ויירא

 Interesting how in the same parsha we see how Avraham and Avimelech had similar views of G-D and the world 

By Avraham trying to save Sodom

יn,כה

חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת ׀ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה לְהָמִ֤ית צַדִּיק֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע וְהָיָ֥ה כַצַּדִּ֖יק כָּרָשָׁ֑ע חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כׇּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

By Avimelech trying to save himself-

כ,ד וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ לֹ֥א קָרַ֖ב אֵלֶ֑יהָ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אֲדֹנָ֕י הֲג֥וֹי גַּם־צַדִּ֖יק תַּהֲרֹֽג׃

Now Abimelech had not approached her. He said, “O lord, will You slay people even though innocent?

It's interesting that God apparently agreed with Avimelech that he is a tzadik with his comment

כ,ו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלֹם, גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם-לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת, וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ גַּם-אָנֹכִי אוֹתְךָ, מֵחֲטוֹ-לִי; עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיךָ, לִנְגֹּעַ אֵלֶיהָ.

In fact we have chazal  that use the pasuk in mishlei of-

לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה לַצַּדִּ֣יק כׇּל־אָ֑וֶן וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים מָ֣לְאוּ רָֽע׃

No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked have their fill of misfortune.

to teach us  that God prevents real tzadikkim from sinning

Also another interesting contrast of similar language by both where hiding or lack of knowledge is a negative by not revealing; while sometimes used as a positive in preventing a sin

וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אָמָ֑ר הַֽמְכַסֶּ֤ה אֲנִי֙ מֵֽאַבְרָהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה׃

Now יהוה had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אֵלָ֨יו הָֽאֱלֹהִ֜ים בַּחֲלֹ֗ם גַּ֣ם אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֤י בְתׇם־לְבָבְךָ֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּ֔את וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ גַּם־אָנֹכִ֛י אֽוֹתְךָ֖ מֵחֲטוֹ־לִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לִנְגֹּ֥עַ אֵלֶֽיהָ׃

And God said to him in the dream, “I knew that you did this with a blameless heart, and so I kept you from sinning against Me. That was why I did not let you touch her.

The use of the word אחשך is interesting because חשך(darkness) is where things are hidden or unknown(מכסה). 

Another interesting fact, is that אבימלך was also a man of גמילת חסדים with his 

וַיִּקַּ֨ח אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֗ר וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיָּ֣שֶׁב ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored his wife Sarah to him.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ הִנֵּ֥ה אַרְצִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ בַּטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ שֵֽׁב׃

And Abimelech said, “Here, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.”

The argument that he was trying to appease or vindicate himself, so that Avraham would pray for him, is only in the last pasuk of 

וּלְשָׂרָ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֜תִּי אֶ֤לֶף כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לְאָחִ֔יךְ הִנֵּ֤ה הוּא־לָךְ֙ כְּס֣וּת עֵינַ֔יִם לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֑ךְ וְאֵ֥ת כֹּ֖ל וְנֹכָֽחַת׃

And to Sarah he said, “I herewith give your brother a thousand pieces of silver; this will serve you as vindication before all who are with you, and you are cleared before everyone.”

Notice again the torah using the strange  words of  כסות עינים in this pasuk (to mean 

Vindication)

Finally this idea of hidden or כסות עינים

becomes a common theme in the rest of בראשית from יעקב hiding his identity from יצחק to the brothers hiding the whereabouts of yosef from their father. There are endless cases of כסות עינים in between, that I didn't mention such as שמעון ולוי fooling the residents of שכם etc

שלש רגלים ובלעם

 I noticed something interesting in this past weeks parsha regarding Billam hitting the donkey three times. The terminology used when confronted by the donkey and the angel is שלש רגלים(three times). Interesting that the term שלש רגלים is mentioned three times.  

Here are the פסוקים  in  פרק כב

כב,ל וַתֹּאמֶר הָאָתוֹן אֶל-בִּלְעָם, הֲלוֹא אָנֹכִי אֲתֹנְךָ אֲשֶׁר-רָכַבְתָּ עָלַי מֵעוֹדְךָ עַד-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה--הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי, לַעֲשׂוֹת לְךָ כֹּה; וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא

כב,לב וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, עַל-מָה הִכִּיתָ אֶת-אֲתֹנְךָ, זֶה שָׁלוֹשׁ רְגָלִים; הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יָצָאתִי לְשָׂטָן, כִּי-יָרַט הַדֶּרֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּי

כב,לג וַתִּרְאַנִי, הָאָתוֹן, וַתֵּט לְפָנַי, זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים; אוּלַי נָטְתָה מִפָּנַי, כִּי עַתָּה גַּם-אֹתְכָה הָרַגְתִּי וְאוֹתָהּ הֶחֱיֵיתִי

The term שלש רגלים is normally used in the context of the fulfillment of God's command for the Jew to visit his temple three times a year. In this part of the story, Bilam was forced by God to take a path (or off the path), that he did not choose. This is a sort of intro to the idea that a Navi, even Bilam, cannot deviate from the prophecy that he is given(even when the vision includes a speaking donkey :)).

