14
votes
Accepted
Why did Yaakov Avinu not ask G-d about where Yosef was?
Rashi on Bereishis 37:33 says
חיה רעה אכלתהו - נתנצה בו רוח הקדש (ב"ר) סופו שתתגרה בו אשת פוטיפר ולמה לא גלה לו הקב"ה לפי שהחרימו וקללו את כל מי שיגלה ושתפו להקב"ה עמהם (תנחומא) אבל יצחק היה יודע ...
- 1,723
11
votes
Why not send a substitute for Benyamin (sources)?
Chizkuni 44:2 says that actually Yosef was unconvinced it was Binyamin and felt that perhaps it was a stranger from the street. Therefore he hid the goblet by Binyamin to see if the brothers will come ...
- 139k
10
votes
Accepted
Did Jacob ever figure out what the Brothers did to Joseph?
Ramban (Genesis 45:27) writes that according to the peshat, it does not appear that Yaakov ever found out what happened to Yosef:
יראה לי על דרך הפשט שלא הוגד ליעקב כל ימיו כי אחיו מכרו את יוסף, ...
- 35.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Ber. 43 (33). Yosef seats the brothers in birth order. This could have revealed his identity prematurely?
The whole point is that they could not conceive of the idea that this was Yosef. They thought that he was capable of the magic powers of Egypt. Thus, when he framed them for stealing the magic cup ...
- 42.9k
9
votes
Why did Yaakov Avinu not ask G-d about where Yosef was?
According to the Hazal, Yaakov lost his prophecy the entire time that Yosef was gone. The verse describing Jacob's reaction to being told that Joseph was alive (Gen. 45:27):
וַתְּחִ֕י ר֖וּחַ ...
- 35.4k
7
votes
Why did Pharaoh believe Joseph's dream interpretation?
I heard the following explanation from R' Rivlin, Mashgiach of Kerem B'Yavneh (although I'm sure it's found in earlier sources somewhere):
Pharaoh had a dream in which there was a startling heretical ...
- 58.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Joseph's interpretation of 7 years of famine - was his prediction false?
Even though the famine ended when Yaakov gave the bracha to Par'o (Ramban) they still needed food during the growing season and they needed seeds to plant for the new season. Up until now, the famine ...
- 42.9k
6
votes
Accepted
What is the dot in this vav?
It's a Dagesh Forte which indicates gemination of the consonant "w". So the word would be read something like Yiwwadha' with a prolonged /w/ sound.
The word is in passive future third-person ...
- 97.3k
6
votes
What did the brothers do in Gen. 42:20?
Rav Hirsch comments
they had no choice, they could not do otherwise
That is, this is a general statement that the brothers realized that they could do nothing except leave Shimon behind and return ...
- 42.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Why is food in Parashat Miketz called shever
Food is not called shever, as production or benefit may be grain, despite that grain is not called production or benefit.
See Rashi Genesis 41, 56:
שבר לשון מכר ולשון קנין הוא, כאן משמש לשון ...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Why didn't Binyamin die?
Excellent question. Note that R' Yosef Ibn Caspi makes the connection between these two Pesukim as well (although he doesn't mention the same idea as Rashi, nor does he generally subscribe to similar ...
- 20.9k
5
votes
Yossef's brothers - not learning from previous experience?
The Malbim 44:3 does note that Yosef was concerned that they would check their bags, so he decided to have their bags filled during the night and set them off in the early morning when they wouldn't ...
- 41k
4
votes
How was Yosef allowed to practice divination?
The Midrash tells how Yosef used the knowledge he had of his brothers to fool them into thinking he was an expert diviner. He would look into his cup as if he was divining and tell them personal facts ...
- 43.9k
4
votes
Accepted
If Yosef didn't recognize each individual brother, how did he know who Shim'on was?
In the verse immediately following, the Sforno Genesis 42:8 says that after that he did recognize each individual brother.
