Joseph Sends His Brothers Home With Gifts and Wise Counsel

(Genesis 45:16-20) "And the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brothers have come." (Song of Songs 6:9) "My dove is one" and so forth (as above on "And he said to his servants, Can we find such a one" (Genesis 41:37)). "Queens and concubines, and they praised her" (Song of Songs) - these are the tribes. "And the report was heard in Pharaoh's house," and "Pharaoh said to Joseph," and "Do this," and "the best" - this refers to ground broad-beans. (Genesis 45:22) "To each of them he gave changes of garments." Is it possible that in the very matter over which that righteous one suffered he would himself stumble? For Rav said: A man should never single out one son among his other sons, for on account of the extra weight of two coins that Jacob added to Joseph the whole story unfolded. Would Joseph then act toward Benjamin in a way that would make his brothers jealous of him? Rather, he hinted to him that a son was destined to descend from him who would go forth in five royal garments; and who was that? Mordecai, as it is written, "And Mordecai went out from before the king" and so forth (Esther 8:15). (Genesis 45:23) "And to his father he sent in this manner: ten donkeys" and so forth. What is meant by "of the best of the land of Egypt"? This teaches that he sent him aged wine, with which the mind of elders is at ease. "And ten she-donkeys carrying" - follow the language of people: "bar" means grain, "lechem" in its plain sense is bread, "mazon" is food; from here we learn that all such things are called food. (Genesis 45:24) "And he said to them, Do not be agitated on the way." Joseph said to his brothers: Do not become engrossed in a matter of halakhah, lest the way become agitated against you. But is that so? Did not Rabbi Ilai say: Two scholars who walk on the road and have no words of Torah between them deserve to be burned, as it is said, "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked" (2 Kings 2:11) - the reason being that there was speech; had there been no speech they would deserve to be burned? It is not difficult: the one case is for review by rote, the other for deep analysis. In a baraita it was taught: Joseph said to his brothers, Do not take large strides, for the Master said: A large stride takes away one five-hundredth of a person's eyesight. And bring the sun into the city, for Rav said: A person should always go out with "it is good" [daylight] and enter with "it is good," as it is said, "As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away" (Genesis 44:3). "And they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive" and so forth. Rabbi Chiyya taught: Such is the punishment of a liar, that even when he speaks the truth he is not believed. "And they spoke to him all the words of Joseph." And where were the wagons that Pharaoh had sent? Rather, those wagons of Pharaoh had idols engraved upon them, and Judah arose and burned them; for that tribe was accustomed to burning idolatry. Joseph said: If he believes you, well and good; but if not, you shall say to him, At the moment I parted from him I was engaged in the passage of the heifer whose neck is broken (the eglah arufah). This is the meaning of "And he saw the wagons (agalot) which Joseph had sent" (Genesis 45:27). "And Israel said, It is enough (rav); Joseph my son is still alive." Great (rav) is the strength of Joseph my son, that so many troubles befell him and still he stands in his righteousness - greater than I, who sinned in saying "My way is hidden from the LORD" (Isaiah 40:27); yet I trust that there is laid up for me in "How great is Your goodness which You have stored away" (Psalm 31:20) and so forth. (Genesis 46:1-2) "And Israel journeyed with all that he had" and so forth. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: I went around to all the masters of aggadah in the south so they might tell me the meaning of this verse, and none told me until I came to Yehudah ben Pedayah, the nephew of Bar Kappara, and he told me. When a teacher and a student travel on the road, one inquires first after the welfare of the student and afterward after the welfare of the teacher. Rav Huna said: When Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi came to Tiberias he asked Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. Rabbi Yochanan said: A person is obligated in the honor of his father more than in the honor of his grandfather; and Reish Lakish said: He offered sacrifice over the covenant of the tribes. Bar Kappara and Rabbi Yose ben Partos - one of them said: As my father was eager for his throat [his appetite], so I am eager for my throat; and the other said: As my father singled out one son from his sons, so I single out one son from my sons. I went back and said: My father had upon him the burden of one soul, while I have upon me the burden of seventy souls. Rabbi Yudan said two things. He said: My father blessed me with five blessings; corresponding to them the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to me five times and blessed me. Rabbi Yudan said further: I had thought He would let me taste of those blessings, "Peoples shall serve you" (Genesis 27:29) and so forth - this refers to Joseph. Rabbi Berekhiah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, does not attach His name to the righteous in their lifetime, but only to those who endure afflictions; and behold, Isaac endured afflictions. The Rabbis say: They saw his ashes as though heaped upon the altar. (Genesis 46:4) One who sees a camel in a dream - a death sentence had been decreed upon him from heaven and he has been delivered from it. What verse alludes to this? "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up" (Genesis 46:4). Rabbi Yitzchak said: From here - "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die" (2 Samuel 12:13). "And Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes" - he shall close your eyes after death. This was the fourth descent he made to Egypt, as it is said, "I will go down to Egypt." Jacob heard that Joseph was alive and was musing in his heart, saying: Shall I leave the land of my fathers, the land of my birth, the land of my fathers' sojournings, the land in which the Divine Presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells, and go to an unclean land, into the midst of the uncircumcised among whom there is no fear of heaven? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Jacob, do not fear; I will go down with you and so forth. When they came to the border of Egypt all the males were reckoned, sixty-six, and Joseph and his two sons in Egypt make sixty-nine; yet it is written, "With seventy souls your fathers went down" (Deuteronomy 10:22). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He entered into the count with them, to fulfill what is said, "I will go down with you." In the full reckoning of Israel you find seventy less one. Rather, this is Jochebed, whose conception was on the way and whose birth was between the walls, as it is said, "whom she bore to Levi in Egypt" (Numbers 26:59) - her birth was in Egypt, but her conception was not in Egypt. Rabbi Yehudah was sitting and expounding (Genesis 46:27) "All the souls that came with Jacob to Egypt... seventy"; behold they are short by one - this is Jochebed, who was born at the gate of Egypt. And some say: Serach the daughter of Asher completed the count of Israel, as it is written, "I am of the peaceable and faithful of Israel" (2 Samuel 20:19) - I completed the count of Israel, and I completed one trusted one to another trusted one. And when they went up from Egypt all the men were reckoned six hundred thousand less one. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He entered into the count with them, and they went up six hundred thousand, to fulfill what is said, "and I will also surely bring you up."