Later in the story Balak confronts Bilam, on his lack of obedience of the fulfillment of his employment; the cursing of the Jewish people. Here to it was three times that he refused to fulfill the wishes of Balak. In fact it seems that Bilam has now figuratively replaced the donkey with Balak, trying to steer Bilam to fulfill his will of staying on the path of cursing the Jewish people. This however, was not the will of God, as Bilam responds by replacing שלש רגלים with the more commonly used term of שלש פעמים.

Here is the pasuk in פרק כד

כד,י וַיִּחַר-אַף בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם, וַיִּסְפֹּק אֶת-כַּפָּיו; וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם, לָקֹב אֹיְבַי קְרָאתִיךָ, וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ, זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים.

פרשת שמות

 Fascinating differences that the Torah points out in three different stories, on how three people met their wives by wells of water.

Yitzchok-

Avraham sends his slave to find a wife for his son yitzchok. After the slave makes a condition with G-D (which the Rambam says is prohibited for jews to do), he sees  רבקה coming down with her flocks to a well and asks her to give him water to drink. רבקה being a person of חסד  not only gives him to drink but also his animals. 

The servant is the taker and the future wife is the giver.

Here are the pasukim-בראשית כד 

 וַיָּרָץ הָעֶבֶד, לִקְרָאתָהּ; וַיֹּאמֶר, הַגְמִיאִינִי נָא מְעַט-מַיִם מִכַּדֵּךְ.  יח וַתֹּאמֶר, שְׁתֵה אֲדֹנִי; וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתֹּרֶד כַּדָּהּ עַל-יָדָהּ--וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ.  יט וַתְּכַל, לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹ; וַתֹּאמֶר, גַּם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אֶשְׁאָב, עַד אִם-כִּלּוּ, לִשְׁתֹּת.  כ וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתְּעַר כַּדָּהּ אֶל-הַשֹּׁקֶת, וַתָּרָץ עוֹד אֶל-הַבְּאֵר, לִשְׁאֹב; וַתִּשְׁאַב, לְכָל-גְּמַלָּיו

And the servant ran to meet her, and said: 'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.' 18 And she said: 'Drink, my lord'; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said: 'I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.' 20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

Yaakov-

Running away from esav and heading to his mother's family to find a wife (as per his father's command) he sees a well with three flocks of sheep  that are not able to access water from the well, due to a large rock blocking access. Only after all the shepards arrive, would they have enough manpower to remove the rock. Yaakov not knowing the details is concerned why the sheep are allowed to go thirsty or why the shepards are not doing their job. After the challenges are explained to him by the shepards, he sees Rachel and immediately rolls off the rock and gives to drink the sheep of Laban.

Yaakov is a man of justice and concerned with the property of others including his future wife( one could argue that the future wife was a bias and may have played a roll towards his action of rolling off the rock) Here are the pasukim in בראשית כט

וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה, וְהִנֵּה-שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶדְרֵי-צֹאן רֹבְצִים עָלֶיהָ--כִּי מִן-הַבְּאֵר הַהִוא, יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים; וְהָאֶבֶן גְּדֹלָה, עַל-פִּי הַבְּאֵר.  ג וְנֶאֶסְפוּ-שָׁמָּה כָל-הָעֲדָרִים, וְגָלְלוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, וְהִשְׁקוּ, אֶת-הַצֹּאן; וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן עַל-פִּי הַבְּאֵר, לִמְקֹמָהּ.  ד וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב, אַחַי מֵאַיִן אַתֶּם; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, מֵחָרָן אֲנָחְנוּ.  ה וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, הַיְדַעְתֶּם אֶת-לָבָן בֶּן-נָחוֹר; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, יָדָעְנוּ.  ו וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, הֲשָׁלוֹם לוֹ; וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁלוֹם--וְהִנֵּה רָחֵל בִּתּוֹ, בָּאָה עִם-הַצֹּאן.  ז וַיֹּאמֶר, הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל--לֹא-עֵת, הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה; הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹּאן, וּלְכוּ רְעוּ.  ח וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֹא נוּכַל, עַד אֲשֶׁר יֵאָסְפוּ כָּל-הָעֲדָרִים, וְגָלְלוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר; וְהִשְׁקִינוּ, הַצֹּאן.  ט עוֹדֶנּוּ, מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם; וְרָחֵל בָּאָה, עִם-הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ--כִּי רֹעָה, הִוא.  י וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה יַעֲקֹב אֶת-רָחֵל, בַּת-לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ, וְאֶת-צֹאן לָבָן, אֲחִי אִמּוֹ; וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב, וַיָּגֶל אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, וַיַּשְׁקְ, אֶת-צֹאן לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ.  

