffer. Yaakov deserved punishment for having himself been away from his father for twenty-two years, and thus needed to be punished by not seeing Yosef for the same length of time.

"כִּי נַשַּׁנִי אֱלֹהִים אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִי וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִי" – According to this approach these words of Yosef do not reflect a detachment from his family.  Rather, as Seikhel Tov, and the Tzeror HaMor explain, Yosef is merely stating that, with his rise to power, he has forgotten the hardships his family had caused him to endure.

Accusation of espionage – Abarbanel and the Keli Yakar maintain that the brothers sinned in suspecting Yosef of tattle-bearing² and thus Yosef slandered them as spies. 

Returning of payments – The Ma'asei Hashem  asserts that Yosef did this positive deed so that the brothers would later realize that his actions were not motivated by revenge and hatred, but the sincere desire that their sins would be atoned.

Imprisonment of Brothers/Shimon – This was to punish the brothers for throwing him into the pit.³

Bringing of Binyami

Favoring Binyamin – This position might suggest that Yosef was simply showing his love for his brother.  As Binaymin had played no part in the sale he did not deserve any punishment.

Framing Binyamin – The plot of hiding the goblet was aimed at getting the brothers to declare themselves slaves, as penance for selling Yosef into slavery.  Tzeror Hamor points out they are similarly accused of theft since they had "stolen" Yosef.⁴

Framing an innocent person? Since Binyamin alone did not participate in the sale, his suffering needs to be explained.  This approach might suggest,, as does -- that Yosef actually told Binyamin in advance what he planned to do.

"הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת עֲוֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ" – Seikhel Tov implies that the brothers recognized that they were suffering for the sin of selling Yosef as a slave.

Yosef's Hands were Tied

Fulfilling Hashem's Prophecy

Carrying out Dreams

Under Oath

Assumed Rejection

Yosef Looked out for Himself

Preserving Egyptian Status

Punishing the Brothers

¹ See Ma'asei Hashem and the Keli Yakar.

² It seems unfair to claim that the brother's "suspicions" were sinful, considering that the text testifies to the fact that Yosef did in fact slander the brothers to his father: "וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל אֲבִיהֶם". According to Abarbanel the verse does not refer to Yosef spreading lies or even sharing evil actions that he saw the brothers commit but rather that Yosef told his father what others were saying about the brothers so that his father could rebuke or correct them.  According to the Keli Yakar Yosef was punishing the brothers for their later suspicions, when they assumed that Yosef was checking up on them in Dotan in order to give their father a negative report.  These thoughts, though, are not evident in the text.

³ Prisons in Tanakh are often described as a "בור".  See, for example, Yosef's words, "וְגַם פֹּה לֹא עָשִׂיתִי מְאוּמָה כִּי שָׂמוּ אֹתִי בַּבּוֹר. "

⁴ See how Yosef describes his sale to the butler: "כִּי גֻנֹּב גֻּנַּבְתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ הָעִבְרִים".