Consider Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt. It’s a story we all know, but have you ever thought about the smell of the story?
Normally, the Ishmaelite traders, the ones who bought Joseph from his brothers, dealt in rather unpleasant goods: pitch, for example, and animal hides. Imagine the stench! But this time, something was different. It seems providence intervened.
Instead of their usual cargo, these traders were carrying bags of perfumery. Why? The Legends of the Jews tells us that this was no accident. It was "a providential dispensation," a divine arrangement so that "sweet fragrance might be wafted to Joseph on his journey to Egypt."
Think about that for a moment. The air around Joseph, usually filled with the harsh odors of trade, was now filled with sweet, aromatic scents. It was fitting, wasn’t it? According to tradition, Joseph himself possessed a remarkable fragrance. His body emitted "a pleasant smell, so agreeable and pervasive that the road along which he travelled was redolent thereof."
Imagine the scene: a young man, betrayed and sold into slavery, yet surrounded by an aura of sweetness. When he arrived in Egypt, the story continues, the perfume emanating from him spread throughout the land. Royal princesses, drawn by the captivating scent, followed it until they found the source: Joseph himself.
It’s an incredible image, isn’t it? A scent so powerful it could lead people to him. And the story doesn't end there.
Even after his death, Joseph’s bones retained this remarkable fragrance. According to the Legends of the Jews, it was this very scent that allowed Moses to identify Joseph’s remains centuries later. Remember the oath the children of Israel made, to return Joseph’s bones to the Holy Land? It was this fragrance, this lingering essence of Joseph, that enabled Moses to fulfill that sacred promise.
So, what does this all mean? Is it just a fanciful tale, an embellishment of the Joseph story? Or is it something more? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, even in moments of betrayal and hardship, there can be a subtle sweetness, a hint of divine favor, that guides us and those around us. And maybe, just maybe, our actions, our very being, can leave a fragrance that lingers long after we're gone.