Vayeshev 2025
Plaut p. 247
Source Sheet by Yair Robinson
(יב) וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃
(12) One time, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, (13) Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “I am ready.” (14) And he said to him, “Go and see how your brothers are and how the flocks are faring, and bring me back word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, so he came to Shechem.
It’s a little unusual to read a few verses in the middle of the story. Joseph has already recounted his dreams to his family, much to their hostility and consternation, and now, Joseph is sent by his father to see how his brothers are doing. We know what will happen: they will sell him into slavery in Egypt, hijinks ensue. But this is a moment of transition, and a powerful one. We were told previously that his brothers could not speak ‘shalom’ to him; now his father uses that word, ‘shalom’, twice, in describing Joseph’s quest: seek out your brother’s shalom and the flock’s shalom. In accepting the quest, Joseph says “Hineini”, here I am, the words that always accompany some prophecy or adventure, and often danger. Now, this might just be a bit of foreshadowing by the authors. Or there might be something more to it. Joseph, the commentators tell us, is eager to go out to seek his brothers, even though he knows they hate him. Given that interpretation and the multiple mentions of seeking shalom, one wonders if this is an attempt by Joseph and Yisrael at reconciliation, one that will sadly fail, Joseph’s brothers being too angry to see it.
What lesson could we then learn from this? That it wasn’t worth the effort? To the contrary: while we cannot change other people, the effort at reconciliation, the attempt at recovering the relationship, is always worth pursuing. But we should be mindful that, when we depart our homes and set out on our task, that our ability to control our surroundings is limited. Reconciliation will come for the brothers, but not until many other things have transpired, reminding us of the words of Samuel Beckett: Tried and failed, no matter. Try again, fail again: fail better.