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<DIV>Dedicated in Commemoration of the Yahrzeit of<SPAN
class=000591920-20122006> </SPAN>
<DIV>Chana Bas Menachem Mendel Yitzchak A"H</DIV>
<DIV>4 tevet 5756</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
PARSHAT MIKETZ - shiur<BR> <BR> Does Yosef have a
plan?<BR> He was certainly planning [a way out of jail]
when he<BR>interpreted the dream of the "sar ha'Mashkim" (see
40:13-15).<BR> He was definitely planning [his own
'political<BR>appointment'] when he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams (see
41:33-<BR>36!).<BR> Clearly, Yosef was not only a
dreamer; he was also a<BR>'master planner'. But what was his plan
when he: accused his<BR>brothers of being spies, returned their money, and hid
his cup<BR>in Binyamin's bag, etc.? Was he simply 'teasing' his
brothers<BR>- in revenge; or did he have a more altruistic
motive?<BR> As the Torah never reveals that motive,
answering this<BR>question requires a lot of detective work.<BR> In the
following shiur, we attempt to piece this puzzle<BR>together by weaving together
some of the theories presented by<BR>earlier commentators (& then by adding
a little touch of our<BR>own).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> Before we
begin our study, a point of methodology in<BR>regard to what allows us to search
for an underlying motive<BR>behind Yosef's behavior.<BR>
As Chumash is a book of "nevuah" [prophecy], and not<BR>simply an historical
chronicle, we assume that its stories<BR>carry a prophetic message.
Certainly, commentators can argue<BR>in regard to the precise message that
should be derived from<BR>each story, and how to arrive [and who can arrive] at
any<BR>conclusion. Nonetheless, all concur that Chumash should
be<BR>studied in search for its prophetic lesson(s).<BR>
This does not imply that we must assume that every action<BR>taken by our
forefathers was altruistic. However, it does<BR>imply that if the Torah
records a certain set of events, that<BR>they were written for the purpose that
we study its detail in<BR>search of a significant message for future
generations.<BR> With this in mind, we begin our study
of the famous story<BR>of Yosef and his brothers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>WHY YOSEF DOESN’T WRITE
HOME<BR> Considering Yosef's very close relationship
with his<BR>father [recall how the Torah described him as Yaakov's
"ben<BR>zkunim" - see 37:3], one would have expected that he make<BR>every
possible attempt to contact his father. Yet, even after<BR>his appointment as
head servant of the House of Potiphar, and<BR>later as the Commissioner of
Egypt, (second only to Pharaoh<BR>/see 41:44), Yosef makes no effort to inform
his father that<BR>he is alive and well.<BR> Does Yosef no longer care for
his father who loved him so<BR>dearly and now grieves for his lost son?
Has he wiped his<BR>past from his memory?<BR> To answer
this question, Ramban (see his commentary to<BR>42:9) suggests that Yosef's
actions were motivated by his<BR>aspiration to ensure the fulfillment of his
dreams. According<BR>to Ramban, Yosef understood that his slavery, and his
entire<BR>predicament in Egypt, was part of a Divine plan to ensure that<BR>his
childhood dreams would come true. He also understood (for<BR>some reason)
that for this to happen, he could not contact his<BR>family. And when necessary,
he would even 'plan ahead' to help<BR>his dreams
along.<BR> Ramban's interpretation beautifully explains
Yosef's<BR>first plan [i.e. accusing his brothers as spies] - as its goal<BR>was
to force the brothers to bring Binyamin, so that ALL the<BR>brothers would bow
down to him. This would enable the<BR>fulfillment of his first dream - of
the sheaves bowing down to<BR>him in the field. His second plan [i.e.
