Vayyiggash: Equality and economic justice

By Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom on December 13, 2007 - ד' טבת תשס"ח

(Genesis 44:18-47:27)

The first repetition is for emphasis; after that, it’s a fixation. This is our third week with Joseph, and certain patterns are beginning to emerge: Joseph the seer, the gifted, the redeemer; Joseph the troubled brother and son from a family into its third generation of dysfunction. This week finds me gaping at the persistent presence of the slavery theme in these stories, and particularly with Joseph. He is sold into slavery, and then threatens his brothers with slavery, and, at the end of our parashah, puts the Egyptian people into slavery. Unfortunately for us, Joseph’s descendants, the cycle doesn’t end there: as soon as he leaves the scene, a new Pharoah “who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1) arrives and enslaves Israel.

In the last part of this week’s reading, Joseph settles his family in the best part of Egypt, and sustains them (Gen. 47: 11-12). And as the famine is still in full swing, he is still the food broker for all of Egypt, who, in the process of buying it, lose all of their money, their cattle, their land, their towns and their freedom (verses 13-26). Returning to Joseph’s family, the reading closes with, ” Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, to be specific, in the land of Goshen, and acquired holdings; they were fruitful and multiplied greatly (verse 27)”, a formula which recalls the idyllic blessing of Genesis 1, but also the introduction to the enslavement of Israel in Exodus 1. Is the text, which so strongly emphasizes the gap between Joseph’s preferential treatment of his family and his shrewd (if not heartless) administrative handling of the Egyptians, not hinting at the possibility that the Egyptian people would have had reason to support what this new Pharoah did?

The rise and fall of Joseph’s fortunes, and that of his descendants, is part of a pattern of economic instability and extreme fluctuation in all of the patriarchal stories: one either prospers or is enslaved. Furthermore, every mention of prosperity carries with it resentment and contention: Abram prospers in chapter 12, and feuds with his nephew Lot in chapter 13; Isaac’s wealth increases “more and more until it very much (Gen. 26:13) and that brings on the feud with the Philistines, and so, too, with Jacob and Laban (chapter 31). Jacob is enriched by the violent seizure of Shechem’s flocks, but it is in tending those flocks in that area that Joseph is sold by his brothers. By contrast, the frightful hostility between Jacob and Esau, which is resolved non-violently, is accompanied by a profuse generosity (but some would call it a bribe…).

There’s a bottom line here, and it is material: the world is one of blessing, but not on an unlimited scale. It requires us to share, and begs for equality and economic justice. After all, what good to us is all what we acquire if it doesn’t bring us peace?

When Joseph, who was raised as a favorite son, finally finds his way back into his brothers’ embrace (45:15), he gives each of them gifts of clothing (45:22); but to Benjamin he gives more! What could possibly set Joseph free?

Rabbis for Human Rights recommends that you read these articles in Vayyiggash

Vayyiggash: Equality and economic justice - December 13th, 2007
VaYyiggash: Spiritual liberty and freedom from greed and cruelty - December 29th, 2006

Categories: Vayyiggash
Tags: Bo, ease, human rights, palestinians, peace, settlers