The Brothers' Concern

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Vayechi by Dr. Avraham Bogachkov

"וַיִרְאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף כִּי מֵת אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹאמְרוּ לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ...אָנָא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָאתָם כִּי רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹקֵי אָבִיךָ וַיֵבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו...וַיֹאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף אַל תִּירָאוּ כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹקִים אָנִי"  בְּרֵאשִׁית נ':ט''ו-י''ט

“And Yosef’s brothers saw that their father had died, and they said: ‘Perhaps Yosef will bear a grudge against us and then he will surely repay us all the evil that we did him.’...‘Please forgive the spiteful deed of your brothers and their sin, for they have done you evil. So now please forgive the spiteful deed of the servants of your father’s God.’ And Yosef wept when they spoke to him...And Yosef said to them: ‘Fear not, for am I instead of God?’ ”  Bereshis 50:15-19

At the end of the parashah, the Torah presents the above poignant final interaction between Yosef and his brothers. Despite the kindness and care that Yosef expressed toward them during their years in Mitzrayim, the brothers were concerned that Yosef’s attitude would change following their father’s passing. They appeal to their brother to calm any residual anger he might harbor toward them, citing their father’s dying wish that Yosef forgive their trespass against him. Yosef cries in grief once he hears their concerns and responds: "הֲתַחַת אֱלֹקִים אָנִי" – “Am I in place of God?”

Yosef’s response to his brothers is perplexing in this context. This phrase is used earlier in Sefer Bereshis in the conversation between Yaakov and Rachel, in which Rachel demands that he provide her with children, to which Yaakov responds  "הֲתַחַת אֱלֹקִים אָנִי"– Am I in place of God?” Given that it is not within Yaakov’s physical ability to give her children, but rather it is a God-given gift, Yaakov’s response to Rachel is understandable. Yosef, however, as the viceroy of Egypt, is more than capable of effecting physical harm to his siblings and removing his royal protections. How do we understand his response?

The Be’er Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Salant) discusses this question and provides insight into Yosef’s response. He explains that the brothers’ concern was not merely a theoretical possibility that Yosef’s anger might flare at them following their father’s passing, but rather was a response to actual changes that occurred. Based on the Midrash brought by Rashi earlier in the parashah (28:47), early aspects of the Jewish subjugation and enslavement to the Egyptians began immediately after Yaakov’s passing. The brothers mistakenly assumed that this was Yosef’s direct bidding – manifest retribution of Yosef’s residual anger at his earlier treatment. Just as Yosef was subjected by his brothers to be sold as a slave, so would his brothers become victims of the concept of measure for measure. As a response, part of their entreaty to Yosef included the argument that they alleged was given by their father Yaakov of: “Please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” They noted that we, the Jewish people, are servants of God. We cannot be sold into slavery to the idolatrous Egyptians. Yosef understood the meaning behind their entreaty, and cried that his brothers thought him responsible for the shifting tides in Egypt.

We can now understand his subsequent response – “Am I in place of God?” – “is it in my power to defy God’s will and acquire His servants?” Rather, the subjugation of the Jewish people was ordained by God Himself, as promised in the Bris Bein HaBesarim, and completely outside of Yosef’s purview. From this perspective, Yosef’s response very much mirrored that of his father to Rachel’s request for children.

While it is not our place to judge our forebears, the holy Shevatim, it is nonetheless incumbent upon us to draw the appropriate lessons from their interactions. We can see from the totality of the relationship between Yosef and his brothers that their contact was fraught with assumptions about one another’s intentions, even at this late stage, which led to so much pain and suffering on all sides. Particularly in the current environment with the situation in Eretz Yisrael, we, as Klal Yisrael, must be meticulously cognizant of one another’s feelings and strive to build unity amongst ourselves at every opportunity. In this merit, may Hashem accept our tefillos, protect our brethren in Eretz Yisrael, and bring the conflict to an end.

---

Dr. Avraham Bogachkov graduated from FYHS in 2005 and went on to learn in Yeshivas Torah Moshe for two years. He subsequently pursued BA and MD degrees at Northwestern University, did his radiology residency training at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and completed fellowship training at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Bogachkov is now a practicing Radiologist in the Chicago suburbs. He resides with his family in West Rogers Park.