Three Major Difficulties
The Meshech Chochmoh (on Shemos 13:13,
beginning vechol), asks a powerful question. The
seforim explain that the sum that has to be paid for
pidyon haben -- five shekolim -- is the
equivalent of the twenty silver pieces that changed hands
when Yosef was sold, there being four selo'im in each
shekel. If this money represents the sum which the
brothers received for selling Yosef however, why does the
child's father, who is a Yisroel, give the money to
the Cohen, who is a member of the tribe of Levi? Levi
was one of the brothers who conducted the sale and we would
expect the money to be handed in the opposite direction in
atonement: from a Levi to one of the descendants of
Yosef.
We find another seeming contradiction regarding the tribe of
Levi in the Chumash itself. In parshas Vayechi
(Bereishis 49:5), Yaakov Ovinu says, "Shimon and Levi are
brothers; their weapons [with which they murdered the
inhabitants of Shechem] were obtained unjustly" [for Eisov,
not Yaakov, was told to live by the sword]. Shimon and Levi
are apparently equated here. Yaakov's words imply
dissatisfaction with both of them in exactly the same degree
for having taken action without consulting him. Indeed, he
continues by cursing their anger that led them to behave as
they did.
In parshas Vezos Habrochoh (Devorim 33: 8-11) however,
the tribe of Levi is praised highly by Moshe Rabbeinu. "And
to [regarding] Levi he said, `Your urim vetumim
[deserve to go] to Your man of piety, whom You tested at
Masoh and assessed by Mei Merivoh. He [is the one who] says
about his father and mother, "I did not see them," neither
did he recognize his brothers, nor did he know his sons, for
they guarded Your utterances and preserve Your covenant. They
are fit to teach Your law to Yaakov and Your Torah to
Yisroel; they shall offer incense before You and burnt
offerings on Your altar. Hashem, bless their valor, and
desire the deeds of their hands; deal a crushing blow to
their enemies and to those who rise against them, so that
they do not rise again.' "
Here, sheivet Levi is singled out by Moshe for
exceptional praise, as none of the other tribes are. How did
their standing among the tribes change so drastically between
the blessings of Yaakov and those of Moshe?
Yaakov Ovinu told Yosef (Bereishis 48:22), "And I have
given you shechem echod, a portion, more than [that
received by] your brothers, which I took from the Emori with
my sword and my bow." The simple meaning of this statement
seems to be that Yaakov gave Yosef the city of Shechem over
and above the portion in Eretz Yisroel that he would receive
together with his brothers. Yaakov was able to make the city
of Shechem an immediate gift, not merely promise it at a
later time when the land would be divided, because the city
already belonged to him, since he had won it with his "sword
and bow."
There are several major problems with such an explanation
however. The Torah tells us explicitly (Bereishis
34:25), that Shimon and Levi armed themselves and entered
the city securely, killing every male. They were the ones who
conquered Shechem, not Yaakov. Rashi points out that although
they were Yaakov's sons, they behaved like strangers and did
not even consult him. Later (posuk 30), Yaakov rebukes
Shimon and Levi and makes his displeasure at their actions
quite clear. Again, before dying he cursed the anger that led
them to act in this way. How could he therefore say to Yosef
that he himself had taken Shechem by force?
I was also asked the meaning of Rashi's comment, that the
word "becharbi, with my sword," means
"bechochmosi, with my wisdom." What wisdom was
involved in the capture of Shechem? It seems to have been an
example of physical prowess.
Brotherhood and Common Purpose
In order to begin answering these questions, we must examine
the Torah's lengthy account of the sale of Yosef and the
subsequent exchange between Yosef and his brothers, in Egypt.
What lesson are we supposed to extract from these
parshiyos?
The Torah tells us (Bereishis 42:9-14), that when
Yosef's brothers stood before him in Egypt, he accused them
of having come to the country with the intention of spying.
The brothers denied this, claiming that they had come purely
to buy food and they added that they were all sons of the
same father. Yosef did not accept this and repeated his
charge, to which they replied that they were twelve brothers,
sons of one father in Canaan, the youngest of whom had
remained with his father and another of whom was missing. To
this Yosef said, "It is as I have said. You are spies."
How was the brothers' insistence on their being family
supposed to allay Yosef's suspicions of their being spies?
Couldn't they have been both spies as well as brothers?
The key to understanding their response is Rashi on posuk
12. Yosef told them, "No, you have come to see the
weakness of the land" and Rashi comments, "because you
entered through the ten [different] city gates. Why didn't
you come in through the same gate?"
