The Past Does Not Need to Define us

Vayigash

Gen. 44:18 - 48:27

 

Précis: We approach the end of the Joseph saga. Benjamin is being held by Joseph as the alleged thief of a gold cup. Judah comes near (vayigash) Joseph, and begs for his brother’s life, offering himself as a substitute. Joseph is overcome and reveals himself to his brothers, forgiving them for selling him into slavery, stating that it was all part of God’s plan. Joseph sends them back home to bring Jacob and their families down to Egypt to survive the upcoming famine. They comply, and Joseph arranges for them to reside in the land of Goshen, living off “the fat of the land” at Pharaoh’s insistence. During the remainder of the famine, Joseph purchases land and cattle for Pharaoh, making serfs of the Egyptian people in exchange for the grain stored during the seven years of plenty. The Israelites prosper and multiply.

Gen. 45:14-15 “Then he [Joseph] threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.”

Vayigash teaches us that reconciliation is always possible. At the outset of the tale, Joseph’s brothers could not speak peaceably to him. They were on the verge of killing him before selling him into slavery. Can one imagine any more hateful actions among siblings? Can one imagine the feelings of their father when he eventually learned of their hatred and their awful lies about Joseph’s death?

            Here, some would say that Joseph was being merely magnanimous. But there is much more at play here. He is not stuck justifying his own painful story. This seemingly happy reunion still contains serious elements of doubt among the brothers. The older brothers need more time to renegotiate their relationship with Joseph, especially after their father Jacob dies. Only through years of effort and confidence building does true reconciliation occur.

This is a truth which most families will face at one time or another. Reconciliation is not achieved by a single step or by some grand gesture. It is a process. The past does not need to define us.  With hard work, we may be blessed so that the past is no longer the present. 

Recognition

 Mikketz

Gen. 41:1-44:17

Précis: 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.