English translation — וישב

1.

In connection with this that the brothers of Yosef sold Yosef "for twenty silver [pieces]"¹,

it stands in the Yerushalmi²

: "Because they sold the firstborn of Rachel for twenty silver [pieces], each and every one shall redeem his firstborn son for twenty silver [pieces]

(which are five shekels)..

Because they sold the firstborn of Rachel for twenty silver [pieces] and fell to each and every one of them a half-shekel

(two silver [pieces] — the half-shekel)

therefore each and every one shall give his shekel, a half-shekel."

That is,

that because of the matter of the selling of Yosef, Jews became "obligated"³

in two kinds of "payments" — redemption of the firstborn and the half-shekel.

Commentators⁴

explain the connection between them:

The half-shekel is "atonement for his soul"⁵,

And according to the known⁶,

that because of the sin of the sale of Joseph, the punishment of the exile for generations was decreed.

What this means,

that the sale

Yosef is a "chet nimshach" which demands a kaparah l'doros — the "kofer nafsho" of machatzit hashekel that Jews must give.

And the reason for pidyon haben — "Va'yaharog Hashem kol b'chor b'eretz Mitzrayim gav' etc. al kein ani zovei'ach la'Hashem gav' etc. v'chol b'chor banai efdeh"⁷

— is connected with this,

that from the side of the sale of Yosef

(the firstborn of Rachel)

also the "bichorei Yisrael" were in general danger,

but "Hashem asah lahem nes u'l'fichach hutzrechu pidyon l'doros"⁸.

One must understand: why did the sin of the sale of Joseph cause that Jews should be obligated for this in <b>two</b>

(types of)

payments⁹

— both redemption of the firstborn and the half-shekel?

B.

Furthermore, it is difficult: in the Jerusalem Talmud¹⁰

the two matters of payment stand in sequence for different reasons for <b>the half-shekel</b>: "Because they sinned at half of the day, they shall give a half-shekel ..

Because they transgressed the Ten Commandments ..

ten gerahs

(and afterwards)..

Because they sold the firstborn of Rachel ..

he redeems his firstborn son ..

Because they sold the firstborn of Rachel ..

each one shall give his shekel, a coin

(the half-shekel)

It is seemingly not understood: how does this fit in,

in the topic of the half-shekel,

The matter of "because he sold the birthright of Rachel ..

<b>he redeems his firstborn son</b>"¹¹?

And furthermore: the Yerushalmi <b>precedes</b> the matter

(regarding redemption of the firstborn)

to the matter of "each one gives his shekel, the coin"

(the half-shekel)¹²

one must say,

that these are not two separate matters,

but they come in sequence one after the other,

until,

that in order to understand how the sale of Joseph is a reason for the half-shekel,

one must first know,

that the sale of Joseph is a reason for the redemption of the firstborn¹³.

3.

Also one must understand:

a)

Granted, that the half-shekel is a matter of payment for a severe sin

(the selling of Joseph)

is understood,

since in the verse it is emphasized that this is “<b>ransom</b> of his soul”; but the redemption of the firstborn is,

at first glance,

the opposite — it is a matter <b>of good and holiness</b>: “<b>Sanctify</b> to Me every firstborn”¹⁴

— a firstborn has in himself a holiness,

and therefore one must redeem him —

So how is it relevant,

that the sale of the “firstborn of Rachel” should bring about a matter that is connected with “&lt;b&gt;Sanctify to Me &lt;/b&gt;every firstborn”&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;?

b)

Regarding the reason for the half-shekel — “that a coin fell to each one of them”

(the half-shekel)

— the commentators raise a question: at first glance, only &lt;b&gt;nine &lt;/b&gt;of the brothers of Joseph participated in the sale — “Benjamin was not with them”&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;,

and also Reuben was not present at the time of the sale

(as related in the verse&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;)

— so the calculation of the half-shekel does not match

(which is a &lt;b&gt;tenth&lt;/b&gt; part of “twenty pieces of silver”)?

And one answers in two ways:

(a)

Also Reuven is included,

because "although Reuven was not with them, nevertheless he left his portion,

for he thought that he would not disagree with their deeds"¹⁸

that after they told Reuven about the sale of Yosef,

"Reuven heard ...

and was silent"²⁰]

(b)

Yosef himself is

He is considered as if he had a share in his sale,

because he was the "cause

(of the sale)

through the jealousy at the beginning"²¹.

But it is not smooth: every matter in Torah is precise to the utmost.

Since the sale <b>in practice</b> was carried out only by nine of the brothers of Yosef — <b>contrary</b> to the will of Reuven and

(all the more so of)

Yosef — why should the aforementioned distant connection of Reuven or Yosef to the sale be considered as an equal participation with the other nine brothers,

so that the twenty silver [pieces] are divided into ten <b>equal</b> parts²²?

4.

The difference simply between the two modes of "payment" for the sale of Yosef — Pidyon HaBen and Machatzit HaShekel — is:

By Pidyon HaBen the sum of the payment is according to his "valuation" of <b>Yosef</b>

(for how much <b>he</b> was sold)

— five shekels; unlike by Machatzit HaShekel the payment is according to the sum that each of the <b>brothers</b> of Yosef "received" from the sale — Machatzit HaShekel.

From this it is understood,

that the two supplementary [offerings] are connected with two separate details in the selling of Joseph: the half-shekel is "ransom for the soul" for the blemish that the sale caused in the &lt;b&gt;tribes&lt;/b&gt;

(from their enjoyment of the selling

of Joseph)

; and corresponding to that which the sale "opened up" in &lt;b&gt;Joseph&lt;/b&gt;

(who was sold as a slave)

— one must redeem the firstborn son.

And with this we can explain the aforementioned difficulty — how did the sale of Yosef

(the firstborn of Rochel)

cause among Jews the concept

(for superiority)

of the redemption of the firstborn — because although regarding the tribes the sale of Yosef was a sin and a descent,

it nevertheless in &lt;b&gt;Yosef himself&lt;/b&gt; brought about an elevation which expresses itself in the concept of firstborn,

as follows.

5.

Regarding the sale of Yosef it says in the Zohar&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;

: "The Holy One, blessed be He, arranged all this in order to fulfill the decree that He decreed between the parts" — the Almighty led to this that Yosef's brothers should sell him,

so that the decree of the covenant between the parts should be fulfilled, that Jews should go into the exile of Egypt;

And the Zohar explains²⁴,

that the reason why Joseph had to come to Egypt through the fact that <b>his brothers </b>should sell him,

— at first glance: so that the covenant between the parts should be fulfilled, Joseph could have arrived in Egypt in a manner that "the hand of his brother shall not be upon him"²⁵

is because through that which the sons of Jacob had &lt;b&gt;ruled &lt;/b&gt;over Joseph

(thereby that they threw him

into the pit and sold him "as a master who sells his slave"&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;)

before he went down to Egypt,

he became "a slave of his brothers"&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;,

And this protected,

that when the Children of Israel afterwards went down to Egypt,

the Egyptians did not have any complete control over Jews

(as they had over all their other slaves,

that “no slave could escape from Egypt”²⁷)

; and on the contrary: since the Egyptians had become servants of Joseph,

and Joseph was “a servant of the Children of Israel”²⁵,

it turns out,

that “Israel ruled over all of them”.

6.

From this explanation of the Zohar comes a deeper understanding in the matter of the selling of Joseph which is emphasized in the verse,

that despite the not-good intention that the brothers of Joseph had thereby,

nevertheless <b>in practice </b>came out from it a <b>good </b>— “for preservation He sent me etc. to place for you a remnant in the land and to keep you alive for a great deliverance”²⁸,

Not only was the sale a cause and reason for the good outcome for Jews

(through the fact that Joseph <b>afterwards</b> became a viceroy),

but the <b>sale itself</b> gave the power for "to leave you a remnant etc. for a great deliverance" — the redemption from Egypt.

It turns out that the sale of Joseph revealed a thing and its opposite: from the side of Joseph's brothers,

whose intention

(in the sale)

was

was that he should become a <b>slave</b>,

the sale led to the <b>exile</b> of Egypt; and from the aspect that "the Holy One, blessed be He, <b>enclothes</b> all" — from the aspect of the <b>Almighty's</b> intention and will in this — the sale

(by the brothers of Joseph)

gave the power for <b>redemption</b>.

And this is the connection between the sale of the "birthright of Rachel" with the matter of redemption of the firstborn:

Since the sale of Joseph brought about that Joseph became "acquired" to

(the tribes — )

obligated in commandments

(circumcision etc.²⁹)

and in the Land of Israel Egypt cannot have any dominion over him³⁰,

and through this afterwards <b>all </b>Jews remained above the dominion of Egypt,

From this also came the matter of "firstborn",

that a firstborn is <b>acquired to God </b>— "to Me he is"³¹

; and the giving of "the first of his fruit ..

to the authority of his Creator" reminds a Jew

(in the language of the Chinuch³²)

"for <b>everything </b>is His" — everything that a Jew possesses,

belongs to the Most High.

7.

Based on this one will understand what Chazal are precise regarding the atonement for the sale of Yosef,

that in the sale there participated ten of the brothers of Yosef

(and certainly Yosef)

did not agree with the sale]

Because in order that the sale of Yosef should be able to effect in Yosef the matter of <b>good</b>— the elevation of redemption

(that the Egyptians should not be able to rule over him)

— one needed to reach the power of a <b>public</b>

(specifically).

Through the fact that ten of Israel are found together, "the Shechinah rests"&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

— there dwells a G‑dly light that is &lt;b&gt;higher &lt;/b&gt;than the world

(and even than angels)&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;,

and therefore from this is drawn the power to remain above Egypt,

the boundaries and limitations of exile&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;.

And it can be said that therefore

(when "the Holy One, blessed be He, gathers all of it")

it is not sufficient that nine should sell him,

rather it had to be ten — a combination of a tenth

(Reuben or Joseph,

as mentioned above).

And for this same reason, in <b>revealed</b> [manner] only nine participated in it — because if all ten brothers would have come together in a <b>revealed</b> manner,

there would have been "the Shechinah dwells" immediately in a revealed way —

It would not have come <b>ab initio</b> that he was sold as a slave³⁶.

