The story of Joseph, sold into slavery, gives us a dramatic answer. "The Medanites sold him to Egypt, to Potifar, an official of Pharaoh, the chief executioner" (Genesis 37:36). But the Bereshit Rabbah, that rich collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, asks: how many sales really happened?
Rabbi Yudan tallies it up: four separate transactions! First, Joseph's own brothers sell him to the Ishmaelites. Then, the Ishmaelites sell him to merchants. The merchants, in turn, sell him to the Midianites. And finally, the Midianites sell him to Egypt. But Rav Huna goes even further, suggesting a fifth sale: the Midianites sell Joseph to the country's treasury, from which Potifar eventually purchases him. Imagine the paperwork! All those bills of sale, each one a betrayal, a loss.
The narrative then shifts abruptly. "It was at that time; Judah descended from his brothers and turned to an Adulamite man, and his name was Ḥira" (Genesis 38:1). What's going on here? Why this sudden change of scene? The Bereshit Rabbah doesn't shy away from the tough questions. It sees a profound connection, a moral and historical turning point. "Judah descended from his brothers" becomes a moment of crisis.
The text pulls in verses from the prophet Malachi: "Judah has betrayed, and an abomination has been performed..." (Malachi 2:11). According to the Matnot Kehuna, God is essentially saying to Judah: ‘You have denied, Judah; you have lied, Judah.’ Judah's transgression? Marrying a Canaanite woman, thus betraying his status and responsibility as a member of Jacob's household, according to Rabbi Nehemya (as we saw back in Bereshit Rabba 84:21). This act is seen as a profanation, "for Judah has profaned the holy of the Lord that He loves" (Malachi 2:11).
But there's more. The text brings in Micah: "I will yet bring to you a dispossessor, inhabitant of Maresha; [the glory of Israel] will come as far as Adulam" (Micah 1:15). The Yefe To’ar suggests this could mean that God will come to Adulam to punish Israel. Or, it asks rhetorically, was it really fitting for Judah to come to Adulam and marry a Canaanite woman? It's a stark contrast: the potential glory of Israel juxtaposed with Judah's personal failings.
Then, a beautiful and hopeful turn. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman begins with a verse from Jeremiah: "For I have known the thoughts" (Jeremiah 29:11). While all these seemingly disparate events are unfolding – the tribes selling Joseph, Joseph in mourning, Reuben in mourning, Jacob in mourning, and Judah seeking a wife – God, blessed be He, is engaged in creating the light of the messianic king. As the Bereshit Rabbah says, "It was at that time, Judah descended from his brothers," and Judah's line, through this very marriage, will ultimately lead to David and the Messiah.
"Before she begins labor, she will give birth" (Isaiah 66:7). Before the enslavement in Egypt even takes hold, the seeds of redemption are already being sown. “It was at that time” – what is written prior to the matter? “The Medanites sold him to Egypt” (Genesis 37:36).
It's a powerful reminder: even in moments of darkness, betrayal, and apparent descent, hope and redemption are quietly taking root. Even when we are at our lowest, God is already working on our salvation. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What seemingly disconnected events in our own lives might be part of a larger, divinely orchestrated plan?