Joseph Secretly Cares for the Imprisoned Simeon

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 148:9

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And he bound him before their eyes." He bound him before their eyes, but once they had gone out, he brought him forth and would feed him and give him drink and bathe him and anoint him. (Genesis 42:28) "And their heart went out and they trembled." When Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi died, they said to Rabbi Levi: go up and give the eulogy over him. He went up and eulogized him: (Job 28:1-2) "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine; iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from stone." These four things are the implements of the world, and if they are lost they have replacements. But a Torah scholar who is lost—who can replace him? Rabbi Levi said: the tribes found a mere object lost, as it is written "and their heart went out and they trembled"; we, who have lost Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi, how much more so.

Themes

JosephBrotherhoodWisdom

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