Parshat Shemot 5786

In Parshat Shemot we read that “Yosef died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.”

Rav Hutner in his Sefer Pachad Yitzchak, Pesach, Maamer 49 notes a unique fact about Yosef – his death is mentioned twice; once at the end of the book of Bereishit and once in the beginning of the Torah portion of Shemot. In contrast, the deaths of all the other brothers are only mentioned in Shemot.

In contrast, the deaths of all the other brothers are only mentioned in Shemot. How do we understand the nature of Yosef’s role?

Rav Hutner explains that Yosef is somewhere in between the Avot (Patriarchs) and the Shevatim (tribes). In a certain sense he is close to being an Av, but in other aspects he is like one of the tribes. Rav Hutner explains that the status of ‘Av’ is ascribed to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, because each played a defining role in creating the concept of Klal Yisroel and ensuring that it would last permanently: Avraham was the first ‘convert’ and he thereby created the very existence of a ‘Jew’ as someone who follows the will of G-d. Yitzchak was the first to be holy from birth, thus providing the Jewish nation with a level of purity and holiness that it would need to last. However, Avraham and Yitzchak’s contributions do not necessarily ensure that the Jewish nation will endure because they both had children who are not considered to be part of the Jewish nation. In doing this, he created the concept that someone born of a Jewish woman will always be a Jew, regardless of his actions.

However, Rav Hutner points out that Yaakov’s role of ensuring Jewish continuity is still incomplete, due to the halacha (Jewish law) as quoted in the Shulchan Aruch: Even ha-Ezer 8 and in The Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:4 that the child of a non-Jewish woman is a non-Jew, even if the father is Jewish. Because of this halacha, the permanence of Klal Yisroel is still not ensured. It is in this area that Yosef plays a defining role. He, unlike his brothers, was alone in an alien atmosphere and subjected to great temptations, particularly the test involving Potiphar’s wife. Through his ability to withstand such challenges, and to maintain his identity as a ‘Jew’, he infused into all future generations the ability to withstand the future challenges of the exiles in which Jews will be under great pressure to assimilate with the other nations. In this way, Yosef’s contribution acts as a completion of Yaakov’s role in ensuring Jewish continuity. Yaakov created the concept that a person born from a Jewish woman is always a Jew, but Yosef ensured that he had the fortitude to refrain from intermarriage.

With this understanding, we can explain why Yosef’s death is mentioned both at the end of Bereishit and at the beginning of Shemot. The Ramban writes that the book of Bereishit is the book of the Avot, and the book of Shemot is the book of the ‘children.’ The deaths of all of Yaakov’s sons, with the exception of Yosef, are only mentioned in Shemot because that is the book of the children. Yosef is also partly considered one of the Shevatim; therefore, his death is also mentioned in Shemot. However, he also plays a role as a kind of half-Patriarch through his completion of Joseph’s role. Accordingly, his death is also discussed in Bereishit.

Have a great week!!

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To see the Devar Torah this was based off in its entirety please see “The Guiding Light: Joseph’s Strength” by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen