- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Aug 26, 2022 10:33:37 GMT -8
This Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Genesis 43:24-44:17
Haftara- Jeremayah 42:12-17; 43:12-14
D’rash: Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
After being welcomed, their feet washed their animals cared for, Yoseph’s brothers laid out the gifts for the vizier. At Yoseph’s arrival, they again bowed themselves to the ground before him, reminiscent of Ya’aqov bowing before Esav as he returned the stolen blessing. Many things like this tie these stories together in an intricately interwoven fabric.
The brothers had to be struggling to understand all this. They and their animals were well cared for. They are treated to a feast, with the vizier, no less. And instead of having to pay a fine or tribute, Simeon is released to them without their asking. And the first thing the vizier said upon his arrival was asking about their shalom and about the wellbeing of their father:
Genesis 43:27 (ESV) And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
That their father was alive is of paramount concern to Yoseph; he was taken from his father by force, and Ya’aqov was also deprived of his love and companionship. Yoseph confirms that the young man now before him is really Benyamin. They must have been shocked at his next words:
Genesis 43:29b And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
We can but imagine the emotion when he says “my son,” and their bewilderment at this strange, unexpected conduct. They were expecting a very simple verification that what they told him was true. But the vizier of all Mitzrayim now now speaks words of grace to a lowly shepherd from a foreign land, “God be gracious to you, my son!” Moreover he is obviously overcome with emotion as he goes to another room to weep. After regaining control, he ordered his servants to serve the meal. He sat separately from his brothers:
Genesis 43:32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
Egyptians had their own rules, similar to Jewish halacha. One was not to break bread or have fellowship with foreigners. This prejudice, in another example of the interconnectedness in the narrative will be a major factor as we begin the Exodus story.
Genesis 43:33-34 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry [and became intoxicated] with him.
What followed was a test of brothers hearts- had they changed? They were seated according to age, oldest to youngest, which astonished them that the steward got it right. Benyamin received five times the portion of food from Yoseph’s table, thus showing a considerable amount of favor to him. Would they become jealous?
This entire affair was started over jealousy. Warranted, maybe; but they were willing to murder, or in the end to sell their own brother into cruel slavery. Now Yoseph wants to see their reaction to the same treatment; to judge their hearts. But the test doesn’t end there. Will they now stand and defend their brother who, as Yoseph must have suspected had taken his own place as the favored child by his father? He gives instructions to return their money and place his cup in Benyamin’s sack:
Genesis 44:4-5 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”
The brothers, believing Joseph to be an Egyptian would have believed he also practiced divination. So this would be another clever ruse. I have trouble believing Joseph would actually practice something akin to witchcraft. However it being a different time and culture divination was ubiquitous. So I suppose we cannot rule it out.
His accusation harkens to mankind all the way back to the flood: the brothers had repaid רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה rah tachat ha’tovah, evil for the good things they were given. The brothers in their newfound innocence speak words similar to Gen 31:32 when Ya’aqov unknowingly almost incriminates and condemns Rachel before Lavan:
Genesis 44:9-10 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants.” He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”
Here we see one of the amazing anomalies with Torah as opposed to other cultures religious books. El Elohe Yisro’el is willing to show us when a pagan culture is acting more righteously than His own people. When Yoseph was sold into slavery only the innocent was harmed and no mercy was shown. But here the steward says only the guilty will be punished, and he will be shown the mercy of not being put to death as they had so carelessly offered.
Genesis 44:14-16 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”
This was well planed, as opposed to the ‘planing’ done on the fly by the brothers years ago. I have to wonder if when Yehudah spoke of “guilt” he was not thinking back to a cistern in a mountain pass many years ago:
“The language and role playing is striking in this story. The brothers were initially upset, not so much with Joseph, but with Jacob, because of his preferential treatment of Joseph as Rachael’s son. But they turned their anger, not against their father but towards the object of Jacob’s love- Joseph. Their harsh punishment of young (and probably carelessly insensitive) Joseph was extreme and not fair.” Dr Eli.
Just as the brothers had planned to kill, instead selling him into slavery; Yoseph now says the youngest will instead be kept a slave. Step by fatal step the brothers are reminded of their earlier treachery:
Genesis 44:17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Now how will they go back and inform their father he’s lost another favored son?
Leah’s sons suffered the loss of their father’s love because their mother was not the favored wife. Due to Lavan’s deceit and Ya’aqov’s inability to deal with his marriage to (actually) four women their view of familial love and loyalty was so skewed they almost committed siblicide. Now they would know what Yoseph felt as he was thrown into the cistern, then sold into slavery; betrayed and confused, lost and alone, and very afraid. However the real focus here was the testing of his brothers. Had they changed? Would they abandon Benyamin to his fate and save themselves? Or would they offer to stand in the gap for their brother and to save their father more grief?
