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Vayeshev - "The Beginning and The End (Amos 2:6 - 3:8)

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  1. a. For Selling a Righteous Man for Money

 

In Parashat Vayeshev we find a description of the relationship between Yosef and his brothers.  From the onset when they all still live at home together, until the disintegration of the group when two brothers leave home – one against his will (Yosef), the other by choice (Yehuda) – the biblical "camera" focuses on the lives of these two. It is they, now leaving home, who are destined to be the pillars upon whom the renewed House will be built.

 

Where is the turning point following which the great change takes place in this home? Various possibilities present themselves in the parasha, and so the haftora serves to direct us.

 

Right at the outset the prophet declares in God's name, "For three sins of Israel... for selling a righteous man for money." This pasuk, it seems, is the reason for this prophecy of Amos having been selected as the haftora in the presence of the entire community. We declare, "The most serious and most lasting and most memorable issue for all generations is 'their selling a righteous man for money.'"  Whatever the prophet was referring to  (from the context – a rebuke of the Kingdom of Israel, founded by the descendants of Yosef; the rebuke of the Kingdom of Yehuda precedes this section - it seems unlikely that he had Yehuda in mind), we ourselves certainly hear in this admonishment a reminder of what took place in Dotan, where Yosef was sold by his own brothers for twenty pieces of silver.

 

  1. b. A Man and His Father

 

If the sin of the sale expresses the division between the brothers, a different sin mentioned by the prophet would seem to express the close connection between a son and his father: "and a man and his father shall go to a young girl, to desecrate My holy name" (2:7). But in our parasha we witness almost the exact opposite.

 

In Masekhet Sotah (36b) we find a description of Yosef's trials in the house of Potifar in Egypt: "And it was on that day that he came home to perform his work" – Rabbi Yohanan said, 'Both had sinful intentions... at that moment the image of his father's face came to him and appeared at the window... Immediately, "its bow stayed taut".

 

Hence the image of his father's face was sufficient to combat his evil impulse and prevent him from sinning.  But in the prophet's generation, "a man and his father will go to a young girl..."  The father becomes an accessory to the sin, and the two of them – father and son – have no shame in each other's presence.  

 

The truth is that even in our parasha we find a father and his sons coming to the same woman – in the story of Yehuda and Tamar.  But how great is the difference in motive! In the prophecy this act is performed "in order to desecrate My holy name," while in the case of Yehuda the ultimate purpose is a great "kiddush hashem," and Tamar's motives are certainly pure.

 

  1. c. Naked shall he Flee

 

From other pesukim it appears that the episodes recounted in the parsha were on the prophet's mind, and various images contained in his prophecy seem to have their source in our parsha.  Thus he describes a scene of defeat as follows: "So flight shall disappear from the swift, and the strong shall not maintain his force... and the quick-footed shall not escape... and the most courageous of the mighty shall flee naked on that day..." (2:14).

 

It may be that a picture of Yosef fleeing naked from the temptations of Potifar's wife is what the prophet has in mind.   Yosef is indeed a courageous man among the mighty – after all, he managed to flee, naked though he was.  But the picture of heroism in the parasha becomes, in the prophet's description, a picture of defeat.  Yehuda's failure regarding Tamar is also reflected here: "and the mighty one (who is mightier than Yehuda?) shall not deliver himself...".

 

  1. d. The Annulment of Decrees

 

Among the prophet's admonitions we find the following: "I raised prophets from among your sons, and from your young men nazirites... but you have given the nazirites wine to drink, and have commanded the prophets saying, 'Do not prophesy'" (2:11-12).

 

The root of this, too, may exist in our parasha.  Yosef is called a nazirite, as we find in Yaakov's blessing to him, "...They shall be on the head of Yosef and on the crown of the nazirite among his brothers" (Bereishit 49:26), and echoed in the final blessing of Moshe Rabbeinu: "Let the blessing be upon the head of Yosef and upon the head of the nazirite among his brothers"(Devarim 33:16).  He is also the dreamer of dreams about the future, which also represents a certain level of prophecy.  And the brothers seek to put a stop to his prophecy and cancel his "nazirite" status – his "differentness."  

 

But "God's counsel is what shall prevail."  The secret of this counsel is revealed in advance to the prophets: "For God the Lord shall not do anything without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets" (3:7) – like the secret which God reveals to Yosef via his dream.

 

  1. e. No Coincidence

 

The entire final section of the haftora expresses the principle that everything that happens has a reason and purpose, and nothing is coincidental: "Will two walk together unless they have agreed to it? Will a lion roar in the forest unless he has prey?... Shall evil befall a city unless God has performed it? For God the Lord will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets" (3:3-7).

 

There is no parasha that demonstrates this principle more clearly than our parasha this week.  Looking at the narrative on the surface, without any deeper perspective, we appear to be witnessing the disintegration of Yaakov's family.  Until our parasha the family was united and thus succeeded in weathering many stormy events. But in our parasha everything falls apart: Yosef is gone, Yehuda is caught up in a tangle of personal and family problems and Yaakov is wallowing in mourning.

 

So it looks from the outside.  But deep down new developments are starting to sprout, the ramifications of which will be revealed at a later date.  The Midrash expresses this as follows: "R. Shmuel bar Nahman said: 'For I know the thoughts which I have entertained about you... to give you a future and hope' (Yirmiyahu 29:11) – the (fathers of the) tribes were engaged in selling Yosef, Yosef was engaged in his mourning and fasting, Reuven was likewise engaged in mourning and fasting, and Yaakov was also engaged in mourning and fasting; Yehuda was busy taking a wife, and God was also busy – creating the light of the Messiah" (Bereishit Rabba, 85:1).

 

What looks like disintegration turns out to be the weaving of the light of Mashiach.  Indeed, parts of the Divine plan are revealed shortly.  And thus, following his revelation, Yosef is able to tell his brothers: "And now do not be saddened... that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life... to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So now it was not you who sent me here, but God" Bereishit 45:5-8).

 

Of course, none of this excuses the brothers, who act on the purely human level.  This will be remembered for all generations: "for selling a righteous man for money."  But a sale that takes place on earth can be the expression of a divine mission, for God carries out His plan and brings redemption to the descendants of His followers for the sake of His name.

 

  1. f. From Exile to Redemption

 

In our parasha we read of the beginning of the Egyptian exile.  The haftora, however, speaks of the ascent from exile: "And I brought you up from the land of Egypt," "the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt."

 

In fact, the roots of redemption are to be found in our parsha, and the Chizkuni points this out in his commentary on the beginning of chapter 39: "'And Yosef was brought down to Egypt' – even before the first slavery commenced, the last redeemer was born.  First Peretz was born – progenitor of Mashiach – and only thereafter was Yosef brought down to Egypt, representing the first exile and subjugation of Israel."

 

(Translated by Kaeren Fish)

 

 

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