hiding his cup in<BR>Binyamin's bag] was to force them to bring his father as
well<BR>- to fulfill his second dream - i.e. the sun and moon and<BR>stars
bowing down - while protecting Binyamin in the interim<BR>(from potential injury
by his brothers). In this manner,<BR>Ramban explains why Yosef did not
write home:<BR> "For had it not been for this (need to fulfill his
dreams),<BR> Yosef would have committed a terrible sin to cause
his<BR> father such grief and make him spend so many years in<BR>
sorrow..."<BR> [See Ramban on 42:9, read
carefully.]<BR> <BR>
According to Ramban, Yosef's need to fulfill his dreams<BR>'allowed' him to
treat his father and brothers in such a cruel<BR>manner.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FULFILLING 'DREAMS' OR KEEPING 'HALACHA'?<BR>
In case you found something 'bothersome' about Ramban's<BR>approach, don't feel
bad. Later commentators take issue with<BR>his conclusion that it would be
permissible to cause other<BR>people terrible grief, just to make sure a 'dream
comes true'.<BR> [See Nechama Leibowitz on Sefer Breishit who quotes
various<BR> sources in this regard and deals with this issue in
depth.]<BR> <BR> This question leads Abravanel to
suggest a very different<BR>approach. He agrees (like Ramban) that Yosef
had a 'master<BR>plan', however, he disagrees as to its goal.<BR>
Abravanel contends that Yosef's goal was to bring his<BR>brothers towards
repentance for their terrible deeds.<BR>Although he planned to ultimately
'reveal' himself; before<BR>doing so, he wanted to make sure that they had first
performed<BR>proper "teshuva".<BR> Abravanel's approach
neatly explains just about all of<BR>Yosef's actions - which certainly caused
his brothers to<BR>repent (see 42:21 & 44:16). However, it is not so
clear why<BR>the goal of 'helping' his brothers to perform "teshuva"
would<BR>allow Yosef to cause his father continued grief. [We'll<BR>return
to this question later in our shiur.]<BR> Furthermore,
Abravanel's interpretation only explains<BR>Yosef's behavior after his brothers
arrived to buy food; but<BR>it does not explain why Yosef did not contact his
father for<BR>some twenty years beforehand!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DREAMS REMEMBERED, OR
FORGOTTEN?<BR> One could suggest an approach exactly the
opposite of<BR>Ramban's - i.e. that Yosef had 'forgotten' his dreams
(i.e.<BR>since the time that he was sold). It is only after he sees<BR>his
brothers some twenty years later - as they bow down to<BR>him (when they
came to buy food) - that he suddenly<BR>'remembers' his childhood
dreams.<BR> To verify this, simply review 42:9 in its context,
noting<BR>how it seems to imply that it was at this point when
Yosef<BR>remembered his dreams, and not earlier! [Note Rashi on 42:9<BR>as
well!]<BR> In other words, we posit that Yosef's
behavior before his<BR>brothers arrived stems from the fact that he had 'given
up' on<BR>his childhood dreams, while his behavior (and 'master plan')<BR>after
they arrive stems from his renewed understanding of<BR>their
significance. Let's begin by explaining why Yosef<BR>didn't contact
home during those twenty years, by considering<BR>his predicament in
Egypt:<BR> In regard to his brothers, why would Yosef want to
contact<BR>(or ever see) them again? After all, they had thrown him
into<BR>a pit and then sold him into slavery (or at least he thought<BR>they
were behind the sale/ see last week's shiur)!<BR> Furthermore, considering
how Egyptian society 'looked down'<BR>at the "Ivrim" (see 43:32), contacting his
brothers could have<BR>endangered his reputable position in Egyptian
society.<BR> Nonetheless, even though Yosef had ample reason for
not<BR>contacting his brothers, it remains difficult to understand<BR>why he
didn't contact his father (and let's not forget his<BR>full brother
Binyamin). Could it be that his despise for the<BR>rest of his
family was greater than his love for his father<BR>and brother?<BR> One
could suggest that by the time that Yosef had reached a<BR>position of power, he
was quite sure that his father had<BR>already died Recall that
Yaakov was about 110 years old when<BR>Yosef was sold, so it would only be
logical for him to assume<BR>that his father had died (or soon would / note 43:7
& 45:3!).<BR> Hence, the slight chance that his father was still alive
was<BR>simply not worth the price of returning to deal with
his<BR>brothers. [</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>YOSEF 'HAD' A DREAM<BR> A more sophisticated
approach to explain why Yosef didn't<BR>write home, is presented by Rav Yoel Bin
Nun [in an article in<BR>Megadim Vol. I /a publication of the Herzog
Teachers<BR>Institute].<BR> In that article, Rav Yoel posits that Yosef
had no idea that<BR>his father believed he was dead. Quite the opposite -
Yosef<BR>assumed that his father would find out that he was sold (i.e.<BR>one of
the brothers would 'snitch'), and hence he had expected<BR>that his father would
demand that the brothers trace his<BR>whereabouts and come to his rescue!
