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Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Vayeshev 13

John T. Townsend, 1989 

(Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Vayeshev 13:1 (sefaria.org)

Vayeshev, Siman 13

[וירד יהודה]. מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין, ויאמר לו לך נא ראה [את שלום אחיך ואת שלום הצאן] (בראשית לח יד), וכי הצאן יודעות, מהו שלום שאמר לו את שלום הצאן, אמר ר' אייבו צריך אדם שיהא מתפלל על מי שהוא משביר אותו, לפי שהיה יעקב משתכר מצאנו ואוכל החלב ולובש הגז, לפיכך נצרך לשאול בשלומן, לכך נאמר את שלום אחיך ואת שלום הצאן. והשיבני דבר, הם אמרו טרוף טורף יוסף (שם שם לג).

[(Gen. 38:1:) THAT JUDAH WENT AWAY.] What is written above on the matter (in Gen. 37:14)? PLEASE GO AND SEE [ABOUT YOUR BROTHERS' WELFARE AND ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE FLOCK]. Would the flock know what WELFARE was when he told him < to see about > THE WELFARE OF THE FLOCK?²⁵“What is your welfare” corresponds to the English greeting “How do you do.” How could animals respond to such a greeting? R. Ayyevu said: A person must pray for whoever is beneficial to him.²⁶The Buber text, which reads “shatters him,” makes little sense. The emendation adopted here is slight. It has been accepted by Jastrow, in his lexicon under SKR, and suggested in Midrash Tanhuma (Jerusalem: Eshkol, n.d.), vol. 1, appendix, p. 74, n. 2. See Gen. R. 84:13. Because Jacob was benefiting from his flock by consuming the milk and wearing the shorn wool, for that reason he had to ask about their welfare. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 37:14): YOUR BROTHERS' WELFARE AND THE WELFARE OF THE FLOCK. (Ibid., cont,:) AND BRING BACK WORD TO ME. They said (in vs. 33): JOSEPH HAS BEEN TORN TO BITS.²⁷According to the biblical context, these words were spoken by Jacob.

וישלחהו מעמק חברון, וכי יש עמק בחברון, והלא כולה עליה היא, שנאמר ויעלו בנגב ויבא עד חברון (במדבר יג כב), וכן הוא אומר עלו זה בנגב ועליתם ההר (שם שם יז), וכאן הוא אומר מעמק חברון, אמר ר' יוחנן (מעיינה) [מעצה] עמוקה שנטל הקב"ה בינו ובין עצמו, בין הבתרים עם אברהם.

(Gen. 37:14, cont.:) SO HE SENT HIM AWAY FROM THE HEBRON VALLEY. Is there a valley in Hebron? And is not all of it highland, as stated (in Numb. 13:22): THEN THEY WENT UP INTO THE NEGEB AND CAME TO HEBRON? And so it says (in vs. 17): GO UP THERE INTO THE NEGEB, AND GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. But here it says: FROM THE HEBRON VALLEY ('MQ)!²⁸Gen. R. 37:13; see Sot. 11a. R. Johanan said: < The following events issue > out of a profound (rt.: 'MQ) (well) [counsel] which the Holy One has placed between him²⁹I.e., Abraham, who was buried in Hebron. and himself < in the covenant with Abraham between the < sacrificial > pieces (of Gen. 15:10ff.).

וימצאו איש מלאך. 

(Gen. 37:15:) THEN A MAN FOUND HIM, < i.e., > an angel.³⁰Cf. Gen. R. 84:14.

והנה תועה. א"ל המלאך ואין אתה יודע שאתה הולך לתעות, א"ל את אחי אנכי מבקש וגו'. ויאמר האיש נסעו מזה. מהו מזה, כיון שהם רואים אותך הן נעשין אכזרים.

(Ibid., cont.:) AND HERE HE WAS WANDERING < IN A FIELD >. The angel said to him: Do you not know that you are going astray? He said to him (in vss. 16-17): I AM SEEKING MY BROTHERS…. THEN THE MAN SAID: THEY HAVE MOVED ON FROM HERE. What is the meaning of FROM HERE? When they see you they become cruel.³¹Rashi, on Gen. 37:17, explains that FROM HERE means “from brotherhood.”

