 Chapter 1 Joseph, Part 9 of the Legends of the Jews, Volume 2. Pharaoh's Dreams Properly speaking, Joseph should have gone out free from his dungeon on the same day as the butler. He had been there ten years by that time, and had made amends for the slander he had uttered against his ten brethren. However, he remained in prison two years longer. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. But Joseph had put his confidence in flesh and blood. He had prayed the chief butler to have him in remembrance when it should be well with him, and to make mention of him unto Pharaoh, and the butler forgot his promise, and therefore Joseph had to stay in prison two years more than the years originally allotted to him there. The butler had not forgotten him intentionally, but it was ordained of God that his memory should fail him. When he would say to himself, if thus and so happens, I will remember the case of Joseph, the conditions he had imagined were sure to be reversed, or if he made a knot as a reminder an angel came and undid the knot, and Joseph did not enter his mind. But the Lord seteth an end to darkness, and Joseph's liberation was not delayed by a single moment beyond the time decreed for it. God said, Thou, O butler, Thou didst forget Joseph, but I did not, and he caused Pharaoh to dream a dream that was the occasion for Joseph's release. In his dream Pharaoh saw seven kind, well-favored and fat fleshed, come up out of the Nile, and they altogether grazed peaceably on the bank of the river. In years when the harvest is abundant, friendship reigns among men, and love and brotherly harmony, and these seven fat kind stood for seven such prosperous years. To the fat kind seven more came up out of the river, ill-favored and lean fleshed, and each had her back turned to the others, for when distress prevails one man turns away from the other. For a brief space Pharaoh awoke, and when he went to sleep again he dreamed a second dream, about seven rank and good ears of corn, and seven ears that were thin and blasted with the east wind, the withered ears swallowing the full ears. He awoke at once, and it was morning, and dreams dreamed in the morning are the ones that come true. This was not the first time Pharaoh had had these dreams. They had visited him every night during a period of two years, and he had forgotten them invariably in the morning. This was the first time he remembered them, for the day had arrived for Joseph to come forth from his prison-house. Pharaoh's heart beat violently when he called his dreams to mind on awaking. Especially the second one, about the ears of corn, disquited him. He reflected that whatever a has a mouth can eat, and therefore the dream of the seven lean kind that ate up the seven fat kind did not appear strange to him. But the ears of corn that swallowed up other ears of corn troubled his spirit. He therefore called for all the wise men of his land, and they endeavored in vain to find a satisfactory interpretation. They explained that the seven fat kind meant seven daughters to be born under Pharaoh, and the seven lean kind that he would bury seven daughters. The rank ears of corn meant that Pharaoh would conquer seven countries, and the blasted ears that seven provinces would rebel against him. About the ears of corn they did not all agree. Some thought that the good ears stood for seven cities to be built by Pharaoh, and the seven withered ears indicated that these same cities would be destroyed at the end of his reign. Sagacious as he was, Pharaoh knew that none of these explanations hit the nail on the head. He issued a decree summoning all interpreters of dreams to appear before him on pain of death, and he held out great rewards and distinctions to the one who should succeed in finding the true meaning of his dreams. In obedience to his summons all the wise men appeared, the magicians and the sacred scribes that were in Mizram, the city of Egypt, as well as those from Goshen, Ramesses, Zohan, and the whole country of Egypt, and with them came the princes, officers, and servants of the king from all the cities of the land. To all these the king narrated his dreams, but none could interpret them to his satisfaction. Ram said that the seven fat kind were the seven legitimate kings that would rule over Egypt, and the seven lean kind betoken seven princes that would rise up against these seven kings and exterminate them. The seven good ears of corn were the seven superior princes of Egypt that would engage in a war for their overlord and would be defeated by as many insignificant princes who were betokened by the seven blasted ears. Another interpretation was that the seven fat kind were the seven fortified cities of Egypt at some future time to fall into the hands of seven Canaanites nations who were foreshadowed in the seven lean kind. According to this interpretation the second dream supplemented the first. It meant that the descendants of Pharaoh would regain sovereign authority over Egypt at a subsequent period and would subdue the seven Canaanites nations as well. There was a third interpretation given by some. The seven fat kind are seven women whom Pharaoh would take to his wife, but they would die during his lifetime, their loss being indicated by the seven lean kind. Furthermore, Pharaoh would have fourteen sons, and the seven strong ones would be conquered by the seven weaklings as the blasted ears of corn in his dream had swallowed up the rank ears of corn. And a fourth. Thou wilt have seven sons, O Pharaoh. These are the seven fat kind. These sons of thine will be killed by the seven powerful rebellious princes. But then