After all, the Yishmaelim<BR>[distant "mishpacha"] were international traders
who traveled<BR>quite often between Eretz Canaan and Egypt. Surely,
Yosef<BR>hoped, his family would come to his rescue.<BR> Recall as well
that Yosef was unaware of how the brothers<BR>tricked their father to believe he
was dead (with the blood-<BR>stained coat). Therefore, Yosef assumes that
everyone knows<BR>that he is alive, and that he was sold as a slave in
Egypt.<BR>During his first year or so of slavery, he is 'sure' that in
a<BR>short time, someone in his family will come to his rescue.<BR>
However, many months pass and no one shows. Yosef's hopes<BR>are replaced with
feelings of rejection. After several months<BR>(or years), he may have reached
the conclusion that his family<BR>doesn't want him to return; but there had to
have been a<BR>reason.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>REJECTED FROM THE BECHIRA PROCESS<BR> Rav
Yoel posits that Yosef had reached the conclusion that<BR>there must have been
some divine decree that he was 'rejected'<BR>from the family, i.e. from the
entire "bechira" process - in<BR>manner similar to the rejection of his Uncle
Esav or great<BR>Uncle Yishmael. It may have appeared to him that only
the<BR>children of Leah were chosen, while the children of Rachel<BR>were
rejected, as reflected in Rachel's premature death, and<BR>the fact that she was
buried on the 'roadside' (while Leah was<BR>later to be buried in the Tomb of
the Patriarchs).<BR> His childhood dreams are now forgotten, and
reluctantly, he<BR>accepted his new fate.<BR> Yosef,
convinced that his family has abandoned him,<BR>accepts this fate and decides to
lead his own life. Just as<BR>Eisav established himself in Edom, Yosef
will make a name for<BR>himself in Egypt. He can even bring the name of
God into<BR>society in his own way, despite not being part of the
Chosen<BR>Nation.<BR> The following chart reflects what
may have been Yosef's<BR>perception of the outcome of the "bechira" process
(based on<BR>this original 'misunderstanding'):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
CHOSEN
REJECTED<BR>
=======
========<BR> \
AVRAHAM /<BR>
\ |
/<BR> \ YITZCHAK
/ Yishmael & bnei
Ktura<BR>
\ |
/<BR> \
YAAKOV/
Eisav<BR>
\ |
/<BR> BNEI
LEAH bnei
Rachel<BR>
/ |
\<BR> /
6 \<BR>
/ TRIBES \<BR>
/
\<BR>
/
\</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In summary, we posit that
Yosef never contacted his<BR>family during those twenty years, as he mistakenly
assumed<BR>that they did not want to contact him, as there had been a<BR>divine
decision that he was 'rejected' from the 'chosen<BR>family', This tragic
misunderstanding can explain why Yosef,<BR>even after rising to power, never
contacted his father as<BR>well.<BR> Now we must
consider the second stage, i.e. an<BR>explanation for Yosef's behavior after his
brothers arrive to<BR>buy food.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>YOSEF HAS A PLAN<BR> After
spending years under this assumption that he has<BR>been 'rejected' - everything
changes when Yosef sees his<BR>brothers among the many who came down to Egypt to
buy grain.<BR>As they bow down before him, Yosef suddenly 'remembers'
his<BR>long forgotten dreams (see 42:9), for they now appear to have<BR>come
true! Should Yosef dismiss this as pure coincidence, or<BR>should
this partial fulfillment of his childhood dreams lead<BR>him to reconsider his
earlier conclusions?<BR> It is understandable why Yosef
doesn't immediately reveal<BR>himself. He needs some time. But, if he
simply wanted to hide<BR>his identity from them, he could have just ignored
them.<BR>[Surely, Yosef did not need to entertain every foreigner who<BR>came to
purchase food.]<BR> But why does Yosef accuse his brothers of being spies?
