5 min read

Joseph and the Five Questions He Raced to Ask His Father

Joseph rode to Goshen when Jacob was dying with five anxieties he needed answered before his father was gone. He had carried them in silence for twenty years.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Road to Goshen
  2. The Five Anxieties Joseph Carried
  3. The Night Joseph Was Not There
  4. What Jacob's Blessing Meant

The Road to Goshen

The messenger said Jacob was ill, and Joseph prepared his chariot and rode. This is what the Torah records, and the Torah's efficiency here conceals what was happening inside the most powerful administrator in Egypt on that road. He had not seen his father in over two decades. He had been thrown in a pit by his brothers, sold to strangers, falsely accused, imprisoned, forgotten, and then elevated to second in command over the largest empire in the known world. He had managed a famine that had brought every surrounding nation to his storehouses. He had orchestrated the reunion with his brothers, revealed himself to them, and brought the entire family down to Goshen.

And now Jacob was dying, and Joseph rode with five questions burning in him that he had been unable to ask anyone and needed answered before the last conversation closed.

The Five Anxieties Joseph Carried

The Legends of the Jews, drawing on earlier midrashic sources, names all five. Would Jacob bless Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's Egyptian-born sons, as full members of the covenant? Their mother was Egyptian. Their entire childhood had been in Goshen and in the royal court of Egypt. Would their foreign birth disqualify them from the inheritance that ran through Abraham and Isaac and Jacob? Joseph had raised them in the faith of his father, but he could not be certain whether that would be enough for Jacob to recognize.

The second anxiety: had his years of Egyptian power severed his connection to the family's covenant? He had dressed as an Egyptian, spoken Egyptian, operated entirely within Egyptian structures of authority. He had done this by necessity, and he had survived by it, but the cost was visible. Did his brothers still regard him as one of them? Did his father?

The third: did Jacob still consider him a son? Twenty years of grief, twenty years of believing Joseph was dead, twenty years of the coat soaked in goat's blood sitting somewhere in the house as evidence of the worst day of Jacob's life. And now Joseph was alive and powerful and had provided for the whole family. But had the grief changed something in Jacob's understanding of what Joseph was to him?

The fourth: would the brothers retaliate now that the protection of Jacob's presence was ending? Joseph had seen their faces when he revealed himself. He had seen the fear alongside the relief. He had told them repeatedly that God had arranged it all, that what they intended as harm God had turned to good, that there was nothing to forgive. He did not know if they believed him.

The fifth: what would happen to Israel in Egypt after Jacob was gone? The family had arrived as Jacob's household, welcomed because Joseph had the authority to welcome them. Jacob was the patriarch who held them together. When Jacob died, what held them in place?

The Night Joseph Was Not There

One of the things Joseph could not know until the reunion was what had happened to Bilhah on the day he vanished. The tradition records that she died within hours of hearing Joseph was sold. She had been his nurse, the woman most devoted to him in the household, and the news broke her. Joseph had grown up without knowing this. He had been present in his father's house and then suddenly absent, and the grief of his absence had begun killing people before the caravan reached the Egyptian border.

What Jacob's Blessing Meant

Jacob answered all five questions in the room in Goshen. He crossed his hands and put the right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and the left on Manasseh, the elder. Joseph tried to correct him: your right hand goes on the firstborn. Jacob refused the correction. He knew what he was doing. He was making a choice about the future with full information, the same kind of cross-handed blessing his own father Isaac had made when he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Jacob had lived that story from the inside. He understood what it meant to be chosen in an unexpected order, and he was making that choice deliberately for his grandsons.

The five questions Joseph had ridden to Goshen to answer were answered in that room, not in words but in actions: the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob's insistence on including them in the covenant line, the presence of the brothers in the same room without violence, the family gathered around the dying patriarch as a family. Joseph wept when his father died. The Torah records that he wept a long time.

JosephJacobGoshenEgyptDreamsFamily
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Legends of the Jews 1:371Legends of the Jews

Not just through a messenger, but also from his son, Ephraim, who was studying Torah with Jacob himself.

Joseph doesn't hesitate. He grabs his two sons, born in Egypt, and races to Goshen. But what was really driving him?

