The story of Joseph in Egypt, as retold in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, offers us a powerful lesson in these very qualities.
After years of hardship, Jacob and his family finally settle in Goshen. And Joseph? He doesn't just provide for them. He showers them with kindness. Ginzberg tells us that Joseph supplies them with everything they need: food, drink, even clothing! He welcomes them to his table daily, a symbol of his complete forgiveness. Can you imagine that? After being sold into slavery by his own brothers, he entertains them as honored guests.
He even asks his father, Jacob, to pray for his brothers, that God might forgive their "great transgression." Jacob, deeply moved, exclaims, "O Joseph, my child, thou hast conquered the heart of thy father Jacob!"
But Joseph's generosity extended far beyond his family. He earned the title "the God-fearing one," a title shared only by Abraham, Job, and Obadiah. This wasn't just about following rules; it was about the generosity of his spirit. Whatever he gave, he gave with a "good eye," meaning he gave freely and abundantly. Even the crumbs were plentiful enough for children to enjoy!
And remember, this was during a famine. While Pharaoh hoarded grain, Joseph provided for the entire world. The people cursed Pharaoh but blessed Joseph for his compassion.
The wealth Joseph acquired from selling grain was considered lawful, because, as Legends of the Jews tells us, the prices were raised by the Egyptians themselves, not by him. What did he do with all this wealth? Well, that's where it gets really interesting.
Joseph buried a good part of it – gold, silver, precious stones – in four secret locations: the desert near the Red Sea, the banks of the Euphrates, and two spots in the Persian and Median deserts. According to tradition, Korah found one hiding place, and the Roman emperor Antoninus, son of Severus, found another. But the other two? They remain hidden, reserved by God for the pious in the days of the Messiah.
The rest of Joseph's wealth he gave away, some to his brothers and their families, and some to Pharaoh, who added it to his treasury. All the world’s wealth flowed into Egypt, and it stayed there until the Exodus, when the Israelites left "like a net without fish," taking it all with them. As the story continues, this treasure passes through many hands: from the Israelites to King Shishak, then to Zerah the Ethiopian, back to the Jews under King Asa, then to the Arameans, the Ammonites, and finally, after many more turns, to the Romans.
But Joseph's influence on Egypt didn't stop at distributing grain. When the people ran out of money, they sold their livestock, then their land, and finally, even themselves to Joseph. He bought all the land of Egypt, making the people his tenants. They gave a fifth of their harvest to Joseph. The only exception? The priests.
Joseph showed gratitude to the priests, because they were the ones who vouched for his innocence when he was accused of adultery by Potiphar's wife. According to the narrative, they suggested examining the tear in his garment to determine his guilt or innocence. The angel Gabriel intervened, moving the tear to prove Joseph's innocence, thus clearing the path for him to become ruler.
As we find in Midrash Rabbah, God remarked that if priests who served idols received their needs daily, surely the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were God’s priests, deserved the same.
Finally, Joseph relocated the Egyptians, mixing up their provinces. Why? To prevent them from looking down on his brothers as "exiles." He wanted everyone to be equally alien, as the text explains. This concept of displacement is echoed later when God causes all nations to change their dwelling places during the Exodus, so the Israelites couldn't be reproached for leaving their home. And again, when Sennacherib exiled the Jews, he first mixed up the inhabitants of all countries.
So, what does Joseph's story teach us? It's not just a tale of forgiveness and generosity; it's a reminder that true leadership involves providing for others, treating everyone with respect, and using your power to create a more equitable world. It challenges us to consider how we can embody these qualities in our own lives, no matter how big or small our sphere of influence. How can we be more like Joseph?
