The Selling of Yosef

נמצאו 48 תוצאות חיפוש

1. Reuven's Attempt to Save Yosef

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Why does Reuven tell the brother “do not sin against the child” when he was the one to throw him in the pit? A close look at the sale of Yosef shows that Reuven attempted to save Yosef from the brothers at an earlier stage. This article discusses the literary “flashback.”

2. Shimon and Levi in Shekhem

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   The rape and abduction of Deena and murder of the entire city of Shechem raises a number of moral issues; however; the Torah is vague about its evaluation of the retribution. This article attempts to evaluate Shechem’s actions in light of the biblical text; in comparison with other similar biblical stories.

3. Yosef's Teshuva

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   The second half of the book of Genesis describes the Teshuva process of Yaakov’s sons. The first to repent is Reuven; who had tried to prevent the selling of Yosef; and by this atone for his act with Bilhah. Next; Yehuda atones for his actions in the Tamar incident; and goes so far as to offer himself in exchange for Benjamin. Finally; all of the brothers atone for the sin of selling Yosef by proclaiming “we are guilty.” Yosef also undergoes a process of Teshuva; by purchasing land from the Egyptians; and by concealing his brothers’ sin from his father.

4. Rachel's Death and Burial

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   Where was Rachel buried? Why is she the one crying for her children, and why does God answer her prayers? The answers to these questions leads us on a fascinating journey that begins with the Yosef and Binyamin (from the birth of Binyamin and the selling of Yosef through the Concubine on Givah, the destruction of Shiloh, and the exile of the ten tribes), continues with the civil wars throughout the generations (from the selling of Yoself through the murder of Gedalia to the destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kokhva Revolt). Rachel's prayer for Binyamin in the merit of her selflessness for him, and her prayer for Yosef and for all of Israel in the merit of her ability to conquer her natural jealousy toward her sister - these prayers have stood by Israel throughout the generations.

5. "Because They Sold The Righteous For Silver"

   Haftarot: Vayeshev

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   The nation turns to idolatry for two reasons: seeking spirituality and seeking pleasure. Amos rebukes the nation for their hedonism, and explains that the flaws in interpersonal relationships are also a flaw in our relationship with God.

6. Did Joseph Forgive his Brothers?

   Dr. Ruth Walfish

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   Much thought has been devoted to the question of what Yosef wished to accomplish by his manipulation of his brothers. In this class we will explore the question of how Yosef felt towards his brothers, during and after his interaction with them in Egypt. Was Yosef able to put aside his hard feelings and really forgive them for the terrible deeds they had done to him? How did the brothers feel towards Yosef after he revealed himself to them? Our answers will be based both on close textual reading, as well as on an exploration of the emotional and psychological components of forgiveness.

    

7. Yosef - Tanakh Profiles

   Rabbi Jonathan Mishkin

8. Yosef

   HaTanakh.com Staff

9. Yehuda and Tamar – A Story Within a Story?

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The story of Yehuda and Tamar appears to be an independent story within the narrative of the sale of Yosef. What is the significance of the story's placement? Does it relate to the story of Yosef? When did the story take place? This article focuses on the meaning of the story of Yehuda and Tamar itself, and on how – from a literary angle – it serves as a necessary complement to the story of Yosef and his brothers. 

10. Who Really Sold Yosef?

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    Conventional wisdom says that Yehuda suggested that the brothers sell Yosef, the brothers accepted the suggestion and subsequently Yosef was sold. When he reveals himself to his brothers, Yosef says to them, "I am Yosef who you sold to Egypt!" Therefore, it appears that the answer to our question is Yosef's brothers. This is the position of the Rashi.

    However, a closer reading of the story, combined with the geographical details of the story, make it feasible that the brothers did not sell Yosef, as is the position of Rashbam, Rashi's grandson. If that is true, the brothers suggested killing Yosef, leaving him to die in a pit and selling him but never actually went through with any of these suggestions.

11. Yosef and his Brothers: Choice and Rejection

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    The rejection and choice of sons is a theme throughout the book of Breisheet. This principle may have guided the Yosef's brothers to reject him by selling him into slavery. Likewise, this principle may explain why Yosef never contacted his father – an understanding that he was the rejected son.

    When his brothers come to Egypt, Yosef realizes that this is not the case. As his dreams told him, he must be a leader to his brothers: bring them to repent and reunite his shattered family.