There are two different considerations that lead people to
band together and follow a single path. They can share a
common goal, in which case they are held together by the hope
of achieving their ends, or they might be united by genuine
brotherhood. Sons of the same father who grew up together,
naturally form a single unit. It is natural for them to act
together in a coordinated manner, and even to think along the
same lines.
As the king's deputy, Yosef bore responsibility for the
country's security. His argument was that the ten of them had
entered the city each using a different gate -- yet as they
now stood before him, their unity and commonalty of purpose
were obvious. Therefore it was reasonable to assume that they
were spies, who only shared a common goal.
The relevance of the brothers' reply is now clear. They
indeed formed a united group but they asserted that this was
because they were brothers and were united at their core, not
because they had come together to work towards the single
end.
The Distinguishing Sign
This helps to explain the next stage in the discussion. Yosef
proposed testing the veracity of their story by imprisoning
one of them and sending the others to bring the youngest
brother whom they claimed was at home. Based on our earlier
question, this too seems to make no sense. How would the
appearance of another brother prove that they were not spies?
Perhaps he too was a spy?
The difference between unity that stems from the pursuit of a
common goal and unity that stems from natural bonds can be
readily seen when a conflict of interests arises among the
members of the group. In the first kind of group, unity,
cooperation and shared purpose vanish as soon as there is a
conflict of interests. Each member goes his own way.
When unity is based upon brotherhood however, the common
bonds become even more apparent when interests differ. The
brotherly feeling that has been instilled into the family
members stands out even more where interests diverge. In
fact, their brotherhood dictates that the level of
cooperation between them and their devotion to one another be
even greater than usual.
This was the test which Yosef, in his tremendous wisdom, was
now proposing. If they were spies, who had only been brought
together by their common goal, now that they had been
discovered and could no longer continue their mission, in
addition to which one of them had been imprisoned, their
interests were no longer the same. One would expect each of
them to go his own way, even though it would mean leaving one
of the group behind in prison.
If they were united by genuine brotherhood though, that would
dictate that they return home and bring their younger brother
-- for how could they leave one of their brothers in prison?
Even their aged father would have to agree to this, for true
brotherhood demands that one brother sacrifice himself for
another. If they really were brothers, their elderly and wise
father would understand that there was no choice but to agree
to send the youngest, despite the risk involved.
The pesukim themselves (Bereishis 42:29 and
43:6) seem to bear out this understanding. When they returned
home and told their father what had happened to them, he
said, "Why have you harmed me by telling the man that you had
another brother?"
Yaakov fully grasped the reasoning behind Yosef's demand.
True brotherhood would demand that he send Binyomin. It was a
reasonable and a fair way of testing the truth of their
claim.
The Sublime Levels of Brotherhood
Clearly, the Torah's purpose in telling us all this is to
demonstrate the extent of the loyalty which true brotherhood
demands, as we see from the brothers' realization (in
posuk 42:21), "But we are guilty for [our treatment
of] our brother." Yosef's accusation that Binyomin had stolen
his goblet was also intended to demonstrate the importance of
brotherhood, both to his brothers and to us.
I have heard from my father-in-law (HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman)
on many occasions that Yosef the tzaddik is the
paramount example of brotherliness. The posuk (Bereishis
42:8) tells us, "Yosef recognized his brothers but they
did not recognize him," on which Rashi comments, "And the
medrash aggodoh says, `And Yosef recognized his
brothers,' when they were in his power whereas, `They did not
recognize him,' to treat him like a brother when he was in
their power."
The entire episode shows us how Yosef treated his brothers
with mercy and gentleness. Despite the dreadful wrong that
they had done to him, he provided for them and their families
until the end of his life and he even tried to pacify them
and to make them feel easier. This is brotherliness par
excellence.
In parshas Vayishlach (34:25), the Torah stresses that
Shimon and Levi were moved to do what they did by their
brotherly feelings towards Dinoh: "Yaakov's sons, Shimon and
Levi, Dinoh's brothers, each took their sword . . . " The
same thing is apparent later (posuk 35), in their
response to Yaakov Ovinu's rebuke: "Shall they treat our
sister like a harlot?" It was brotherliness that had dictated
that they do what they did.
In and of itself, such a level of devotion among siblings is
a good thing and is evidence of a good upbringing. Like all
similar traits, this too stems from the father. The gemora
says that brothers inherit from each other by virtue of
their sharing the same father and the same is true of all
inbred feelings of brotherly affection and dedication. These
feelings are learned from the father, whether by his express
instruction or from his personal example.
A Father's Wisdom
In parshas VaYeitze (Bereishis 31:46), the Torah tells
us, "And Yaakov said to his brothers, `Gather stones.' "
Rashi comments, "His brothers: these were his sons, who were
[like] brothers [to him], coming to assist him in trouble and
war." The special trait which Yaakov instilled into his sons
was brotherliness and this inspired Shimon and Levi to save
Dinoh from Shechem and Chamor. Yaakov only rebuked them for
not having consulted him beforehand, for he felt that such
action was inappropriate at that time. However, their
undertaking and its success stemmed from their powerful [and
positive] brotherly feelings.
It was to this that Yaakov referred when he spoke to Yosef of
having taken the city of Shechem "with my sword" -- i.e.
wisdom -- "and my bow." His wisdom in raising his children
and the example that he set for them led to the positive
aspect and to the success of Shimon and Levi's deed. This was
the very reason that he gave Shechem -- that had become his
as the result of an act of brotherly loyalty -- to Yosef the
tzaddik, who excelled in this particular trait which
he had taken from his father to a greater extent than any of
the other brothers. He was especially deserving of this extra
portion, that had come to them in the merit of their
brotherhood.
Why does the Torah go to such length to impress the far-
reaching consequences of the brotherly relationship upon us?
The Rambam (Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 10:2) writes, "All
Yisroel and those who accompany them, are like brothers, as
it is said (Devorim 14:1), `You are sons to Hashem.'
And if one brother does not have mercy on another, who [else]
will?"
In these parshiyos, the Torah shows us what
brotherhood demands and what the consequences of failing to
feel these bonds properly and live up to the relationship
are. This is especially true of bnei Torah, who are
truly bound together and to whom the posuk, "You are
sons to Hashem" certainly refers.
From Fault to Virtue
This lesson goes deeper still. The very same
expression is used by the Torah both in censure and in
praise of Levi. Earlier, we quoted Rashi on the posuk,
"Yosef recognized his brothers and they did not recognize
him," who tells us that this refers to the brothers' failure
to treat Yosef like a brother when he was in their power.
Levi's shortcoming -- he and Shimon were the ones who sold
Yosef -- therefore lay in his failure to acknowledge Yosef as
his brother.
In Moshe's blessing to Levi in parshas Vezos Habrochoh
however, this very same feature is cited as the highest
praise: "and he did not recognize his brothers." How can the
very same trait, which Levi was once blamed for, now be cited
as his crowning glory and the cause of his success?
In parshas Shemos, we find Moshe Rabbeinu arguing with
Hashem for seven days, with the purpose of avoiding jealousy
on the part of his older brother Aharon. Hashem said to Moshe
(Shemos 4:14), " . . . Aharon your brother, the
Levi . . . also . . . he will come out towards you and
he will see you and rejoice in his heart." This entire
episode was an expression of unparalleled brotherliness on
the part of these two prominent members of the tribe of Levi.
Moshe was prepared to forgo a tremendous opportunity in favor
of Aharon because Aharon was his older brother. Aharon, for
his part, was forgoing towards Moshe to the extent that
Hashem testified, "and he will see you and rejoice in his
heart." Unbelievable!
The Torah stresses: "Aharon, your brother, the Levi,"
in order to tell us that here, Levi's earlier fault was
rectified by Aharon. Prior to the sale of Yosef, the Torah
tells us, "his brothers were jealous of him" (Bereishis
37:11). This reached the point where they did not
recognize him as a brother and were capable of selling him.
And now, Moshe Rabbeinu was ready to give up his future and
his entire purpose in case it would lead Aharon to envy him.
But instead of envying him, Aharon rejoiced for him. Here,
their tribe's fault was corrected.
Destructive and Constructive Jealousy
In his commentary on the Aseres Hadibros, Rabbeinu
Bechaye writes that every kind of jealousy leads to the
world's ruination -- with the exception of jealousy among
scholars, of which it says, "Envy among scholars increases
wisdom." How can this desirable type of jealousy be discerned
from other types? How can we tell when Levi's estrangement
from his brothers is due to jealousy or not?
The answer lies in the words, "and he will see you and
rejoice in his heart." When joy for a brother's good fortune
governs one's feelings, one is in a position to distinguish
between that failure to recognize a brother which is a
mitzvoh and the sort that is simple cruelty, stemming from
the jealousy that ruins the world.
Here, Moshe and Aharon made this degree of brotherliness into
one of the characteristics of their tribe, as the posuk
tells us, "Aharon your brother, the Levi." As a
result, they rose to extremely high levels of genuine zeal on
Hashem's behalf and became the closest of all to Hashem's
House and to His service.
