JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS Alan Smith Elibooks
Alan Smith 5778 (2017) Copies of this booklet, and many others, may be downloaded free of charge in PDF format from www.torahtextmakesenseofit.wordpress.com or search in Bing or Google for "torahsmith" (one word, in socalled quotes) to find the above. Elibooks P.O.B. 1, Lilac, Eli 4482800, Israel Tel. (02) 994-3836 (From overseas 972-2-994-3836) www.torahtextmakesenseofit.wordpress.com Hebrew: www.torahusefatah.wordpress.com
PREFACE It is asssumed that the reader is familiar with the story, preferably in the Hebrew original, but a summary is given in order to stress what is actually written (and by implication what is not), before raising questions. There are many questions to which the answers, once given, are obvious, but often neither the questions nor the answers are noticed until they are pointed out. The answers involve a lot of imagination (to fit the text, not wild imagination as in the midrash) and reading between the lines, and in this booklet an attempt is made to set them out. The additions given are not claimed to be correct but only the most probable and acceptable., to fill in and fit in the text. First a summary is given of the relevant parts of the text, it is important to know what is written and what is not written, and questions are inserted with no answers. The questions are then repeated in sequence, and answers are proposed. Sections of the story which do not involve problems are omitted, and some parts are condensed giving only details relevant to the problems. For convenience, the discussion has been split into two parts Joseph in Canaan and Joseph in Egypt. My thanks as usual to Eli Handel whose work enabled the technical production of this booklet, but above all to the One Above who has preserved me to this age and enabled me to produce this. A.S. Eli, Mount Ephraim, Israel Kislev 5778 3
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PART 1 JOSEPH IN CANAAN What is actually written a summary, with questions. Joseph [as Jacob s favourite wife Rachel s first son] was his father s favourite. The ten older brothers were jealous, more so as his father used to make him a special coat in many colours. [These may have been in horizontal or vertical stripes or even some other pattern.] At the age of seventeen he went to help his brothers the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah in their work as shepherds. [It seems that the sons of Leah would have nothing to do with him.] He would go home and give his father a bad report on what the brothers did. So all ten hated him. Question 1. Were the bad reports true or lies? If true it seems that they were very bad men, if lies, he was wicked. He had two dreams, in each of which eleven brothers would bow down to him, and he tactlessly told his brothers the dreams, leading to their hating him intensely. They were living at Hebron, and on one occasion they left to pasture the flocks at Shechem, a few days journey northwards. Question 2. Why did they go to Shechem of all places? It was a long way from home, and dangerous they might be remembered there over the massacre at nearby Salem some years previously. Jacob sent Joseph to go to Shechem, see how things were going, and report back on the welfare of his brothers and of the animals. [Note that Benjamin his younger brother was at home all the time, and does not come in to the story until the very end and even then passively. So Joseph had ten brothers in the story.] Question 3. Why was Jacob worried? Was he afraid? 5
Question 4. If he was worried why was he not afraid to send Joseph? Joseph arrived at Shechem and a man found him wandering around looking lost. He asked him what he was looking for. Question 5. Why did Joseph wait for the man to ask? Why did he not first ask the man? He replied that he was looking for his brothers. [Presumably, though not in the text, he gave some description.] The man replied that he had [met them and] overheard them saying that they would move on to Dothan. Dothan was at least a day s journey further north, and Joseph set off to go there. Questiom 6. Why did the brothers leave Shechem? Question 7. Why did they choose Dothan? Before Joseph reached them, they spotted him from a distance, recognising his coloured coat, and decided that when he arrived they would kill him and be rid of him once and for all. Question 8. Why did they suddenly decide they wanted to kill him? When he arrived, they first stripped him of his coat. Reuben, the oldest of the brothers, objected to spilling the blood of their own brother, so he threw him into an empty cistern (a large deep pit used normally for storing water), intending to restore him to his father. Meanwhile he disappeared for a while. While he was away the other nine sat down to eat, and suddenly noticed a caravan approaching. Ishmaelite traders were taking goods, local produce, to Egypt to sell there. Judah had an idea, instead of killing him they would profit by selling him as a slave to the traders, who would take him to Egypt and sell him there, while they themselves would be rid of him. 6
