Then Joseph reflected, saying to himself: "My brethren are as pious as
aforetime, and they speak no lies. They said I was dead, because when
they abandoned me, I was poor, and 'a poor man is like unto a dead
man;' they stood beside my grave, that is the pit into which they cast
me; but they did not say that they had shovelled earth upon me, for
that would have been a falsehood."
Turning to his brethren, he said: "Ye lie when ye say that your brother
is dead. He is not dead. You sold him,[280] and I did buy him. I shall
call him, and set him before your eyes," and he began to call, "Joseph,
son of Jacob, come hither! Joseph, son of Jacob, come hither! Speak to
thy brethren who did sell thee." The others turned their eyes hither
and thither, to the four corners of the house, until Joseph called to
them: "Why look ye here and there? Behold, I am Joseph your brother!
"Their souls fled away from them, and they could make no answer, but
God permitted a miracle to happen, and their souls came back to them.
Joseph continued, "Ye see it with your own eyes, and also my brother
Benjamin seeth it with his eyes, that I speak with you in Hebrew, and I
am truly your brother." But they would not believe him. Not only had he
been transformed from a smooth-faced youth into a bearded man since
they had abandoned him, but also the forsaken youth now stood before
them the ruler of Egypt. Therefore Joseph bared his body and showed
them that he belonged to the descendants of Abraham.
Abashed they stood there, and in their rage they desired to slay Joseph
as the author of their shame and their suffering. But an angel appeared
and flung them to the four corners of the house. Judah raised so loud
an outcry that the walls of the city of Egypt tumbled down, the women
brought forth untimely births, Joseph and Pharaoh both rolled down off
their thrones, and Joseph's three hundred heroes lost their teeth, and
their heads remained forever immobile, facing backward, as they had
turned them to discover the cause of the tumult. Yet the brethren did
not venture to approach close to Joseph, they were too greatly ashamed
of their behavior toward their brother.[281] He sought to calm them,
saying, "Now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me
hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life."
Even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their fear, and
Joseph continued to speak, "As little as I harbor vengeful thoughts in
my heart against Benjamin, so little do I harbor them against you."And
still his brethren were ill at case, and Joseph went on, "Think you
that it is possible for me to inflict harm upon you? If the smoke of
ten candles could not extinguish one, how can one extinguish ten?"
At last the brethren were soothed, and they went up to Joseph,[282] who
knew each by name, and, weeping, he embraced and kissed them all in
turn. The reason why he wept was that his prophetic spirit showed him
the descendants of his brethren enslaved by the nations.[283]
Especially did he weep upon Benjamin's neck, because he foresaw the
destruction decreed for the two Temples to be situated in the allotment
of Benjamin. And Benjamin also wept upon Joseph's neck, for the
sanctuary at Shiloh, in the territory of Joseph which was likewise
doomed to destruction.[284]
Pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation between
Joseph and the Hebrews, for he had feared that their dissensions might
cause the ruin of Egypt, and he sent his servants to Joseph, that they
take part in his joy. Also he sent word to Joseph that it would please
him well if his brethren took up their abode in Egypt, and he promised
to assign the best parts of the land to them for their
dwelling-place.[285]
Not all the servants of Pharaoh were in agreement with their master
concerning this invitation to the Hebrews. Many among them were
disquieted, saying, "If one of the sons of Jacob came hither, and he
was advanced to a high position over our heads, what evil will happen
to us when ten more come hither?"[286]
Joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment, one for use on the
ordinary days of the week and one for use on the Sabbath, for, when the
cup was found with Benjamin, they had rent their clothes, and Joseph
would not have his brethren go about in torn garments.[287] But to
Benjamin he gave five changes of raiment, though not in order to
distinguish him above his brethren. Joseph remembered only too well
what mischief his father had caused by giving him the coat of many
colors, thereby arousing the envy of his brethren. He desired only to
intimate that Mordecai, a descendant of Benjamin, would once be arrayed
in five royal garments.[288]
Joseph presented his brethren, apparelled in their gold and silver
embroidered clothes, before Pharaoh, who was well pleased to become
acquainted with them when he saw that they were men of heroic stature
and handsome appearance.[289] He gave them wagons, to bring their
families down into Egypt, but as they were ornamented with images of
idols, Judah burnt them,[290] and Joseph replaced them with eleven
other wagons, among them the one he had ridden in at his accession to
office, to view the land of Egypt. This was to be used by his father on
his journey to Egypt. For each of his brothers' children, he sent
raiments, and also one hundred pieces of silver for each, but for each
of the children of Benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment. And for the
wives of his brethren he gave them rich garments of state, such as were
worn by the wives of the Pharaohs, and also ointments and aromatic
spices. To his sister Dinah he sent silver and gold embroidered
clothes, and myrrh, aloes, and other perfumes, and such presents he
gave also to the wife and the daughters-in-law of Benjamin. For
themselves and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of
precious stones and jewelled ornaments, like those that are worn by the
Egyptian nobility.
Joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier, and there he
took leave of them with the wish that they and all their families come
down to Egypt,[291] and he enjoined upon them, besides, three maxims to
be observed by travellers: Do not take too large steps; do not discuss
Halakic subjects, that you lose not your way; and enter the city at the
latest with the going down of the sun.[292]