12. What Does the Story of Yosef Come to Teach Us?

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    What is the subject of the story of Yosef and his brothers, and what does it come to teach us? in order to address this question, we examine the schematic structure of this long story, such that we will be able to discern at a glance its major parts and their interrelationship. Through this examination, we learn about the beginning of the exile, and the significance of the Torah's use of the words "these are the generations" in sefer Bereishit. We also notice that the story of Yosef and his brothers is a variation on one of the central themes of the Torah as a whole: sin – punishment – teshuva – redemption. All of these components in this biblical process turn, in our story, on the value of family unity and responsibility for its continued existence.

13. The Meaning of Yosef's Estrangement

    Rabbi Yaakov Medan

    Many commentators discuss Yosef's estrangement from his brothers and the great severity with which he treats them up until them moment when he reveals his identity. This issue leads naturally to another question: why did Yosef not send word to his father, the moment that he rose to his elevated position in Egypt, telling him that he was still alive? Why did he allow his father to suffer such profound anguish and mourning for his son for an additional nine years? Through a close examination of the narrative, we can see Yosef's estrangement from his brothers as arising from his desire to test their repentance for the sin of having sold him, and that the brothers' actions - and particularly those of the two leaders, Reuven and Yehuda - are influenced and dictated by the sin of selling Yosef and the need to atone for it. Our impression is that the ultimate structure of the family and the fate of the brothers depends on their repentance being accepted. We also learn about the nature of dreams and Yosef's understanding of his dreams as Divine messages of spiritual leadership and spiritual responsibility.

14. Of Bags and Brothers

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

    The brothers’ sacks should contain grain, or cash, but not both. When they find their money (which Yosef had slipped into the sacks) along with the grain in their sacks, they worry. What is Yosef doing? Does he wish to harshly punish, or to kindly provide a way to achieve atonement? Yosef ultimately demonstrates that pursuing morality trumps realizing dreams.

15. Reuven and Yehuda

    Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

    Why were the firstborn privileges taken from Reuven and transferred to Yehuda? Let us examine two incidents that demonstrate the respective leadership of Yehuda and of Reuven, and try to understand the leadership style of each of them – or the differences between them.  This may help us to understand why "Yehuda prevailed over his brothers" and was bequeathed the leadership role.

16. Why did Yosef Hide his Identity from his Brothers?

    Rabbi Zeev Weitman

    Why did Yosef hide his identity from his brothers? Why did he not inform Yaakov that he is in Egypt, and instead risks causing significant pain to his father? Why did Yosef place the goblet in Binyamin's sack? Many commentators have grappled with these questions, and this article will explore the various answers, as well as suggesting an alternative idea which provides insight into the reason for Yosef's silence – out of a noble desire to avoid the tearing apart of his father's household.

17. Seforno on Reuven's Redeeming Move

    Rabbi David Silverberg

18. Yosef Sold into Slavery: Stop and Smell the Spices

    Rabbi David Silverberg

19. The Brothers - Conspiring or Casting Allegations?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

20. Tranquility vs. Challenge

    Rabbi David Silverberg

21. Yosef in the Pit and Hannuka Candles at a High Height

    Rabbi David Silverberg

22. Selling Yosef for Shoes

    Rabbi David Silverberg

23. Yosef's Attitude Toward his Brothers

    Rabbi David Silverberg

24. Yosef Screams from the Pit

    Rabbi David Silverberg

25. Yosef's Brothers and Haman

    Rabbi David Silverberg

26. Yosef and Canaan Son of Ham

    Rabbi David Silverberg

27. The Brothers - Too Quick to Judge

    Rabbi David Silverberg

28. Who Sold Yosef - and What was Reuven's Plan

    Rabbi David Silverberg

29. Reuven's Wrong, The Brothers' Judgment, and the Selling Yosef

    Rabbi David Silverberg

30. The Guilt of Shimon and Levi

    Rabbi David Silverberg

31. The Pitfalls of "I Told You So"

    Rabbi David Silverberg

32. Reuven's Hidden Message in his Words to Yaakov

    Rabbi David Silverberg

33. The Selling of Yosef and Yosef's Treatment of His Brothers in Egypt

    Rabbi David Silverberg

34. Parashat HaShavua Parashat Mikketz

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 29 דקות

    In order to understand this week's parasha, we must examine the context of the previous parshiyyot. Is it true that Yosef was sold by his brothers? Though they still bore responsibility and culpability, what would have happened if, after the progressive cooling of their tempers, they had gotten to the pit before Yosef had disappeared?  Was Yosef aware of this possibility? Why didn't Yosef attempt to contact his father in the years that he was in Egypt? Considering the above allows us to Mikketz with a heightened appreciation of what may have been going on with Yosef and his brothers in Canaan and Egypt.