This ability to make correct evaluations came into play at
the time of the eigel hazohov, when Moshe Rabbeinu
called, "Whoever is for Hashem, come to me!" Their brotherly
awareness and the selflessness that was exemplified by
Aharon's joy over his own brother's elevation led them to
develop a fine sensitivity of judgement which led them to
understand that this was not a time for recognizing brothers.
They were thus capable of killing even their own relatives,
as the situation demanded.
The Dictates of Mercy
We can use this idea to deepen our understanding of the
Rambam, quoted earlier, who brought the posuk, "You
are sons to Hashem" as the source for the brotherly
relationship that should exist between all Jews. This should
lead us to behave mercifully to one another for, as the
Rambam says, "if one brother does not have mercy on another,
who [else] will?"
This posuk however, appears in parshas Re'ei,
directly following the parshiyos of the false
novi and the city whose inhabitants were swayed to
become idolatrous (ir hanidachas) where the Torah
directs us "to destroy the evil from our midst." Moreover,
directly following the words, "You are sons to Hashem," comes
the command, "Do not cut-up yourselves." Where did the Rambam
see any allusion to brotherly mercy here?
The Rambam's understanding must have been the same as that of
Rabbeinu Bechaye, who comments (on posuk 13:10), "For
you shall surely kill him:" the idea behind this vengeance is
mercy, to have pity on those who remain." On posuk
14:1, Rabbeinu Bechaye writes, "This parshoh was
placed after [that of] ir hanidachas to teach [us]
that it is forbidden to mourn family members who were killed
there."
We see here, that there are situations in which mercy
dictates taking the path of ignoring brotherhood, as
explained above. This is why the Rambam took this as the
source for the brotherhood existing between Jews. It is
precisely the trait of mercy that decrees when a brother
should not be recognized as such.
I heard from someone who is close to HaRav Aharon Leib
Steinman, that that gaon praised HaRav Shach zt'l
effusively and said that one of the areas in which his
greatness was apparent was in his success in overcoming his
superlative character traits and launching campaigns when it
was a matter of fortifying our faith.
In the light of the above, this would seem to mean that
through his selfless and brotherly love, HaRav Shach attained
a correct perspective and a genuine understanding of Torah,
enabling him to know when it was a time for closeness and
when it was correct to distance. The very same trait that
directed him to be merciful and recognize his brethren,
sometimes told him that one had to declare, "Whoever is for
Hashem, come to me!" and not recognize them.
The Torah desires that we reach this level, that is attained
by gedolei Yisroel, at which judgment is governed by
the selfless brotherly love of "and he will see you and
rejoice in his heart." The Torah itself tells us that Moshe
Rabbeinu, "attained maturity and he went out to his brothers
. . . and he saw an Egyptian man hitting one of his Hebrew
brethren" (Shemos 2:11). The beginning of Moshe
Rabbeinu's greatness was his acknowledgment of brotherhood
and his taking action as a result.
Exemplifying Brotherhood
This is why the Torah commands us to give the five
shekolim of pidyon haben -- representing the
sum for which Yosef was sold -- to a Cohen, one of
Aharon's descendants, in particular. Aharon was the one who
rectified Levi's failure to recognize his brother, and
transformed it into something desirable which found
expression in the actions of the entire tribe during the
episode of the eigel.
This explains the sequence of the pesukim in Moshe
Rabbeinu's blessing to the tribe of Levi:
"And to [regarding] Levi he said:" this refers to Aharon's
virtue, as the commentaries explain. Aharon symbolized the
special characteristic of the entire tribe.
" `Your urim vetumim [deserve to go] to Your man of
piety'": This special virtue was to wear the urim
vetumim, which Chazal tell us he deserved for the joy
that he felt in his heart on Moshe's behalf -- with which he
corrected the fault at the root of the traits of the tribe of
Levi.
" `whom You tested at Masoh and assessed by Mei Merivoh'."
After this had been corrected, the leviim withstood
every test, until they reached the difficult test of, " `He
[is the one who] says about his father and mother, "I did not
see them," neither did he recognize his brothers . . . ' "
By withstanding the test of the eigel, they attained
the level that would remain theirs forever. They did not
recognize their brethren, because they realized that this was
the correct and just path to follow. This power and
discernment arose from receiving the urim vetumim,
which came to them as a consequence of "and he will see you
and rejoice in his heart." With this, they were transformed
from being the recipients of Yaakov's rebuke into the chosen
tribe.
