Joseph鈥檚 Brothers and the Naked Truth
In Parashat Miketz, Jacob sends Joseph鈥檚 brothers on a mission to procure rations for the family, which is facing starvation in Canaan. The ten sons of Jacob, however, could not have anticipated what was to transpire upon their arrival. An intense interrogation by Egypt鈥檚 viceroy is followed by three days in detention, the incarceration of Simon, and a demand to bring Benjamin, their youngest brother, to Egypt. The brothers find no relief from their ordeal, and this unrelenting strain manifests itself both in the way they respond to Joseph鈥檚 questioning, as well as how they retell the incident to their father, Jacob, upon their return to Canaan.
We readers are given a detailed account of the brothers鈥� visit as it unfolds, with a focus on the verbal exchange with Joseph. Joseph鈥檚 manner and words reflect animus towards his brothers as he recalls some very difficult moments in his life. Then, when sharing with their father, Jacob, their account of their experience, the brothers鈥� retelling of what took place in Egypt diverges from what happened earlier in the chapter. The modifications, additions, and omissions are all quite revealing of the mindset of the brothers. It seems to me, reflecting on what might be seen as an innocent omission, that they failed to fully comprehend the harm they had caused Joseph.
When Jacob sends the brothers to fulfill the important task of travelling to Egypt to procure food for the family, he does not recognize that once again, as was the case with Joseph years earlier, his sending sons away would result in having one fewer son present in his household.
Upon reaching Egypt, the brothers鈥� identity becomes immediately known to Joseph:
讜址讬址旨芝专职讗 讬讜止住值譀祝 讗侄转志讗侄讞指謻讬讜 讜址讬址旨讻执旨专值謶诐 讜址讬执旨转职谞址讻值旨吱专 讗植诇值讬讛侄譁诐 讜址讬职讚址讘值旨支专 讗执转指旨郑诐 拽指砖讈謼讜止转 讜址讬止旨证讗诪侄专 讗植诇值讛侄诐謾 诪值讗址郑讬执谉 讘指旨讗转侄謹诐 讜址讬止旨郑讗诪职专謹讜旨 诪值讗侄芝专侄抓 讻职旨谞址謻注址谉 诇执砖职讈讘讎旨专志讗止纸讻侄诇變
鈥淲hen Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, 鈥榃here do you come from?鈥� And they said, 鈥楩rom the Land of Canaan, to procure food.鈥欌�� (Gen. 42:7)
The brothers answer the question 鈥淲here do you come from?鈥� rather tersely, saying, 鈥淔rom the Land of Canaan.鈥� They then offer additional information: 鈥淭o procure food.鈥� Joseph ignores this claim and accuses them of being spies. But before this accusation, the narrator introduces an internal revelation experienced by Joseph: 讜址讬执旨讝职讻止旨郑专 讬讜止住值謹祝 讗值謿转 讛址讞植诇止诪謹讜止转 讗植砖侄讈芝专 讞指诇址謻诐 诇指讛侄謶诐 鈥淎nd Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them鈥� (ibid, v.9).
What exactly did Joseph recall? It seems that Joseph did more than just remember his dreams. Possibly he recalled being doted upon as his father鈥檚 favorite, as a result of which his brothers came to hate him and wouldn鈥檛 speak a civil word to him. Perhaps he remembered the humiliation he suffered at the hands of his brothers, including when he found them in Dotan and they stripped him of his coat and threw him into a pit in spite of his pleas (ibid, v.21). He very likely thought about how he was drawn from the pit, sold to travelling nomads, brought to Egypt, and sold to Potiphar, a respected dignitary in Pharaoh鈥檚 court. And he likely recalled how he became the object of Potiphar鈥檚 wife鈥檚 sexual interest, resulting in another humiliating scene where he left his clothes in her hands as he ran away to escape her advances.
Note that among the memories connected to his dreams are two incidents in which he had been left naked. It is no wonder that his accusation toward his brothers of being spies is accompanied by his claim that they are looking to 鈥渟ee the nakedness of the land鈥� 讜址讬止旨证讗诪侄专 讗植诇值讛侄诐謾 诪职专址讙职旨诇执郑讬诐 讗址转侄旨謹诐 诇执专职讗譀讜止转 讗侄转志注侄专职讜址芝转 讛指讗指謻专侄抓 讘指旨讗转侄纸诐變 鈥淗e said to them, 鈥榊ou are spies! You have come to see the land in its nakedness!鈥欌�� (ibid, v.9). Joseph has 鈥渘akedness鈥� on the brain, and this accusation against his brothers reflects his mindset.
Joseph鈥檚 accusations toward the brothers are presented in the text in a chiastic formulation (ABBA), which is often used to emphasize the point in the center of the phrase (BB). Joseph accuses his brothers as follows: (v. 9), A – You are spies! B – You have come to see the land in its nakedness! B鈥� – The nakedness of the land you have come to see! (v.12) A鈥� – You are spies! (v.14). The chiastic format reflects that Joseph鈥檚 thoughts at this moment are about nakedness and humiliation much more than espionage.
When the brothers share this ordeal with their father upon their return to Canaan, they make no mention whatsoever of this segment of Joseph鈥檚 speech, because the emphasis on nakedness simply meant nothing to them. They didn鈥檛 relate these words to the fact that they had left their brother naked in a pit near Dotan. And they certainly were not privy to the attempted seduction by Potiphar鈥檚 wife, leaving the 鈥渘akedness鈥� portion of Joseph鈥檚 tirade understandably omitted from their report to Jacob.
When recalling an event, we (as human beings) might retell the story with impressive exactitude, describing all that occurred exactly as it happened or quoting spoken words precisely as they were uttered. More likely, however, we will do our best to recall the details, acknowledging that we may miss a specific or two (or three . . .) in the telling. Sometimes, those omissions are deliberate, perhaps in hopes of avoiding possible discomfort to the listener. At other times, our recollection does not include portions of the event or particular words spoken, simply because they meant nothing to us at the time, and subsequently have no conscious presence when we later attempt to produce details to share. This is what happened to Joseph鈥檚 brothers, whom I believe did their very best to share their experience with their father honestly and accurately.
The publication and distribution of the JTS Commentary are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee (锄鈥漧) and Harold Hassenfeld (锄鈥漧).
