My Musing
For many the opening of this week's parsha is one of the most laden with suspense. It is also the basis for many rabbinic teachings ranging from why we are known as Jews (from Yehudah, Judah, yehudim) to the concept of two messianic personalities, the lion of Judah and the bull of Joseph to the idea of being a guarantor. These ideas were necessary and powerful in the middle ages as rabbis needed to encourage Jews to remain steadfast in their faith and understand what it meant to be relied upon by another and that there was a messianic expectation. The first midrash tanhuma of the portion identifies Judah as the paradigm of being a guarantor and sets the stage for the following midrashim to explore his position as progenitor of the messiah.
As you read the midrash make careful note of the dialogue attributed to Judah and then look up the pasuk, it is the offer Reuben made to Jacob which was rejected.
For many the opening of this week's parsha is one of the most laden with suspense. It is also the basis for many rabbinic teachings ranging from why we are known as Jews (from Yehudah, Judah, yehudim) to the concept of two messianic personalities, the lion of Judah and the bull of Joseph to the idea of being a guarantor. These ideas were necessary and powerful in the middle ages as rabbis needed to encourage Jews to remain steadfast in their faith and understand what it meant to be relied upon by another and that there was a messianic expectation. The first midrash tanhuma of the portion identifies Judah as the paradigm of being a guarantor and sets the stage for the following midrashim to explore his position as progenitor of the messiah.
As you read the midrash make careful note of the dialogue attributed to Judah and then look up the pasuk, it is the offer Reuben made to Jacob which was rejected.
מדרש תנחומא ורשא פרשת ויגש סימן א
Our teacher should instruct us: What or who is the guarantor that is obligated to pay?
ילמדנו רבינו:
איזה הוא ערב שהוא חייב לשלם?
כך שנו רבותינו: רבי שמעון בן ננס אומר, איזהו ערב שהוא חייב לשלם? האומר "הלוהו ואני נתן לך" ונשא ונתן ביד הערב, חייב.
Our rabbis taught: Rabbi Simeon ben Nanas said, Who is the guarantor that is obligated to pay? The one who states "lend him and I will pay you" and the exchange is made with the guarantor,
he is obligated to pay.
ומי היה זה הערב?
זה יהודה, שאמר (בראשית מב:לז) "[וַיֹּאמֶר רְאוּבֵן אֶל אָבִיו לֵאמֹר אֶת שְׁנֵי בָנַי תָּמִית אִם לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ] תְּנָה אֹתוֹ עַל יָדִי וַאֲנִי אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ"
זה יהודה, שאמר (בראשית מב:לז) "[וַיֹּאמֶר רְאוּבֵן אֶל אָבִיו לֵאמֹר אֶת שְׁנֵי בָנַי תָּמִית אִם לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ] תְּנָה אֹתוֹ עַל יָדִי וַאֲנִי אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ"
And who is such a guarantor? Judah as it is written: "Give him to me by my hand and I will bring him back to you" [This is the translation of the end of the verse which in the scripture in last week's portion is said by Reuben, whose overture to guarantee Benjamin's return is rejected by Jacob. The statement by Judah is simply "I guarantee that I will return him to you and if not then I will have sinned to you my entire life" (Breishit 43:8)]
I believe that the midrash, by assigning Reuben's words to Judah is finding favor in some of Reuben's words and leaving the offending part out. These words form the basis of the guarantee which Judah references in his words to Jacob using the term Arev, guarantor. [What is the difference, or rather what was offensive in Reuben's words? I believe it was Reuben's callous offering of his own sons' lives if he should fail to bring back Binyamin. Judah, who had experienced the loss of his sons, was in a position to truly appreciate what his father had experienced with the loss of Joseph and the fear of losing Binyamin. This made his guarantee and the use of the word "arev" more binding even though Reuben's words are clearly preferred by the author of this midrash, signified by them being ascribed to Judah]
(בראשית מב:לח) "וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יֵרֵד בְּנִי עִמָּכֶם כִּי אָחִיו מֵת וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ נִשְׁאָר וּקְרָאָהוּ אָסוֹן בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכוּ בָהּ וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִי בְּיָגוֹן שְׁאוֹלָה"
The midrash continues with the reply of Jacob to Reuben that Binyamin is the only one left and if something happens to him, you will send my grey hair to Sheol (the dwelling place of the dead)
The midrash continues with another lesson: The Satan is free to trip up anyone who goes on a mission. [more about Satan in Judaism and the midrash at another time]
מכאן את למד שהיוצא לדרך השטן מקטרגו.
אמר רבי יוסי בן חנינא, לפי ששנינו על שלש עבירות נשים מתות בשעת לידתם. למה בשעת לידתן?
שהשטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה.
Rabbi Yose ben Chanina relates that the reason for women being punished with death in childbirth for three transgressions is because childbirth is a dangerous event and at those times Satan is given free reign to wreak havoc.
ירד בנימין עם אחיו ולקחו שבר. צוה יוסף, ונתנו את הגביע בשקו עד שלא הרחיקו. שלח אחריהן. אמר להם, 'הרעותם אשר עשיתם!' אמר, 'מי שימצא הגביע בידו יהיה לי עבד!'
כשנמצא בשקו של בנימין כל אחד ואחד הפך פניו. ומי עמד כנגדו? הערב. (בראשית מד:יח) "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה"
כשנמצא בשקו של בנימין כל אחד ואחד הפך פניו. ומי עמד כנגדו? הערב. (בראשית מד:יח) "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה"
Similarly Benjamin went down to Egypt with his brothers (which is clearly fraught with danger). Joseph commands to have the chalice placed in Benjamin's saddle bag and now the stage is set for Joseph to confront his brothers. He declared that the one who has the chalice would be a slave. When it was found in the bag of Benjamin, the midrash relates that everyone turned their heads except for one brother who stood and confronted Joseph. Judah the guarantor!
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה