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They stake their lives on the young boy's innocence, but the cup he Haftorah for this is found in Benjamin's sack; and so they Shabbat tells of King are all brought, onde again, to Joseph. Solomon, whose wisdom Judah pleads that they will not be and insight help him settle able to return to their father without a dispute between two mothers. Benjamin, whom Joseph now Each had apparently given birth to a intends to enslave. At this point, child, but one of the infants died dur- Joseph relents and tells his ing the night. In the morning, brothers who he really is. each woman then claimed that Why now? the dead baby belonged to the Rabbi Bulka reaches: other. Solomon suggested "Joseph wanted to embrace splitting the surviving child in his brothers, but he also two, so that each mother wanted to embrace brothers could have half. One mother that had renounced the folly said nothing, almost in agree- of their earlier years. He ment merit with the "solution;" but wanted to be sure they had the other, whom Solomon repented of the evil that had quickly realized was the real been perpetrated on him. RABBI mother, insisted that the child "Real teshuvah (repen- NORMAN T. be spared, even if it meant tance) is manifested in being ROMAN that she would lose it to her placed in exactly the same Special to opponent. circumstances, but this time the Jewish News The king saw that only an transcending the impulse. individual who is so commit- Joseph, therefore, cleverly ted to the future of a loved one would arranged a series of circumstances be willing to deny one's own interests, through which the brothers would be so that that loved one would live. placed in the same situation as they The tradition, of course; sees an alle- once placed themselves." gory in this story to the "splitting" of In otlaerwords, Joseph was con- the Jewish people into the northern and vinced that the brothers were truly sorry southern kingdoms after the Solomon's for what they had done to him; and, in death. his personal revelation to them, he The modern commentator Rabbi assured them that he forgave their Reuven Bulka teaches a different lesson actions. The lesson he taught was about the relevance of Solomon's intu- through his own pain and self-denial — ition. He connects the value of humani- repressing for a while his strong desire ty, which Solomon taught the mothers, to embrace his family and see his father, to the similar experience that Joseph he demonstrated a higher lesson of prepared for his brothers. humanity. When the sons of Jacob come to As with the true mother in the story Egypt because of the famine, they do of King Solomon: the one who, even not recognize their now-famous brother, painfully, must deny his/her own happi- but Joseph does recognize them. We ness for a while, is often the one who might expect, Bulka points out, that teaches us the most about ourselves. Joseph would run over to his family, embrace them, inquire as to their well- being and be immediately forgiving of their sin in selling him into slavery. Instead, Joseph accuses them of being What kind of experiences or tests spies! do we set up to determine the He throws Simeon into jail and chal- honesty of another's requests for lenges the remaining brothers to prove forgiveness? If you were Joseph, their innocence by bringing their how would you have revealed Youngest brother on their return trip. A Yourselves to your brothers? If you 'dramatic, first test for the men: How were one of the brothers, how would they react to their responsibility would you have convinced Joseph of your teshuvah? Norman T. Roman is rabbi at Temple Shabbat Miketz: Genesis 4 1: 1-44: 17; I Kings 3:15-4:1. roise our Duette' and pleated shades, v,,00d and aluminum blinds with just pm Conversations Kol Ami.