And they did not recognize him
The Parasha in our everyday life- Parashat Vayigash -Tenth of Tevet - 5783
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Head of the Hesder Yeshiva 'Meir Harel' Modiin
A large part of the public was shocked to hear a woman from Ramat Gan offending ultra-Orthodox girls at the park by saying: "We pay four million shekels for an apartment here, you don't belong." And with great anger she added: "You have your own city. You are not connected in any way. We are different nations. This is our place, don't come to us." It seems that what shocked most of all is the estranged statement: "We are different nations"...
For some reason, when I heard these words, the images from the days of the "Operation Protective Edge” came to my mind. Going to visit our Yeshiva students, soldiers of the Golani Brigade and Armored Division, on their way out of Gaza for a short break, to the resting grounds at the entrance to Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The noise of explosions, helicopters and war on the horizon became dull by the amazing sight of the many people arriving from all over the country, from Kiryat Shmona, from the north of Tel Aviv, from Haifa and more, to give the soldiers a hug, hygiene products, delicious food, new underwear and more. Some of them entered with luxury cars into the dust as it was pulverized by the tanks and armored personnel carrier caterpillars (APC). On our way there, we saw booths on the roadsides, and a whole complex set up for the residents of the south without distinction. An exciting mobilization of all parts of society for the IDF soldiers and for hosting and supporting the residents of the south. There was an uplifting feeling of brotherhood and national solidarity in the air, of identification coming from all ends of the political spectrum. The feeling of sharing distress, while we were surrounded by common enemies. An empowering feeling that fills us up when leaning on each other's shoulders.
In these moments, it is impossible not to wonder why in everyday life there are those who choose to 'alienate' people from different sectors and forget about fraternity?! And why, G-d forbid, do we need shared troubles to feel that 'we are brothers'?!
The people of Israel, for generations, even after thousands of years, are affected by the negative and tragic consequences of the 'alienation' in 'Yosef’s sale'. Exile and the undermining of family fraternity.
In Parshat Miketz we read about the initial meeting between Yosef and his brothers. When they came to Egypt to buy food. The Torah devotes two verses relating how Yosef recognizes his brothers but they do not recognize him:
וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף אֶת אֶחָיו וַיַּכִּרֵם וַיִּתְנַכֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם קָשׁוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֵאַיִן בָּאתֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל. וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶת אֶחָיו וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻהוּ
“When Yosef saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to procure food.” For though Yosef recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. (Bereshit 42:7-8)
Yosef’s recognition: 'recognized' וַיַּכֵּרcomes in contrast to his brother's estrangement ניכור from him. But why did the Torah repeat the 'recognition' twice? And why did the scriptures emphasize twice that they were Yosef’s 'brothers'?
The Midrash addressed this, and taught about the gap between them in relation to the “brother’s relationship”:
...רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּפְלוּ בְּיָדוֹ וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶת אֶחָיו, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּפַל בְּיָדָן (בראשית מב, ח): וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻהוּ.
"Rabbi Levi said, "At the time they fell into his hand, 'And Yosef recognized his brothers;' at the time he fell into their hands, 'and they did not recognize him.'" (Bereishit Rabbah 91:7).
Rashi quotes the Midrash and emphasizes the forgiveness and degree of mercy that Yosef showed to his brothers even though they did not treat him with mercy:
וּמִ"אַ ויכר יוסף את אחיו כְּשֶׁנִּמְסְרוּ בְיָדוֹ הִכִּיר שֶׁהֵם אֶחָיו וְרִחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּירוּהוּ כְּשֶׁנָּפַל בְּיָדָם לִנְהֹג בּוֹ אַחְוָה
“A Midrashic explanation is: ויכר יוסף את אחיו Yosef recognized his brethren— Now that they were in his power, he recognized them as his brothers and had pity on them, והם לא הכירהו but when he fell into their power, “they did not recognize him” as their brother, by not acting towards him in brotherly manner”. (Rashi ibid)
Parashat Vayigash opens in a dramatic setting, with a frontal altercation between Yehuda and Yosef over Binyamin's release. Yehuda corrects his part in Yosef’s sale, by being willing to pay the price for 'brotherhood', by protecting his brother Binyamin with all his strength. The result:
וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק לְכֹ֤ל הַנִּצָּבִים֙ עָלָ֔יו…
וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ בִּבְכִ֑י וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֲנִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנ֣וֹת אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶל־אֶחָ֛יו גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִי֙ יוֹסֵ֣ף אֲחִיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃
“Yosef could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out… His sobs were so loud that the Egyptians could hear… Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef. Is my father still well?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dumbfounded were they on account of him. Then Yosef said to his brothers, “Come forward to me.” And when they came forward, he said, “I am your brother Yosef, he whom you sold into Egypt”. (Bereshit 45:1-4)
In these four verses, the scripture emphasizes the word 'brothers' regarding Yosef, five times.
The brothers' estrangement from the ‘fraternity’ led to exile and slavery: "And for the matter of the exile in Egypt; no sin preceded them, and what's more, because at that time the Torah had not yet been given to Israel, it was only because of the ‘baseless hatred’ that existed between the brothers that they sold Yosef to Egypt, and for that they were sentenced to slavery and torture four hundred years, and this will be repaired by conversions, because converts love each other" (Rabbi Isaac Eisik Chaver -Wildmann , author of Pitchei She’arim, in the Haggadah - Shabbat HaGadol Sermon).
It seems that there is much food for thought and soul-searching in preparation for the Tenth of Tevet.
On the other hand, Yosef's concept of brotherhood "which does not depend on anything" is related to his faith in G-d: אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים אֲנִ֥י יָרֵֽא׃ "for I fear G-d…”
“He had the ability, because he was king, and did not repay his brothers with evil when they stood before him, but rewarded good for evil and that is what it really means "for I fear G-d…” (Avot DeRabbi Nathan)
It's not for nothing that Yosef merited many things. And the Torah also seals the history of the fathers in the book of Bereshit with four Parashot dedicated to the history of Yosef, until his death.