Vayigash #1: Jewish Might

An interesting contrast is between what the brothers did for Dinah, and what they did for Shimon and then Binyamin. To save Dinah, the two brothers Shimon and Levi wiped out the male fighters of Shechem, and the remaining brothers took the rest for spoils. When Shimon is taken by the vizier of Egypt, they do not react violently, but rather try to appease him. The same is true later on, when Binyamin is taken. In parshat Vayigash, Yehuda approaches to speak to the vizier, who is Yosef, and pleads his case that they are being treated unfairly. Throughout, he tries to be polite, humble, and supplicative. For example, we see that Yehuda starts (Bereishit 44:18-19):

יח וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי, יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי, וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי כָמוֹךָ, כְּפַרְעֹה.	18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
יט אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל, אֶת-עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר: הֲיֵשׁ-לָכֶם אָב, אוֹ-אָח.	19 My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?

On a simple peshat level the distinction is obvious. By Dinah and Shechem, they dealt with a small town in Canaan. Even then, they needed to resort to subterfuge. In contrast, here they are dealing with the second in command of the great empire Egypt - as Yehudah says, "for thou art even as Pharaoh." They are not truly a match for the might of Egypt.

In the midrash rabba, Chazal treat it differently. The brothers are great warriors and surely a match for Egypt. One midrash explains the situation as reluctance to destroy the great empire, for while they could destroy Shechem with no major repercussions, if they destroy Egypt the entire world, which relies upon it, will be ruined.

I want to focus this week on one of the major themes of the midrash of Vayigash, that of Jewish might, and Jewish superheroes, especially because it fits in nicely with one theme of Chanukka and the Maccabees.

Yehudah's speech is interpreted in three strains at one point in the midrash - as attempted appeasement (= peshat), as prayer to God, and as threats of war. I would suggest that the template for this would be Yaakov's three ways of dealing with Esav in parashat Vayishlach (Bereishit 32). Yaakov sent presents to Esav with words of appeasement, and when he finally met him appeased him. He prayed (see pasuk 10). He split his camp into various camps in preparation for war.

I will leave for now with one concrete midrash showing how Yehudah's words can be interpreted as a threat.

As we read earlier,

יח וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי, יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי, וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי כָמוֹךָ, כְּפַרְעֹה.

18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

The words יְדַבֶּר-נָא means "please speak" or "now speak." However, the root dbr which means speech can also connote pestilence - deber. Further, נָא can be vowelized with a cholam - O sound, and become No. No is a city in Egypt - Alexandria.

We see that No is a city in Egypt (just like Denial is a river in Egypt) in Yechezkel 30:13-16:

יג כֹּה-אָמַר ה אלקים, וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי גִלּוּלִים וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי אֱלִילִים מִנֹּף, וְנָשִׂיא מֵאֶרֶץ-מִצְרַיִם, לֹא יִהְיֶה-עוֹד; וְנָתַתִּי יִרְאָה, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.	13 Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the things of nought to cease from Noph; and there shall be no more a prince out of the land of Egypt; and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
יד וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִי, אֶת-פַּתְרוֹס, וְנָתַתִּי אֵשׁ, בְּצֹעַן; וְעָשִׂיתִי שְׁפָטִים, בְּנֹא.	14 And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.
טו וְשָׁפַכְתִּי חֲמָתִי, עַל-סִין מָעוֹז מִצְרָיִם; וְהִכְרַתִּי, אֶת-הֲמוֹן נֹא.	15 And I will pour My fury upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.
טז וְנָתַתִּי אֵשׁ, בְּמִצְרַיִם--חוּל תחיל (תָּחוּל) סִין, וְנֹא תִּהְיֶה לְהִבָּקֵעַ; וְנֹף, צָרֵי יוֹמָם.	16 And I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall be in great convulsion, and No shall be rent asunder; and in Noph shall come adversaries in the day-time.

Thus, he is threatening to destroy (bring pestilence to) No if the vizier does not release Binyamin.

I hope to post more on this this week, but may not be able to. Deadlines approach.