Shabbos Parashas Vayeishev - 5780

Shabbos Parashas Vayeishev - 5780

Rabbi Hal Miller

These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef, at the age of seventeen years

was a shepherd with his brothers by the flock, and he was a youth with the

sons of Bilchah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and Yosef would

bring evil aspersions about them to their father. [Bereishis 37:2]

At first glance, based on construction of the sentence, this evil talk brought by

Yosef could be about any of: his brothers, the sons of Bilchah, the sons of Zilpah,

or his father's wives, or potentially the generations to come. Who is the verse

speaking of?

Onkelos translates roeh et achiv, which is usually written as "shepherd with his

brothers", instead as "shepherded his brothers", meaning he supervised them.

This explains Rav Hirsch's translation of bring evil talk as "brought their tittle-tattle

nastily to their father", meaning that they were not performing and needed some

form of discipline. Sforno agrees, claiming that lack of competence was causing

Yaakov loss in his flocks, and adds that if Yosef did this in a less-than-good way,

it was because he was merely a teenager, as noted in the first part of the verse.

Others discuss that the brothers were either doing, or at least discussing their

doing various things that would be in violation of Torah law once that was given,

but we know from other places the greatness of these sons of Yaakov. Further,

none of this truly answers our question other than to let the wives off the hook.

The middle of our verse generates much discussion in the commentaries. Rashbam

explains that "the sons of Leah are referred to as his brothers since they were the

sons of a major wife, as opposed to the sons of Zilpah and Bilchah who ranked

lower, though also half brothers of Yosef. They are therefore referred to here only

as the sons of their respective mothers." If we accept Onkelos above, then Yosef

had taken the side of the brothers through the maidservants and against the sons

of Leah. That would certainly explain the hatred of Leah's sons for Yosef. But that

does not fit what happened next.

In the selling of Yosef incident, we know Reuven was not in favor. That left nine other

brothers. If Zilpah's and Bilchah's sons were so chummy with Yosef, they too would

have opposed it. Those four, with Reuven and Yosef, totalled six, leaving only five

who might have wanted to dispose of Yosef. In that case, history would have been

different. It appears that nine were opposed to Yosef, and Reuven kept quiet.

Bereishis Rabbah [84:7] says that "Yosef cast aspersions on all of the brothers",

but if so, then why would Reuven act differently than the others? Ramban disagrees

and says that these "evil aspersions" were only about the sons of the two hand

maidens, which is why those four hated Yosef. Leah's sons hated him because of

their jealousy over the coat of many colors that Yaakov had given him. Reuven, as

the firstborn, was going to inherit his portion no matter how much Yaakov might

love Yosef, so only Reuven had no motive to hate his little brother. Thus, Yosef

spoke ill to Yaakov of all the brothers. A lesson to us all.