Simple Math

The denouement of the dispute between Yosef and his brothers is on dazzling display at the dawn of this week's parsha. Desperate and distressed, as well as doubtful of the dubious demands dictated by the Egyptian Dictator, Yehudah draws near to Yosef to deliver his diatribe as to the disproportionate discipline being dispensed. His articulate articulation of his angst, accompanied by an appeal to accept him as an alternate apprentice for Binyamin, arouses Yosef's affection, activating his announcement acknowledging his actual identity.

While there is no question that desperation is excellent inspiration-thus explaining Yehudah's newfound willingness to confront the "[second-] most powerful man on earth"-Yehudah's clear confidence in confronting Yosef bespeaks additional impetus. The storyline Yosef first suggested in last week's parsha-that the brothers were suspected of being spies-made Yehudah sense something was suspicious; it smelled like a scheme. After all, one does not punish suspected spies by sending them home to retrieve the missing member of their team!!

How are suspected spies treated? They are incarcerated, they are executed, they are NOT sent home. Even Yosef's choice to keep a hostage (Shimon) to ensure the brothers' return raised suspicion. Any statesman would know what happens to a captured spy: he is abandoned and disavowed by his country. One need only to reflect on the plight of our brother Jonathan Pollard (Yehonasan ben Malka, may we see his immediate release) to understand that holding Shimon hostage would not compel the brothers' return if they were truly spies. Maybe Yosef would have risked sending one of the brothers home to obtain Binyamin, but certainly not all-but-one.

Already wary of Yosef's professed concerns, Yehudah's skepticism is further heightened during their second expedition in Egypt. Having returned with all the money that was surreptitiously refunded to them by Yosef during their first foray, they are flush with cash. Nonetheless, and amazingly, they are accused (and found guilty) of having stolen Yosef's conjuring cup. Though the evidence was overwhelming, Yehudah retains what appears to be a sound defense: clearly they would not enter Egypt flashing all that cash just to grab Yosef's goblet! Talk about high-risk/low reward!

Yet Yehudah demurs. He acknowledges their [seeming] guilt and offers all of them up as slaves; end of story. He tells Yosef

What can we say to my lord? How can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? G-d has uncovered the sin of your servants. Here we are: We are ready to be slaves to my lord-both we and the one in whose hand the goblet was found. (44:16)

Then Yosef makes a critical mistake; he says something that makes absolutely no sense to Yehudah whatsoever: he offers to let them all go free except for Binyamin. That somehow empowered Yehudah to stand-up to Yosef and ultimately force him to reveal his true identity; that put Yehudah over-the-top. Why?

There is a well-known story about the Ibn Ezra, an early Rishon, Classic Torah Commentator, and author of numerous books on mathematics. Once two men came to him to complain about their troubles, and what they perceived to be the unjustness of the world. In response, the Ibn Ezra posed the following riddle to them.

Two men (we'll call them Reuven and Shimon) were traveling together; Reuven had three loaves of bread, and Shimon two. A third man ("Levi") joined them and, at mealtime, asked if they would share their food with him, which they happily did. When they finished eating, and it came time to part ways, Levi turned to them and said "I wish to pay you for the food that you shared with me. Here are five gold coins; divide them as you see fit." Immediately, Reuven and Shimon began quarreling. Reuven, former owner of the three loaves of bread, demanded that he receive three of the coins as compensation. Shimon countered that they had each shared whatever they had, and therefore they should divide the coins equally, regardless of how much each gave (hmmmmmm, what current economic philosophy does that remind me of?). "Which one is correct?" asked the Ibn Ezra.

After considering arguments both ways, the Ibn Ezra informed them that they were both wrong. "In reality," he said, "Reuven should receive FOUR gold coins, and Shimon just ONE!" "That's preposterous" declared the men listening to the Ibn Ezra's story, "that result is unjust!" "Reuven had given three of the five loaves, therefore he should be entitled (as he claimed) to three coins; Shimon should receive two." "No," said the Ibn Ezra, "the calculation is as follows:"

5 loaves of bread, 3 diners, equals a total of 15 portions (5x3=15);
Thus, each loaf equals 3 portions (5x3=15);
3 diners, 5 portions each (15÷3=5);
Reuven had 3 loaves of bread which equals 9 portions (3x3=9);
Shimon had 2 loaves of bread which equals 6 portions (2x3=6);
Thus Reuven contributed 4 portions to Levi, leaving 5 for himself (9-4=5); and
Shimon contributed 1 portion to Levi, leaving 5 for himself (6-1=5);
Totaling 5 portions for Levi as well (4 from Reuven, 1 from Shimon).

"Therefore, contrary to your certainty that they should divide the coins 3 and 2, in fact they should be divided 4 and 1" said the Ibn Ezra. "You cannot even understand a simple calculation, and you wish to question Hashem's calculations?"

That story is quite instructive for us, since it seeks to expose our inability to consider all the factors when calculating "Heavenly Justice" (first time I read that story I too fell for the 3 and 2 split). Such was not the case, however, for the Holy Tribes. They were much more attuned to the Heavenly calculations, and that may have been what led Yehudah to deduce something was afoot, thus empowering him to confront Yosef (and causing Yosef to realize that the "jig was up").

On the bolded words in the passuk above-G-d has uncovered the sin of your servants-which appear at the end of last week's parsha, Rashi clarifies Yehudah's "admission" and offer of servitude

We know that we did not act improperly, but that it came about from the Omnipresent to bring this to us. The Creditor has found an opportunity to collect on His promissory note.

In other words, Yehudah was not admitting guilt, since he knew Binyamin was innocent of the crime with which he was being charged. Rather, it was a statement of acknowledgment that despite their innocence in this matter Hashem is nonetheless justified in putting them in this situation, since He wishes to punish them for an earlier transgression.

AMAZING!!! When we have challenges, especially ones that seem "unjustified" to us, we tend to only look at them in their immediate context. If we are accused FALSELY of something, we are indignant; after all, "IT'S NOT FAIR!" "We are innocent!!" We do not stop to think for a moment that this obstacle may have nothing to do with our current situation, but rather may be our Creditor collecting on an earlier debt!

Yehudah understood such calculations, and therefore he saw no incongruity in becoming a slave based on a false accusation of theft, since he realized that the brothers deserved this punishment for having sold Yosef as a slave so many years before. That is precisely why he offers all of them up as slaves. BUT, when Yosef replies that it would be "unjust" to enslave all of them, since the goblet was only found in Binyamin's possession, and therefore only he would be taken as a slave, Yehudah smells a rat. Now he knows that this is not Hashem's doing, since that would truly be unjust. For if there was one person who definitely did not deserve repercussions from the sale of Yosef, it was Binyamin; he had nothing to do with it.

So when Yehudah perceives that the only person being enslaved over a false accusation was Binyamin, he knew that it was time to act; this was decidedly not a case of the Creditor collecting on an old debt. Which may have been what gave Yehudah the strength and confidence to approach Yosef at the beginning of our parsha. And that may have been what caused Yosef to capitulate; he may now have apprehended that Yehudah comprehended that something was amiss, thus fueling his newfound strength.

And that is a tremendous lesson for us all. In our myopic minds, we tend to judge the "fairness" of our situation based on the facts immediately in front of us. We often forget that there is a Creditor, and that sometimes He comes to collect an old debt. Those promissory notes were signed with the signature of our sins, and we would do well to repent and have the notes torn up before collection day.

So with the lights of Chanukah dimming in our rearview mirror, and the joy of Purim approaching steadily, let us pause this Sunday, on the Fast of Teves, to consider the debt due. With the current chaos in the world, we must question less and respond more. We must realize that in Hashem's World of Calculations, there is nothing unfair or unclear; it is merely our inability to do......SIMPLE MATH!!!

Good Shabbos.

This week's TMOT is dedicated in memory of my Mother, Rus bas Tzvi Noach (HK"M,) and in memory of my Zayde, Tzvi Noach ben Moshe (A"H), whose Yahrzeit is observed tonight.