Joseph Stripped, Cast Into the Pit, and Sold for Twenty Pieces

"And it came to pass when Joseph came" (Genesis 37:23). Rabbi Eliezer says: He came amid praise [adorned in fine garments]. "And they stripped Joseph" this was the outer mantle, of his tunic this was the shirt, the coat of many colors this was the broad garment over it, this was the undergarment. "And they took him and cast him into the pit" (Genesis 37:24). Who was this? Simeon. When did Joseph repay him? "And he took Simeon from among them" (Genesis 42:24). Once they had put Joseph into the pit, Simeon was giving orders and they were throwing stones to kill him; but when Simeon later fell into Joseph's hand, Joseph would throw fattened delicacies to him to feed him. "And the pit was empty, there was no water in it." Rav Natan bar Manyumi expounded in the name of Rava: water there was none, but snakes and scorpions there were. Rav Acha said: Jacob's well was emptied there was no water in it, no words of Torah, which are likened to water, as it is written, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). It is written, "If a man is found stealing a soul from among his brothers" and you sold your own brother. "And they sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37:25). The sin of the tribes is remembered forever, yet it is a hope for them forever, for [God] feeds bread to all who come into the world. "And they lifted their eyes and saw." Now, the way of Ishmaelites is to carry only hides and tar; but come and see what the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged for that righteous one at that hour: sacks full of spices, so that the wind would blow upon them and he need not smell the stench of the Arabs. In three places they made Judah king over them: "And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is it" (Genesis 37:26-27); "And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house" (Genesis 44:14); "And Judah drew near to him." "Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites." They said, Let us follow the way of the world: Canaan, who sinned, was he not cursed into slavery? So too, come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. "And Midianite men passed by" (Genesis 37:28). Those judgments [dinim] passed over [a play on Midyanim]. It is written, "Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways?" (Isaiah 63:17) when You willed it, You put love in their hearts; when You willed it, You put hatred in their hearts. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You sold the son of Rachel for five sela; therefore let each one of you give five sela in the Tyrian maneh [the redemption of the firstborn]. You sold the son of Rachel for twenty pieces of silver; therefore let each one of you set aside a beka per head [the half-shekel]. "And they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver." Each one of them took two pieces of silver to buy sandals for his feet, as it is said, "because they sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals" (Amos 2:6). They said, Let us swear among ourselves that none of us will tell this matter to Jacob. Judah said to them: Reuben is not here, and a ban is not valid with only nine. What did they do? They made the Omnipresent a partner with them and pronounced the ban. They informed Reuben that they had made the ban, and he heard the ban and kept silent. And the Holy One, blessed be He, too as it is written, "He declares His words to Jacob" (Psalms 147:19) this matter He did not declare, because of the ban. When they came to Egypt and found Joseph, then they released the ban, and Jacob heard, "and the spirit of Jacob revived" (Genesis 45:27). Now, had the spirit of Jacob died? Rather, because of the ban the Holy Spirit had departed from him, and once they released the ban, the Holy Spirit rested upon him as before. Rabbi Akiva says: The ban is the oath and the oath is the ban, and whoever breaks the ban is as one who breaks the oath. "And Reuben returned to the pit" (Genesis 37:29). And where had he been? Rabbi Eliezer says: He was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting [over having disturbed his father's bed]; once he was free, he went to the pit. Rabbi Yehoshua says: All the burden of his father's house was laid upon him; once he was free, he looked into the pit. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Never has a person sinned before Me and repented, and you have opened with repentance; by your life, a son of your son will arise and open with repentance and who is this? This is Hosea, as it is said, "Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God" (Hosea 14:2). "And they slaughtered a kid of the goats" (Genesis 37:31). Why did they slaughter a kid of the goats? Because its blood resembles human blood. Rabbi Anani bar Sasson said: Why is the passage of the priestly garments placed next to the passage of the offerings? To tell you: just as the offerings atone, so the priestly garments atone. The tunic atones for bloodshed, as it is said, "and they slaughtered a kid of the goats and dipped the tunic in the blood," and so forth.