ר"ע תיתד תונויצל ינויערה גוחה ,םולשו זוע

Israel and the Nations: Inside and/or Out? Together and/or Separate?

Yosef Haim Banjo

In Vayeshev, as well as in the portions of Miketz and Vayigash, the Torah deals with the figure of Joseph. It should be noted that the reading of these portions always falls on Hanukkah, as if the Sages wanted to emphasize the connection between Joseph and Hanukkah. Indeed, the story of Joseph, who, as a Jew, enters the history of Egypt and influences it, is reminiscent of the meeting of Judaism and Greece, the latter symbolizing the universal culture that would eventually conquer the world. Then, as now, the tension between the two cultures is palpable, and we ask: What happens when the People of Israel comes in contact with the nations of the world? Do the two influence each other in the course of these contacts? Are these contacts possible? Desirable? Permanent? Is Israel, as a nation and a world-view, included among the nations of the world, or does universalism conflict with Judaism? History teaches us that this contact, whether desirable or not, successful or not, exists, and the two cultures must deal with one another.

I would like to examine the Torah's approach to this issue:

If we contemplate the connection between this week's portion and last week's, Vayishlach, we discover that the Torah describes at great length and in extraordinary detail the "generations of Esau, who is Edom." This is appropriate for a very important topic; at issue are those who will make history on the world stage, then and later. In contrast to this lengthy list of kings and chieftains, the story of the generations of Abraham seems modest and local. This description leaves us worried: Do the nations lead human history? Does this history take place against us or for us? With us or without us? Do we have a part to play in the building of the universal world culture, or will we remain a small group without connection to or influence on others? The Midrash (Bereshit Rabba, Vayeshev 3-4) answers immediately: In the face of all the chieftains, despite the forces spread out before us, the message of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not cease, for "these are the generations of Jacob: Joseph..." The Midrash states:

"When Jacob our forefather saw Esau and his chieftains, he was afraid. Said to him the Holy One, Blessed be He: From these you are afraid? One spark from you and one spark from your son and you will burn them all, as it is written, 'And the house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Joseph flame.'" And later, "Rav Shmuel bar Nachman said: 'These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph...' The scripture should not have said this, but rather, 'These are the generations of Jacob: Reuben...' What does 'Joseph' teach? That everything that happened to one, happened to the other."

Thus the Torah answers, in passing, another question: There was indeed a continuation of the forefathers' tradition, someone to take responsibility for the passing on of the message, but why Joseph and not Reuben, the first-born of Jacob? Shedding light on this issue will allow us to understand the central issue in our weekly portion. We know that Sarah was intended for Abraham, and Rebecca for Isaac; why did Jacob have to marry two wives? Why, more specifically, was he also given Leah? According to the Midrash, Leah was intended for Esau, but Esau was wicked and distanced himself from his ancestors' tradition (the clearest sign was the ease with which he sold his birthright...), so Jacob had to take on Esau's role, as well as his own. If so, the Midrash asks, who was Jacob's first-born (i.e. the successor), the first-born of Leah or of Rachel? At this point(only, as well will see!), the Torah removes the doubt and answers: Jacob's first-born is Joseph, who was chosen by his father.

Several hints strengthen Jacob's choice:

• Rachel was his intended, and loved, bride
  
• Joseph appears in our portion as a bridge personality found among all the groups: he belongs to the group of the matriarchs and also spends time with the children of the maidservants (see the Shl"ah by Rabbi Yeshayahu Horovitz).
  

We can now understand the meaning of Jacob's choice: Jacob chose between two first-born, Joseph and Judah (Judah because of the ineligibility of Reuben, Simeon and Levi.) What characterizes these two personalities?

• At the beginning of our portion Joseph, by way of his dreams and the special treatment he receives from his father, appears as the anointed king, inheritor of his father's tradition. Yet this position is a universalistic one, i.e. it faces outwards: Joseph succeeds, but outside of the family core whence he came. He even leads the history of Egypt without compromising his own Judaism (Miketz). Joseph is therefore the symbol of Jews who lead humanity, as Jews: Israel, a light unto the nations!
  
• On the other hand is a different approach, represented by Judah. What is important to him is the exclusivity of Judaism. There may be a universal aspect, but it is secondary, maybe even coincidental. Judah symbolizes the world of the yeshivot, the closed Jewish world, impermeable to any outside influence.
  

In our weekly portion, there is an attempt to deal with this problem. Based on the background described above, the brothers' jealousy of Joseph seems reasonable: maybe Jacob erred in his choice, just as Isaac erred when he insisted on leaving Esau the birthright despite his knowing that Esau was not worthy. In other words, according to our portion's problems, Joseph's brothers believe that Jewish identity can exist by way of exclusivity alone, and that Joseph's view is unacceptable.

The story continues like a well-staged drama. Jacob sends Joseph to his brothers (to convince them? To compete with them?), the brothers intend to do away with Joseph (indeed a radical, uncompromising solution.) After the beginning of the scheme, the solution comes, not insignificantly, from Judah. Instead of killing Joseph, he sells him to the Ishmaelites travelling to Egypt, as if to say to Joseph, "You want to be a messiah to the nations of the world? Prove yourself! Go struggle with Egypt [the land that was, both politically and culturally, the beacon to the known world, as were later the Greeks and then the Romans]." But now Joseph is removed from everything connected to the essence of Judaism. Later we witness Judah's attempts to ensure the continuation of the dynasty, i.e. the success of the "internal option." This attempt succeeds since the Messiah will come from Peretz, Judah's son. The problem is solved: The history of Israel, the Jewish people, will be reflected through its exclusivity alone, with no connection to the history of the other nations.

But our story is filled with reversals, and Judah's victory is not final. The continuation is familiar: Joseph succeeds in Egypt because "the lord was with Joseph," whether in Potiphar's house or in the prison, as he climbs the social and political ladder. Maybe he was right? But then, another reversal: At the end of the portion, Joseph is forgotten by everyone! Is this the end of his attempts? Does Judah present the only solution to the problem of Jewish identity?

Just as with anything, the answer is complex and requires patience and tolerance until the end natural end of the process's development.

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