And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it.--For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well's mouth was great. 3 And thither were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone back upon the well's mouth in its place.-- 4 And Jacob said unto them: 'My brethren, whence are ye?' And they said: 'Of Haran are we.' 5 And he said unto them: 'Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said: 'We know him.' 6 And he said unto them: 'Is it well with him?' And they said: 'It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.' 7 And he said: 'Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together; water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.' 8 And they said: 'We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.' 9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she tended them. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

Moses-

He was not looking for a wife; In fact he was running for his life because of his acting on an  injustice that he witnessed against his people. 

In running away from one injustice he encounters more injustice with the shepards chasing away the daughters of Midian from accessing a well for their flocks. Moshe saves them and then gives their sheep to drink(note-out of all three stories, the details of the moshe encounter is the smallest with yitzchak being the longest with the most detail).

Moshe stood for pure justice. It made no difference whether it was his people or pure strangers. Moshe had a need to take care of the weak and the oppressed. That is why he became the deliverer of the Jewish people, the writer of the greatest book of justice and the greatest prophet of all time.

Here are the pasukim in this weeks parsha שמות ב-

וּלְכֹהֵן מִדְיָן, שֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת; וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה, וַתְּמַלֶּאנָה אֶת-הָרְהָטִים, לְהַשְׁקוֹת, צֹאן אֲבִיהֶן.  ב,יז וַיָּבֹאוּ הָרֹעִים, וַיְגָרְשׁוּם; וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹשִׁעָן, וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת-צֹאנָם.  ב,יח וַתָּבֹאנָה, אֶל-רְעוּאֵל אֲבִיהֶן; וַיֹּאמֶר, מַדּוּעַ מִהַרְתֶּן בֹּא הַיּוֹם.  

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock

פרשת ויחי

 Something interesting I noticed in this weeks parsha.

In parsha ויגש, Joseph calms his brothers down by telling them that it wasn't them that sent him down to Egypt but instead it was G-D, with the end game of providing sustenance to the family during these last years of famine.

Here are the pasukim-

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אֶחָיו גְּשׁוּ-נָא אֵלַי, וַיִּגָּשׁוּ; וַיֹּאמֶר, אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר-מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי, מִצְרָיְמָה.  ה וְעַתָּה אַל-תֵּעָצְבוּ, וְאַל-יִחַר בְּעֵינֵיכֶם, כִּי-מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי, הֵנָּה:  כִּי לְמִחְיָה, שְׁלָחַנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם.  ו כִּי-זֶה שְׁנָתַיִם הָרָעָב, בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ; וְעוֹד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים, אֲשֶׁר אֵין-חָרִישׁ וְקָצִיר.  ז וַיִּשְׁלָחֵנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם, לָשׂוּם לָכֶם שְׁאֵרִית בָּאָרֶץ, וּלְהַחֲיוֹת לָכֶם, לִפְלֵיטָה גְּדֹלָה.  ח וְעַתָּה, לֹא-אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה, כִּי, הָאֱלֹהִים; וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה, וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל-בֵּיתוֹ, וּמֹשֵׁל, בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. 

Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

In this weeks parsha the brothers are nervous that now that their father has passed away, Joseph will take revenge. So they regurgitate the very argument that Joseph had told them regarding G-D sending him into Egypt, except they repeat it as if it came from their father. The key words are 

"אָנָּא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי-רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ, וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא, לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ"

"And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father"

Notice that they are saying that we were just being servants of the G-D of our father by fulfilling G-D's plan. It wasn't us that were truly evil but it was G-D that really planned all this.

Here comes the interesting part. In the next sentence, the brothers seem to be saying, that if you Joseph, are still upset at us, then we will stop being G-Ds servants and will instead choose to become servants to you..

Here are the words-

וַיֵּלְכוּ, גַּם-אֶחָיו, וַיִּפְּלוּ, לְפָנָיו; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, הִנֶּנּוּ לְךָ לַעֲבָדִים. 

And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said: 'Behold, we are thy bondmen.

Joseph immediately responds, I am definitely not a  replacement for G-D and once again repeats that G-D is good and is the one that  set this into motion in order to save the family; except this time, he does blame his brothers for the evil plotting/planning...

 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף, אַל-תִּירָאוּ:  כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים, אָנִי.  כ וְאַתֶּם, חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה; אֱלֹהִים, חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה, לְמַעַן עֲשֹׂה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לְהַחֲיֹת עַם-רָב.

