Daily Chumash & Rashi – Mikeitz Revi’i – The famine & Yosef meeting his brothers (Wednesday, 27th Kisleiv)

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Revi’i

  1. The years of famine:
    • After the end of the seven years of plenty began the seven years of famine, as Yosef had said would occur. There was a famine in all the lands, although in Egypt there was plenty of bread.
    • The people of Egypt screamed to Pharaoh for bread and he sent them to Yosef, and instructed them to do as he commands. Yosef opened all his storehouses and sold grain to Egyptians. The famine was in all the lands of the earth and intensified in the land of Egypt.
    • People from all lands came to Egypt to buy food
  1. The brothers travel to Mitzrayim to buy produce:
    • Yaakov sends his sons to Mitzrayim: Yaakov saw that there is food in Egypt and told his children to travel there and buy food, so they live and not die. The brothers of Yosef did as they were instructed, and traveled to Egypt to buy food. Binyamin was not sent with them as he feared a tragedy may fall upon him.
    • The brothers meet Yosef the viceroy and are accused of espionage: The brothers of Yosef arrived in Egypt and came to buy grain amongst the other customers. Yosef was the ruler of the land and he was the one who sold the grain to all the people of the earth. The brothers came to Yosef and prostrated themselves on the ground before him. Yosef saw his brothers and recognized them, although they did not recognize him. He acted to them like a stranger and spoke to them harshly. He asked them “From where have you come?” and they replied from the land of Canaan to buy produce. Yosef then remembered his dreams and said to them “You are spies who have come to survey the land.” The brothers denied any such wrongdoing saying that they are all brothers, the son of one father, and are being honest. They are 12 brothers in total and the younger one has remained home, and one is missing. Yosef refused to accept their denial and continued to accuse them of being spies. He gave them an ultimatum to prove their innocence “Either bring me your younger brother, or I swear by Pharaoh’s life that you are spies.” One of you will go back to the land of Canaan to bring him, and the remainder of you will remain in prison. The brothers were imprisoned for three days. On the third day, he took them out and reinstructed them to go home and bring back their youngest brother.

Rashi’s commentary for Bereshit (Genesis) 41:53–42:18

 

Q1: Why did the Egyptians’ stored grain rot while Yosef’s remained intact?

A: Rashi explains that all grain stored by the Egyptians rotted except Yosef’s, because he decreed upon their grain that it should spoil, teaching them that success comes only through his guidance.

 

Q2: What does Pharaoh mean by “אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּֽעֲשׂוּ” (Do whatever he tells you)?

A: Rashi says Pharaoh gave this order because Yosef demanded that they be circumcised before receiving grain. When they complained, Pharaoh replied: “If he decreed your grain to rot, he can decree your lives as well—so obey him!”

 

Q3: What does “עַל כָּל־פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ” (upon the entire face of the land) mean?

A: Rashi explains it refers to the wealthy people of the land, who were affected by the famine.

 

Q4: How does the verb “שָׁבַר” function in this context?

A: Rashi notes that שָׁבַר can mean both buying and selling. Here it means selling grain, while in “שִׁבְרוּ לָנוּ מְעַט אֹכֶל” (buy us a little food) it means buying.

 

Q5: Why does the Torah say “וַיַּרְא יַֽעֲקֹב” (Yaakov saw) when he actually heard about food in Egypt?

A: Rashi explains that “saw” refers to a holy vision—Yaakov perceived hope (שֶׂבֶר) in Egypt, though not a full prophecy revealing Yosef’s presence.

 

Q6: What is the meaning of “לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ” (Why do you pretend)?

A: Rashi offers two explanations:

  1. Why pretend before Ishmaelites and Esau’s descendants that you have plenty?
  2. Why let yourselves become lean through hunger? (From the root meaning “thinness.”)

 

Q7: Why does Yaakov say “רְדוּ שָׁמָּה” (Go down there) instead of “לְכוּ”?

A: Rashi explains that “רְדוּ” hints at the 210 years of Egyptian exile, since its numerical value equals 210.

 

Q8: Why are they called “Yosef’s brothers” and not “Yaakov’s sons” when they go down to Egypt?

A: Rashi says this teaches that they regretted selling Yosef and resolved to act as brothers, even to redeem him at any cost.

 

Q9: Why did Yaakov not send Binyamin?

A: Rashi explains he feared disaster might befall him, and from here we learn that Satan prosecutes at times of danger.

 

Q10: Why did the brothers enter Egypt through different gates?

A: Rashi says they did so to avoid the evil eye, since they were all handsome and strong.

 

Q11: Why did Yosef recognize his brothers, but they did not recognize him?

A: Rashi explains that Yosef had grown a beard, while they had beards when he left. Aggadah adds: Yosef acknowledged them as brothers now, though they had not treated him as such before.

 

Q12: What does “עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ” mean in Yosef’s accusation?

A: Rashi explains it means “the land’s exposed points,” i.e., vulnerable areas for invasion. Onkelos translates it as “the defective part of the land.”

 

Q13: Why does Yosef swear “חֵי פַרְעֹה” (By the life of Pharaoh)?

A: Rashi says this was the common Egyptian oath, used even when swearing falsely.

 

Q14: What does Yosef mean by “אֲנִי יָרֵא אֱלֹקִים” (I am G‑d-fearing)?

A: Rashi explains Yosef reassures them that his judgment will be fair and merciful because he fears G‑d.

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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