The story begins with Jacob observing his sons. "Why do you make yourselves conspicuous?" he asks them. But what exactly did he mean? According to this Midrash, Jacob wasn't just worried about general safety. He specifically cautioned them: "Do not take out bread [perusa]…in your hands, and do not enter all of you in one entrance, due to the evil eye." The ayin hara, the evil eye, is a powerful concept in Jewish tradition, a belief that envy and ill-will can manifest as a tangible curse. Jacob, ever the patriarch, wanted to protect his family from such negativity. The Midrash emphasizes that there was no shortage of food in Jacob’s household, so openly displaying wealth might incite jealousy.
Then comes the pivotal moment. Famine strikes, and Jacob hears there's grain in Egypt. "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and acquire grain for us from there, and we will live and not die" (Genesis 42:2). Simple enough, right? But Rabbi Abba bar Kahana sees something deeper within the words "Go down [redu]…and acquire…for us from there." He points out that the numerical value of redu – Reish (200) + dalet (4) + vav (6) – equals 210. This, Rabbi Abba suggests, is a subtle hint, a prophetic whisper that Jacob's descendants were destined to spend 210 years in Egyptian servitude.
"Ten of Joseph's brothers went down to acquire grain from Egypt" (Genesis 42:3). But why emphasize that they were "Joseph's brothers?" Rabbi Binyamin raises a fascinating point. Isn't it obvious they are ten brothers? He suggests that nine parts of their motivation was fraternity – a desire to find Joseph, their lost brother – and only one part was about acquiring grain. This adds a layer of emotional complexity to their journey, reminding us that family bonds often run deeper than practical needs.
And then, there's Benjamin. "But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, as he said: Lest disaster befall him" (Genesis 42:4). Jacob, already scarred by the presumed loss of Joseph, couldn’t bear the thought of losing another son. This verse, in its simple declaration, speaks volumes about a father's love and fear. The text emphasizes that since the verse specifies that Joseph’s brothers came with the exception of Benjamin, it highlights the need for the previous statement clarifying the number of brothers.
What does this all mean for us today? Perhaps it's a reminder to be mindful of our actions, to avoid unnecessary displays of wealth that might incite envy. Maybe it's a call to look deeper into the words of Torah, to search for hidden meanings and prophetic whispers. Or perhaps, it's simply a poignant reminder of the enduring power of family, and the lengths we'll go to protect those we love. These layers of meaning and interpretation remind us that the Torah is not just a book, but a living, breathing text that continues to speak to us across the generations.