“Jacob rent his garments, placed sackcloth on his loins, and mourned his son many days” (Genesis 37:34). “Jacob rent his garments” – Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: The tribes caused their father to rend. Where did they receive retribution? In Egypt, as it was stated: “They rent their garments…” (Genesis 44:13).
Joseph caused the tribes to rend; his descendant arose, and retribution was exacted against him, as it is stated: “Joshua rent his garments” (Joshua 7:6). Benjamin caused the tribes to rend.64When Joseph’s goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack, his brothers rent their garments. Although this was not Benjamin’s fault, since it occurred through him, he was also punished. Alternatively, knowing that his brothers’ money was returned on their first trip, he should have checked his sack before setting out (Yefe To’ar).
Where was retribution exacted against him? In Shushan the citadel, as it is stated: “Mordekhai rent his garments” (Esther 4:1). Manasseh caused the tribes to rend;65Manasseh was the messenger Joseph sent to search his brothers’ sacks (Matnot Kehuna). that is why his inheritance was split, half of it in the land of the Jordan and half of it in the land of Canaan. “Placed sackcloth on his loins” – Rabbi Aivu said: Because Jacob our patriarch adopted sackcloth, it does not depart from him, from his children, and from his descendants until the end of all the generations.
But it is practiced only among his prominent descendants, [such as] David, as it is stated: “David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces” (I Chronicles 21:16). Ahab – “and placed sackcloth upon his flesh” (I Kings 21:27). Yoram – “the people looked, and behold, the sackcloth was upon his flesh” (II Kings 6:30). Mordekhai – “he donned sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1).
“And mourned his son many days” – these were twenty-two years.66Joseph was sold at age seventeen and stood before Pharaoh at age thirty. His father descended to Egypt in the second year of the famine that followed the seven years of plenty. Joseph was then thirty-nine years old. Thus, he was separated from Jacob for twenty-two years, corresponding to the twenty-two years that Jacob was away from his father.