Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Vayeishev Shelishi – Yosef is placed in the pit and then sold and brought to Egypt

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 Shelishi

  1. Yosef is placed in the pit and then sold and brought to Egypt:
    • When Yosef arrived to his brothers, they removed his garments, as well as the Kesones Hapassim, and they took him and threw him in the pit. The pit did not have water, it was empty.
    • The sale to the Yishmaeilim: The brothers sat to eat, and they saw a caravan of Yishmaeilim coming from Gilad. The camels were carrying cloves and other good spices, and they were traveling towards Egypt. Yehuda told his brothers “What gain do we have from killing our brother and covering his blood? Lets sell him to the Yishmaeilim, and let our hands not harm him, as he is our brother, part of our flesh.” The brothers consented.
    • The sale to the Midianites: A caravan of Midianites passed and they took Yosef out from the pit and sold him to the Yishmaeilim for 20 silver coins. Yosef was brought to Egypt.
    • Reuvein returns to the pit: Reuvein returned to the pit and saw that it was empty. He tore his clothing and exclaimed to his brothers “The child is not there, and how can I face [my father Yaakov].”
  2. Yaakov is told of Yosef’s death:
    • The brothers took Yosef’s garment and dipped it in the blood of a goat. The garment was then sent to their father Yaakov, asking him to identify the garment of his son. Yaakov recognized the garment and said that a wild animal must have eaten him. Yosef has been devoured. Yaakov tore his clothing and placed on sackcloth. He mourned for his son many days.
    • Comforting Yaakov: All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but Yaakov refused to be comforted. He said “I will descend to my grave while still mourning my son.” Yaakov cried over this a lot.

 

  1. Yosef is sold to Potifar:
  • The Midianites sold Yosef to the Egyptians, to Potifar the head butcher of Pharaoh.

Q1: What is the difference between “אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּוֹ” and “אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים”?

A: Rashi explains that “אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּוֹ” refers to Joseph’s regular shirt, while “אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים” refers to the special garment his father gave him in addition to what he gave the other brothers.

 

Q2: Why does the Torah emphasize “וְהַבּוֹר רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָֽיִם” (The pit was empty; there was no water)?

A: Rashi says the extra phrase teaches that although there was no water, the pit contained snakes and scorpions.

 

Q3: Why does Scripture mention the Ishmaelites’ cargo of spices?

A: Rashi explains that this shows the reward of the righteous: normally Arabs carry foul-smelling tar and kerosene, but for Joseph, God arranged fragrant spices so he would not suffer from bad odors.

 

Q4: What does “נְכֹאת” mean?

A: Rashi says it refers to a mixture of spices. Onkelos translates it as wax.

Q5: What is “צְרִי” and “וָלֹט”?

A:

  • צְרִי: Sap from balsam trees, the same as “נָטָף” used in the incense of the Tabernacle.
  • וָלֹט: An herbal root called aristolochia (birthwort), known in Mishnaic Hebrew as לוֹטִיתָא.

 

Q6: What does “מַה־בֶּצַע” mean in Judah’s words?

A: Rashi explains it means “What monetary gain?” as Onkelos translates.

 

Q7: Why does Rashi discuss the word “וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ” (they listened)?

A: To clarify that here it means “they accepted” Judah’s proposal, not merely “heard.” Onkelos translates such cases as “וְקַבִּילוּ.”

 

Q8: How many times was Joseph sold?

A: Rashi says multiple times: the brothers sold him to Ishmaelites, who sold him to Midianites, who sold him to Egypt.

 

Q9: Why was Reuben absent during the sale?

A: Rashi gives two reasons:

  1. It was his turn to attend Jacob.
  2. He was fasting and wearing sackcloth as repentance for disturbing his father’s couch.

 

Q10: Why did they use a goat’s blood?

A: Rashi explains that goat’s blood resembles human blood.

 

Q11: Why did Jacob mourn for 22 years?

A: Rashi says these 22 years correspond to the 22 years Jacob did not honor his parents (20 years with Laban + 2 years traveling).

 

Q12: Why couldn’t Jacob be comforted?

A: Rashi teaches that one cannot be consoled for a living person believed dead, because forgetting is decreed only for the truly dead.

 

Q13: Who else wept for Joseph?

A: Isaac wept for Jacob’s suffering but did not mourn, because he knew Joseph was alive.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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