I received more than one response about how Joseph reacted to the pain of his past at the arrival of his brothers in parashat Miketz from last week. We looked at a Midrash (Bereshit Rabbati, Parashat Miketz 12) that taught how Joseph immersed himself into his studies of Torah day and night until he “finally forgot” what he had experienced. I was asked, how can Joseph study Torah if Israel did not receive it till Sinai? We read in Talmud (Yoma 28b) that our ancestors “fulfilled Torah,” beginning with Abraham because he “hearkened to My (God's) voice and kept My charge, My mitzvot, My statutes and My Torahs.” Torah for our ancestors was not in the form of השני לוחות (ha’sh’nei luchot), “the two tablets,” or words that came from up there to down here like as Moses taught, “No, the thing (Torah) is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it“ ( cf. Deut. 30:11-14). Torah was not “out there” some place looking to be found, so to speak, it was embedded in humanity.
Of this Torah Arthur Green writes that “Sinai is a vertical metaphor for an internal event,” thus like the words of Moses the Torah “is very close to you …“ When we look at Joseph we learn that his Torah is not didactic teachings about the mitzvot or mishpatim. Joseph’s Torah is tangible, manifested via the choices he made based on the most basic principle of his treatment of others, which is why he could not speak words of hate, or מילות שנאה, to his brothers. But what is more remarkable is how he related to his previous 22 years and how that would impact his reactions in this week's sedra, parashat Vayigash. We therefore recall that at 17 years old his brothers threw him into a pit, selling Joseph into slavery where he would work as a slave in Potiphar’s house. While working as a slave he would also be accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s wife that landed him in prison for the next two years; by all accounts a hellish situation where he experienced the deaths and mistreatment of his fellow inmates. Like a Hollywood rags to riches story, Joseph after being called on to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, is elevated to the second most powerful person in the world that was complete with wealth and prestige. Still, Joseph displayed an underlying unhappiness by wanting to cancel out his painful past (i.e. the meaning of Manasseh). It is with that background last week he encountered his brothers, whereas this week, he decides how to confront them.
No longer able to conceal his identity, in Genesis 41, we read (that is to me) one of the most beautiful interactions between families in the written Torah. Surely a little more than perplexed (and scared), Joseph’s brothers are not sure what to make of matters when all of the servants in the room are dismissed, only to witness Joseph weep so loudly that figuratively all of Egypt and Pharaoh's household could hear him. Setting his gaze upon his siblings with tears in his eyes, Joseph - who is this all powerful figure whom the brothers routinely call lord - says, אני יוסף העוד אבי חי, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” What a mensch, how compassionate and caring on his part! He leveled the playing field right from the get go by making the subject about “their” dad as opposed to “his” brother's egregious sins, giving his brothers some time to process the moment without words of condemnation. The brothers who are clearly shaken up approach Joseph at his urging to hear further explanation. Joseph, who could have chosen to make his brother's lives a living hell, now having their attention says, “I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold into Egypt,” while at the same time further saying, “Now, do not be distressed or beat yourselves up because you sold me here; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.” Amazing! That was Joseph's conclusion as he processed his previous 22 years, not hate or anger, wow! Even more amazing was that he chose to listen to his inner Torah in order to be true to himself.
This reminds me of the well known “Ayzehhu” verses from Pirkei Avot 4:1; who is wise, who is mighty, who is rich and who is honored. I think one more should be added that says איזהו שמבין? כל האדם שעושה חיים אחרים טובים יותר; “Who is understanding? Every person who makes another life better.” At the end of this parasha we read how Joseph has left the past behind him, he was keen to be a redemptive blessing to all his family, bringing them to the best part of the land of Egypt (Goshen) where they would be provided for and flourish. He listened to that acute inner voice to put hate aside, calling on the inner Torah that said “Love your fellow [Israelite/family] as yourself,” but also to teach the Egyptians to “love each one (these strangers who came from Canaan, my midrash) as yourself” (Lev. 19:18 and 34). Joseph lived Torah; that is a lesson from this parasha.
From the second paragraph of the Aleinu prayer it says;, “We therefore put our hope in You, Adonai our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world as the kingdom of Shadai” (לתקן עולם במלכות שדי). In Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Deot) Maimonides teaches, “The early sages said: Anyone who gets angry, it’s as if he worshiped idolatry.” The elimination of the anger of hate is a part of Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world. It has been said that the elimination of Hamas is an act of Tikkun Olam, an evil whose hatred vows the destruction of Israel and all Jews, which is why Israel must complete what they began in Gaza. Yet closer to home it is the same hatred that saw some 200 synagogues around our country receive bomb threats this past week, not to mention the hate speech against our sons and daughters on university and other school campuses, reading almost daily about other anti-Jewish acts as we witness a rise in Antisemitism. Our Torah teaches we must not lose our humanity along the way, not allowing our anger to create the same hate we want to see exterminated. That was what Joseph learned in those 22 years, a hard lesson - no doubt - but one shared with us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
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