A group of Midianites happened to come along at the time, and pulled Joseph out of the cistern. [It is not made clear whether this was at their own initiative, or more likely at the request or perhaps mere hint of the brothers who certainly condoned it.] They then dragged him along, pleading with his brothers for help which they ignored [this we are told later, not here], and sold him to the Ishmaelites. In the words of the text, the Midianites sold him to Egypt though they did not take him there. We are not told whether the brothers took a commission, or took the money and gave them a commission, or let the Midianites keep the money, but whichever it was they in effect sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and sold him there. Menawhile Reuben returned and found the cistern empty no Joseph! He cried and tore his clothes, but it seems that the other brothers did not answer him. Questiom 9. What did Reuben think? How did he explain to himself Joseph s disappearance? The brothers then killed a goat and dipped the coat in its blood. They then threw it away in a place [presumably near home] where it was likely to be found and recognised. Question 10. Why did they need to do this? Someone found it and took it to Jacob asking if it was his son s coat. He recognised it, saw the blood and assumed that Joseph had been attacked, killed and eaten by a wild animal. He mourned and refused to be comforted. Question 11. Why did he refuse to be comforted? 7
Part 1. Suggested answers Question 1. Were the bad reports true or lies? If true it seems that they were very bad men, if lies, he was wicked. We know from the story of the twelve spies that a bad report need not be false. It can tell the truth, but the bad part is the way in which it is presented. We also know from later that Joseph was extremely efficient. He may have told them a better way to do things, they took no notice, and he reported their inefficiency to their father. Alternatively there may have been a plan agreed the previous night between father and sons, but circumstances caused them to change the plan. Joseph reported that they did not keep to the plan without giving the reason. In either case, the brothers on arriving home would be asked why they did whatever Joseph complained about and be forced to defend, explain and justify themselves. We see examples of the conflicts between them and their father earlier after the massacre at Shechem and later when he refused to let Benjamin go with them. The cause of the trouble was Joseph, whose tactlessness became clear when he reported his dreams. Question 2. Why did they go to Shechem of all places? It was a long way from home, and dangerous they might be remembered there over the massacre at nearby Salem some years previously.. The answer is simple Jacob had bought land there, and if they were not to lose it by abandoning it they had to use it occasionally. Question 3. Why was Jacob worried? Was he afraid? From what we read of Jacob s arguments with his sons we can 8
visualise a discussion, though not reported in the text. The sons wanted to make sure they did not lose the land by abandoning it, while Jacob said Never mind, keep away from there! The sons assured him they could take care of themselves and he reluctantly agreed, but naturally he was worried. Question 4. If he was worried why was he not afraid to send Joseph? Probably Joseph looked like his mother Rachel, and so would not resemble any of the others. The locals would not recognise and identify him as one of the family (he was a little boy and not involved at the time of the incidents), and once he reached the brothers they would protect him. Question 5. Why did Joseph wait for the man to ask? Why did he not first ask the man? Probably Jacob told him not to speak to or have anything to do with any of the locals but to go straight to his brothers, but when the man asked him he was desperate and needed to find them. Questiom 6. Why did the brothers leave Shechem? Either because things became a bit too hot, as Jacob had feared, or for some other reason. See later how this affected the story. Question 7. Why did they choose Dothan? It really does not matter. They wanted to get away from Shechem, and perhaps preferably further away from Hebron. Their reason for choosing specifically Dothan is irrelevant. Question 8. Why did they suddenly decide they wanted to kill him? Partly because they were a long way from home and could do it more safely. But there was more than that. Their reason for leaving Shechem was either because it did 9