     

35. Yosef, His Brothers, and the Divine Plan - Forgiveness, Responsibility, and Guilt

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 19 דקות

    How willing and able is Yosef when it comes to forgiving his brothers? He tells his brother that ultimately God fit everything in to his greater plan. Does that, however, remove his brothers guilt?

36. Rashbam

    Part 1

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Rashbam displays a great deal of respect towards his grandfather, Rashi, having learnt a great deal from him, but this does not prevent him from arguing on his views. The Rashbam’s commentaries are original and creative; his avoidance of Midrashic material allows him to look at the verse in an innovative, direct way.

    The nature of Rashbam’s commentary makes the following assumptions:

    • The commentaries prior to him, including his grandfather Rashi, might have thought that they were explaining the verses in accordance with the peshat, their commentaries do not express the simple meaning of the verse.
    • The “enlightened” are those who study Tanakh without relying on any Midrashic material.
    • The Rashbam’s pursuit of pure peshat does not take away from his regard for the Sages’ traditions, which are reliable and valid. The data derived from the derash is more important than the data derived from peshat.
    • Nonetheless, the peshat maintains an independent significance.
    • Both the Peshat and the Derash are true readings of the Torah.

    The principles of Peshat according to Rashbam include:

    • Taking into account common sense, logic and nature.
    • A verse must be understood as part of the general context in which it is placed and as being integrated in the sequence of verses in which it is found.
    • The peshat of Tanakh should be understood on its own, without consulting any external information; all data must be either explicit in the text or implicit in human logic or accepted practice.

    Rashbam’s Rules for Understanding the Biblical Lexicon include:

    • Synonyms are used in juxtaposition to each other without alluding to a different meaning to each word.
    • When the Torah introduces a passage with “And it was at that time,” it is an expression which comes to tell us that this event is closely tied to the previous event.

37. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    R. Yosef of Orléans, (northern France) was a 12^th-century exegete who has become known through the generation as Ri Bekhor Shor. He was a Tosafist, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, and he was influenced mainly by Rashi’s commentary and the commentaries of Mahari Kara and the Rashbam. Like his predecessors Mahari Kara and Rashbam, he was a member of the peshat school.  It appears that Ri Bekhor Shor forges a path that is a middle way between Rashi and the pursuers of the peshat. These are his major exegetical principles:

    • Ri Bekhor Shor aims to explain the verses without non-biblical information; however, when the derash is appropriate for explaining the peshat and for the general context of verses, or when one may explain it as being in keeping with biblical reality, he will not hesitate to bring a midrash.
    • The Torah does not provide superfluous information. All information provided is in fact essential.
    • Verses should be explained within their specific context, a reverse method to the foreshadowing principle of Rashbam.
    • Verses should be explained based on understanding the state of mind of the human actors.
    • Verses should be explained according to the reality of the biblical era.
    • God directs the world in a natural way as much as possible, and the use made of miracles is the absolute minimum.
    • An expansive and consistent approach to the question of the reasons of mitzvot.
    • In the Peshat vs. Halakha discussion, Ri Bekhor Shor is closer to Rashi’s approach with exception in which he explains the verses according to a Peshat that differs from Halakha.
    • A tendency to counteract Christian interpretations of the Torah.

38. Radak - Rav David Kimchi

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    The Radak — R. David Kimchi — was born and active in Provence, in southern France, near Spain. The Radak was a member of a family of Spanish grammarians and exegetes. Like R. Avraham ibn Ezra, the Kimchi family brought the fundamentals of linguistics and grammar from Spain to France.

    Despite the fact that Radak sees himself as a pashtan, he does not hesitate to cite derash. However, when the Radak quotes these sources, it is obvious that he has a distinction between peshat and derash.

    Two principles guide the Radak in citing Midrashic sources:

    • When it is difficult to resolve the peshat without the derash.
    • For the lovers of derash - in order to explain the text and engage his readers.

    The view of the Radak is that the Torah is not a historical tome. Those stories of the Patriarchs which have been selected to put into the Torah with all of its details must fulfill one criterion: teaching a moral lesson.

    Just as one may learn from the positive acts of the forefathers, so one may learn from their negative acts. The Radak does not engage in apologetics; instead, he writes explicitly that the narratives which describe the negative acts of the Patriarchs have been written in order to help us avoid this sort of behavior.

    The Radak points out consistently that the Torah often uses repetitious language, not because each word introduces new meaning, but because the verse seeks to stress the significance of a given issue. This view stands in stark contrast to that of Rashi, who argues that generally speaking, one must assign meaning to every word, as there cannot be any redundancy in the biblical text.

