Parshat Vayigash
Rabbi Avi Billet
Take a careful look at Chapter 45, verse 22. After Yosef has revealed his identity to his brothers, he’s sending them back to Canaan with wagons to bring their father and the greater family down to Egypt.
(כב) לְכֻלָּ֥ם נָתַ֛ן לָאִ֖ישׁ חֲלִפ֣וֹת שְׂמָלֹ֑ת וּלְבִנְיָמִ֤ן נָתַן֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת כֶּ֔סֶף וְחָמֵ֖שׁ חֲלִפֹ֥ת שְׂמָלֹֽת: “To each of them he gave a set of new garments, and to Binyamin he gave 300 silver coins and also 5 sets of new garments.”
A number of commentaries ask a few obvious questions. Why did he give one set of garments to each brother? And why five to Binyamin? Why did he give Binyamin 300 silver coins?
The Torah Temimah quotes a Gemara in Megillah (16b) which suggests that he was hinting to Binyamin that in the future he’d have a descendant (Mordechai, who was a Benjaminite) who would go out from before the king wearing 5 garments of royalty
מרדכי יצא מלפני המלך בלבוש מלכות
- תכלת
- וחור
- ועטרת זהב גדולה
- ותכריך בוץ
- וארגמן
Then he addresses the questions with which we began, noting the importance of paying attention to the pesukim, and how the words are written.
The Vilna Gaon asked the question of how he could foment more jealousy? How would the brothers know that Yosef was making a symbolic gesture regarding an event in the future?
The Vilna Gaon answers that the five garments given to Binyamin were of far lesser quality than the garments given to the other brothers, and in totum was equivalent in value to the garment each of them got. Thus they understood that the five garments were symbolic, but they were all getting the same value.
Rabbi Epstein (author of the Torah Temimah) suggests that this is hinted to in the text. Look back at the verse in Hebrew at the beginning of this article and you’ll find that the word חלפות is spelled with the letter Vov (“ו”) when referencing the garments of the brothers, and the word חלפת is spelled without that letter Vov when referencing the garments given to Binyamin. That additional letter for the brothers hints to their higher value, while Binyamin’s garments are missing the ו thus missing value as well.
The commentaries on the Talmud ask how Yosef was unconcerned for jealousy over the money Yosef gave to Binyamin. Admitting his dissatisfaction with their answers (though without recording their answers) Rabbi Epstein proceeds to give the following analysis, quoting Rabbenu Bachaye.
The sum of 300 silver pieces was determined based on the proper penalty the brothers owed based on the sale of Yosef. A slave is typically deemed to be valued at 30 silver coins, and the penalty for stealing one is ten times that – 300, based on a teaching in Gittin 45b that selling a slave to idolators is punishable by up to ten times the value of the slave.
What does this have to do with Binyamin? Nothing directly.
But according to this law, each brother was responsible to pay Yosef 300 silver pieces as a penalty for being involved in his sale. Binyamin was not involved in his sale, so he would not have such a penalty. Since Yosef forgave each brother for the money each owed to him, it was as if he gave each of them 300 silver pieces. So of course he needed to give Binyamin 300 pieces to thus be treating everyone equally.
In this way, there was no jealousy. Everyone got credit for what they owed, and Binyamin received a cash payout.
The takeaway from this analysis is straightforward. Things all work out in the end.
We don’t have a handle on how God runs the world, but we believe that in the end, each person was given what he or she deserved or had coming.
Sometimes things don’t seem fair. Some people seem to have more natural gifts, greater wealth, better skills in many areas of life, while others have greater challenges.
But in the end, there is a balance, a restored equilibrium.
Some people are blessed with good health, what may even seem to be far beyond their fair share. Some people have great relationships with their children and grandchildren, far beyond their fair share. Some people have nachas, in far greater amounts than they ever felt they’d deserve. Some people have wisdom that helps them be admired, and if they’re blessed to counter that wisdom with humility, they are even further admired.
Some people have friends whose value in their life far exceeds any material wealth.
The most important thing is to be שמח בחלקינו, to be content with our portion. When we remember that life is not a competition for wealth and happiness, and that each of us has our own equation and direction that is best for us, we’ll have a much easier time living a joyful and joyous life because the thought behind it all is “God is orchestrating for me based on what I need and on what I deserve. He is looking out for me, He is in my life, and He is giving me the things I should have in my life.”
With such an attitude, one could never feel alone. Particularly for those who struggle with difficult things in life, knowing we are not alone can be an incredible source of comfort and strength.
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