Gen. 41:1-44:17
PrĂ©cis: At the end (mikketz) of two years of Joseph’s imprisonment, Pharaoh dreams of cows and ears of corn. The butler who had shared Joseph’s cell now remembers him and calls him from prison. Joseph predicts seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh is so impressed that he appoints Joseph as his chief vizier and Joseph goes about storing grain during the times of plenty.
Joseph marries Asenath and they have two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. When the famine comes, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to purchase food. Joseph has them brought in while he remains in cognito. He accuses the brothers of spying and sends them home after they leave one brother hostage and promise to return with their youngest brother, Benjamin. Upon their return, the brothers (including Benjamin) meet the still unrevealed Joseph. Joseph has their bags filled not only with grain but also with the money used to purchase the grain and has a gold cup hidden in Benjamin’s belongings. When they are “caught” by Joseph’s men, they learn that whoever stole the cup would become Joseph’s slave, while the others would return to their homeland. On this cliffhanger, the parasha ends.
Gen. 42:8 “And Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him.”
Rabbi Sacks reminds us that “The Torah is a deep book” (Rabbi Sacks Legacy,12/14/23). We err by reading the text superficially. 22 years before, a slim teenager was thrown into a pit by the brothers. Now in front of them is a regally dressed man with an Egyptian name who rules Egypt. He looks nothing like they remember their brother, so why should they recognize him? Sibling rivalry is a leitmotif in Genesis, from Cain and Abel to Isaac and Ishmael to Jacob and Esau, and now to Joseph and his brothers. The sibling rivalry among these brothers is a premonition of today’s reality.
While Judaism was the world’s first monotheism, two other “siblings” emerged (Christianity and Islam), claiming descent from Abraham. Judaism (and the Jewish People) have played the role of the despised brother. While over millennia there have been occasions of acceptance, much of history is that of Joseph’s: expulsion or murderous intent from our “siblings.”
When the modern State of Israel came into existence in 1948, Israel sought peace with its “brother” nations. The “brothers” denied then, and continue to deny its existence. There are scores of Islamic nations, and all but a rare few refuse to recognize Israel, a vivid reminder of how Joseph’s brothers failed to recognize him. Until this version of sibling rivalry ends, Israel and the Jewish People remain in danger.
At the end of the Joseph saga, Joseph is finally “recognized” by his brothers, and they can live together in peace. So may it be in our times.
