What a story: it tells us in one breath that the first exile was caused by the disruptive jealousy of men who were brothers; that exile leads to redemption if only one dreams of it without despair and . . . remains true to oneself.

Joseph was not born a Tzaddik, nor did he have the childhood or the education of a Tzaddik; that is why his triumph excites us. Whatever Joseph obtained from himself, he owed only to himself.

His reward? Moses personally took care of his funeral. Why such a privilege? Because while his ancestors had to deal with God and proved themselves worthy, Joseph had to deal with men and proved himself no less worthy. To suffer at the hands of God is less painful—or painful in a different way—than suffering the cruelty of men, even if they are our brothers, particularly if they are our brothers. Joseph, the first Jew to suffer at the hands of Jews, succeeded in mastering his grief and disappointment and linking his fate to theirs.

Joseph—a Tzaddik? The title was, unquestionably, deserved. In the Biblical text there is another adjective that describes him well: beautiful.

His only error: he should not have revealed his dreams.

PARABLES AND
SAYINGS V

Joseph had a sense for drama. To confuse his brothers, he told them that Joseph was alive and in his service. He called them liars and hypocrites for having told their father that a wild beast had devoured their brother Joseph.

Just you wait, I shall summon him and you will meet him. And he began to call: Joseph, Joseph, son of Jacob, come here, come here, son of Jacob. And all the brothers turned around, white with fear, scanning the four corners of the room for Joseph. Come here, Joseph, he went on, come and see your brothers who sold you. And the brothers looked and looked and didn’t understand; there was nobody else in the room. Why are you searching in front of you and behind me? It is I, your brother Joseph.

Panic-stricken, they fainted. But God performed a miracle and brought them back to consciousness.

The Talmud reproaches Joseph for having allowed those who spoke to him of his father to use the expression “your servant” ten times.

In the Bible, however, one finds the expression only five times.

Explanation: the conversation between Joseph and his brothers took place with the help of an interpreter who translated into Hebrew and Egyptian. And, of course, Joseph understood the two languages.

When God appeared to Jacob for the last time, He calmed his fears: I shall go with you to Egypt. . . Our ancient sages view this as a promise that the Shekhina—the divine Presence—would follow Israel everywhere, even into exile; whence the certainty that even in exile Israel is never alone and that Israel’s redemption will bring about God’s as well.