Why<BR>does he return their money? Later, when they come back, why<BR>does he
plant his special cup in Binyamin's bag?<BR> Certainly,
we would not expect that Yosef was just<BR>'teasing' his brothers - to 'get
back' at them. Rather, it<BR>would make more sense to assume that Yosef
has a plan - and<BR>his actions suggest that he has strategy; but it is not
so<BR>clear what that master plan is.<BR> In his
article, Rav Bin Nun explains Yosef's 'plan' as an<BR>attempt to determine what
had happened to Binyamin. The fact<BR>that Binyamin was not with the brothers
the first time they<BR>came to Egypt supports his suspicion that Bnei Rachel had
been<BR>rejected. Therefore, his primary goal is to find out if<BR>Binyamin is
still alive.<BR> If Binyamin is indeed alive, then Yosef could question
him<BR>concerning what 'really' happened in the family, and
afterward<BR>possibly re-unite with his family. On the other hand,
if<BR>Binyamin never shows (and hence probably not alive), Yosef<BR>would remain
incognito - preferring never to reunite with his<BR>brothers.<BR> [This
can explain why Yosef accuses his brothers of being<BR> spies. The
'spy accusation' allows Yosef to question them<BR> concerning their family
roots etc., without raising their<BR> suspicion that he may be their
brother.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Although Rav Yoel's
explanation flows nicely from the<BR>above presentation, it does not explain
every detail of<BR>Yosef's behavior once Binyamin does arrive. After all,
once<BR>Binyamin comes, why doesn't Yosef simply take him aside and<BR>question
him. If Yosef only needs to determine what really<BR>happened in the
"bechira" process, what point is there in<BR>planting his cup in Binyamin's
bag?<BR> Surely, one cannot remain oblivious to Yosef's
obvious<BR>attempt to create a situation that prompts the brothers to<BR>repent
(as Abravanel explains so beautifully).<BR> On the other hand, one must
also explain why Yosef returns<BR>their money, and why he seats them in order of
their birth,<BR>etc. These acts seem to be more of a 'tease' than an
impetus<BR>for them to do "teshuva" (repentance). What is Yosef's<BR>intention
in all of this?<BR> Furthermore, if his goal, as
Abravanel explains, is only<BR>to cause his brothers to repent, then his
'second' plan seems<BR>unnecessary - after all, they had already shown remorse
for<BR>their sin at the first encounter. Recall their initial<BR>remorse, that
Yosef himself overheard, when they stated:<BR> "Alas we are GUILTY, for we
heard his crying out [when he<BR> was thrown in the pit], but we did not
listen ... therefore<BR> this fate has befallen us..." (See
42:21-23)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> And if that was not
enough, then Yehuda's plea and<BR>admission of guilt (see 44:16) certainly would
have sufficed<BR> Finally, even if Abravanel's
contention is correct, who<BR>gives Yosef the right to 'test' his brothers to
see if they<BR>have repented? Is Yosef allowed to play God? Is he
permitted<BR>to tease, trick, and confuse others - in order to awaken
their<BR>soul? And even if so, does this justify causing his
father<BR>further aggravation?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PLAYING 'GOD' OR PLAYING
'LEADER'<BR> One could suggest the following explanation
for Yosef's<BR>behavior (once the brothers arrived) - which is quite
similar<BR>to Abravanel's approach, but from a very different angle.<BR>Let's
explain:<BR> Even though Yosef may have forgotten his
dreams for some<BR>twenty years, when his brothers arrive in Egypt and bow
down<BR>to him - everything changes! Totally shocked by what<BR>happened,
it suddenly dawns upon him that his childhood dreams<BR>may actually be coming
true after all. Maybe he wasn't<BR>rejected? Maybe, his conclusions
regarding his family were<BR>all wrong?<BR> On the other hand, Binyamin is
not with them. But, if<BR>Binyamin is still alive and part of the family
(as his<BR>brothers now claim), then maybe the children of Rachel are<BR>indeed
included in the "bechira" process!<BR> But now that Yosef had become an
'expert' at dream<BR>interpretation, he not only 'remember his dreams', but he
now<BR>begins to understand their purpose! These dreams were not<BR>merely
'predictions' of future events - but rather could serve<BR>as guide - to inspire
appropriate behavior!<BR> Because of his dreams, Yosef now understands
that his<BR>'brothers bowing down' indicates not only that he is included<BR>in
