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From the Rabbi:
In Parashat Vayeshev we are introduced to two new protagonists in the “Avinu” family, Yoseph and Yehuda. In addition to being a critical piece in the evolution of sibling rivalry, these two brothers also serve as archetypes which are as relevant today as they were four and a half millennia ago.
Since the very first generation of Adam’s children, brothers have fought. With Cain and Abel the elder actually killed his brother, and was then exiled. In subsequent generations, despite “bearing sons and daughters”, there was only one to carry on the family line. Noah’s children were a hot mess, riddled with jealousy and depravity of all sorts (See Genesis 9:24-27). Avraham’s sons fared little better, with Ishmael being exiled from his father’s home and legacy. Esav vows to kill Yaakov and likewise ends up “out” of the covenant.
By the time we get to Yoseph and Yehuda, there’s an expectation that one or the other will go the way of Ishmael and Esav. Both Yoseph and Yehuda come to think of themselves as the one “out”, ironically because of the very same moment. Yoseph sees himself as out when he’s sold by his brothers (to Ishmaelites!). He ends up in Egypt where he marries an Egyptian woman, names his firstborn Manasheh, meaning (Genesis 41:51) “God has made me forget... my father’s home" and eventually rises to viceroy and takes an Egyptian name. Yehuda meanwhile knows it was his fault that the brothers sold Yoseph. When he sees the terrible anguish of their father, Yehuda in the greatness of his guilt and shame thinks he’s the one “out”, and so he (Genesis 38:1) “descends from among his brothers” and marries a Canaanite woman.
At that point both Yoseph and Yehuda are trying to assimilate into the surrounding culture and society. However, their Jewish Identity - their pintele yid - refuses to be extinguished. That unsinkable shared identity however comes to expression in dramatically different ways which are expressive of their distinct personalities and different formulations of Jewish Identity today.
Yoseph is a dreamer, an idealist. He’s learned from his father that Judaism is about living by universal ethical values for the betterment of greater society. Wherever he goes he demonstrates honesty, rectitude, and unbiased dedication to the common good. Through his integrity he earns people's respect, admiration and trust and rises to the top wherever he finds himself; from Potiphar’s house to the prison to becoming administrator of all Egypt. For Yoseph, the betterment of all of Egyptian society is his personal agenda and everyone can see that. For Yoseph the abandonment of universal principles in order to care for one’s own is nepotistic and immoral. Thus, he accuses his brothers of being spies who’ve come to take advantage of Egypt's communal resources. Their attestation that they are not spies but brothers only proves him right, that they look not to contribute to the general population but only to take care of themselves.
Yehuda on the other hand isn’t interested in ideals and values. For him, Jewish Identity isn’t universal in the least bit. It’s about taking care of family - our family. When he screwed that up and sold his brother, he thought he was “out”. After Tamar taught him a critical lesson about resilience in commitment to family, he returned home and that commitment became his defining characteristic. It is Yehuda's commitment to protecting family that convinces his father to let Benjamin go with him and his brothers down to Egypt. When Benyamin is framed for stealing Yoseph's goblet, Yehuda is the one who steps up as his brother's keeper. Later when Yaakov is on his way down to Egypt, it is Yehuda whom he sends ahead because he knows Yehuda will keep the family distinct in Egypt and not assimilate. Yehuda is tribal, parochial and fiercely loyal, but not universal.
Today, these two archetypes are abundantly clear. (Both in the Jewish world and in greater society.) For Yoseph people, their Judaism (or religion or morality) is all about commitment to universal values. They see an insular, ethnocentric, “us-first” attitude as lacking integrity and a terrible betrayal of their core Jewish values. Conversely, Yehuda people see the preference for a universal ethic over the needs of our own unique socio-ethnic family group as an equally terrible betrayal.
What is important to keep in mind regarding Yoseph and Yehuda is that for the first time in the Torah, both brothers are “in”. Neither of these attitudes are something we can reject, neither in others nor ourselves. Political agendas and differently constructed identities can fracture families and divide populations to no end. One of the main lessons of the Yoseph/Yehuda parshiot is that “being Jewish” means holding these two identities together, difficult as that may be. As individuals we are called upon both to live by universal principles and to take care of our family. As the Jewish People, we need both Yoseph and Yehuda in order to survive in exile and to fulfill our destiny to thrive once again in our own land. As Isaiah put it, (49:6) “It is too little that you should be My servant, that I raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel:" (that's Yehuda) "I will also make you a light unto the nations so that My salvation may reach the ends of the Earth. (like Yoseph)” Hashem has staked a claim on our identity and requires us to incorporate both Yoseph's and Yehuda's approaches into our sense of who we are, both as individuals and as a collective.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo
Classes This Week
NOTE: The Thursday evening class is paused until further notice.
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