And Joseph said unto them: 'Fear not; for am I in the place of God? 20 And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Purim 2021 פרשת תצוה

 Just noticed this morning  during Megillah reading an interesting observation, that may connect to the mishkan that we are in the middle of discussing in our weekly parsha readings.

The Megillah starts off discussing the party of King Achashverosh and all the lavish ornaments and utensils that were used to celebrate. This reminds us of the Mishkan with all the ornaments and utensils that were being used to worship G-D. In fact, the Megillah goes our of its way to  mention the utensils that were captured from the mikdash that were used at this elaborate party of Achashverosh.

Another similar event in the Megillah, is the death of Vashti at the party of Achashverosh which reminds us of the death of the sons of Aaron; who also died during the inauguration and celebration of the chanukat hamishkan. The  major difference between the stories, is that the death of the sons of Aaron was a true tragedy vs the death of Vashtin actually put into motion, the eventual salvation of the Jewish people from the hands of Haman. 

One last interesting note,  in this weeks parsha, Moshe’s name is not mentioned; in the Megillah, G-D’s name is also not mentioned.

המבין יבין....:)

Shabbat Shalom :)

Parshat Vayigash

 There is a famous discussion in the Talmud Bavli, Tractate Sanhedrin 91 which discusses how the Egyptians claimed to Alexander the Great, that we owe them the utensils that we borrowed when we went out of Egypt. The Gemara relates a response that Geviha ben Pesisa answered to Alexander the Great(see the gemara that I pasted below). 

 I wonder why the Gemara didn't bring a response from this weeks Parsha Vayigash, Where Pharoah tells Joseph (in perek 45 pasukim 18-20), 

 וּקְח֧וּ אֶת־אֲבִיכֶ֛ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיכֶ֖ם וּבֹ֣אוּ אֵלָ֑י וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָכֶ֗ם אֶת־טוּב֙ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וְאִכְל֖וּ אֶת־חֵ֥לֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וְאַתָּ֥ה צֻוֵּ֖יתָה זֹ֣את עֲשׂ֑וּ קְחוּ־לָכֶם֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם עֲגָל֗וֹת לְטַפְּכֶם֙ וְלִנְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וּנְשָׂאתֶ֥ם אֶת־אֲבִיכֶ֖ם וּבָאתֶֽם׃ וְעֵ֣ינְכֶ֔ם אַל־תָּחֹ֖ס עַל־כְּלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּי־ט֛וּב כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָכֶ֥ם הֽוּא׃ 

 Take your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you shall live off the fat of the land.’ And you are bidden [to add], ‘Do as follows: take from the land of Egypt wagons for your children and your wives, and bring your father here. And never mind your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt shall be yours.’” So we see from the above pasukim, that Pharoah offered Joseph and his family what they rightfully took with them, when they left Egypt... 

 Talmud Sanhedrin 91a 

 שוב פעם אחת באו בני מצרים לדון עם ישראל לפני אלכסנדרוס מוקדון אמרו לו הרי הוא אומר (שמות יב, לו) וה' נתן את חן העם בעיני מצרים וישאילום תנו לנו כסף וזהב שנטלתם ממנו אמר גביהא בן פסיסא לחכמים תנו לי רשות ואלך ואדון עמהן לפני אלכסנדרוס אם ינצחוני אמרו להם הדיוט שבנו נצחתם ואם אני אנצח אותם אמרו להם תורת משה רבינו נצחתכם נתנו לו רשות והלך ודן עמהן אמר להן מהיכן אתם מביאין ראייה אמרו לו מן התורה אמר להן אף אני לא אביא לכם ראייה אלא מן התורה שנאמר (שמות יב, מ) ומושב בני ישראל אשר ישבו במצרים שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה תנו לנו שכר עבודה של ששים ריבוא ששיעבדתם במצרים שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה 

 The Gemara relates: On another occasion, the people of Egypt came to judgment with the Jewish people before Alexander of Macedon. The Egyptian people said to Alexander: It says in the Torah: “And the Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt, and they lent them” (Exodus 12:36). Give us the silver and gold that you took from us; you claimed that you were borrowing it and you never returned it. Geviha ben Pesisa said to the Sages: Give me permission and I will go and deliberate with them before Alexander of Macedon. If they will defeat me, say to them: You have defeated an ordinary person from among us, and until you overcome our Sages, it is no victory. And if I will defeat them, say to them: The Torah of Moses, our teacher, defeated you, and attribute no significance to me. The Sages gave him permission, and he went and deliberated with them. Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: From where are you citing proof that you are entitled to the silver and gold? They said to him: From the Torah. Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: I too will cite proof to you only from the Torah, as it is stated: “And the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years” (Exodus 12:40), during which they were enslaved to Egypt, engaged in hard manual labor. Give us the wages for the work performed by the 600,000 men above the age of twenty (see Exodus 12:37) whom you enslaved in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years.

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."