ויכר יוסף את אחיו. אחד
לאחד אחר כך
- 139k
4
votes
Joseph and imprisoning his brothers - Is he changing his mind?
According to Rav Hirsch and others the entire setup (including the apparent change of mind) was part of his plan. Rav Hirsch points out that he did this to impress on them the seriousness of their ...
- 42.9k
4
votes
Why is food in Parashat Miketz called shever
Note that there are meforshim who explain this as "goods food sold at retail". which is why Yosef is called hamashbir (the retail distributor) which is the name of a supermarket chain in Israel. That ...
- 42.9k
4
votes
Dream interpreting - Why did Paroh need Yosef?
Medrash Hagodol - Mikeitz - page 625 says that Yosef asked Paroh how did he know that the advisors did not interpet the dream properly? Paroh told him that he saw the interpretation in the dream and ...
- 139k
4
votes
When Yosef interprets Pharoah's dream, is he also trying to fulfill his own dream?
After a quick look through the Mefarshim (Bereishis 41:33), I don't believe any of them would hold like what you suggest. Almost all commentaries understand Yosef's suggestion to Pharaoh as part of ...
- 20.9k
4
votes
Why did one brother find the money en route, and not the others?
The question becomes even more complex when we examine Ber. 43: 19-21:
"So they drew near the man who was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house. And they said, "...
- 10.7k
4
votes
Significance of Yosef's Goblet
According to the Malbim 44:15 Yosef accuses them of stealing the goblet due to its divination powers . So Yosef makes the claim to the brothers that they are only returning the first money because ...
- 41k
3
votes
Why did Pharaoh believe Joseph's dream interpretation?
"Let My Nation Descend" says that Paroh also dreamt and forgot the interpretation, and he was hoping that someone could jog his memory. He knew Yosef's was correct because he recognized it.
- 34.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Rashi says word is redundant
Yaakov said this and the Torah is repeating word for word what Yaakov said. Rashi is saying that Yaakov said אֵפוֹא, even though it was redundant. Not that the Torah has a redundant word.
- 139k
3
votes
How long was Shimon in prison?
According to Gen 43:2 and Gen 43:10, after returning from Egypt, the time taken before setting off back to Egypt was enough to go and return twice. If we take this literally, then from leaving Shim'on ...
- 9,777
3
votes
Accepted
Who was Joseph's steward?
Genesis 43, 16:
And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slaughter a beast, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
...
- 22.7k
3
votes
Why is food in Parashat Miketz called shever
The Radak to 41:56 (and 42:19) harmonizes this by saying that the word שבר means the grains and the harvest bought at times of famine that “breaks” someone’s hunger.
- 6,864
3
votes
Why not send a substitute for Benyamin (sources)?
First of all, the brothers knew that they could not hide the "relationship" with a ringer. They had already shown this with Yosef, when they had been unable to act pleasantly after the dreams. ...
- 42.9k
3
votes
נַ֣חְנוּ נַעֲבֹ֧ר Is the Torah using slang
נַחְנוּ is likely the older form of אֲנַחְנוּ; the prosthetic אֲ was probably added by analogy with אֲנִי. According to Blau, if the aleph were original, it would have been vocalized with a qamas by ...
- 3,546
3
votes
נַ֣חְנוּ נַעֲבֹ֧ר Is the Torah using slang
To answer one of your questions: The Meam Loez says (Matos, 32:32) that the absence of the alef implies that someone or something is not included in the "we". Therefore, not everyone would take part ...
- 6,864
3
votes
Accepted
Is Asenath, the wife of Joseph, the illegitimate daughter of Dinah?
The source for the midrash is Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 38. The story is that when Dinah was raped by Shechem (Gen 34), she conceived and bore Asenath. Jacob made her an amulet and sent her away....
- 18.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Why assume Yosef would become viceroy
Rav Hirsch points out that from the viewpoint of the butler and baker, they were important officials. From the viewpoint of Par'o they were his servants. In this case, if Par'o had appointed Yosef as ...
- 42.9k
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