seven minor princes will come, and they will kill the seven rebels, avenge thy descendants, and restore the dominion to thy family. The king was as little pleased with these interpretations as with the others, which he had heard before, and in his wrath he ordered the wise men, the magicians, and the scribes of Egypt to be killed, and the hangmen made ready to execute the royal decree. However, Mirad, Pharaoh's chief butler, took fright, and seeing that the king was so vexed at his failure to secure an interpretation of his dreams that he was on the point of giving up the ghost. He was alarmed about the king's death, for it was doubtful whether the successor to the throne would retain him in office. He resolved to do all in his power to keep Pharaoh alive. Therefore he stepped before him, and spake, saying, I do remember two faults of mine this day. I showed myself ungrateful to Joseph, in that I did not bring in his request before thee. And also I saw thee in distress by reason of thy dream, without letting thee know that Joseph can interpret dreams. When it pleased the Lord God to make Pharaoh wroth with his servants, the king put me in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. And with us there was a simple young man, one of the despised race of the Hebrews, slave to the captain of the guard, and he interpreted our dreams to us, and it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so it was. Therefore, O king, stay the hand of the hangmen. Do not let them execute the Egyptians. The slave I speak of is still in the dungeon, and if the king will consent to summon him hither, he will surely interpret thy dreams. The Legends of the Jews, Volume 2 by Rabbi Lewis Ginsburg Joseph before Pharaoh A curse that are the wicked that never do a holy good deed. The chief butler described Joseph contemptuously as a slave in order that it might be impossible for him to occupy a distinguished place at court, for it was a law upon the statute-books of Egypt that a slave could never sit upon the throne as king, nor even put his foot in the stirrup of a horse. Pharaoh revoked the edict of death that he had issued against the wise men of Egypt, and he sent and called Joseph. He impressed care upon his messengers, they were not to excite and confuse Joseph and render him unfit to interpret the king's dream correctly. They brought him hastily out of the dungeon, but first Joseph, out of respect for the king, shaved himself and put on fresh raiment, which an angel brought him from paradise, and then he came in unto Pharaoh. The king was sitting upon the royal throne, arrayed in princely garments, clad with a golden effet upon his breast, and the fine gold of the effet sparkled, and the carbuncle, the ruby, and the emerald, flamed like a torch, and all the precious stones set upon the king's head flashed like a blazing fire, and Joseph was greatly amazed at the appearance of the king. The throne upon which he sat was covered with gold and silver with onyx stones, and it had seventy steps. If a prince or other distinguished person came to have an audience with the king, it was the custom for him to advance and mount to the thirty-first step of the throne, and the king would descend thirty-six steps and speak to him. But if one of the people came to have a speech with the king, he ascended only to the third step, and the king would come down four steps from his seat and address him thence. It was also the custom that one who knew all the seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the throne to the top, but if a man knew only some of the seventy languages, he was permitted to ascend as many steps as he knew languages, whether they were many or few. And another custom of the Egyptians was that none could reign over them unless he was master of all the seventy languages. When Joseph came before the king, he bowed down to the ground, and he ascended to the third step, while the king sat upon the fourth from the top and spake with Joseph, saying, O young man, my servant Barith witness concerning thee, that thou art the best and most discerning person I can consult with. I pray thee, vouchsafe unto me the same favors, which thou didst bestow on this servant of mine, and tell me what events they are which the visions of my dreams foreshadow. I desire thee to suppress not out of fear, nor shout thou flatter me with lying words, or with words that please me. Tell me the truth, though it be sad and alarming. Joseph asked the king first whence he knew that the interpretation given by the wise men of his country was not true, and Pharaoh replied, I saw the dream and its interpretation together, and therefore they cannot make a fool of me. In his modesty Joseph denied that he was an adept at interpreting dreams. He said, It is not in me, it is in the hand of God, and if it be the wish of God, he will permit me to announce tidings of peace to Pharaoh. And for such modesty he was rewarded by sovereignty over Egypt, for the Lord doth honor them that honor him. Thus was also Daniel rewarded for his speech to Nebuchadnezzar. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, but as for me this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that thou mayest know the thoughts of thy heart. Then Pharaoh began to tell his dream, only he omitted some points and narrated others inaccurately in order that he might test the vaunted powers of Joseph. But the youth corrected him and pieced the dreams together exactly as they had visited Pharaoh in the night, and the king was greatly amazed. Joseph was able to accomplish this feat because he had dreamed the same dream as Pharaoh at the same time as he. Thereupon Pharaoh retold his dreams, with all details and circumstances, and precisely as he had seen them in his sleep, except that he left out the word Nile in the description of the Seven-Lean Kynes, because this river was worshipped by the Egyptians, and he hesitated to say, ought that his evil had come from his God. Now Joseph proceeded to give the king the true interpretation of the two dreams. They were both a revelation concerning the seven good years impending and the seven years of famine to follow them. In reality it had been the purpose of God to bring a famine of forty-two years duration upon Egypt, but only two years of this distrustful period were inflicted upon the land for the sake of the blessing of Jacob when he came to Egypt in the second year of famine. The other forty years fell upon the land at the time of the prophet Ezekiel. Joseph did more than merely interpret the dreams. When the king gave voice to doubts concerning the interpretation he told him signs and tokens. He said, Let this be a sign to thee that my words are true, and my advice is excellent. Thy wife, who is sitting upon the birth-stool at this moment, will bring forth a son, and thou wilt rejoice over him, but in the midst of thy joy the sad tidings will be told thee of the death of thine older son, who was born unto thee but two years ago, and thou must needs find consolation for the loss of the one in the birth of the other. Scarcely had Joseph withdrawn from the presence of the king when the report of the birth of a son was brought to Pharaoh, and soon after also the report of the death of his first born, who had suddenly dropped to the floor and passed away. Thereupon he sent for all the grandees of his realm and all the servants, and he spake to them, saying, Ye have heard the words of the Hebrew, and ye have seen that the signs which he foretold were accomplished, and I also know that he hath interpreted the dream truly. Advise me now how the land may be saved from the ravages of the famine. Look hither and thither, whether you can find a man of wisdom and understanding whom I may set over the land, for I am convinced that the land can be saved only if we heed the counsel of the Hebrew. The grandees and the princes admitted that safety could be secured only by adhering to the advice given by Joseph, and they proposed that the king, in his sagacity, choose a man whom he considered equal to the great task. Thereupon Pharaoh said, If we traversed and searched the earth from end to end, we could find none such as Joseph, a man in whom is the spirit of God. If ye think well thereof, I will set him over the land which he hath saved by his wisdom. The astrologers, who were his counselors, demured, saying, A slave, one whom his present owner hath acquired for twenty pieces of silver, thou proposes to set over us his master. But Pharaoh maintained that Joseph was not only a free-born man beyond the paradventure of a doubt, but also the sign of a noble family. However, the princes of Pharaoh were not silenced. They continued to give utterance to their opposition to Joseph, saying, Thus thou not remember the immutable law of the Egyptians that none may serve as king or as viceroy unless he speaks all the languages of men. And this Hebrew knows none but his own tongue, and how, where it possible, that a man should rule over us who cannot even speak the language of our land. Send and have him fetched hither, and examine him in respect to all the things a ruler should know and have, and then decide as Seameth wise in thy sight. Pharaoh yielded. He promised to do as they wished, and he appointed the following day as the time for examining Joseph, who had returned to his prison in the meantime, for, on account of his wife, his master feared to have him stay in his house. During the night Gabriel appeared unto Joseph and taught him all the seventy languages, and he acquired them quickly after the angel had changed his name from Joseph to Jehoseph. The next morning, when he came into the presence of Pharaoh and the nobles of the kingdom, inasmuch as he knew every one of the seventy languages, he mounted all the steps of the royal throne until he reached the seventeenth, the highest upon which sat the king, and Pharaoh and his princes rejoiced that Joseph fulfilled all the requirements needed by one that was to rule over Egypt. The king said to Joseph, Thou didst give me the council to look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt, that he may in his wisdom save the land from the famine. As God hath showed thee all this, and as thou art master of all the languages of the world, there is none so discreet and wise as thou. Thou shalt therefore be the second in the land after Pharaoh, and according to thy word shall all my people go in and go out. My princes and my servants shall receive their monthly appendage from thee. Before thee the people shall prostrate themselves. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. End of chapter 1 part 9. The ruler of Egypt Now Joseph reaped the harvest of his virtues, and according to the measure of his merits God granted him reward. The mouth that refused the kiss of unlawful passion and sin received the kiss of homage from the people. The neck that did not bow itself unto sin was adorned with the gold chain that Pharaoh put upon it. The hands that did not touch sin wore the signet ring that Pharaoh took from his own hand and put upon Joseph's. The body that did not come in contact with sin was arrayed in vestures of basis. The feet that made no steps in the direction of sin reposed in the royal chariot, and the thoughts that kept themselves undefiled by sin were proclaimed as wisdom. Joseph was installed in his high position and invested with the insignia of his office, with solemn ceremony. The king took off his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in princely apparel and set a gold crown upon his head, and laid a gold chain about his neck. Then he commanded his servants to make Joseph to ride in his second chariot, which went by the side of the chariot wherein sat the king, and he also made him to ride upon a great and strong horse of the king's horses, and his servants conducted him through the streets of the city of Egypt. The servants, no less than a thousand striking symbols and a thousand blowing flutes, and five thousand men with drawn swords gleaming in the air, formed the vanguard. Twenty thousand of the king's grandees, girt with gold, embroidered in leather belts, marched at the right of Joseph, and as many at the left of him. The women and the maidens of the nobility looked out of the windows to gaze upon Joseph's beauty, and they poured down chains upon him and rings and jewels that he might but direct his eyes toward them. Yet he did not look up, and as a reward God made him proof against the evil eye, nor has it ever had the power of an inflicting harm upon any of his descendants. Servants of the king, preceding him and following him, burnt incense upon his path, and casia, and all manner of sweet spices and strewed myrrh and aloes wherever he went. Twenty heralds walked before him, and they proclaimed, This is the man whom the king hath chosen to be the second after him. All the affairs of state will be administered by him and whoever resistseth his commands, or refuses to bow down to the ground before him. He will die the death of the rebel against the king and the king's deputy. Without delay the people prostrated themselves, and they cried, Long live the king, and long live the deputy of the king. And Joseph, looking down from his horse upon the people and their exultation, exclaimed, his eyes directed at heavenward, The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy from the Dunhill. O Lord of Host, blessed is the man that trustseth in thee. After Joseph, accompanied by Pharaoh's officers and princes, had journeyed through the whole city of Egypt, and had viewed all there was therein, he returned to the king on the self-same day, and the king gave him fields and vineyards as a present, and also three thousand talons of silver, and a thousand talons of gold, and onyx stones, and medallium, and many other costly things. The king commanded, moreover, that every Egyptian give Joseph a gift, else he would be put to death. A platform was erected in the open street, and there all deposited their presents, and among the things were many of gold and silver, as well as precious stones carried thither by the people, and also the grandees, for they saw that Joseph enjoyed the favor of the king. Furthermore, Joseph received one hundred slaves from Pharaoh, and they were to do all his bidding, and he himself acquired many more, for he resided in a spacious palace. Three years it took to build it. Special magnificence was lavished upon the hall of state, which was his audience chamber, and upon the throne fashion of gold and silver and inlaid with precious stones, whereon there was the representation of the whole land of Egypt and of the river Nile. And as Joseph multiplied in riches, so he increased also in wisdom, for God added to his wisdom that all might love and honor him. Pharaoh called him Zephanath Penea, he who can reveal secret things with ease, and rejoices the heart of man therewith. Each letter of the name Zephanath Penea has a meaning, too. The first, Zedeh, stands for Zofa, Sere, Peh, for Poda, Redeemer, Nun, for Nabbi, Prophet, Tal, for Tomek, Supporter, Peh, for Poter, Interpreter of Dreams, Ain, for Arum, Clever, Nun, for Nabon, Discrete, and Het, for Hakam, Wise. The name of Joseph's wife pointed to her history in the same way. Asanath was the daughter of Dina and Hamor, but she was abandoned at the borders of Egypt, only, that people might know who she was, Jacob engraved the story of her parentage and her birth upon a gold plate fastened around her neck. The day on which Asanath was exposed, Potiphar went walking with his servants near the city wall, and they heard the voice of a child. At the captain's bidding they brought the baby to him, and when he read her history from the gold plate he determined to adopt her. He took her home with him, and raised her as his daughter. The LF in Asanath stands for On, where Potiphar was priest. The same act for Cetera, hidden, for she was kept concealed on account of her extraordinary beauty. The Nun, for Nohemet, for she wept and entreated that she might be delivered from the house of the heathen Potiphar, and the Taw, for Tamah, the perfect one, on account of her pious, perfect deeds. Asanath had saved Joseph's life while she was still an infant in arms. When Joseph was accused of immoral conduct by Potiphar's wife and the other women, and his master was on the point of having him hanged, Asanath approached her foster father, and she assured him under oath that the charge against Joseph was false. Then spake God, as thou livest, because thou didst try to defend Joseph, thou shalt be the woman to bear the tribes that he has appointed to beget. Asanath bore him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, during the seven years of Pliny, for in the time of famine Joseph refrained from all indulgence in the pleasures of life. They were bred in chastity and fear of God by their father, and they were wise and well