Torah Study Blog

This week we continued with the Joseph story. As a refresher, Joseph was the 11^th son of our patriarch Jacob. Joseph was clearly his father’s favorite, which made his brothers resentful. To get Joseph out of their lives, Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery and told their father that Joseph was eaten by beasts. Joseph came to be in Egypt where, after a series of incidents, Joseph rose in stature. Pharaoh told Joseph that, “only with respect to the throne shall I be superior to you.” And Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, a gold necklace, and clothing of fine linen. In sum, Joseph was placed, “over all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:40-43)

This is not a story about Joseph’s devotion of Judaism. Joseph married the daughter of an Egyptian priest and had two sons with her: Manasseh and Ephraim. The name Manasseh means, “God has made me forget completely my hardship and my parental home.” The fact that he has moved away from his Jewish heritage becomes clear when his brothers come to Egypt and they cannot recognize Joseph at all!

The story goes that there was a famine across all the lands but because of the prophecy and planning of Joseph Egypt was well prepared for the famine. People from other communities came to Egypt to buy food - people, including Joseph’s brothers. Joseph immediately recognized his brothers and made them go through some rather cruel ordeals before Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. The brothers became reconciled and Joseph’s father, Jacob, was brought to Egypt to live out the remainder of his life surrounded by all his family in the comfort that Joseph provided.

One of the ordeals that Joseph concocted is that, before the relationship is exposed, his brothers will appear to have stolen a silver goblet from Joseph. This is a theft that would have thrown them in jail because the silver goblet is important to the work of Joseph – it is the goblet he uses for divination. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, divination is “the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.”

The fact that Joseph utilized divination has presented a problem to commentators over the years. Deuteronomy clearly states, “Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire, or who is an augur, a soothsayer, a diviner, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who inquires of the dead. For anyone who does such things is abhorrent to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) But in the Joseph story, a servant finds the silver goblet among the belongings of Joseph’s brothers and says of it, “It is the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination.” (Genesis 44:5) And when the brothers are brought before Joseph with the object in question, Joseph says, “Do you not know that a man like me practices divination?” (Genesis 44:15)

Exodus 28 goes into detail about what the priests wear when in service to God. The priests have a breastplate that includes the Urim and Thummim, which are called instruments of decision. In I Samuel 14 a more clear description is given when we learn that the Thummim is used to cast lots. Another time the casting of lots is described in the Torah is in Leviticus 16 when Aaron has to cast lots over a goat to determine which goat will perform the function of “scapegoat” and expiation to the community. And one of the ways that Joseph rose to prominence in Egypt was through interpreting dreams – another form of divination.

Even though the Torah gives these examples of divination being used, the fact is that Deuteronomy says it is abhorrent. The Torah is inconsistent! Rabbi Jaech brought to Torah Study today commentary from medieval scholars. According to Rashi, a late 11^th century scholar, Joseph was merely indicating that he was using his knowledge, intellect and understanding to get to the meaning. Rashi says it was not divination in the literal sense of the word. But Rashi’s grandson, Rashbam, another medieval scholar, contradicted that assessment and said it was true divination but that was all right because that was the type of thing that rulers do.

One of the things that I, your Torah Study blogger, enjoys most about Judaism is the encouragement to question and probe in an effort to find meaning. Judaism places great value on engaging in conversation so that each person can try, compare and test different opinions – and reach their own conclusions. You may be familiar with the quip: “Ask two Jews, get three opinions.”

misquotes or misunderstandings in what Rabbi Jaech taught us are the responsibility of Tara Keiter