Introducing: Divine Intervention Global Positioning System (DI-GPS).
Without it, Joseph is lost.
If you read this week's Parashat straight from the Torah, by yourself and without the help of the commentaries, it will be clear to you what the story of Joseph is all about. And when you read the story, you feel the Divine Intervention. That’s how clear the story about Joseph is written. This Divine Intervention that occurs time and again, helps Joseph reach his brothers and later his destiny: Egypt. Jacov sends him to find his brothers without a map and without guides. How's that possible? How can a man venture into the desert without anything? Rashi points out that when Jacov sends Joseph away, it really has double significance. On one hand, Jacov wants to know how his sons and his flock are doing. But much more significantly is the second underlying meaning. HaShem sends the future of Israel away from Israel! Rashi also points out that the words: Va-yishlachehu Mi Emek Hebron – And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, refer to the prophecy between HaShem and Avraham. Hebron is not in an ‘emek’ or valley. Technically, Hebron is 3,050 feet above sea level. Then why call it an ‘emek’?
Hebron is the burial place of Avraham, and the term ‘emek’ is used here signifying a ‘deep place’, according to Rashi. Jacov and Joseph are unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy as told to Avraham by HaShem regarding the future of his descendants. And the future - has to start somewhere else.
Now, on his way, Joseph meets a man who guides him where to go next – a man who actually overheard his brothers say where they went. How’s that possible? Who does that? Ramban thinks that by now, Joseph would have turned around and call it a day. But he meets this man who shows him the way. Clearly this is Divine Intervention. Our Sages designate this ‘man’ to be the angel Gabriel. We see how Divine Intervention guides every step that Joseph makes.
We have learned by now that Joseph is a chosen man. He’s given the title of Tzadik by birth - the only man ever to be given this title in the Torah. He snitches on his brothers to his father when they make mistakes, which makes him a hated figure. He’s also a vain man. The Torah even points out that he’s a good-looking man. Why do we have to know these details? Normally the Torah does not concern itself with describing a person as ‘beautiful’. Perhaps it is so we can understand that when his brothers sell him, because they hate him that much, he’s not harmed. He’s sold three times over as a slave and ends up in the prosperous House of Potiphar, unharmed. From the very start he’s not a normal slave. He climbs up the ladder and becomes the Master of Potiphar’s Estates. Joseph does not hide his loyalty to HaShem, in fact, he speaks about it all the time. This loyalty gets him into trouble. In the meantime, in chapter 38, the story of Judah and Tamar, suddenly interrupts the Parashat. Just like that we read about Judah and Tamar. Why? According to the Malbim, before we descent into Egypt and before the terror of the next Pharaoh and the greatest of exiles ever, the lineage of descendants that lead to David HaMelach and later will lead to the Maschiach, has to be established first. And that is why this chapter interrupts us.
But there’s something else here. As we know, Tamar seduced Judah. And Judah simply did not know. And later, when Tamar is being led before Judah, she does not give him away. As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law (Judah), "To the man to whom these belong, I am with child." And continues, "I pray you, whose these are, the ring (with signet) and the cord and the staff." With other words, Tamar could have given away Judah as the father, but she didn’t. And Judah realizes that she is more righteous than he. After this chapter we continue the story about Joseph and we learn that the wife of Potiphar also tries to seduce Joseph but does not succeed. Divine Intervention. We know Joseph is a beautiful figure, so it doesn’t come much as a surprise when Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph. As an emerging Tzaddik he also knows to refuse the courting of her. She is insulted by his refusal, and so it is Potiphar’s wife who turns events around and changes everything Joseph has built up so far in Egypt. She lies about the event by changing the truth with just a few words.
The truth: “Joseph left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got himself out. That she called unto the men of her house.” But her version to her husband Potiphar: “That he left his garment by me and fled out. As I lifted my voice and cried. The Hebrew slave came unto me to mock me.”
So here we see two women in this Parashat holding the garment of the men one succeeded in seducing and the other did not. We have Tamar holding the belongings of Judah without giving away what happened and therefore sparing him. And we have the wife of Potiphar holding the garments of Joseph doing the opposite: blaming Joseph and thus sending him away. Both these women have direct power to change things for better or for worse. Tamar shows the courage to use words carefully as not to blame Judah. Potiphar’s wife shows how words can blame Joseph for something he did not do.
Call it Divine… Intervention. Because there’s a reason we’ll learn soon why the Divine Intervention GPS leads Joseph straight into the dungeons of the Pharaoh, to continue his.. Divine… Destiny.
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