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in
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32

December 13 • 2018

jn

What The World
Needs Now

T

he poignant moment when
people.
Joseph and Benjamin are
Of the two, the Zohar considers
reunited after a sep-
the latter more severe. In the
aration of 22 years is one of
tradition of “the events of the
the most tender scenes in the
fathers foreshadow the history
Torah.
of the children,” we can see that
After a long chronicle of
all tragedies to befall the Jewish
difficult brotherly relationships,
people have their source in the
we finally come across two
“DNA” of the sale of Joseph
brothers who truly love each
as a slave. This act was the
Rabbi Shlomo
other. The only children of
foundation of causeless hatred
Riskin
Jacob’s beloved Rachel, Joseph
between Jews.
and Benjamin shared the same
It is the sin of causeless
Parshat
womb; and when their moth-
hatred,
the crime of the broth-
Vayigash:
er died in childbirth, we can
ers
against
Joseph, that can be
Genesis
feel assured that Joseph drew
said to be our “original sin.” In
44:18-47:27;
Benjamin close to him, protect-
the midst of brotherly hatred,
Ezekiel
ed him, and shared with him
the love between Joseph and
37:15-28.
the precious memories of the
Benjamin stands out as a shin-
mother Benjamin never knew.
ing example of the potential for
Their exclusive relationship must have unconditional love.
made their eventual separation even
Rashi links their tears during their
more painful and traumatic. After all,
meeting to the destruction of our
Benjamin was the only brother totally
sanctuaries, the result of jealousy and
uninvolved in the family tension and
enmity between Jew and Jew. Indeed,
sibling rivalry against Joseph.
they each weep for the future tragedies
But where are the joy, the elation,
that will befall their descendants. But
the celebration? Why does the Torah
although each brother will be blessed
only record the weeping of the broth-
with a sanctuary on his allotted land,
ers at this dramatic moment of their
the brothers weep not for themselves,
reunion?
but each for the other. This act of self-
Rashi cites and explains a midrashic less weeping and unconditional love
interpretation that suggests these tears becomes the only hope against the
relate to the future destruction of the
tragedies implicit in the sale of Joseph
two Temples allotted to the portion
into slavery. The only thing that can
of Benjamin and to the destruction
repair that sin is nothing less than a
of the sanctuary in Shilo allotted to
love in which the other comes first,
the portion of Joseph. Rashi stresses
causeless love, when one weeps for the
that Joseph’s tears are for Benjamin’s
other’s tragedy rather than for his own.
destruction, and Benjamin’s tears are
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen
for Joseph’s destruction.
Kook taught that if the Temples were
But why should Rashi extrapolate
destroyed because of causeless hatred,
such terrible events in the future from
the Temple will only be rebuilt because
the tears of the brothers? I believe that of causeless love, exemplified by the
the answer lies in our being mindful
tears of Joseph and Benjamin.
of the two archetypal sins in the book
Rashi is providing a prescient lesson
of Genesis: The first is the sin of eating as to know we can achieve true peace
of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge,
and world redemption in this very
which symbolizes rebellion against
special period of our return to Zion. ■
God; the second is the sin of the sale
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah
of Joseph by his brothers, which epit-
Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.
omizes the sins of enmity between

