In “A Reflection of Yosef’s Character” I discussed viewing Yosef as caught between the vectors of his own personal saga and the greater story of the destiny of the Jewish people within which he played a significant role. This dialectical tension was discussed yesterday afternoon at Congregation Etz Chaim in Kew Garden Hills, NY by Yeshiva University Professor Shalom Carmy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom_Carmy ) , in a Shiur entitled “Yosef through the Eyes of R. J.B. Soloveitchik and R. Aharon Lichtenstein.” R. Carmy noted that two trends in lierary biblical study could be identified as: 1) focus upon the individual character, determining the psychological factors that motivate his actions, and 2) the development of Jewish history over the course of the vagaries of time. In keeping with such a dichotomy, the story of Yosef as it develops in the last four Parashiot of Beraishit could be viewed as either the description of a complex personality who goes from personal hardship to powerful political success and influence, or as a lynchpin in the fulfillment of God’s Master Plan as outlined to Avraham in the Brit Bein HaBetarim in Beraishit 15.

These two different perspectives can be identified in the writings of R. Soloveitchik. On the one hand, in the presentations that he made to Mizrachi, (Chameish Derashot Al Eretz Yisrael VeAm Yisrael MeiEt HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik– http://etzion.haretzion.org/10-news/news/271-5drashot ), he presented Yosef as a proto-Zionist who paved the way for the eventual establishment of the Jewish state, a reflection of the approach that focuses upon an overview of Jewish history. However, R. Carmy noted, since someone speaking homiletically to members of an organization with a particular political perspective can be expected to cater to their overall outlook, it is not clear that R. Soloveitchik actually personally subscribed to this version of Yosef. A more personal reflection can perhaps be identified in the volume Vision and Leadership (http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Leadership-Meotzar-Joseph-Soloveitchik/dp/160280219X ) which contains material that is derived from his series of lectures in Boston on Saturday nights. Here Yosef is discussed as an individual who struggles with all that is done to him over the course of a turbulent life. R. Carmy noted the Rav’s poignant observation that the tragedy of Yosef’s story is not that he was subject to his brothers’ jealousy and resentment, but rather the absence of family unity. But once again, the caveat must be mentioned that the Rav often speculated about different possibilities regarding a particular issue, and this may not have been his final take on Yosef’s character and story.

Turning to R. Lichtenstein, who may have arrived at his conclusions independently, or was possibly reflecting discussions that he had had with his father-in-law, R. Carmy cited a short, ten-minute’ synagogue presentation for which he was present, in which R. Aharon concluded that the key difference between Yosef and his brothers was that while the former experienced great political sovereignty, the latter “had each other.” Once again, the dimension of the family dynamic was brought to the fore. In a separate conversation, R. Aharon noted to R. Carmy that RaMBaN and NeTzIV are important commentators by virtue of their relating to personalities like Yosef from the perspective of these individual’s overall experience and challenges, avoiding what he termed “ossified Tzidkut.”

Drawing attention how specific families function in TaNaCh, where we are given such information by the bible, seems to me to be a third approach that falls between the two paradigms that R. Carmy delineated at the beginning of his presentation. RaMBaN’s repeated focus upon the principle of “Ma’asei Avot Siman LaBanim” (e.g., RaMBaN on Beraishit 12:6; Shemot 3:13) could allow for concluding that what occurs to a particular forefather symbolizes what will happen to his offspring, i.e., a vision of family down through the ages, but it is also possible that events affecting a particular family are unique unto themselves and can serve as either aspirational qualities to emulate or cautionary tales whose contributing causes one must struggle to avoid within his own family experience.

Of course, “the fly in the ointment” is whether these exercises in combinations of “personal chemistry” can in fact be avoided, even when one’s attention is drawn to them. Recently, within the context of a Shiur that I was giving on Hoshea 10 (https://rayanotyaakov.wordpress.com/audio-shiurum/trai-asar-twelve-prophets/ ) one participant agonizingly asked why the prophets seem to sound similar refrains over and over. I responded that it would appear that despite the fact that prophecies and actions are recorded in the bible, and adherents of Judaism are adjured to study and remember the lessons of past generations, nevertheless human nature is such that we seem determined in each generation to “reinvent the wheel” and experience things for ourselves rather than learn from the past. But is it also possible that our emotions and personal concerns get the best of us and prevent us from making properly informed decisions as to how to live. Will siblings who are conversant with the story of Yosef and his brothers necessarily be able to avoid the pitfalls of lack of communication and personal grievances and slights, intended or unintended, that continually made their interactions so hostile and even violent? Was it their fault that they found themselves in a family of adults rife with competition and resentment? When my son-in-law recently asked me, “What do you think that fundamental message of the stories in Beraishit is?” I responded in my view, the overriding common denominator in these accounts is the destructiveness that results from favoring one person over another. Whether it all begins with the rivalry between Kayin and Hevel, or even earlier on, according to the Rabbis, who depict the primordial Nachash (serpent) as jealous of Adam, mankind, or even God Himself, so to speak, the person who feels rejected, disrespected, less valued, passively smolders or aggressively acts out his hurt and disgruntlement. Nevertheless, even among those who are conversant with the stories of the bible, it seems that resentments and jealousy are indigenous to family life, to the point where RaMBaN (on Shemot 21:1) notes that (Shemot 20:14; Devarim 5:18) “Lo Tachmod” (Do not covet) is the underlying basis for all “Mishpatim” (laws that govern the relationships between people.) Although Ben Zoma in Avot 4:1 posits that the person who is “wealthy” is he who is content with what he has, the Yetzer (lit. inclination; fig. drive for Eros) that is present within each of us makes achieving such a state of mind difficult, to say the least. (See “The Ever-Present Yetzer(s)”) It is unsettling to say the least, when one realizes that his behavior towards the members of his family is less than ideal, and yet from some deep-seated irrational place, he repeatedly acts badly towards those whom he should love and who should love him. Once again, we can demand of a person that he engage in certain outward activities; commanding him to feel a certain way towards others, or even to himself, is a much taller order, that hopefully will be resolved via internalization of his outward behaviors, but, alas, not necessarily.