39. Ramban

    Part 3

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Additional characteristics of the Ramban’s commentary on the Torah:

    The Secret Torah — “Al Derekh Ha-Emet”

    When the Ramban prefaces an explanation with these words, his intent is to cite a commentary based on sod (literally, secret), the hidden, mystical elements of Jewish tradition. His Kabbalistic commentaries cannot be understood by a reader unschooled in fundamental Kabbalistic concepts.

    Citation and Incorporation in the Commentary of the Ramban

    Psychological Sensitivity

    The Ramban explains the verses using an analysis of the motivations of the dominant personalities, based on his reasoned assessment of the characters and the situations in which they find themselves.

    Serus Ha-Mikra

    Another exegetical tool employed by the Ramban in his commentary is serus ha-mikra, the inversion or transposition of the verse. Sometimes, in order to understand the intent of the verse, one should read it as if the sequence of the words is different.

    Abbreviation and Elaboration

    When there is a certain lack of correlation between the initial description of an event and the later recapitulation of the same event, the Ramban explains the lack of correlation using the following rule: “It is the way of the verses to abbreviate it in one place and to elaborate in another place.”

    There is no doubt that the Ramban is one of the most influential figures in terms of shaping the world of biblical exegesis and the Jewish worldview generally.

40. Who Really Sold Joseph?

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    Although we grow up learning that the brothers sold Joseph, a closer look at the text, and at the accompanying Rashbam, complicates that understanding. In this week's parsha course, we unravel the sale of Joseph and discuss the implications of such a theory: what is blame? Where does responsibility begin? And most importantly, how do I make moral decisions?

     

     

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41. Matot: Why Is The End of Bamidbar So Anticlimactic?

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    The Torah is a book of great drama, why does the narrative ends with a seemingly-unnecessary story about a random conquest of some towns? In this week and next week, Rabbi Fohrman paints a picture of epic connections to the stories of Jacob, Joseph and Judah.

     

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42. Masei: Why Is The End of Bamidbar So Anticlimactic? II

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    In this video, we still ask, why does the Torah end the narrative sections with the story of Yair ben Menashe conquering some towns? In finding the answer, Rabbi Fohrman teaches us about true reconciliation: brothers taking care of brothers.

     

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43. Ki Teitzei: The Hated Wife - Part 2/2

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    In this video, Rabbi Fohrman goes into detail about the man who hates one of his wives, and its parallels to Jacob, Leah, Rachel and their children, and suggests that the Torah is offering us a different path that can bring peace to our families and our homes.

     

     

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44. Vayeshev: The Fulfillment of the Decree of Bondage in Egypt

    Rabbi Gad Eldad

    In our parasha, we encounter the tense relationships that developed in the house of Yaakov. The members of Yaakov's family eventually find themselves moving from Canaan to Egypt, and from there the story progresses to servitude and slavery that continues for centuries. Avraham had already been warned about this enslavement in the Brit Bein Ha-Betarim.

    At first glance, these appear to be two parallel processes, without any connection between them; they simply meet at the end. In this study, we will attempt to demonstrate that in the course of the narrative, which seemingly advances through human actions, Scripture indicates that God is tracking the events for the purpose of ensuring that the story will conclude with the fulfillment of His promise.

45. The Story of Yosef in Mizmor Shir Hanukkat Habayit (Tehillim 30)

    Dr. Avigail Rock | 19 דקות

    Psalm 30, which is recited during shacharit every day during Chanuka, contains striking parallels to the Yosef narrative. Through a close examination of both texts we can learn about the nature of Chanuka and our relationship with God. 

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

46. The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles against the Nations (continued)

    Shiur #12

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    As we consider the oracle of Amos against Israel, we puzzle over the first charge of the indictment: selling the innocent for silver and the poor for shoes. What crime does this refer to, what is its meaning in the Ancient Near East, and why does the Midrash associate it with the sale of Yosef?

47. "And Yisrael Loved Yosef"

    Rabbi Shimon Klein

    The story of Yosef and his brothers is a dark and painful episode in the history of the Jewish People. A son is sent by his father to his brothers, and they conspire to kill him. Eventually, they decide to sell him instead. How are we to understand the brothers’ conduct? And what is Yosef’s role in what takes place? In this shiur, we will examine the verses closely and try to attain deeper insight into Yosef, the brothers, and what really happened.

48. “What do we gain by killing our brother?” – The Cost of Compromise

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky