Cyberdov

When Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, he says (Genesis 45:3), “I am Yosef, is my father still alive?” And his brothers could not answer him, for they were taken aback. The midrash in Breisheet Rabbah comments, Woe unto us for the day of our judgment! Bilaam the prophet when rebuked by his donkey was unable to reply (Numbers 22:30). And Yosef was the youngest of the brothers, yet his brothers were speechless when he rebuked them. So too, when we appear before the heavenly court, we will be unable to respond.

What was the rebuke of Yosef – all he said was, I am Yosef, is my father yet alive? And in what way does the midrash mean that this is a lesson for us?

The Bais Halevi explains as follows.

What was the meaning of the donkey’s rebuke to Bilaam? Bilaam had based his whole career as a prophet on the premise that there was no connection between the physical and mundane on one hand , and the spiritual and elevated on the other. One could be Bilaam the prophet, and Bilaam HaRasha at the same time. When his donkey spoke – he suddenly was confronted with the realization that the mundane donkey could attain the divine gift of speech!

Similarly, the brothers had claimed to Yosef that if Yaakov and his favorite son Binyamin were separated, Yaakov would die. When Yosef reveals himself, by saying “is my father yet alive,” he is in effect challenging their assumption – for did they not already separate Yaakov from his favorite son (Yosef), and did he not survive?

Finally, suggested the Bais Halevi, we all have rationalizations for our behavior. We try to justify our failures to live up to our ideals, by blaming our circumstances. But after 120 years, when we are called to the heavenly tribunal and are asked to account for our failings, we will see the truth of our responsibilities and the flimsiness of our rationalizations – we too will have the very premises of our actions questioned. The midrash asks us to take this to heart when evaluating our own behavior.

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