Parshat Vayeishev (the week of the vaccine)

 There is a famous question in this weeks parsha on who was Joseph sold to.

Here are the pasukim in question-

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינו וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃

לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו׃

"Then they sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt.

Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood?

Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed."

At this point it seems that Joseph was going to be sold to Ishmaelites. The problem is, the next pasuk which discusses the sale-

וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִן־הַבּ֔וֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

"When Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who brought Joseph to Egypt."

The above pasuk says that Joseph was actually sold to Midianites. So which was it, Ishmaelites or Midianites? 

Rashi and the commentaries give all different explanations to this apparent contradiction.

I would like to suggest that both the Midianites and the Ishmaelites are really the same and the Midianites are often referred to as Ishmaelites.

In chapter 25, after Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah. One of the sons born to her and Avraham was named Midian

וַיֹּ֧סֶף אַבְרָהָ֛ם וַיִּקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ קְטוּרָֽה׃

וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־זִמְרָן֙ וְאֶת־יָקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת־מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת־מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֶת־יִשְׁבָּ֖ק וְאֶת־שֽׁוּחַ׃

"Abraham took another wife, whose name was 

She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah."

My theory is that Midian born after Issac was named after their oldest brother Ishmael,  especially because they were a tribe of nomads.The Torah may also be possibly  reiterating that like  Ishamael, the Midian tribe didnot inherit the legacy of Abraham (though thanks to Midian we have a Sanhedrin/Torah shebal peh)

We also find a similar phenomenon in Tnach(Judges 7 and 8); by the war of Gideon against Midian, in recovering the spoils he refers to the Midianim as Ishmaelites. Notice the reasoning of the reference by the pasuk.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם גִּדְע֗וֹן אֶשְׁאֲלָ֤ה מִכֶּם֙ שְׁאֵלָ֔ה וּתְנוּ־לִ֕י אִ֖ישׁ נֶ֣זֶם שְׁלָל֑וֹ כִּֽי־נִזְמֵ֤י זָהָב֙ לָהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים הֵֽם׃

׃

"And Gideon said to them, “I have a request to make of you: Each of you give me the earring he received as booty.” They had golden earrings, for they were Ishmaelites."