441
Torah Portion
BILL MEYER
internal Strife
Divides Us As A People
JERRY FENBY
RENNIE KAUFFMAN
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fraternal feud. The bickering and
internal struggle of the future would
sunder the union of the Jewish people.
The ultimate tragedy, the destruc-
tion of the temple and the loss of
Jewish independence, would be the
bitter fruits of this disunity and dis-
sent. The brothers achieved reconcilia-
his week's sedrah describes
tion in the days of Joseph. But Joseph
the confrontation between
and Benjamin grasped that unrecog-
Joseph and his brothers, the
nized hatred and unresolved hostility
climax of a story of hatred,
would erupt with renewed fury and
jealousy, separation and, after many
violence in generations to come. And
years, reconc ili at i on.
so, they wept, both for the injuries of
The text recounts the poignant
the past and the anguish
moment of the encounter
that would be encountered
between Joseph, the ruler of
in the centuries to follow.
Who could blame them?
Egypt, with his younger
One of the greatest tragedies
brother, Benjamin. Joseph
fell upon the neck of his
of Jewish history has been
brother, Benjamin, and he
not only our persecution,
wept; and Benjamin, similar-
but also our capacity for
ly embracing his brother,
divisiveness, disunity and
enmity of brother against
Joseph, also wept. The
Midrash introduces a strange
brother.
comment, "Why did they
Scripture records the
RABBI IRWIN
weep? They wept because
story of what happened after
GRONER
they foresaw at that moment
King Solomon died. The 12
Special
to The
that two temples, sanctuaries
tribes that comprised his
Jewish News
kingdom would not remain
of God, would be built in
together; 10 of them created
the Land of Israel and they
were both destined for
their own kingdom; only two tribes
destruction."
remained loyal to Solomon's son,
What did the Midrash have in
Rehoboam, and to the descendants of
mind? What does the reunion of
the House of David.
Benjamin and Joseph have to do with
In the first century, the Jewish
the temples of Jerusalem, events that
people were faced with divisions and
are many hundreds of years apart?
schisms that greatly weakened their
Why did they weep and mourn for
strength and vitality. Pharisees,
tragedies that lay beyond their lifetime
Sadducees, Essenes and revolutionar-
and the lives of their children?
ies vied for the support of the peo-
Upon reflection, we can understand
ple. In the war against Rome that
the intent of the Midrash. This is a
ultimately erupted, Jewish disharmo-
story not of brotherly love, but of
ny and disunity created tragic conse-
brotherly hatred, of the jealousy, rival-
quences that led to the loss of Jewish
and
hostility
that
tore
apart
a
fami-
ry.,
independence.
ly, and led to crime and brutality and
During the Middle Ages and
the deception of an aged father by his
beyond, Jews were an embattled
own sons. This is a story of sinat chi-
minority, living on the rim of a pre-
carious existence, suffering from exclu-
nom, causeless hatred, without reason
or purpose, based on irritation, caprice
sion and disability. Even so, conflicts
.
arose that sundered Jewish communi-
and envy.
The Midrash probes the meaning
ties and that sometimes led to the per-
of the tears that were evoked by the
emotional encounter of Joseph and
Benjamin. When they wept in pro-
found response to the hatred that had
Is the story of Joseph based on
separated them, they realized that the
brotherly love or hatred? Why is
senseless hostility was not yet finished
the hatred of Jew against Jew so
and had not yet been expunged from
dangerous for the welfare of the
the hearts of their brothers. They fore-
Jewish people? What can we do
saw that in ages yet unborn, there
today to replace such hatred with
would be a recurrence of this sad
understanding and reconcilia-
drama, a reenactment of this tragic
don?
Shabbat Vayigash:
Genesis 44:18-47:27;
Ezekiel 37:15-28.
T
Conversations
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of
Congregation Shaarey Zedck.
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