Megillah, Daf Tet Zayin, Part 5
Introduction
This section moves on to midrashim on the Joseph story. The first of these is connected to Esther, and it is for that reason that the collection is placed here.
+בראשית מ"ה+ לכלם נתן לאיש חלפות שמלת ולבנימן נתן.. חמש חליפת, אפשר דבר שנצטער בו אותו צדיק יכשל בו? דאמר רבא בר מחסיא אמר רב חמא בר גוריא אמר רב: בשביל משקל שני סלעים מילת שהוסיף יעקב ליוסף משאר אחיו – נתגלגל הדבר, וירדו אבותינו למצרים.
אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת: רמז רמז לו, שעתיד בן לצאת ממנו שיצא מלפני המלך בחמשה לבושי מלכות, שנאמר ומרדכי יצא… בלבוש מלכות תכלת וגו‘.
"To all of them he gave to each man a change of clothing but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothing" (Genesis 45:22). Is it possible that that righteous man should fall into the very mistake from which he himself had suffered? For Rava b. Mehasia said in the name of R. Hami b. Guria, who said it in the name of Rav: Through two sela’s weight of fine silk which Jacob gave to Joseph more than what he gave to his brothers, the matter was set rolling and our ancestors eventually went down to Egypt!
R. Benjamin b. Japhet said: He gave him a hint that a descendant would issue from him who would go out before a king in five royal garments, as it says, "And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue" (Esther 8:15).
When Joseph gives Benjamin more gifts than he gives to the other brothers, he seems to be falling into the same trap as did his father. Jacob gave a greater gift than that which he gave to the brothers, the "tunic of ‘many colors’" (whatever the word "pasim" means). By doing so he set in motion the process that would eventually lead to the Israelite descent into slavery in Egypt. Joseph should know this yet he falls into the pattern of the same destructive behavior as his father (don’t we all).
R. Benjamin b. Japhet (is it a coincidence that Benjamin explains Benjamin?) explains that Joseph was giving Benjamin a hint that eventually he would have a descendant who would wear five royal garments Mordecai.
+בראשית מה+ ויפל על צוארי בנימן אחיו – כמה צוארין הוו ליה לבנימין? – אמר רבי אלעזר: בכה על שני מקדשים שעתידין להיות בחלקו של בנימין, ועתידין ליחרב. ובנימן בכה על צואריו – בכה על משכן שילה שעתיד להיות בחלקו של יוסף, ועתיד ליחרב.
"And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s necks" (Genesis 45:14). How many necks did Benjamin have? R. Elazar said: He wept for the two Temples which were destined to be in the territory of Benjamin and to be destroyed.
"And Benjamin wept upon his neck": he wept for the tabernacle of Shiloh which was destined to be in the territory of Joseph and to be destroyed.
Joseph cries on Benjamin’s "necks" for the two Temples that were to be built in Jerusalem, which according to some was in the tribe of Benjamin. And Benjamin cried on Joseph’s neck for the destruction of the tabernacle in Shiloh, the center of worship before the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
+בראשית מ"ה+ והנה עיניכם ראות ועיני אחי בנימין. אמר רבי אלעזר, אמר להם: כשם שאין בלבי על בנימין אחי שלא היה במכירתי – כך אין בלבי עליכם. כי פי המדבר אליכם, כפי – כן לבי.
"And behold your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin." R. Elazar said: He said to them: Just as I bear no malice against my brother Benjamin who had no part in my selling, so I have no malice against you. "That it is my mouth that speaks to you." As my mouth is, so is my heart.
This section is about Joseph’s revelation of his identity to his brothers. R. Elazar reads into the verse some emphasis that Joseph holds no malice against them for having sold him into slavery.
+בראשית מ"ה+ ולאביו שלח כזאת עשרה חמרים נשאים מטוב מצרים. מאי מטוב מצרים? אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת אמר רבי אלעזר: שלח לו יין [ישן], שדעת זקנים נוחה הימנו.
"And to his father he sent in like manner ten donkeys laden with the good things of Egypt" (Genesis 45:23). What are "the good things of Egypt"? R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Elazar: He sent him [old] wine which old men find very comforting.
How nice of Benjamin to send his father wine from Egypt. I’ll be happy if my boy sends me wine when I’m old. Right now it’s still mostly whine.
+בראשית נ‘+ וילכו גם אחיו ויפלו לפניו, אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת אמר רבי אלעזר: היינו דאמרי אינשי: תעלא בעידניה סגיד ליה. תעלא? מאי בצירותיה מאחווה? אלא, אי איתמר הכי איתמר: +בראשית מ"ז+ וישתחו ישראל על ראש המטה, אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת אמר רבי אלעזר: תעלא בעידניה סגיד ליה.
"And his brothers also went and fell down before him" (Genesis 50:3). R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Elazar: This is what people say: A fox in its hour bow down to it. [You compare Joseph to] a fox! How was he inferior to his brothers? Rather if this was said [by R. Eleazar] it was applied as follows: "And Israel bowed down upon the bed’s head" (Genesis 47:31). R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Eleazar: A fox in its hour bow down to it.
The first verse quoted here is from Genesis 50, after Jacob has died. The brothers come in front of Joseph, bowing down out of fear. R. Elazar applies a folk saying to this "A fox in its hour bow down to it." The implication of the saying is that one should bow down even to a lowly fox, when it is "having its hour." The problem is that Joseph is no fox, inferior to his brothers. The saying should be invoked only when superiors are bowing to an inferior, which is not the case here.
Therefore, the saying is reapplied to a case where Jacob bows down to Joseph. Since Jacob is the father, Joseph should bow down to him. But Joseph was "having his hour" and therefore it is appropriate for Jacob to bow down to him.
+בראשית נ‘+ וינחם אותם וידבר על לבם אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת אמר רבי אלעזר: מלמד שאמר להם דברים שמתקבלין על הלב: ומה עשרה נרות לא יכלו לכבות נר אחד – נר אחד היאך יכול לכבות עשרה נרות?
"And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them" (Genesis 50:21): R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Elazar: This teaches that he spoke to them words which would be acceptable to them, [saying], If ten lights were not able to put out one, how can one light put out ten?
Joseph reassured his brothers that he did not intend on taking revenge against them.