the "bechira" process - but more important - that he is<BR>destined to assume
family leadership.<BR> [See the TSC shiur on Parshat Toldot, where we
explained<BR> that once the 'bechira' process reached its critical
stage,<BR> i.e. that all the children of one of the Avot would
be<BR> chosen - at this point, one of the brothers needs to
chosen<BR> to assume the responsibility of family leadership.]<BR>
<BR> It is here where our approach will differ from the
other<BR>approaches that we have discussed thus far.<BR> We posit that
when Yosef sees his brothers bowing down, he<BR>not only remembers his dreams,
he immediately understands<BR>their deeper meaning - that they foresee his
destiny to become<BR>the family leader, and that all twelve brothers will
be<BR>included in the chosen family.<BR> It is Yosef's realization of this
destiny that guides his<BR>ensuing behavior - and triggers his 'master
plan'.<BR> Before we explain how, let's begin by first explaining
what<BR>Yosef cannot do!<BR> Imagine what would have happened had Yosef
revealed his<BR>identity immediately, as soon as he recognized his
brothers!<BR>They would have 'melted' on the spot. How could they
have<BR>faced him, talk to him? The shame of their relationship
would<BR>have created an eternal barrier. They would never be able to<BR>speak
to him, let alone work together as a family.<BR>
<BR> As family 'leader' - Yosef now recognizes
his<BR>responsibility to keep the 'chosen' family united and
cohesive<BR>e. Yosef's plan is simple -he must plan a strategy that
would<BR>reunite the family - to bond them in a manner that could<BR>continue to
achieve together.<BR> Yosef does not need to play GOD,
to ensure that his<BR>brothers repent - that would be their own
responsibility.<BR>Yosef, however, does have a new responsibility to play
LEADER.<BR> Hence, Yosef conceives a plan that will rehabilitate
the<BR>family unity - he needs to enable his brothers with a way by<BR>which
they can 'redeem themselves'! But, to accomplish this,<BR>he must put them
through a difficult test:<BR> After procuring the minimal information that
he needs by his<BR>'spies' accusation (see 42:7-10 AND 43:7!), he decides
to<BR>create a situation where the brothers must choose if they are<BR>willing
to forfeit their own freedom - in order to save<BR>Binyamin. Should they
'pass this test', it will be much<BR>easier for them to work with Yosef in the
future.<BR> Indeed, this plan may cause his father a few extra weeks
of<BR>suffering. But Yosef must restrain his emotions, for he
hopes<BR>that it will unfold quickly.<BR> [Yosef probably expected that
the brothers would bring<BR> Binyamin down immediately. He did not
expect that Yaakov<BR> would be so reluctant to send Binyamin
away.]<BR> <BR> Therefore, Yosef's keeps Shimon in jail, to ensure
that his<BR>brothers will bring Binyamin. Once Binyamin will come,
Yosef<BR>plans the big 'set up' - where he will plant his cup in<BR>Binyamin's
bag, thus giving a chance for his brothers to<BR>'prove themselves' (as they so
well do).<BR> While doing so, Yosef does many other things to make
the<BR>brothers wonder and think - to shake them up a bit [what we<BR>call
"cheshbon ha'nefesh".] He also returns their money, and<BR>shows kindness
to them, for he truly does care about their own<BR>welfare! But by planting his
cup in Binyamin's bag, Yosef<BR>provides his brothers with a special opportunity
so they can<BR>prove to themselves that they have done "teshuva"! Only
after<BR>they demonstrate their willingness to give up their own lives<BR>for
Binyamin, will they be able to face themselves, and Yosef<BR>- and unite as a
cohesive family - to take on the challenges<BR>that lay in the future.<BR>
<BR> Once Yehuda, on behalf of his brothers, admits their guilt<BR>and
makes his noble offer to become his servant (instead of<BR>Binyamin/ see 44:16
& 44:33-34), that might have been enough -<BR>but Yosef may have wanted to
'push' his brothers even a bit<BR>farther. But when he hears Yehuda's
petition concerning the<BR>fate of his father (at the beginning of Parshat
Vayigash),<BR>Yosef can not hold back any more' - he 'breaks down'
and<BR>reveals himself.<BR> To support our thesis, note
how Yosef (after revealing<BR>his identify and his instinctive opening question
regarding<BR>the health of his father) immediately emphasizes his
assurance<BR>that he is not angry with his brothers, and implores them