כי שמעתי אומרים נלכה דתינה, מהו דתינה אמרו רבותינו שהיה המלאך משמר דת יה. 

(Gen. 37:17, cont.:) FOR I HEARD THEM SAYING: LET US GO TO DOTHAN. What is the meaning of TO DOTHAN (DTYNH)? Our masters have said that the angel was watching out for the Law of the Lord (DT YH).

וילך יוסף אחר אחיו וגו', ויראו אותו מרחוק. עד שהוא רחוק מיל.

(Gen. 37:17-18:) SO JOSEPH WENT AFTER HIS BROTHERS…. NOW THEY SAW HIM FROM AFAR, while he was a mile³²Lat.: mille. away.

ויאמרו איש אל אחיו. מי הם שמעון ולוי. 

(Gen. 37:19:) SO THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER. Who were they? Simon and Levi.

הנה בעל החלומות הלזה בא ועתה לכו ונהרגהו וגו'. אמר ר' יצחק המקרא אומר לך דרשני, מי אמר ונראה אלא הם אמרו לכו ונהרגהו, ורוח הקודש אומרת ונראה אותם, הם אמרו לכו ונהרגהו, והוא אמר והנה תסובינה אלומותיכם ונראה של מי עומד שלכם או שלי. 

(Gen. 37:19-20:) HERE COMES THIS DREAMER. SO COME NOW, AND LET US KILL HIM…. < AND WE SHALL SEE WHAT WILL BECOME OF HIS DREAMS >. R. Isaac said: This Scripture cries out for exposition. Who said (in vs. 20): AND WE SHALL SEE < WHAT WILL BECOME OF HIS DREAMS >? Actually they had said (at the beginning of the verse): COME, AND LET US KILL HIM.³³Rashi, on Gen. 37:20, explains that the brothers could not have said, AND WE SHALL SEE WHAT WILL BECOME OF HIS DREAMS. Since they were about to slay him, his dreams would have been meaningless. So, the Holy Spirit says: Let us observe them. They said (ibid.): COME AND LET US KILL HIM; and he said (in vs. 7): NOW LOOK, YOUR SHEAVES GATHERED AROUND. Now let us see whose < sheaf > stands up, yours or mine.

ויאמר אליהם ראובן אל תשפכו דם. למה שרוח הקודש אומרת למען הציל אותו מידם וגו', אילו היה ראובן יודע שהקב"ה כותב עליו הפסוק הזה, היה נוטלו על שכמו והיה מוליכו אל אביו. 

(Gen. 37:22:) REUBEN ALSO SAID UNTO THEM: DO NOT SHED BLOOD. Why? < It is > as the Holy Spirit says (ibid.): IN ORDER TO SAVE HIM FROM THEIR HAND < AND RESTORE HIM UNTO HIS FATHER >. If Reuben had known that the Holy One would write this verse about him, he would have placed him on his shoulders and brought him unto his father!³⁴Gen. R. 84:16; Lev. R. 34:8.

ויקחהו וישליכו אותו הבורה והבור רק אין בו מים. מים אין בו אבל נחשים ועקרבים יש בו, מה עשה שמעון כיון שנתנו אותו לתוך הבור היה שמעון מצווה ומשליכים עליו אבנים גדולות כדי להורגו, אבל כשנפל הוא ביד יוסף היה יוסף זורק עליו פטומות. 

(Gen. 37:24:) THEN THEY TOOK HIM AND CAST HIM INTO THE PIT, BUT THE PIT WAS EMPTY WITH NO WATER IN IT. There was no water in it; yet there were snakes and scorpions in it.³⁵Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Gen. 37:24; Shab. 22a. What did Simeon do? When they had put him within the pit, Simeon commanded them to throw great stones upon him in order to kill him; but, when < Simeon > fell into Joseph's hand, Joseph tossed fattened < fowl > upon him.

(Gen. 37:28:) WHEN MIDIANITE < TRADERS > PASSED BY, < THEY PULLED AND RAISED JOSEPH FROM THE PIT, THEN SOLD JOSEPH FOR TWENTY PIECES OF SILVER TO THE ISHMAELITES >. And they (the Midianites in vs. 36) SOLD HIM INTO EGYPT TO POTIPHAR…. Three bills of sale³⁶Gk.: onai, i.e., “purchases” or “contracts for tax farming.” were made over him.³⁷Cf. Gen. R. 84:22 for other totals. When he was sold, they all began to cry: Woe (Way). Thus it is stated (in Gen. 38:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS (wayehi) AT THAT TIME. (Ibid., cont.:) THAT JUDAH WENT AWAY (rt.: YRD). For what sin did he go away?³⁸Gen. R. 85:3. R. Hiyya bar Abba < said > in the name of R. Johanan: Everyone who begins with a good deed and does not finish it causes himself to bury his wife and children and causes a lowering of status (rt.: YRD) for himself. Who was this? This was Judah, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 38:1): THAT JUDAH WENT AWAY.

[ושמו חירה], אמר ר' יהודה בר סימון הוא חירה בימי יהודה, הוא חירם בימי שלמה, ומימיו הוא אוהב את השבט הזה, שכן הוא אומר רעהו העדולמי, ולהלן הוא אומר כי אהב היה חירם לדוד כל הימים (מ"א ה טו). 

[(Gen. 38:1, cont.:) < THAT JUDAH WENT AWAY FROM HIS BROTHERS AND TURNED ASIDE TO A CERTAIN ADULLAMITE > WHOSE NAME WAS HIRAH.] R. Judah bar Simon said: That Hirah from the days of Judah is Hiram from the days of Solomon;³⁹Cf. Gen. R. 85:4. and throughout his days he loved this tribe, for so it says (in Gen. 38:12): HIS FRIEND HIRAH THE ADULLAMITE. And it says elsewhere (in I Kings 5:15 [1]): < THEN HIRAM KING OF TYRE SENT HIS SERVANTS UNTO SOLOMON > … FOR HIRAM HAD ALWAYS BEEN A FRIEND TO DAVID.

ד"א וירא שם יהודה. יש שנאף ונשכר זה פנחס, יש שגנב והפסיד זה עכן, יש שנאף והפסיד זה זמרי, נאף ונשכר זה יהודה שממנו עמדו פרץ וחצרון שהן עתידין להעמיד לדוד ולמלך המשיח, שהוא עתיד לגאול את ישראל ראה כמה עלילות הביא הקב"ה עד שלא העמיד מלך המשיח מיהודה, אותו שכתוב בו ונחה עליו רוח ה' (ישעיה יא ב). 

Another interpretation (continuing in Gen. 38:2): AND JUDAH SAW THERE < THE DAUGHTER OF A CERTAIN CANAANITE >. There is the one who committed fornication and profited; there is also the one who committed fornication and lost. < There is the one who killed and profited; there is also the one who killed and lost. There is the one who stole and profited; there is also the one who stole and lost. There is the one who stole and lost, i.e., Achan (of Joshua 7). There is the one who stole and profited, i.e., Rachel, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 31:19): SO RACHEL STOLE. There is the one who killed and lost (in Numb. 35:16): THE MURDERER SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. There is the one who killed and profited, i.e., Phinehas (of Numb. 25:7-13) >.⁴⁰This section in angle brackets (< >) is taken from Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The shorter Buber text, which has Phinehas stealing instead of killing, reads as follows: “There is the one who stole and profited; there is also the one who stole and lost. There is the one who stole and profited. This is Phinehas. There is the one who stole and lost. This is Achan (of Joshua 7).” There is the one who committed fornication and lost. This is Zimri (of Numb. 25:6-14). There is the one who committed fornication and profited. This is Judah, since from him arose Perez and Hezron, who were going to sire < the line of > David (according to Ruth 4:18-21) and the Messianic King, who is going to redeem Israel. Look at how many episodes the Holy One brings about before he raises up the Messianic King from Judah! That is the one about whom it is written (in Is. 11:2): AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST UPON HIM.