Yosef haTzaddik? Well, yes and no
The rabbis called him Joseph the Righteous because he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife. This was certainly admirable.
But he put his half-brothers into prison for three days, accusing them of being spies. Then he took his half-brother Shim'on/Simeon/Simon hostage in an attempt to ensure that his other half-brothers would eventually return to Egypt with his brother Binyamin/Benjamin. Not only was he obnoxious to his half-brothers, he didn't care how his father would feel, either.
So my opinion of Yosef is rather mixed.
But he put his half-brothers into prison for three days, accusing them of being spies. Then he took his half-brother Shim'on/Simeon/Simon hostage in an attempt to ensure that his other half-brothers would eventually return to Egypt with his brother Binyamin/Benjamin. Not only was he obnoxious to his half-brothers, he didn't care how his father would feel, either.
So my opinion of Yosef is rather mixed.
posted by Shira Salamone at 3:11 PM
6 Comments:
My, that seems unfairly simplistic. =D He gave his family food and money, and he allowed Shimon to live freely, despite 13 years of imprisonment and slavery that came because of his brothers. Can't we give the guy a little bit of a break?
You're ever so hard on these people, Shira, when their imperfections are only human!
True, Tevel. Maybe I am being rather harsh.
It is rather sad, though, that Yosef seems to have had no interest whatsoever in contacting his father during the years that he was Pharaoh's second-in-command. Maybe I'm just seeing this a bit too much through a parent's eyes.
But the story ended well, as you said.
It is rather sad, though, that Yosef seems to have had no interest whatsoever in contacting his father during the years that he was Pharaoh's second-in-command.
Three words, Shira:
עד אביכם חי
Joseph was interested in contacting his father, but he wanted to be sure his brothers were safe people to reveal himself to, rather than the homicidal maniacs he recalled from his youth. Benjamin was the token of this, because he was the other son of Rachel. So I'm going to turn the tables now and ask, what kind of father lets one of his sons rot in prison 13 years? If he's got such separation anxiety wrt Benjamin, why not go along and leave one of the sons of Leah behind to "mind the store?"
". . . he wanted to be sure his brothers were safe people to reveal himself to, rather than the homicidal maniacs he recalled from his youth." Good point, Tevel.
" If he's got such separation anxiety wrt Benjamin, why not go along and leave one of the sons of Leah behind to "mind the store?" Another good point, though I wonder how old Yaakov was, and whether traveling might have been difficult for him.
Those points were courtest of TRBT, not I. =D
Yaakov is 130 when he gets to Egypt, and he's more than willing to hit the road when he hears that Yosef is alive.
Oops--sorry, Reform BT. I like to give credit where it's due.
Thanks for the correction, Tevel. And you do have a point, anyway, regarding Yaakov being quite eager to make the trek to see Yosef, advanced age notwithstanding.
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