become too hot, as Jacob feared, or for some other reason, but if Joseph now found them here, he would go back and simply report to Jacob that they had left Shechem. Jacob would automatically assume that it was because they had trouble there as he predicted, whether or not that was the case. On arrival home they would be greeted with I told you not to go and they would have to defend themselves and argue, with perhaps another family row. The only way to prevent this was to prevent Joseph giving the report, which could best be done by disposing of him. Being far from home, this would be easy, and a permanent solution. Questiom 9. What did Reuben think? How did he explain to himself Joseph s disappearance? As we will see later, when there was trouble in Egypt, he told his brothers off I told you to leave him alone and now his blood is sought. As they had said nothing he knew nothing of the sale and assumed that they had, after all, killed Joseph in his absence. He felt remorse at having left Joseph and not stayed to guard him. Question 10. Why did they need to do this with the coat? On arriving home they would be asked if they had met Joseph and if not where was he, involving long explanations and problems. It would save a lot of trouble if on their arrival Jacob would already believe Joseph dead, killed before meeting them. Question 11. Why did he refuse to be comforted? He probably blamed himself for sending Joseph on his own. The hardest person to ever forgive is yourself. 10
PART 2 JOSEPH IN EGYPT What is actually written a summary, with questions. The Ishmaelite traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, Pharaoh s chief executioner, a wealthy man who owned an estate and a number of slaves to run it. Joseph was given various jobs and, with divine help, showed great efficiency, so that Potiphar did very well. The latter, seeing this, put Joseph in charge of the whole estate, making his own decisions. He was a good-looking young man, and Mrs. Potiphar took a fancy to him and tried repeatedly to seduce him, but he refused, wishing neither to betray his master who had treated him well nor to sin against God. One day when he and she were alone in the house she seized his coat and demanded he ran out leaving the coat in her hand. She called all the slaves in and told them that Joseph had tried to rape her ( Hell knows no fury like that of a woman scorned ), she had shouted for help, but at the time there was nobody anywhere near to hear her. When she shouted he was afraid and ran out leaving his coat behind. When her husband came home she told him the same story. Question 12. Why did she call al the slaves together and tell them all this? Potiphar was furious and immediately put Joseph into the royal prison which was under his responsibility. Question 13. Why did he not have him put to death? For the chief executioner to have a mere slave put to death was easy. Prisoners were made to work. Here again Joseph showed great efficiency, and the prison governor took a liking to him. He put 11
Joseph in charge of the prison and all the prisoners, to run the place, probbably so that he had nothing to do. Some time later Pharaoh decided to send his chief butler and chief baker to prison perhaps he had an attack of indigestion or some other stomach complaint which he attributed to something he had eaten or drunk. Potiphar put them in the royal prison, and put Joseph in charge of them to serve them. Question 14. Why did Potiphar trouble to get Joseph to serve them, instead of them serving him as he was in charge? One morning a year later Joseph found them looking miserable. Each had had a dream which troubled him. They told him their dreams and he explained them. In three days time on Pharaoh s orders the butler would be released and restored to his post, and the baker would be hanged. Joseph asked the butler to remember him and speak to Pharaoh to get him out of a prison when he had done nothing wrong to deserve being put there. Questiom 15. For what service did Joseph deserve a favour in return? Joseph s two predictions came true, but the butler did not remember Joseph and he forgot him. Question 16. If he did not remember him, he fogot him, so why the duplication? Two years later Pharaoh had a dream that worried him, and none of his experts could explain it. Then his chief butler remembered and told Pharaoh how Joseph had explained his dream and the baker s and both had come true, so Joseph was sent for, heard Pharaoh s dream, and explained it. God had given him the dream to warn him that Egypt was about to enjoy seven years 12
