My Musing
The Torahis not a story book, the Torah is not a history book. This refrain is one of the underlying messages of the midrash selection this week. Every word has import and in this case comes to illustrate the unique way that Joseph gets caught in the very net he cast.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת וישב סימן ב
(בראשית פרק לז:ב, ג ) " אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן וְהוּא נַעַר אֶת בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה נְשֵׁי אָבִיו וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל אֲבִיהֶם. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכָּל בָּנָיו כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים"
“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being still a lad even with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colours.”
" כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ"
בן איקונים שהיה דומה לו.
רבי ישמעאל אמר לכך נקרא בן זקונים, על שם (בראשית מז:יב) "וַיְכַלְכֵּל יוֹסֵף אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיו לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף"
בן זקנתו של אביו.
ולפי שראה בחלומו שעתיד למלוך והגיד לאביו קנאו בו אחיו.
“because he was the son of his old age”
A son of his image, that he was identical to him.
Rabbi Yishmael said, therefore he was called “a son of his old age” from the verse, “And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones.”
A son of his father’s old age.
And since he saw in his dream that he was destined to rule, and he told his father and his brothers were jealous.
" וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל אֲבִיהֶם"
אמר לאביו, אחי אוכלין אבר מן החי. אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא 'חייך! בדבר שיצא מפיך בו אתה נחשד'
(בראשית מג:לב) "וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְלָהֶם לְבַדָּם וְלַמִּצְרִים הָאֹכְלִים אִתּוֹ לְבַדָּם כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּן הַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הָעִבְרִים לֶחֶם כִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִוא לְמִצְרָיִם"
ולפי שספר עליהם לשון הרע, ולפיכך קנאו בו אחיו. ונתגלגל הדבר וירדו אבותינו למצרים ונשתעבדו שם ארבע מאות שנה. אמר יעקב ליוסף (בראשית לז:יד) "וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֶךְ נָא רְאֵה אֶת שְׁלוֹם אַחֶיךָ וְאֶת שְׁלוֹם הַצֹּאן וַהֲשִׁבֵנִי דָּבָר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵהוּ מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן וַיָּבֹא שְׁכֶמָה" מקום מזומן לפורענות. בשכם ענו את דינה, בשכם מכרו את יוסף, בשכם נחלקה מלכות בית דוד (מלכים א,יב:כה) "וַיִּבֶן יָרָבְעָם אֶת שְׁכֶם בְּהַר אֶפְרַיִם וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהּ וַיֵּצֵא מִשָּׁם וַיִּבֶן אֶת פְּנוּאֵל"
“Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father”
He said to his father, ‘my brothers are eating the limb of a live animal’. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘On Your Life!. On the very thing that came out of your mouth, you will be suspected’
“And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.”
And because he spoke evil speech about them, and therefore they despised him. And it snowballed and our forefathers went down to Egypt and were enslaved for four hundred years. Said Yaakov to Joseph, “And he said to him: 'Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me back word.' So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.” A place that is destined for bad tidings. There Dinah was violated, In Shechem Joseph was sold, and in Shechem the kingdom was split, “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and he went out from thence, and built Penuel.”
“And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked
him, saying: 'What seekest thou?'” There is no “man” mentioned in scripture other than Gabriel, as it says, “yea, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, approached close to me about the time of the evening offering.”
(בראשית לז:יח) "וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק וּבְטֶרֶם יִקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ" (בראשית לז:כד) "וַיִּקָּחֻהוּ וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֹתוֹ הַבֹּרָה וְהַבּוֹר רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָיִם" מים אין בו, נחשים ועקרבים היו בו.
מה עשה ראובן? הלך וישב באחד מן ההרים לירד בלילה להעלות את יוסף, ותשעה אחיו יושבין במקום אחד, כאיש אחד בעצה אחד להמיתו. עברו עליהם ישמעאלים, אמרו, (בראשית לז:כז) "
לְכוּ וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים וְיָדֵנוּ אַל תְּהִי בוֹ כִּי אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ הוּא וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו"
“And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.” “and they took him, and cast him into the pit--and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.” Water was absent, but snakes and scorpions were in it.
What did Reuben do? He went and sat by the nearby mountains to go in the night and bring Joseph up, and the nine brothers were sitting in another place, unified, as one person with a unified intent to kill him. The Yishmaelite caravan passed and they said, “Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh.' And his brethren hearkened unto him.”
הן מוליכין אותו לקצוות המדבר, עמדו מכרוהו בעשרים כסף. לכל אחד מהם שני כסף לקנות מנעלים לרגליהם. וכי תעלה על דעתך שנער יפה כמותו נמכר בעשרים כסף?! אלא, כיון שהושלך לבור מתוך פחד נחשים ועקרבים שבו נשתנה זיו פניו, וברח ממנו דמו, ונעשו פניו ירוקות. לפיכך מכרוהו בעשרים כסף בעבור נעלים.
They sent him to the edge of the wilderness, and sold him for 20 silver pieces. Each one took two pieces of silver to buy shoes for their feet. And should it enter your mind that a youth as fine as Joseph should only fetch 20 silver pieces?! Rather, since he was thrown into the pit with snakes and scorpions, he became pale and looked green. Therefore they sold him for 20 silver pieces.
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