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Why does the Torah (תורה) describe Yosef being sold twice—once to the Midianites and once to Potiphar—with seemingly contradictory details? The shiur develops a novel approach: Yosef was sold on two distinct levels—his professional administrative talents (traded as a commodity by merchants) and his physical person (retained by the Ishmaelites). This explains why he rose quickly in Potiphar's government service while simultaneously being owned as a personal slave.
This shiur presents an in-depth analysis of the opening pesukim of Parshas Vayeishev dealing with Yosef's sale and arrival in Egypt. Rabbi Zweig addresses numerous textual difficulties that emerge from a careful reading of the narrative. The primary question revolves around the apparent contradiction between different accounts of Yosef's sale. The Torah (תורה) states both that the Ishmaelites brought Yosef down to Egypt and that the Midianites sold him. Rashi (רש"י) explains he was sold multiple times—from Ishmaelites to Midianites to Egypt—but this raises further questions about possession, transportation, and the brothers' involvement.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
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Bereishis 39:1-6
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