Jacob and his family now settled in the land of Goshen, and Joseph provided them with all things needful, not only with food and drink, but also with clothing, and in his love and kindness he entertained his father and his brethren daily at his own table. He banished the wrong done to him by his brethren from his mind, and he besought his father to pray to God for them, that He should forgive their great transgression. Touched by this noble sign of love, Jacob cried out, "O Joseph, my child, thou hast conquered the heart of thy father Jacob." Joseph had other virtues, besides. The title "the Godfearing one," borne only by him, Abraham, Job, and Obadiah, he gained by reason of his kindness of heart and his generosity. Whatever he gave his brethren, he gave with a "good eye," a liberal spirit. If it was bread for food, it was sure to be abundant enough, not only to satisfy the hunger of all, but also for the children to crumble, as is their habit. But Joseph was more than a helper to his family. As a shepherd pastures his flock, so he provided for the whole world during the years of famine. The people cursed Pharaoh, who kept the stores of corn in his treasure chambers for his own use, and they blessed Joseph, who took thought for the famishing, and sold grain to all that came. The wealth which he acquired by these sales was lawful gain, for the prices were raised, not by him, but by the Egyptians themselves. One part of his possessions, consisting of gold and silver and precious stones, Joseph buried in four different places, in the desert near the Red Sea, on the banks of the Euphrates, and in two spots in the desert in the vicinity of Persia and Media. Korah discovered one of the hidingplaces, and the Roman emperor Antoninus, the son of Severus, another. The other two will never be found, because God has reserved the riches they hold for the pious, to be enjoyed by them in the latter days, the days of the Messiah. The remainder of Joseph's possessions he gave away, partly to his brethren and their families, and partly to Pharaoh, who put them into his treasury. The wealth of the whole world flowed into Egypt at that time, and it remained there until the exodus of the Israelites. They took it along, leaving Egypt like a net without fish. The Israelites kept the treasure until the time of Rehoboam, who was deprived of it by the Egyptian king Shishak, and he in turn had to yield it to Zerah, the king of Ethiopia. Once more it came into possession of the Jews when King Asa conquered Zerah, but this time they held it for only a short while, for Asa surrendered it to the Aramean king Ben-hadad, to induce him to break his league with Baasha, the king of the Ten Tribes. The Ammonites, in turn, captured it from Ben-hadad, only to lose it in their war with the Jews under Jehoshaphat. Again it remained with the Jews, until the time of King Ahaz, who sent it to Sennacherib as tribute money. Hezekiah won it back, but Zedekiah, the last king of the Jews, lost it to the Chaldeans, from whom it came to Persia, thence to the Greeks, and finally to the Romans, and with the last it remained for all time. The people were soon left without means to purchase the corn they needed. In a short time they had to part with their cattle, and when the money thus secured was spent, they sold their land to Joseph, and even their persons. Many of them would cover themselves with clay and appear before Joseph, and say to him, "O lord king, see me and see my possessions!" And so Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, and the inhabitants became his tenants, and they gave a fifth of their ingatherings unto joseph. The only class of the people permitted to remain in possession of their land were the priests. Joseph owed them gratitude, for they had made it possible for him to become the ruler over Egypt. The Egyptians had hesitated to make him their viceroy, because they shrank from choosing a man accused of adultery for so high an office. It was the priests that made the suggestion to examine Joseph's torn garment, which his mistress had submitted as evidence of his guilt, and see whether the rent was in front or in back. If it was in back, it would show his innocence—he had turned to flee, and his temptress had clutched him so that the garment tore. But if the tear was in front, then it would be a proof of his guilt—he had used violence with the woman, and she had torn the mantle in her efforts to defend her honor. The angel Gabriel came and transferred the rent from the fore part to the back, and the Egyptians were convinced of Joseph's innocence, and their scruples about raising him to the kingship were removed. As soon as the Egyptians learnt of the advantageous position of the priests, they all tried to prove themselves members of the caste. But Joseph investigated the lists in the archives, and determined the estate of every citizen. The priests were favored in another way. Beside remaining in possession of their land, they received daily portions from Pharaoh, wherefore God said, "The priests that serve idols receive all they need every day, how much more do the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are My priests, deserve that I should give them what they need every day." The rest of the inhabitants of Egypt, who had to part with their land, were not permitted to remain in their native provinces. Joseph removed them from their own cities, and settled them in others. His purpose herein was to prevent the Egyptians from speaking of his brethren derogatorily as "exiles the sons of exiles"; he made them all equally aliens. For the same reason, God later, at the time of the going forth of the Israelites from Egypt, caused all nations to change their dwelling-places about, so that the Israelites could not be reproached with having had to leave their home. And, finally, when Sermacherib carried the Jews away from their land into exile, it also happened that this king first mixed up the inhabitants of all the countries of the world.