It wasn't just filial piety. According to Legends of the Jews, Joseph had five very specific questions burning in his mind. Five major anxieties.

First, would Jacob bless his Egyptian-born grandsons? And if so, would he elevate them to positions of tribal leadership? This was huge! Remember, lineage and tribal affiliation were everything.

Second, would Jacob grant Joseph the rights of the firstborn son? This was a big deal because it potentially meant stripping Reuben, Jacob’s actual firstborn, of his birthright. Can you feel the tension in the air? The stakes were incredibly high.

Finally, there was the lingering question of Rachel’s burial. Why, oh why, had Jacob buried his beloved Rachel by the wayside, instead of bringing her to the family tomb in Machpelah – the cave of the patriarchs and matriarchs? What was the real story behind that seemingly callous decision?

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Legends of the Jews 1:12Legends of the Jews

The familiar story centers on the coat, but sometimes we forget about the dreams that really kicked things off.

The second dream is the real kicker. Joseph dreams that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him. Can you imagine the chutzpah it took to even tell anyone that?

He, of course, tells his father Jacob. And Jacob, initially, is…well, thrilled! Perhaps a little too thrilled. The text is telling us Jacob "was rejoiced over it, for he understood its meaning properly." According to Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg's comprehensive collection of rabbinic lore, Jacob thought he had it all figured out.

He believed that he was represented by the sun. Now, why the sun? Well, the Midrash (specifically, Ginzberg tells us it's from a source called Sefer ha-Yashar) says that God himself had called Jacob "the sun" when he spent a night on the holy site of the Temple Mount. God supposedly said to the angels, "The sun has come!" A pretty significant endorsement. Then the moon, in Jacob's interpretation, stood for Joseph’s mother, Rachel. And the stars? Obvious! They stood for Joseph's eleven brothers. The righteous are compared to stars in many places in Jewish tradition, so this tracks.

Jacob was so sure of his interpretation, so convinced that this dream was a prophecy, that he even began to believe he would live to see the resurrection of the dead. Why? Because Rachel was already gone. For her to bow down in Joseph’s dream meant she would have to return to the earth.

But here’s the thing: Jacob was wrong. Big time. The text gently chides him, saying "He went astray there…" The moon didn’t represent Rachel, Joseph’s biological mother. It represented Bilhah, his foster mother, who had raised him.

Why does this matter? Well, it highlights the complexities of family, of destiny, and of interpreting the divine. It's a reminder that even the most learned among us, even patriarchs like Jacob, can misread the signs. Maybe because they want to see something so badly they jump to conclusions.: how often do we interpret events, dreams, or even just conversations through the lens of our own desires and expectations? Perhaps Jacob's initial joy blinded him to the true meaning. It's a humbling thought, isn't it? That even in moments of apparent clarity, we might be seeing only what we want to see. And perhaps that's the real lesson embedded in Joseph's dream – a reminder to look beyond our immediate assumptions, and to seek a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the world around us.

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Legends of the Jews 1:51Legends of the Jews

It wasn't just the loss of one loved one; it was a cascade of sorrow that threatened to overwhelm him completely.

The news of his son Joseph's supposed death – a deception, as we know – had repercussions far beyond Jacob himself. According to Legends of the Jews, the grief proved too much for two other members of his household: Bilhah and Dinah. Bilhah, you might remember, was Rachel's handmaid, and Dinah, Jacob's daughter. The text says Bilhah died the very day the report reached Jacob. Dinah followed soon after. Can you imagine the weight of that sorrow? Three losses in a single month.

The timing is significant, too. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, points out that Jacob received the devastating news in the seventh month, Tishri, specifically on the tenth day. Now, what's significant about the tenth of Tishri? It's Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The day meant for seeking forgiveness and reconciliation became intertwined with Jacob's profound grief.

The connection goes even deeper. The text continues, explaining that the children of Israel are "bidden to weep and afflict their souls on this day." It links the sin offering of atonement – a kid of the goats – directly to the transgression of Jacob's sons. Remember the story? They dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a kid, presenting it to their father as proof of Joseph's demise. So, on Yom Kippur, the very offering meant to cleanse sin becomes a stark reminder of their deceit and the immense sorrow they inflicted.

