Spiritual and
Ethical Issues For the next number of weeks, Dr. Tamari's column will focus on an important and sadly neglected area of Torah Life. We hope that Dr. Tamari's words will not only be of academic value, but will also impact on a "Tachlis level" to help improve our behavior as individual Jews and as Klal Yisrael. TANACH The underlying note of our story is the strife, hatred and jealousy between the brothers and Yosef; throughout, the issue is always the Abrahamic inheritance and the leadership of the Abrahamic nation. Twice the Torah tells us that the brothers hated Yosef. The first time is in the verse (37:3) following on the one describing Yaakov's special love for Yosef. They feared that this love showed an intention to disinherit them and make him the sole heir, just as Avraham had done to Ishmael and to the sons of his concubines, and Yitschak to Eisav. The second verse (8), telling again of their hatred for Yosef, follows the reciting of his dream of kingship. Now they hated him for usurping the leadership and royalty that belonged to Yehuda. They did not realize that Yehuda's deliverance and leadership was for an Am Yisrael inheriting Eretz Yisrael, whereas Yosef's was kingship and salvation in the abnormal conditions of Galut. Their spiritual awareness and religious striving that made them great, also made it difficult for the brothers to compromise or subject themselves to the teachings or policies of others. There is no mention in the Brit bein HaBitarim of the country in which the galut was to take place, nor of the spiritual and physical nature of the suffering imposed, nor of the portion of the 400 years prophesied that would be in that country. The status of strangers, the oppression and suffering foretold could easily have taken place in Eretz Yisrael itself; that is the background against which the whole saga of Yosef and his brothers is played out. "Yaakov dwelt in the land'' (B'reishit 37:1), dwelling in tranquility, rather than merely as a sojourner as did Avraham and Yitschak. They understood that till the end of the 400 years they and their children would have to be geirim there. Yaakov, however, sought a permanence and tranquility there. Therefore, the anguish of the affair of Yosef was visited on him and led to a new dimension in the prophesied galut and the descent of Israel down to Egypt (B'rishit Rabba; Rashi, on B'reishit 15:13). "Yaakov's experiences symbolize the history of Am Yisrael during the destruction of the Second Temple, the long subsequent galut Edom and our ultimate redemption" (Soforno). "The sons followed their father's thought about the galut being while they were in Eretz Yisrael but they and Yosef differed as to who would be their leader during that period of galut. All his dreams centered about his kingship during that period while they claimed that they could continue under the leadership of Yehuda. Yosef insisted that if they could not subject themselves temporarily to him, then they would all have to suffer the galut in another country" (Shem MiShmuel). Why Egypt? Perhaps the refining process necessary to the transformation of the Abrahamic family, a collection of tribes, into a holy nation necessitated their alien status, suffering and exile in the most powerful of kingdoms? That would make not only the purifying effects of their exile more complete and potent but also the grandeur and strength of their Divine Redemption so much more resounding and magnificent. That reasoning, while valid and important, conceals the spiritual nature of the Egyptian galut that flowed from the sale of Yosef for 20 pieces of silver, two coins for each of the brothers. They bought shoes for that money and the haftara of Parshat Miketz, links them to selling the righteous for a pair of shoes (Amos3:6). "Although the Egyptian galut was decreed in the Brit bein HaBetarim perhaps the suffering and oppression would not have been so severe had not the brothers sold Yosef" (Tosafot HaShaleim). "Had not the brothers sold Yosef, the immediate cause of the descent would not have been a family tragedy" (Maharsha). "The Maharal (Gevurot HaShem 9) writes that it is difficult to accept the teaching that the sale of Yosef led to galut Mitzrayim, since we learn in Sotah (11) that that galut made the sale of Yosef necessary in order that thereby Yaakov and his family would go down to Egypt. However, it becomes understandable when we realize that there are two different elements to galut, the first relating to the physical pain and suffering involved with exile, while the second relates to spiritual distortions and mental shortcomings. The Brit bein HaBetarim foretold only the geirut, the hard labor and the suffering involved, and that could be in any country, not necessarily Egypt. However, the spiritual wrong inherent in the sale of Yosef, meant that through its own acts Am Yisrael would in addition be exposed to the evil, idolatry and sexual immorality of the whole world that was now concentrated in Egypt. The rest of the countries depend on rainfall for their sustenance and prosperity so there people turn to heaven in prayer. Egypt alone depends, not on rain from above but only on the Nile, so there men walk with their eyes on the ground to await the rising of the Nile. Israel, because of the sale of Yosef now had to be exiled in a country where men were without any connection to G-d" (Shem Mi Shmuel). [The Parshat B'reishit Homepage]
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