of plenty, of tremedous produce, followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to find a clever and intelligent man and put him in charge of saving all surplus produce in the seven years of plenty for use in the seven years of famine. Pharaoh was very impressed, consulted his advisers, and decided that Joseph was a clever and intelligent man, he would not find a better one, so he put him in charge of the whole country, making his own decisions and issuing his own orders, Pharaoh alone being above him but not interfering. Question 17. If a man is divinely inspired and shows wisdom and intelligence to interpret a difficult dream, does that make him fit to run the country? Joseph travelled throughout the country and organised collections and storage of surplus corn harvested in the seven years, so that when the years of famine came, he had food to sell. [Note that he went out to supervise the work on site, and did not merely sit at home and issue orders.] When the famine came it affected surrounding countries as well, so people came from all over to Egypt to buy corn, but all sales, even internal, had to have Joseph s approval. The famine was severe in Canaan and Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn. The eleventh, Benjamin, he kept at home, afraid that something might happen to him on the journey. Question 18. Why was Jacob so afraid to send Benjamin? Arriving in Egypt the ten brothers were sent to Joseph to get permission to buy. They did not recognise him, but he recognised them. Pretending not to understand their language, and speaking to them through an interpreter [i.e. he spoke Egyptian and they spoke Hebrew] he accused them of being spies. They repied that they were not spies, just honest men who came to buy food for 13
their family in Canaan. He asked about their family, and they told him that originally there were twelve brothers, but one was not [i.e. Joseph] and the youngest was at home with his old father. To justify their claim he demanded that they send one of them home and bring down the youngest, the rest to stay in Egypt till they arrived. [All the ten were Joseph s half-brothers, the youngest, Benjamin, was a full brother who had had nothing to do with the sale of Joseph and he wanted to see him again.] He put them in prison till they would decide who to send home. Question 19. Why did he put them in prison? If he had left them free, they would not dare go home without food! After three days, they had not decided and he released them, repeating his demand. They said nothing but knew that their father would not let the youngest leave him. One of them said to another (in Hebrew) that all this trouble came as a punishment from God because they had not taken pity on Joseph when he pleaded with them for help. Question 20. What made this brother suddenly think of Joseph? Reuben replied (in Hebrew) I told you not to attack him. Now his blood is sought. They did not realise that Joseph was listening and understood what they said, since there was an interpreter there. Joseph then took Simeon and sent him back to prison, telling the others they were free to go home, with food, but never to see him again without their younger brother. If they brought him, they could buy food again and he would release Simeon. Question 21. Why did he choose Simeon? We know the rest of the story, how they found money returned in their bags, the argument with Jacob, the return later with 14
Benjamin, the alleged stealing of the silver decanter (or jug, NOT a cup) and the eventual admission that he was their brother, followed by a reconciliation. Question 22. Why did he want to take Benjamin as a slave? Question 23. Why did he not ask them about the twelfth brother who was not? He told them that they had done him harm, but God had converted the harm to good. Questiom 24. Why did he torment them all that time, if they had not ultimately succeeded in doing him harm and he wanted to forgive them? Later the whole family, led by Jacob, came to Egypt. We will not repeat the details except that when Joseph introduced his father to Pharaoh, the latter asked Jacob how old he was. Question 25. Why did Phaaoh ask Jacob s age? 15
Part 2. Suggested answers Question 12. Why did she [Mrs. Potiphar] call al the slaves together and tell them all this? Two reasons. First it was a rehearsal for what she was about to tell her husband when he came home. Second, she needed them to back up her story. If Joseph was in charge he gave them all orders, and would not have been liked. They would be glad to get rid of him. She wanted them to know the story she would tell, and did not want someone to suddenly spoil it with I was just outside and did not hear her. Question 13. Why did he not have him put to death? For the chief executioner to have a mere slave put to death was easy. He had taken a liking to Joseph. Perhaps too he had doubts about her story, but had to believe his wife before a slave. Question 14. Why did Potiphar trouble to get Joseph to serve them, instead of them serving him as he was in charge? Potiphar was a government official close to Pharaoh, as were the two offenders. They might one day be released, and if so would tell Pharaoh how they were treated in prison if badly they would want their revenge on Potiphar. It was prudent for Potiphar to see that they were treated well, so he got Joseph to serve them. Questiom 15. For what service did Joseph deserve a favour in return? He had explained the dream, but more important, for a whole year he had served the butler. Now he asked a favour in return. Question 16. If he did not remember him, he fogot him, so why the duplication? There is no duplication. The text is generally misunderstood. 16
