Parshas Mikeitz: Why Yaakov Told His Sons Not to Display Their Wealth

The shiur opens with a fundamental difficulty in understanding Parshas Mikeitz. When Yaakov tells his sons "lamah tisro'u" (why should you appear satiated), Rashi (רש"י) and the Midrash explain that he was instructing them not to display their wealth or food supplies in front of others during the famine. The Matnas Kehuna interprets this in two ways: either to prevent others from killing them out of jealousy, or to avoid the appearance of luxury when others are suffering, similar to the halacha (הלכה) of not eating publicly when traveling from a place that is not fasting to a place that is fasting. However, Rabbi Zweig raises a fundamental question: Why would Yaakov need to tell this to his sons? The brothers were tzaddikim gemurim, chachamim—completely righteous and wise people. Surely they would understand basic sensitivity not to flaunt wealth in front of starving people. We already have precedents for this sensitivity: during the flood, Noach was not permitted marital relations because "the world is dwelling in distress." Similarly, Yosef did not have relations with his wife during the years of famine, which is why his sons were born before the famine began. If even in private life one must deprive oneself when others are suffering, certainly one should not parade wealth publicly in front of the hungry. This should be obvious to anyone with basic moral sensitivity, let alone to the holy tribes.