to<BR>recognize the Hand of God behind these events.<BR> By doing so,
Yosef also alludes to his brothers that they<BR>too should look to the future,
instead of dwelling on the past<BR>(see 45:1-8).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MAASE AVOT SIMAN
LA'BANIM<BR> By the end of this entire episode, God had
created a<BR>situation that would guarantee the physical survival of
Am<BR>Yisrael during the famine, while setting the stage for their<BR>future
redemption. Yosef, in the meantime, had created a<BR>situation that would
keep Am Yisrael united during this<BR>formative stage in land of
Egypt<BR> Throughout the generations, God oversees our
history,<BR>while creating opportunities for our redemption. However,
as<BR>we enjoy His providence, it remains OUR OWN responsibility to<BR>make sure
that we remain united as our destiny unfolds.<BR>Although quite difficult, it
remains an eternal challenge for<BR>Jewish leadership.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shabbat
shalom,<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>================<BR>FOR FURTHER IYUN</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> "SINAT ACHIM" & IDEALISM - a 'mini-
shiur'<BR> Can there be any excuse for the brothers
conspiring to<BR>kill Yosef? How are we to understand the behavior of
our<BR>ancestors? Is their goal simply to teach us of our
'shameful'<BR>heritage, or do they carry a message for future
generations?<BR> In the following mini-shiur, we
attempts to tackle this<BR>difficult question by projecting the "bechira
process" - the<BR>theme that we have been following in Sefer Breishit - onto
the<BR>story of Yosef and his brothers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> At first
glance, the brothers' hatred of Yosef appears to<BR>stem from a petty sibling
rivalry. However, when we consider<BR>the Torah's story of Yosef's dreams
(see 37:2-12), it is<BR>possible to arrive at a deeper understanding of their
actions.<BR>Therefore, we begin our shiur with a quick review of these
two<BR>dreams:<BR>(1) "And behold we were gathering sheaves in
the field, and<BR> my sheaf stood up and remained upright. Your sheaves
then<BR> gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf"
(37:7);<BR>(2) "... and behold - the sun, the moon, and eleven
stars<BR> were bowing down to me." (37:9)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> One doesn't have to be a
prophet to interpret these two<BR>dreams. Clearly, they point to Yosef's
developing sense of<BR>superiority over the entire family. However, these
dreams<BR>also echo an earlier sibling rivalry in Chumash - that
between<BR>Yaakov and Eisav! Note the similarity between these
dreams<BR>and Yitzchak's blessing to Yaakov (i.e. the blessing that
he<BR>intended to give it to Eisav):<BR> "May God bless
you with... an abundance of grain...<BR> Be MASTER OVER your brothers, and
let your mother's sons BOW<BR> DOWN to you."
(27:28)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Recall our explanation
that this blessing reflected<BR>Yitzchak's original understanding that both of
his sons were<BR>chosen, and hence it became the father's responsibility
to<BR>appoint a family 'leader'. However, as that story progressed,<BR>it
became clear to Yitzchak that only Yaakov was chosen.<BR>Then, as we advance to
the next generation, it appears that<BR>ALL of Yaakov's children will be chosen
(and not only one).<BR>Therefore, it will become necessary for Yaakov to appoint
a<BR>'family leader' from among his twelve sons - but it is not yet<BR>clear who
this 'leader' will be.<BR> With this in mind, it would
appear that Yosef's dreams<BR>reflect his aspiration to attain this leadership
position.<BR>[One could also suggest that they may reflect
Yosef's<BR>understanding that he would be the ONLY 'chosen son,' just
as<BR>Yaakov himself emerged as Yitzchak's only chosen
son!<BR> This perception is supported not only by
Yosef's dreams,<BR>but also by several other factors, such
as:<BR> * Yaakov's love and special treatment of Yosef (see
37:3);<BR> * his "ktonet pasim" (special cloak), a sign of
royalty;<BR> * Yosef is the first son of Rachel, Yaakov's
'primary'<BR>wife;<BR> * Yaakov's silence regarding Yosef's
dreams (see 37:11);</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD<BR> In the brothers'
eyes, it becomes rather clear that Yaakov<BR>plans to name Yosef (or possibly
Yosef and Binyamin, the son's<BR>of Rachel) as his exclusive heir(s).
