There is a tradition that both Joseph and Judah represent messianic figures, albeit of different sorts. Eventually, Judah, the brother who had facilitated the sale of Joseph into slavery and saved him from death in the pit where the other brothers had thrown him, steps forward and offers to remain a slave in Egypt and allow Benjamin, who Joseph had falsely accused of theft, to return to Jacob. The brothers don’t recognize Joseph, but Joseph knows who they are and enters into a strange negotiation with them, asking about the well-being of their father Jacob and Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest son. Joseph, having risen to become viceroy of Egypt, confronts his brothers who have traveled to Egypt to find food during a famine. In this week’s Torah portion, the drama of Joseph’s concealment and the increasingly precarious plight of his brothers reaches a heightened pitch. The Joseph story is the most sustained narrative in the book of Genesis. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate
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