AHA!

“Yosef said to his brothers: I am Yosef, does my father still live? And his brothers could not answer him because they were alarmed before him.” (Bereishit 45:3)

Yosef’s brothers had experienced several months of extreme anxiety and uncertainty. When they initially travelled to Egypt to purchase food as the famine took hold in Canaan, they were brought before the Egyptian viceroy, the one in charge of the grain supplies. At the time, the ten sons of Yaakov (Binyamin had remained at home) had no idea that this was their long lost brother, Yosef, the same one they had sold as a slave more than two decades before. The Egyptian nobleman accused them of being spies and incarcerated them for three days. He then released all but Shimon and he gave them an ultimatum: if you want Shimon back, then prove you are not spies by bringing me the young brother you claim is at home with your father.  The brothers left Egypt dejected and disturbed. What would they tell their elderly father? He had already lost one son and now Shimon was in an Egyptian prison. Moreover, the only way they could get him back (and buy additional supplies) was to take Binyamin to Egypt. What were the chances of Yaakov granting permission to send Binyamin? He was the only son who remained from his late beloved wife, Rachel.  Indeed, when they returned to Yaakov and told him what had happened, he remarked in anguish (Bereishit 42:36), “Yaakov their father said to them: You have bereaved me. Yosef is not, and now Shimon is not and Binyamin you will take. All of these [misfortunes] are upon me!” They could not convince their father to send Binyamin until sometime passed and they began to run short of food. It was then that Yehuda promised his father that he would take responsibility for Binyamin (ibid 43:8-9), “Yehuda said to Israel his father: Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, and we will live and not die, both we, and you, and our children. I will guarantee him. From me you may solicit him; if I do not bring him to you and present him before you, I will have sinned to you forever.” At that point, Yaakov capitulated and agreed to send Binyamin. He told his sons to prepare a lavish gift for the viceroy and he prayed for their speedy return.

The return journey to Egypt must have been full of worry and doubt. Would the Egyptian man believe them now or would he conjure up a new accusation and use it as a pretext to take Binyamin? However, when they came before Yosef, their mood improved. Yosef acknowledged Binyamin and even blessed him. He released Shimon and invited them all to a banquet where they ate and drank wine and he gave each a gift. The brothers arose early the next morning, their sacks full of grain, and made their way out of the city. Their sense of relief must have been palpable. The accusation of being spies had been dropped. Shimon was free and Binyamin was unharmed. But in an instant, their fate changed. Yosef had commanded his servant to place an expensive silver goblet in Binyamin’s sack and then to pursue the men and accuse them of theft.  That is exactly what happened. Although the brothers attempted to defend themselves, the goblet was discovered and they were hauled back to the city and brought before Yosef. Yehuda, who had guaranteed Binyamin’s safety, stepped forward and suggested that they all be made slaves to Yosef as a penalty for the theft. But Yosef would have none of it: He said (44:17), “Heaven forfend that I should do so. The man in whose hand the goblet was found, he shall be my slave and [the rest of] you go up in peace to your father.” This was the very worst case scenario, the one they had all been dreading. Yehuda pleads with the Egyptian to take him in Binyamin’s place. He reviews the order of events that lead to this situation and he emphasises just how honestly he and his brother had acted each step of the way.

Imagine, for a moment, what Yehuda and his brothers might have been thinking. Why has this happened?  Why were we accused of being spies? Why was Shimon incarcerated? How did the goblet get into Binyamin’s sack? Why is the viceroy so insistent that Binyamin become his slave? None of it made any sense! Suddenly, with just two words, the riddle is solved and everything becomes clear: Ani Yosef, I am Yosef! The Torah records their reaction to Yosef’s revelation, “And his brothers could not answer him because they were alarmed before him.” Rashi explains that their silence was due to embarrassment. What could they possibly say to the person they had sold as a slave so many years ago and who was now a person of power and authority? Rabbi Steinsaltz (Weisfeld Humash) comments, “Joseph, of course, knew who they were the entire time, but the brothers were overcome by confusion and fear over the sudden revelation. Until now, they considered Joseph to be lost, even if they may have dreamt that one day they would discover him as a slave somehow and possibly even free him. However, now he is present before them as an eminent personality, their apparent antagonist, the ruler in whose hands their fate rests.”

This was a classic “Aha!” moment. All of their questions were now answered, all of their doubts, resolved.  What had seemed so senseless now made sense. Each of us has such moments in our life. These are times of awakening and awareness during which we attain certainty and clarity. We may have been living in darkness or ignorance and a single fact or event suddenly brings everything into focus. For world Jewry, the 7^th October 2023 was such a moment. I believe that many Jews had been lulled into a false sense of security, be it in Israel or the diaspora. In the days following the gruesome attack, we soon found out who our friends were and who our enemies were. The anti-Semites, who had been relegated to the periphery of society, now felt emboldened and began to spread their poison with impunity. South African Jews were not ignorant of the ANC’s stance on Israel but nothing could have prepared them for the ruling party’s case at the ICC or their embrace of Hamas officials and the Iranian regime. Students at American Ivy League universities probably felt they were just as much a part of campus life as any other student. But that changed very quickly. World Jewry have emerged from their slumber and for many of them, this has forced them to question their identity and their place in the world. There has been a spiritual awakening and this will lead to greater participation by assimilated Jews in all things Jewish. I noticed part of this during the recent festival of Chanukah. Social media was awash with videos and photographs of thousands of public Chanukah events.  Jews of all stripes were coming out of the woodwork to celebrate. Noa Tishby, an actress and major advocate for Israel, visited the homes of some major Jewish celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis and Mayim Bialik. She spoke to them about their Jewish identity, in general, and their observance of Chanukah, in particular. 7 October was a darkness that has led to light. We have been rudely awakened from our slumber and now is the time to act for Judaism, Israel and the Jewish people!   

Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom.  Rabbi Liebenberg

Rabbi’s YouTube message (from the archive): https://youtu.be/Sqf6m3yAFYY?si=J9CwgZXgDAIahZA9

THE FAST OF THE TENTH OF TEVET

The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet which commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which led to the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the Tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin, is next Friday 10 January. In 1949, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared the Tenth of Tevet as Yom HaKaddish HaKlali, the day on which Kaddish should be said by family members for victims of the Holocaust whose yahrzeits are not known. The fast begins at 04:17 and terminates at 20:22. One may only begin one’s Shabbat meal after this time. There are many videos explaining the meaning and background of the fast. Here is one: https://youtu.be/rRg3nEQvLp0?si=zmrzmwQdbC65LUS1