Yakov M. RABKIN: VAYIGASH My Toughts

 

 Yakov M. RABKIN

Vayigash: my Toughts

 

Vayigash 2023. Genesis 44:18-47:27

 

The story of Joseph and his brothers reaches a culmination. Benjamin is accused of stealing Joseph’s divination cup. The proof seems incontrovertible: the cup was indeed found in Benjamin’s luggage. The culprit was to become a slave in Egypt. Then Judah intervenes before the Vice-Roy (he did not know then it was his brother Joseph) with an elaborate plea.

 Jewish tradition (e.g., Maimonides) interprets this episode as a prototype of repentance. The brothers admit among themselves their guilt for selling Joseph. Moreover, Judah, who had originally suggested selling Joseph to slavery (Genesis 37:27) now volunteers to become a slave in Egypt (Genesis 44:3—34) to spare grief to his father. Becoming a slave would expiate his sin of selling his brother to slavery.

 But there is another aspect of this story that deserves attention. Judah does not know if Benjamin stole the goblet. According to the Midrash Raba, the brothers tell each other after the goblet is found in Benjamin’s belongings: “No wonder he stole it. His mother stole the terafim (apparently a pagan sacred object also used for divination) from her father (Genesis 31-17)). Like mother, like son.” Therefore, Judah does not claim his brother’s innocence. He begs for mercy for his father who might not survive the disappearance of the last son of his beloved Rachel.

 Judah diverts the focus of his plea away from the issue of culpability vs innocence towards “collateral damage” of punishing Benjamin. The focus is Jacob, and Judah is ready for self-sacrifice for his father’s sake. What breaks the dam, is love, in this case filial love in action. Joseph can no longer hold back and reveals himself as their brother. Joseph tries to assuage their sense of guilt by telling his brothers that it was not they who sent him to Egypt, but God, who had made him ruler over all Egypt (Genesis 45-8). He bears no grudge against them, and there is no longer any reason for them to feel guilty.