What We Missed Earlier in the Portion:

• Joseph is freed from prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams

• Joseph overcomes hardship again: He becomes Pharaoh’s second in command

• Famine in Canaan leads the brothers to seek food in Egypt

• Joseph accuses brothers of being spies and prohibits their return without Benjamin

Our Primary Reading Today:

• The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin under Judah’s protection.

The Torah emphasizes how Joseph recognized Benjamin. Benjamin and Joseph are the only children of the late Rachel, beloved wife of Jacob. Since Benjamin was young at the time when Joseph was sold into slavery, he probably would not remember what Joseph looked like. Likewise, since Benjamin was a young boy when Joseph was sold, we would understand Joseph not recognizing him either! However, the brothers have already visited Egypt; when they return a second time with Benjamin it is obvious that Joseph would recognize Benjamin immediately. More challenging for Joseph was refraining from any public display of emotion, or publicly revealing his identity. At this point, he is still not prepared to be totally honest with his family. Were Joseph to slip up even for a moment (even saying a word in his native tongue or mentioning some event from the distant past) his secret would be revealed prematurely. Joseph required further proof that his brothers had matured.

In Joseph’s case, hiding his identity was by choice. Ironically, he was only concealing his Hebrew origins from the brothers. The Egyptian people knew who Joseph was and from where he had come. I would imagine that as they approached Joseph, there are many people doing likewise. Chances are that somehow, either through direct conversation or through scuttlebutt, the brothers would have heard some comment about Joseph the Hebrew. We can only assume that since the Egyptians spoke a foreign language, the brothers would not have understood anything being said. It is also possible that since the Egyptians were xenophobic (the Torah says so) they would have ignored the brothers all along. In Nazi Germany, there were Jews hiding publicly, within “Aryan” areas. I cannot imagine how excruciatingly difficult it must have been to refrain from any public interaction, out of fear that a misplaced word, expression or gesture would have exposed them. and cost them their lives. Fortunately, Joseph was operating as the authority, yet we have to admire his tremendous self-restraint during both encounters with his siblings.

• Joseph invites his brothers to a banquet and arranges for them to be seated in age order.

His brothers had no clue as to how Joseph knew this. I imagine Joseph did have some fun confounding his brothers here; he was the brother clearly in control.

The text mentions, almost parenthetically, how the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews. This practice was general, Egyptian custom. The separation does highlight a tension between two closely related nations; discrimination and intolerance are sad to say, not contemporary phenomena. Here too, Joseph had to mask any objections he might have had toward such seemingly intolerant Egyptian practices. He was living in Egypt. According to tradition Joseph never abandoned his Hebrew roots, but he was now an Egyptian leader and needed to abide by Egyptian custom. As Pharaoh’s chief aide, no one questioned his origins. I wonder however, what many Egyptians expressed about Joseph’s origins behind his back?!

• Joseph then sends his brothers back to Canaan with invaluable supplies-but with one more trick up his sleeve. He surreptitiously places his goblet in Benjamin’s sack, thereby accusing his brothers of stealing. Joseph is prepared to incarcerate Benjamin while sending the other siblings home. Years earlier his brothers abandoned Joseph without much conscience. How will they respond now? Their response will reveal how much they have changed over the years. Tune in next week...

Thoughts to consider:

Is Joseph justified in his response to the family or is he simply exacting revenge? Remember that his father Jacob, is aging. The longer Joseph hides his identity the more Jacob ages.

Can we argue that Joseph’s actions are cruel?

Might we suggest that a part of Joseph holds his father accountable?

On the other hand, could we argue that Joseph had a valid right to determine whether his brothers had sincerely changed? Perhaps, that mission took precedence, even if Joseph’s reconciliation with his father was delayed. Two generations earlier, Rebecca had to suppress her agony over playing one son against the other because her mission was to elevate Jacob as the next Patriarch. We may argue that both Rebecca and Joseph were called upon to fulfill a higher purpose even if the consequences were agonizingly severe.

Maftir: Numbers 7:24-29 (pages 807-808)

Today we celebrate the third day of Chanukah. Although Chanukah is not a biblical holiday, we read - from a separate Torah - about the offerings made by each tribe, in honor of the Tabernacle's dedication. The Maftir reading for this Shabbat describes the offering made on the sixth day of the dedication ceremony.

Haftorah Reading: Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7 (pages 1270-1272)

Zechariah returns to Israel (from Babylonia) after Cyrus decreed that the Israelites could return to their land. He envisions a new era, whereby the high priests will shed their clothes of the past, and don new clothing that symbolizes a new stage in Israelite independence. Zechariah envisions a new Menorah with light emanating from God. The Haftorah concludes with the words: Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit said the God of Hosts. The idea is that God will provide the inspiration for survival and longevity. The Haftorah is appropriate for Chanukah since the Maccabees were a small band whose intense faith in God enabled them to defeat a much more powerful army

One additional word: Maimonides taught that Purim is a time for feasting, while Hanukkah, despite the latke/jelly donut tradition is not. Why is this so? Concerning Purim, Haman wanted to physically kill all the Jews. As a response to his failure, we create a special Purim feast, to nourish our bodies in appreciation for being physically saved. The Hanukkah story, however, is a result of a military and spiritual victory; Antiochus and his henchman sought primarily to deny the Israelites their Judaism, but not their physical existence. Jews wishing to so completely Hellenize, would be spared any physical harm. Because the Maccabee victory represents a spiritual victory over an enemy that sought to break our spirits, we celebrate Hanukkah in a more spiritual way, by lighting the Menorah. Even though we celebrate with (very healthy) Hanukkah food, the emphasis is on spirit rather than on feast!