Sometimes, it's in those very details that the most fascinating stories are hidden.
Take the moment in Genesis 33:5 when Jacob, after years of estrangement, finally meets his brother Esau again. Esau sees the women and children with Jacob and asks, "Who are these to you?" Jacob responds, "The children with whom God has graced your servant."
Now, Rabbi Binyamin bar Levi, as quoted in Bereshit Rabbah, notices something peculiar. We’ve heard of God’s grace regarding eleven of the tribes, but not Benjamin. Why? Because Benjamin wasn't even born yet when Jacob spoke those words! So, where do we hear about grace regarding Benjamin? It's later, in Genesis 43:29, when Joseph says, "God be gracious to you, my son," to Benjamin. A small detail, perhaps, but a crucial piece of the puzzle.
But the story doesn't end there. As we continue through the reunion in Genesis 33, we read (verses 6-7): "The maidservants approached, they and their children, and they prostrated themselves. Leah too, and her children, approached, and prostrated themselves; and then Joseph and Rachel approached, and prostrated themselves." Notice the order? It seems deliberate.
The Midrash fills in the gaps. According to this passage in Bereshit Rabbah, Joseph, ever watchful, knew that Esau possessed a "covetous eye"—a powerful, perhaps dangerous gaze. Joseph feared that Esau's gaze would fall upon his mother, Rachel. So, what did he do? He stood tall and obscured her from view.
This act of protection is beautifully captured in the verse from Genesis 49:22: "Joseph is a fruitful tree [ben porat], a fruitful tree alongside a spring [alei ayin]." The rabbis play with the Hebrew words here, finding layers of meaning. Joseph, you grew like a fruitful tree to block an eye [alei ayin]. To obscure Rachel from Esau’s eye. Joseph, you grew due to cows [ben parot] – a reference to the cows in Pharaoh's dream. A fruitful tree alongside a spring [alei ayin] – you grew due to produce [ben perot], a reference to the sheaves in Pharaoh’s dream.
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Simon, then adds a striking sentiment: "It is incumbent upon me to repay you due to that eye." To repay [lifro'a] is expounded from the word porat. What does he mean? Because Joseph blocked Esau's potentially harmful gaze from Rachel, he is owed a debt of gratitude.
So, what can we take away from this intricate reading of just a few verses? It reminds us that even seemingly minor actions can have profound consequences. Joseph's quick thinking, his protective love for his mother, is elevated to a symbol of fruitfulness and divine favor. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the greatest acts of love are the quietest, the most observant, the ones that shield those we care about from harm, seen and unseen.