The chief butler did not remember Joseph, and [eventually] he [Joseph] forgot him [the butler]. The butler was supposed to remember Joseph after he came out, but did not remember. There was not a matter of Joseph remembering, all the time he thought of the butler and carried hope in his mind, but when nothing happened after a long time he forgot him. Question 17. If a man is divinely inspired and shows wisdom and intelligence to interpret a difficult dream, does that make him fit to run the country? Actually the word clever is a mistranslation. The Hebrew means something closer to talented, someone who knows how to do something but also has the ability to do it. It implies an element of efficiency. A clever man who interprets a dream is not necessarily fit to run a country. Pharaoh would, after hearing the dream explained satisfactorily, have made enquiries as to who this young Hebrew was and how and why he was in prison. He would learn from Potiphar how he was extremely efficient in running things, he had run both the estate and later even the prison with great efficiency. Pharaoh had been looking, it seems, for someone to run the country, he himself enjoyed all the honours and authority, but did not want the responsibility. He asked his advisers Will we find a better man than this to do the job? Even if they felt contempt for a slave, they would not argue with Pharaoh. Question 18. Why was Jacob so afraid to send Benjamin? He had on his conscience one mistake he had sent Joseph on a journey and he had met with an accident and been killed. He would not do the same with Rachel s only other son. 17
Question 19. Why did he put them in prison? If he had left them free, they would not dare go home without food! He wanted to give them a taste of life in an Egyptian prison. Question 20. What made this brother suddenly think of Joseph? They did not recognise him, but something of his appearance reminded at least one brother, perhaps sub-consciously, of Joseph, and then the connection occurred to him. Question 21. Why did he choose Simeon? Joseph at first intended to take Reuben. He was the oldest and should therefore bear responsibility, but more than that, it was Reuben who had taken him and thrown him into the cistern in order to sell him. [We know differently, that the others wanted to kill him and Reuben saved him, but Joseph did not know any of this.] He certainly had not noticed that one of the ten, Reuben, was missing when the sale took place. Now he heard Reuben s remark that he had opposed them. Reuben had had nothing to do with it. So he took the next one, the second son, Simeon. [The idea to sell him was Judah s, but this too was unknown to him.] Question 22. Why did he want to take Benjamin as a slave? He would not have actually made him a slave, he would have had his brother with him, but also he wanted to protect him. The brothers had to bring him safely, but now that they had bought their food, they might treat him on the way back much as they had treated him. Question 23. Why did he not ask them about the twelfth brother who was not? Probably he intended to, but he broke down and told them who he was before he got that far. 18
Questiom 24. Why did he torment them all that time, if they had not ultimately succeeded in doing him harm and he wanted to forgive them? Bernard Shaw once wrote Beware of the man who does not return your blows he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself. Joseph wanted to forgive them and for them to forgive themselves, but could do neither without first giving them at least a little punishment, if only to stimulate regret. Question 25. Why did Pharaoh ask Jacob s age? Two answers are given, but there is a third which is incomplete. The first is that Pharaoh was rude. This is unlikely. The second is that he was amazed to see such an old man. All the diseases in Egypt meant that life was short, many kings died at the age of thirty to forty, and here was a man over a hundred! This explanation seems quite likely. But another point worth noting is that we are told how old Joseph was when he stood before Pharaoh and also how old Moses was and how old Aaron was when they stood before [a later] Pharaoh. Now with Jacob, Pharaoh asks him his age. There seems to be some relevance to a person s age when he stood before a Pharaoh, but I can offer no explanation as to what it may be. [Admittedly there is no such remark about Abraham s age.] 19