Family dynamics are always in play. Let's dive into a lesser-known tale, a sort of epilogue to the Joseph story, found in Ginzberg's fascinating Legends of the Jews.
The story picks up on the twenty-first day of the second month in the second year of the famine. Jacob, now reunited with his son, is visited by his daughter-in-law, Asenath, Joseph's wife. She’s struck by Jacob’s vitality, his almost angelic strength. "His shoulders and his arms were like an angel's, and his loins like a giant's," the text tells us. Jacob blesses her, and she heads home with her husband, accompanied by the sons of Leah.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. The sons of the handmaids – the ones who initially sold Joseph into slavery – they keep their distance. There's still a lingering guilt, a sense of unease. It’s a very human touch, isn't it? Even after all this time, the past casts a shadow.
Specifically, Levi, the future priestly ancestor of the Israelites, takes a particular interest in Asenath. We are told that Levi, a prophet and a sage, close to the Living God, sees her future in heaven, "built upon a rock and encompassed by a diamond wall." Wow.
But trouble is brewing. The son of Pharaoh, next in line for the throne, is completely smitten with Asenath. So much so that he hatches a plan to murder Joseph and take her for himself. Seriously?
He approaches Simon and Levi, trying to manipulate them into getting rid of Joseph. Simon, ever impulsive, is ready to strike immediately, but Levi, with his prophetic insight, stops him, whispering, "Why art thou so angry? We that fear God may not repay evil with evil." Levi then warns the Pharaoh’s son to back off, reminding him of the consequences of crossing them – a reference to the slaughter at Shechem.
The Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, often emphasizes the importance of discerning true intentions, and Levi certainly does that here. He sees through the Pharaoh's son's deceptive words.
The Pharaoh’s son, scared but still determined, then turns to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the other brothers. He lies to them, claiming he overheard Joseph plotting to get rid of them after Jacob's death because they were the ones who sold him. This stirs up their old resentment, and they agree to help him.
Their plan is elaborate and, frankly, a bit insane. The Pharaoh’s son will kill Pharaoh, and the brothers will kill Joseph. They even gather six hundred warriors and fifty spearmen!
But the first part of the plan fails. The palace guards prevent the Pharaoh's son from reaching his father. Undeterred, Dan and Gad suggest a new approach: ambush Asenath on her way home, kidnap her, and then deal with Joseph. Naphtali and Asher, seemingly having some moral compass, are reluctant, but Dan and Gad pressure them, arguing that all the sons of the handmaids need to stand together against the perceived threat from Joseph.
It's a chaotic mess, isn't it? All this scheming, all this plotting... it highlights how even after apparent reconciliation, old wounds and insecurities can be easily exploited. The brothers are still grappling with the consequences of their past actions, and that vulnerability makes them susceptible to manipulation.
What happens next? Does the ambush succeed? Does Joseph find out about the plot? Those answers, sadly, are not in this particular telling of the story. But it leaves us pondering: how long does it take for a family to truly heal? And can past sins ever be fully erased? It's a question that resonates far beyond the ancient story of Joseph and his brothers.