The Sale of Joseph and the Second Exile

Jacob dwelt in the Land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob: when Joseph was seventeen years old, being a shepherd, he was with his brothers with the flocks, and he was a lad, [and was] with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil tales about them to their father.

                                                       Genesis 37:1-2

 

From the time Jacob left his father’s home, the events of his life paralleled the events of our fathers in the first (Babylonian) exile; once he returned to the Land of his father’s sojournings, the events of Jacob’s life paralleled the events of our fathers during the Second Temple period, its destruction, our exile and our redemption (which will come) at the end of days.

                                                            Sforno [v.2]

            Shem miShmuel notes that Sforno’s comment is based upon Midrash Rabba [Exodus 26:1]

            Indeed, our Sages taught that the Second Temple was destroyed because of unfounded hatred (sinat ḥinam) among the Jews, and it was unfounded hatred which brought about the sale of Joseph as a slave.

            Yet we must understand the concept of sinat ḥinam. After all, Joseph’s brothers had reasons for hating him, as Scripture informs us [Genesis 37:4,8] and they decreed a death sentence on him, having judged Joseph as “rodef” (pursuer – see Sforno and Rabbi Ḥayyim Paltiel, on Genesis 37:18) By the same token, the hatred among Jews at the end of the Second Temple period did not arise in a vacuum, but was based on divergent political outlooks, between those who were totally opposed to Roman rule over Judea and those who sought ways to survive under Rome’s domination. The conclusion to be reached is that apparently any hatred among Jews is to be defined as unfounded and is forbidden.

            Shem miShmuel adds that the parallel between the sale of Joseph as a slave and the Roman exile (of which we suffer until this day) teaches us the way to end the exile and achieve redemption. Just as “all the tribes returned and were reunited” when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt and forgave them, so too the ultimate redemption will arise from the unity of Israel.

            Shem miShmuel’s comment is exactly Rabbi Kook’s comment: “Given that we were destroyed, and the world destroyed with us as the result of unfounded hatred, we shall be rebuilt and the world along with us through unbounded love.” When we rectify the evil of sinat ḥinam, we will bring about our redemption from the exile of Rome. It is within our power!