So that Yosef should be sold as a slave,

(at least)

In a revealed and external manner³⁷,

The revealed participation was only from nine brothers; but on the other hand,

Since in a hidden manner there was the participation of ten,

This caused that in an inward and true manner Yosef

(and through him — all Jews)

Remained above the dominion of Egypt.

8.

Based on this will be sweetened what the "ransom" for the sale of Yosef is the half-shekel,

With which one does not buy <b>individual</b> offerings,

But <b>communal</b> offerings:

The atonement for the sale of Yosef is effected by bringing out <b>openly</b> the inner aspect of the sale of Yosef — the power of <b>the public</b> that was drawn into the sale and that gave into it the elevation of redemption

(as above)

— opposite the aspect of servitude and exile.

This is also one of the matters that are hinted at in the name <b>Machatzit</b> HaShekel

(not eser gera and the like)

— a Jew hears that he, as an individual,

is only a <b>Machatzit</b>,

a half thing,

and in order to become a thing

(shekel)

shalem he must become united with another Jew³⁸.

And the feeling of "the half-shekel",

which brings about joining and connection and unity of Israel and love of Israel³⁹,

rectifies the sin of the selling of Joseph, whose cause was the opposite of love — "and they hated him etc."⁴⁰.

With this it is understood that before the Yerushalmi brings the matter that the selling of Joseph is the cause for the payment of the half-shekel,

it precedes how the selling of Joseph caused the matter of the redemption of the firstborn — the introduction that the selling of "the firstborn of Rachel" brought about the matter of "firstborn" among Jews,

it gives an understanding in the second matter,

as the half-shekel

(from which communal offerings are purchased)

rectifies the matter of the selling of Joseph.

9.

as mentioned earlier

(section 3),

there are two aspects in the count of the ten brothers

(who have a part in the selling of Joseph)

— including Reuben

(because of that which "he heard ..

and was silent"),

or including Joseph

(because he caused the sale).

And according to the above

(section 7),

that their participation was in order to accomplish a matter of "community"

(and consequently — to cause "the Divine Presence dwells" in that matter)

one learns from the two opinions mentioned above a wonderful lesson in the greatness of the matter of love of Israel:

From the first explanation — Reuven's participation in the sale — one learns,

how one must not separate oneself,

and afterwards also unite oneself,

even with those whose conduct is <b>not</b> proper.

Reuben indeed explicitly &lt;b&gt;did not &lt;/b&gt;agree to the conduct of his brothers and wanted to save Joseph and return him to his father; nevertheless, after the deed he did not separate himself from them,

rather "he heard ..

and was silent",

and afterwards "and they took etc. and they sent etc." all together.

This is a lesson for a Jew,

that even when it concerns a "fellow" who is on the level of "mere creatures",

and he is

(according to the sight of the eyes

(of flesh and

the seer)

in the category of "those distant from the Torah of G-d and His service"&lt;sup&gt;41&lt;/sup&gt;

— first of all the conduct must be that of "and you shall love your fellow as yourself",

not to despair and abandon him; and to seek the proper way how to effect upon him the "and bring them close to Torah"&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;.

Yud.

Afterwards there comes into this an even greater wonder — from the second explanation: even when it speaks about someone who caused him distress,

up to such a great distress as Yosef suffered from his sale by his brothers — one must also have towards him the feeling of ahavas Yisrael⁴³.

And not only that <b>after the deed </b>he does not bear a grudge against him⁴⁴,

but also that <b>at the time of the very deed </b>— says the Mishnah⁴⁵

"And be one who judges <b>every person </b>to the side of merit",

and moreover "And be lowly of spirit before every person",

and it is obvious that he does not flee and abandon him etc.

And in particular, when he contemplates deeply the explanation of the Alter Rebbe in Tanya⁴⁶,

that every thing is with Divine Providence,

and although the second is a possessor of free will

(and he deserves a punishment for that which he conducted himself in such a manner),

but "upon the damaged it was already decreed from Heaven";

It turns out,

that in truth the &lt;b&gt;damaged party&lt;/b&gt; is entirely guilty in the damage that the other inflicted upon him

that he was a cause for his sale],

And even more: since all that the Merciful One does, He does for good&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;,

is in this

damage there is a &lt;b&gt;good &lt;/b&gt;for him&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;

(as above),

that the act of the sale itself brought about the redemption].

Therefore he is not angry at the other,

and on the contrary; and through that which he conducts himself with him in a manner of "and you shall love your fellow as yourself," this weakens until — nullifies the damage.

that through that which Yosef participates with the tribes, there was drawn to <b>him</b> the power for freedom,

as mentioned above].

And through that which one will increase in love of Israel,

until in a manner of love for no reason,

will this nullify the cause of the exile — hatred for no reason⁴⁹

— will automatically and immediately be nullified the effect,

the exile itself,

and in the language of the Rambam⁵⁰

"And immediately they are redeemed,"

With the coming of Mashiach our righteous one,

speedily in our days, literally.

Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev 5742)