It’s a powerful image, isn't it? A day of atonement forever marked by a father's grief, a consequence of his sons' actions. It makes you think about the ripple effects of our choices, how they can echo through generations, and how even in moments of seeking forgiveness, the past can still cast a long shadow. It’s a reminder that even our attempts at redemption can be intertwined with the pain we’ve caused.

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Legends of the Jews 1:404Legends of the Jews

The story of Joseph, as told in Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a pretty dramatic example.

Remember Joseph? The favorite son of Jacob, sold into slavery in Egypt? He rose through the ranks, interpreting dreams and eventually becoming a powerful figure in the Egyptian court. But, as you can imagine, not everyone was thrilled about this.

The passage What was that all about? Well, it all started with Potiphar. He was the one who initially bought Joseph as a slave. And later, when Pharaoh elevated Joseph, Potiphar wasn’t exactly singing his praises.

He grumbled to Pharaoh, "Why did you appoint my slave, a guy I bought for a measly twenty pieces of silver, to be ruler over the Egyptians?" Ouch. That’s gotta sting. It’s a classic case of resentment fueled by envy. But Joseph wasn’t about to let that accusation stand. He had to defend himself. And his defense? It was… well, let's just say it was a bold move.

Joseph basically accused Potiphar of breaking the law! He said, "When you bought me as a slave, you committed a capital crime! Only descendants of Canaan can be sold as slaves. I’m a descendant of Shem, and a prince, no less!"

Strong words. But how could he prove it? How could he convince everyone that he wasn't just some random slave?

This is where it gets really interesting. Joseph challenged Pharaoh: "If you want proof, compare me to the likeness of my mother Sarah that Pharaoh had made of her!”

A painting of his great-grandmother? That's his evidence?

It's a evidence of the importance of lineage and ancestry in ancient cultures. It was believed that noble blood would manifest physically.

So, they brought out the likeness of Sarah. And, according to the story, the resemblance was undeniable. Everyone was convinced of Joseph’s noble lineage. Crisis averted. Reputation salvaged.

But what does this all mean? It’s more than just a courtroom drama. It speaks to the power of perception, the importance of lineage, and the constant struggle to define oneself in the face of adversity. It reminds us that even in the most difficult circumstances, our stories, our origins, can be our greatest strength.

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Legends of the Jews 1:122Legends of the Jews

The story of Joseph, as told in Legends of the Jews, gives us a raw glimpse into such a struggle.

Joseph, a young man in a foreign land, working in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian official. He’s diligent, handsome, and, unfortunately for him, catches the eye of Potiphar's wife, Zuleika. We find him returning from the fields, ready to resume his duties, but he stops short.

He sees the scene Zuleika has orchestrated, a seductive trap laid just for him. Overwhelmed, Joseph turns to flee. But Zuleika calls out, feigning innocence, urging him to proceed with his work.

So Joseph enters, resumes his tasks, trying to ignore the tension that hangs heavy in the air. Then, in a flash, Zuleika stands before him, radiating beauty and wealth, and again declares her desire. According to Ginzberg, this was the closest Joseph ever came to succumbing to temptation. Just for a moment, his resolve wavers.

And then, something extraordinary happens.

In his moment of weakness, Joseph experiences a vision. The images of his mother, Rachel, and his aunt, Leah, appear before him. And then, most powerfully, the image of his father, Jacob.

Jacob speaks, a voice from beyond, asking a piercing question: "In time to come, the names of thy brethren will be graven upon the breastplate of the high priest. Dost thou desire to have thy name appear with theirs? Or wilt thou forfeit this honor through sinful conduct? For know, he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance."

Can you imagine the impact of those words? The weight of legacy, of family honor, of spiritual destiny, crashing down in that single moment of temptation. It’s a powerful reminder of the unseen forces that guide us, the ancestors who whisper warnings and encouragement from the other side.

This vision, particularly the image of his father, snaps Joseph back to his senses. The illicit passion, the overwhelming temptation, vanishes. As we find in Legends of the Jews, his integrity is restored.

What does this story tell us? Perhaps it's that we are never truly alone in our struggles. That the values instilled in us, the memories of those who came before, can be powerful anchors in the face of temptation. And maybe, just maybe, that even when we falter, a little nudge from our ancestors can set us back on the right path.

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