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; my father and others
Special note: in catching up I am relying heavily on notes from courses with the Israel Bible Center and wish to acknowledge Drs. Parker, Eli, and Shaser. Also my JPS Study TNK, my father and all the other pastors, teachers, rabbonim, et all who contributed to my understanding
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Gen 44:18-46:27
Haftara- Josh 14:6-15
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
Parashah- Genesis 43:24-44:17
Haftara- Jeremayah 42:12-17; 43:12-14
D’rash: Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
After being welcomed, their feet washed their animals cared for, Yoseph’s brothers laid out the gifts for the vizier. At Yoseph’s arrival, they again bowed themselves to the ground before him, reminiscent of Ya’aqov bowing before Esav as he returned the stolen blessing. Many things like this tie these stories together in an intricately interwoven fabric.
The brothers had to be struggling to understand all this. They and their animals were well cared for. They are treated to a feast, with the vizier, no less. And instead of having to pay a fine or tribute, Simeon is released to them without their asking. And the first thing the vizier said upon his arrival was asking about their shalom and about the wellbeing of their father:
Genesis 43:27 (ESV) And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
That their father was alive is of paramount concern to Yoseph; he was taken from his father by force, and Ya’aqov was also deprived of his love and companionship. Yoseph confirms that the young man now before him is really Benyamin. They must have been shocked at his next words:
Genesis 43:29b And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
We can but imagine the emotion when he says “my son,” and their bewilderment at this strange, unexpected conduct. They were expecting a very simple verification that what they told him was true. But the vizier of all Mitzrayim now now speaks words of grace to a lowly shepherd from a foreign land, “God be gracious to you, my son!” Moreover he is obviously overcome with emotion as he goes to another room to weep. After regaining control, he ordered his servants to serve the meal. He sat separately from his brothers:
Genesis 43:32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
Egyptians had their own rules, similar to Jewish halacha. One was not to break bread or have fellowship with foreigners. This prejudice, in another example of the interconnectedness in the narrative will be a major factor as we begin the Exodus story.
Genesis 43:33-34 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry [and became intoxicated] with him.
What followed was a test of brothers hearts- had they changed? They were seated according to age, oldest to youngest, which astonished them that the steward got it right. Benyamin received five times the portion of food from Yoseph’s table, thus showing a considerable amount of favor to him. Would they become jealous?
This entire affair was started over jealousy. Warranted, maybe; but they were willing to murder, or in the end to sell their own brother into cruel slavery. Now Yoseph wants to see their reaction to the same treatment; to judge their hearts. But the test doesn’t end there. Will they now stand and defend their brother who, as Yoseph must have suspected had taken his own place as the favored child by his father? He gives instructions to return their money and place his cup in Benyamin’s sack:
Genesis 44:4-5 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”
The brothers, believing Joseph to be an Egyptian would have believed he also practiced divination. So this would be another clever ruse. I have trouble believing Joseph would actually practice something akin to witchcraft. However it being a different time and culture divination was ubiquitous. So I suppose we cannot rule it out.
His accusation harkens to mankind all the way back to the flood: the brothers had repaid רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה rah tachat ha’tovah, evil for the good things they were given. The brothers in their newfound innocence speak words similar to Gen 31:32 when Ya’aqov unknowingly almost incriminates and condemns Rachel before Lavan:
Genesis 44:9-10 Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants.” He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”
Here we see one of the amazing anomalies with Torah as opposed to other cultures religious books. El Elohe Yisro’el is willing to show us when a pagan culture is acting more righteously than His own people. When Yoseph was sold into slavery only the innocent was harmed and no mercy was shown. But here the steward says only the guilty will be punished, and he will be shown the mercy of not being put to death as they had so carelessly offered.
Genesis 44:14-16 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”
This was well planed, as opposed to the ‘planing’ done on the fly by the brothers years ago. I have to wonder if when Yehudah spoke of “guilt” he was not thinking back to a cistern in a mountain pass many years ago:
“The language and role playing is striking in this story. The brothers were initially upset, not so much with Joseph, but with Jacob, because of his preferential treatment of Joseph as Rachael’s son. But they turned their anger, not against their father but towards the object of Jacob’s love- Joseph. Their harsh punishment of young (and probably carelessly insensitive) Joseph was extreme and not fair.” Dr Eli.
Just as the brothers had planned to kill, instead selling him into slavery; Yoseph now says the youngest will instead be kept a slave. Step by fatal step the brothers are reminded of their earlier treachery:
Genesis 44:17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Now how will they go back and inform their father he’s lost another favored son?
Leah’s sons suffered the loss of their father’s love because their mother was not the favored wife. Due to Lavan’s deceit and Ya’aqov’s inability to deal with his marriage to (actually) four women their view of familial love and loyalty was so skewed they almost committed siblicide. Now they would know what Yoseph felt as he was thrown into the cistern, then sold into slavery; betrayed and confused, lost and alone, and very afraid. However the real focus here was the testing of his brothers. Had they changed? Would they abandon Benyamin to his fate and save themselves? Or would they offer to stand in the gap for their brother and to save their father more grief?
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; my father and others
Special note: in catching up I am relying heavily on notes from courses with the Israel Bible Center and wish to acknowledge Drs. Parker, Eli, and Shaser. Also my JPS Study TNK, my father and all the other pastors, teachers, rabbonim, et all who contributed to my understanding
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Gen 44:18-46:27
Haftara- Josh 14:6-15
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
