Towards the end of parshas
VaYachi Ya'akov avinu passes away. The brothers react with alarm fearing that
Yosef will take vengeance upon them for selling him into Egyptian slavery and
send him a request for clemency. Joseph good-heartedly assures them that he bears
no animosity saying, "You contemplated evil against me, [but] God contemplated
it for good, in order to do what is being done today [namely] to give life to
many" (Bereshis 50:20). He prefaces his statement though by saying they
should not fear because he is subservient (התחת)
to G-d (ibid 19).
The Hasam Sofer makes use of
casuistry to give a rational for Yosef's words. He explains that Yosef felt
that Hashem had set him up to be a messenger of mercy and not a messenger of
retribution. Although their intentions may have been bad, never the less, they
caused him no harm. On the contrary good came to Yosef in that he was the one who
saved the lives of many people. Therefore it would not be appropriate for him
to punish them for their misdeeds.
The idea that the sale of Yosef
was preordained and G-d's will is also discussed. When Jacob sent Joseph to
check on his brothers the Chumash says, "he sent him from the depths of
Hevron", (Genesis 37:14). Rashi explains that Hebron is on the high ground not in a valley.
Rather it was advice from the depths of the tsadik [Avraham] who was buried in
Hevron to fulfill the bris bein hab'sarim that your children will be
sojourners, etc.", (Bereshis 16:13).
In Psalm 105:16 it says that,
"a famine was declared on the land". Rashi explains that it was in
order to exile the house of Ya'akov to Egypt . The Malbim explains that it
was a decree from heaven made because of Abraham's question how will he know
that his children will possess the Holy Land .
He continues that Egypt was
the fiery furnace in which Israel
would be purified in order to inherit the land.
The Midrash Tehillim comments that it would have been appropriate for
Ya'akov to go down to Egypt
in chains, but the Holy One Blessed be He went through several gyrations to
bring him there in dignity. Some of those gyrations were the things that
occurred between Yosef and his brothers in order for Yosef to go down to Egypt .
The Ba'al HaTurim notes the use
of the subservient, התחת, in Yosef's statement
that he is subservient to G-d. This word can also mean "in the place
of". It is only used, though, three times in the Tanach with an
introductory interrogative ה. The first time is
when Rachel demands of Ya'akov that he give her children. Ya'akov angrily
retorts "Am I in the place (התחת)
of G-d (see Bereshis 30:1-2). The Ramban comments that this harsh response was
reckoned as a sin and because of it Ya'akov's children in the future will stand
before her children. This is a polite way of saying that in the future Ya'akov,
who is compared to a lion, will be junior to Yosef, who here is compared to a
fox, as explained by Rashi (Bereshis 47:31), "bow to the fox (Yosef) in
his time".
The second time the word התחת is used by Joseph as mentioned above.
However the introductory ה appears to be
grammatically difficult. Some commentaries read as a rhetorical question in
regards to applying a punishment, "am I in the place of G-d". The
simplest understanding seems to be like the Rabeinu Bechai, "because to
fear of G-d I am enslaved". However because it is exactly the same, it
invites an analysis. The third time התחת
is used is, "In exchange (התחת)
for this Shimi will not be killed", (2 Samuel 19:22). On this the Ba'al
HaTurim comments that this is the same language in which [Yosef] spoke to his
brothers, and that the brothers had learned how to speak in Yosef's language.
Through this we can understand
the story of Yosef and his brothers. The seed of Yosef was created when Ya'akov
scornfully snapped, "Am I in the place of G-d". Yosef on the other
hand kindly said the exact phrase but with the meaning, "I am subservient
to G-d". What this means is that the this aspect of Yosef within Yisrael
is small, misunderstood, and scorned. The brothers in contrast were drawn from
the same phrase but the way the Ya'akov said it. Yosef is the tikun
(correction). This will cause much bitter conflict but in the end Yosef will
prevail and all of the brothers will speak his language.
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