Yosef's dreams simply<BR>added 'fuel to the flame!'<BR>
This background allows us to suggest an ideological basis<BR>for the brothers'
decision to kill Yosef, as follows:<BR> Had Yosef acted
in a more righteous manner, his brothers<BR>may have conceded to his destiny as
either the 'leader' or the<BR>'chosen' son. However, their perception of Yosef's
character<BR>troubled them. In their eyes (as the Parshat
Vayeshev<BR>testifies), Yosef was a slanderer: "And Yosef brought bad<BR>reports
('diba ra'ah') of his brothers to his father."
(see<BR>37:2)<BR> The brothers, aware of the challenges
facing God's<BR>special Nation, recognized the need for exemplary
leadership.<BR>Could Yosef possibly assume this role? To the brothers,
the<BR>mere thought of 'Yosef the Slanderer' becoming the leader
was<BR>horrific. From their perspective, it was simply unthinkable<BR>that Yosef
could assume the leadership of a nation destined by<BR>God to be characterized
by "tzedek u'mishpat" (see 18:19). For<BR>the sake of "klal Yisrael," they
conclude: Yosef must be<BR>weeded out!<BR> Hence, the
brothers faced a predicament similar to that<BR>of Rivka in the previous
generation. Just as Rivka had<BR>realized that Yitzchak was mistaken in his
favoring of Eisav,<BR>so too the brothers conclude that Yaakov is mistaken
by<BR>favoring Yosef.<BR> However, just as Rivka resorted to 'trickery' to
ensure that<BR>the proper son would be blessed, so too the brothers decide
to<BR>use 'trickery' to ensure that Yosef would not be appointed<BR>their
leader. Considering that the entire fate of "Am Yisrael"<BR>was at stake, the
brothers allow themselves to 'bend the<BR>rules' a bit, so as to secure the
nation's future.<BR> An ideal opportunity (for the
brothers) arises when Yosef<BR>arrives at Dotan to visit them. In order to
dispose of this<BR>menace, they plot first to kill him. Later they opt to
sell<BR>him - off to a distant land. In either case, their stated goal<BR>is to
make sure that Yosef is removed from the Divine family<BR>(see 37:20 - "v'nireh
mah yihiyu chalomotav"). Out of respect<BR>and concern for their father, lest he
fret and worry about his<BR>'missing' son for the rest of his life, they will
dip Yosef's<BR>coat in blood so that Yaakov will think that he was
truly<BR>dead. Hopefully, their father will finally realize that Yosef<BR>was
"nidcheh" (rejected), and now Am Yisrael can continue to<BR>develop in the
proper fashion.<BR> Thus, based on the theme of Sefer
Breishit, the brothers'<BR>plot to dispose of Yosef, though inexcusable,
is<BR>understandable. It is not simply out of petty jealousy that<BR>they want
to kill Yosef, but rather out of a 'sincere' concern<BR>for the future of Am
Yisrael.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MAASE AVOT SIMAN
LA'BANIM<BR> If our above assumptions are correct, then
the story of<BR>Yosef and his brothers leaves us with a poignant
message.<BR>When making important decisions that may affect the future of<BR>our
communities we must make sure that lofty spiritual goals<BR>do not blind us from
the most basic principles of moral<BR>behavior..<BR> [Based on this
discussion, one could suggest that the<BR> "piyut" that we recite on Yom
Kippur about the Ten Martyrs<BR> (who were killed by the Romans during the
time of the<BR> destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kochba
revolt)<BR> reflects a similar message. In that piyut, Chazal
connect<BR> those tragedies to the brothers' selling of Yosef.
Even<BR> though that event had taken place over a thousand years<BR>
earlier, Chazal consider the behavior of Am Yisrael during<BR> that time
period similar to that of Yosef and his brothers.<BR> To
understand why, recall that Chazal cite "sinat chinam"<BR> [petty hatred
of one another] as the primary sin of that<BR> generation (even though
Torah study was at an all time high<BR> - see Mesechet Gittin 55b with
regard to the story of Kamtza<BR> and Bar Kamtza. See also Yoma 9b).
Hence, that piyut is<BR> making a similar statement, but in a more
'poetic' manner.<BR> The generation of "churban bayit sheni" had repeated
the sin<BR> of "sinat achim" in a manner similar to Yosef's
brothers.<BR> Hence they deserved to be punished, as the later
generation<BR> continues in the same pattern of
sin.]<BR></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>