That’s kind of what happened to Jacob after Joseph disappeared, according to the ancient commentary, Bereshit Rabbah.
The Torah tells us, "Jacob saw that there was grain [shever] in Egypt" (Genesis 42:1). But wait a minute… was Jacob in Egypt? The text also says he heard about the grain from his sons! So, what's going on? Bereshit Rabbah 91 dives into this seeming contradiction.
The Midrash explains that from the moment Joseph was taken, the Ruach Hakodesh – the Divine Spirit – departed from Jacob. He could see, but not really see. Hear, but not really hear. He had a vague awareness, a sense of things he wouldn't normally know, but lacked true clarity. It's like trying to tune into a radio station with a weak signal.
And why does the Torah use the word shever, grain, instead of simply saying "food"? The commentary cleverly suggests we reinterpret shever. Don’t read it as "grain," but as sever – "hope." Jacob, in his diminished state, sensed that his hope, his salvation, lay in Egypt. And who was that hope? Joseph.
The story continues with Jacob sending his sons to Egypt. "Why do you make yourselves conspicuous?" he warns them. According to Bereshit Rabbah, Jacob cautioned them, "You are mighty, you are handsome, do not enter through one gate and do not stand in one place, so that the evil eye will not have dominion over you." He knew the dangers of envy and attention.
But there's more to "go down there" than meets the eye. The Midrash offers another interpretation: "go down there" alludes to the future descent into Egyptian slavery. A foreshadowing of the difficult times to come.
Now, here's where the story gets even more intriguing. The brothers go to Egypt, but the Torah calls them "Joseph's brothers," not "the children of Israel." Why? Because, initially, they hadn't acted with brotherhood. They sold Joseph! But, the Midrash says, they regretted it. They longed to bring their brother back to their father. This time, they were united in their desire to right a wrong.
Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon adds a layer of detail: Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, knew his brothers would come seeking food. So, he stationed guards at every gate, recording the names of everyone who entered. Each brother, unknowingly, gave their names – Reuben son of Jacob, Simeon son of Jacob, and so on.
Can you imagine Joseph's reaction when he saw those names? He immediately sealed all but one storehouse and instructed the proprietor to apprehend these men. But they didn't come. Joseph then sent seventy mighty men to find them.
And where did they find them? In the marketplace of… harlots! The Midrash explains that the brothers, remembering Joseph's "fair form and fair appearance," feared he might be in such a place. A desperate, almost unbelievable, search for their lost brother.
The tension builds as Joseph confronts his brothers, accusing them of being spies. They protest, "We are all the sons of one man; we are sincere." Joseph, however, remains unconvinced, striking a goblet and claiming to see their deceit.
The brothers try to explain their presence in the marketplace, their father's warning about the evil eye. Joseph then reveals his "vision" – that two of them destroyed the city of Shekhem and that they sold their brother.
Shocked, the brothers confess, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, sons of… our father." But Joseph presses them: Where are the other two? One is "absent" (dead, they claim), and the youngest is with their father. He demands to see the youngest brother.
In a dramatic move, Joseph imprisons Simeon. The Midrash explains that Simeon was chosen because he was the one who pushed Joseph into the pit. Joseph separates Simeon from Levi to prevent them from plotting together.
Simeon cries out, "So you did to Joseph, and so you seek to do to me?" He begs his brothers not to abandon him. The scene is full of guilt, regret, and fear.
Joseph, through a messenger, requests seventy of Pharaoh's mighty men to help him shackle these "robbers." When the guards approach Simeon, he roars, and they fall to the ground, their teeth breaking! Manasseh, Joseph's son, is the one who ultimately subdues Simeon.
Joseph declares that Simeon will remain imprisoned until they bring their youngest brother. The brothers return to Jacob, recounting the harrowing events. Jacob is distraught. “You have bereaved me,” he laments.
Reuben offers his own sons as collateral, but Jacob refuses. Judah finally steps forward, offering himself as guarantor for Benjamin's safety. “I will guarantee him; from me you can demand him,” he pleads (Genesis 43:9).
And here we come full circle: "Jacob saw that there was grain [shever] in Egypt." Some commentaries suggest that this final line is an error, but the Midrash connects it to Jacob’s fear for Benjamin's safety. The word shever now represents disaster, the potential harm that might befall his beloved son.
What does this all mean? It's a powerful reminder of the complexities of family, the consequences of our actions, and the enduring power of hope, even in the darkest of times. And perhaps, it's also a lesson about seeing beyond the surface, about recognizing the hidden meanings and the deeper truths that lie beneath the words. Are we truly seeing, or are we just catching glimpses, like Jacob after losing Joseph? It's a question worth pondering, isn't it?