How came it that Jacob the perfect man, who loved Joseph above all his sons and knew that all his brethren hated him, sent him to them? The truth is that he harboured no suspicion of them, knowing them to be all righteous; but God brought all this about in order to fulfil the decree pronounced “between the pieces” (Gen. 15, 17).
We have found it stated in ancient books that the sons of Jacob were anxious to obtain dominion over Joseph before he went down into Egypt, because they knew that if he should go down there first before they obtained dominion over him the Egyptians would obtain dominion over Israel in perpetuity; but by selling Joseph as a slave they made themselves his masters, and since he later on rose to power and the Egyptians became his slaves, Israel became masters of all.
Joseph was the symbol of the heavenly covenant, and so long as he was alive the covenant of the Shekinah remained with Israel in perfect harmony, but as soon as Joseph departed the covenant of the Shekinah together with Israel was plunged into captivity, as it says: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph” (Ex. 1, 8). It was all fittingly ordained by Providence.
AND A CERTAIN MAN FOUND HIM : this was Gabriel, of whom we read: “the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning ‘(Dan. 9, 2 1). AND, BEHOLD, HE WAS WANDERING : indeed he was wandering both literally and metaphorically; he trusted his brethren and sought their affection but could not gain it, and he was looking for them but could not find them. Hence: AND THE MAN ASKED HIM, SAYING: WHAT SEEKEST THOU?
וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה תֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר מַה תְּבַקֵּשׁ. מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא, וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יוֹסֵף הֲלוֹא אַחֶיךָ רֹעִים בִּשְׁכֶם לְכָה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֲלֵיהֶם. וְכִי יַעֲקֹב שְׁלֵימָא דְּהֲוָה רָחִים לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף מִכָּל בְּנוֹי, וְהֲוָה יָדַע דְּכָל אֲחוּי הֲווּ סָנְאִין לֵיהּ, אַמַּאי שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. אֶלָּא אִיהוּ לָא חָשִׁיד עֲלַיְיהוּ, דְּהֲוָה יָדַע דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווּ זַכָּאִין, וְלָא חָשִׁיד לוֹן. אֶלָּא גָּרִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּל דָּא, בְּגִין לְקַיְימָא גְּזֵרָה דְּגָזַר בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים.
How came it that Jacob the perfect man, who loved Joseph above all his sons and knew that all his brethren hated him, sent him to them? The truth is that he harboured no suspicion of them, knowing them to be all righteous; but God brought all this about in order to fulfil the decree pronounced “between the pieces” (Gen. 15, 17).
אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאי, דְּבָעְיָין אִלֵּין בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עֲלוֹי עַד לָא יֵחוֹת לְמִצְרַיִם. דְּאִילּוּ הוּא יֵחוֹת לְמִצְרַיִם, וְאִינוּן לָא שָׁלְטוּ בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. יָכְלֵי מִצְרָאִי לְשַׁלְּטָאָה לְעָלְמִין עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִתְקַיְימָא בֵּיהּ בְּיוֹסֵף דְּאִזְדַּבַּן לְעַבְדָא וְאִינוּן שָׁלְטוּ עֲלוֹי. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּיוֹסֵף הֲוָה מַלְכָּא לְבָתַר, וּמִצְרָאֵי הֲווּ עָבְדִין לֵיהּ, אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּשָׁלְטוּ עַל כֻּלְּהוּ.
We have found it stated in ancient books that the sons of Jacob were anxious to obtain dominion over Joseph before he went down into Egypt, because they knew that if he should go down there first before they obtained dominion over him the Egyptians would obtain dominion over Israel in perpetuity; but by selling Joseph as a slave they made themselves his masters, and since he later on rose to power and the Egyptians became his slaves, Israel became masters of all.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּיוֹסֵף דְּאִיהוּ בְּרִית עִלָאָה, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּאִתְקְיַּים בְּרִית, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְקְיַּים בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁלָם כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתַּלַּק יוֹסֵף בְּרִית עִלָּאָה מֵעַלְמָא, כְּדֵין בְּרִית שְׁכִינְתָּא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְּהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא נָפְקוּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא דִּכְתִיב (שמות א׳:ח׳) וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ עַל מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לא יָדַע אֶת יוֹסֵף. וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
Joseph was the symbol of the heavenly covenant, and so long as he was alive the covenant of the Shekinah remained with Israel in perfect harmony, but as soon as Joseph departed the covenant of the Shekinah together with Israel was plunged into captivity, as it says: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph” (Ex. 1, 8). It was all fittingly ordained by Providence.
תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ דָּא גַּבְרִיאֵ"ל, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (דניאל ט׳:כ״א) וְהָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי בֶחָזוֹן בַּתְּחִלָּה. וְהִנֵּה תוֹעֶה, בְּכֹלָּא תּוֹעֶה, דְּאַבְטַח עַל אֲחוּי דְּהֲוָה מִתְבַּע אַחְוָה דִלְהוֹן וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח, וְתָבַע לְהוּ וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח. וְעַל דָּא תוֹעֶה בְּכֹלָּא, וְעַל דָּא וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר מַה תְּבַקֵּשׁ:
AND A CERTAIN MAN FOUND HIM : this was Gabriel, of whom we read: “the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning ‘(Dan. 9, 2 1). AND, BEHOLD, HE WAS WANDERING : indeed he was wandering both literally and metaphorically; he trusted his brethren and sought their affection but could not gain it, and he was looking for them but could not find them. Hence: AND THE MAN ASKED HIM, SAYING: WHAT SEEKEST THOU?