Take the story of Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers. We all know the story, right? Jealousy, betrayal, a coat of many colors… but what about the aftermath?
Genesis 37:28 tells us, "Midianite men, merchants, passed, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit; they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces, and they brought Joseph to Egypt.” It sounds straightforward, but the Rabbis of the Midrash, those ancient interpreters of scripture, saw layers of meaning within those words.
The Bereshit Rabbah, that magnificent collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, homes in on the phrase "Midianite men, merchants, passed." But it doesn't stop there. It plays on the Hebrew words, suggesting that not just the Midianites passed, but their hadayyanim – their contentiousness, their arguing – also passed. This hints at the regret that Joseph's brothers soon felt. Think about it: the deed is done, Joseph is gone, and the weight of their actions begins to settle in.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Baitus, in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, takes this idea even further. He references Isaiah 63:17, "Why do you lead us astray, Lord, from Your ways?" According to him, it’s as if the brothers are questioning how they could have been led to such a terrible act. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon suggests that God can place love or hate in our hearts as He wishes. A pretty radical idea, right? It hints at the complex interplay of free will and divine influence in our lives.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. The Midrash connects this ancient sin to later events in Jewish history. The Holy One, blessed be He, essentially says: "You sold Rachel’s son, Joseph, for twenty maot, which equal five sela'im." Because of that, the Bereshit Rabbah suggests, each Israelite will later have to pay five sela'im as the value for redeeming their firstborn sons. This is the mitzvah, the commandment, of pidyon haben, redeeming the firstborn son, a ritual that continues to this day.
It doesn't end there. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon adds that God tells the tribes they sold Joseph for twenty silver pieces, and because of that, each of them will receive a beka per person. What’s a beka? It's half a shekel, and it's the amount each Israelite was required to contribute as a head tax, as we learn in Exodus 38:26: “One beka per head, one half-shekel.”
According to the Maharzu, a commentary on the Midrash, this head tax was set at the same price that each of the brothers received for the sale of Joseph. Think of it! A direct link between the individual sin of the brothers and a communal obligation generations later.
So, what are we left with? More than just a story of jealousy and betrayal, the Bereshit Rabbah reveals a profound connection between our actions and their consequences, both individual and collective. It's a reminder that the past isn't just something we read about; it shapes our present and influences our future. Every choice we make, every action we take, has a price, a ripple effect that extends far beyond what we can see. And sometimes, that price is paid generations later. It makes you think, doesn’t it?