instructed in all knowledge and in the fares of state, so that they became the favorites of the court, and were educated with the royal princes. Before the famine broke over the land, Joseph found an opportunity of rendering the king a great service. He equipped an army of 4,600 men, providing all the soldiers with shields and spears and bucklers and helmets and slings. With this army, and aided by the servants and officers of the king, and by the people of Egypt, he carried on a war with Tarshish in the first year after his appointment as Viceroy. The people of Tarshish had invaded the territory of the Ishmaelites, and the latter, few in number at that time, were sore pressed, and applied to the king of Egypt for help against their enemies. At the head of his host of heroes, Joseph marched to the land of Havilah, where he was joined by the Ishmaelites, and with united forces they fought against the people of Tarshish, routed them utterly, settled their land with the Ishmaelites, while the defeated men took refuge with their brethren in Javan. Joseph and his army returned to Egypt, and not a man had they lost. In a little while, Joseph's prophecy was confirmed. That year and the six following years were years of plenty, as he had foretold. The harvest was so ample that a single ear produced two heaps of grain, and Joseph made circumspect arrangements to provide abundantly for the years of famine. He gathered up all the grain, and in the city situated in the middle of each district, he laid up the produce from round about, and had ashes and earth, strewn on the garnered food from the very soil on which it had been grown. Also he preserved the grain in the ear, all these being precautions taken to guard against rot and mildew. The inhabitants of Egypt also tried, on their own account, to put aside a portion of the super abundant harvest of the seven fruitful years against the need of the future. But when the grievous time of dirt came, and they went to their storehouses to bring forth the treasured grain, behold, it had rotted, and become unfit for food. The famine broke in upon the people with such suddenness that the bread gave out unexpectedly as they sat at their tables. They had not even a bite of brand bread. Thus they were driven to apply to Joseph, and beseech his help, and he admonished them, saying, Give up your allegiance to these deceitful idols, and say, Blessed is he who giveth bread unto all flesh. But they refused to deny their lying gods, and they betook themselves to Pharaoh, only to be told by him, Go unto Joseph, what he saith to you, do. For this Pharaoh was rewarded. God granted him long life and a long reign, until he became arrogant, and well merited punishment overtook him. When the Egyptians approached Joseph with the petition for bread, he spoke, saying, I give no food to the uncircumcised, go hence and circumcise yourselves, and then return hither. They entered the presence of Pharaoh and complained to him regarding Joseph, but he said as before, Go unto Joseph. And they replied, We come from Joseph, and he hath spoken roughly unto us, saying, Go hence and circumcise yourselves. We warned thee in the beginning that he is a Hebrew, and would treat us in such wise. Pharaoh said to them, O ye fools, did he not prophesy through the Holy Spirit and proclaim to the whole world, that there would come seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of dearth? Why did you not save the yield of one or two years against the day of your need? Weeping they made reply, The grain that we put aside during the good years has rotted. Pharaoh, have you nothing over of the flower of yesterday, the Egyptians, the very bread and the basket rotted? Pharaoh, why? The Egyptians, because Joseph willed thus. Pharaoh, O ye fools, if his word hath power over the grain, making it to rot when he desireeth it to rot, then also must we die, if so be his wish concerning us. Go, therefore, unto him, and do as he bids you. The Legends of the Jews, Vol. 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg, Joseph's brethren in Egypt. The famine, which inflicted hardships first upon the wealthy among the Egyptians, gradually extended its ravages as far as Phoenicia, Arabia, and Palestine. Though the sons of Jacob, being young men, frequented the streets and the highways, yet they were ignorant of what their old homekeeping father Jacob knew, that corn could be procured in Egypt. Jacob even suspected that Joseph was in Egypt. His prophetic spirit, which forsook him during the time of his grief for his son, yet manifested itself now and again in dim visions, and he was resolved to send his sons down into Egypt. There was another reason. Though he was not yet in want, he nevertheless had them go thither for food, because he was a verse from arousing the envy of the sons of Esau and Ishmael by his comfortable state. For the same reason, to avoid friction with the surrounding peoples, he bade his sons not appear in public with bread in their hands, or in the accoutrements of war. And as he knew that they were likely to attract attention on account of their heroic stature and handsome appearance, he cautioned them against going to the city altogether, through the same gate, or indeed showing themselves altogether anywhere in public, that the evil eye be not cast upon them. The famine in Canaan inspired Joseph with the hope of seeing his brethren. To make sure of their coming, he issued a decree concerning the purchase of corn in Egypt as follows. By order of the king and his deputy, and the princes of the realm, be it enacted that he who desire to buy grain in Egypt may not send his slave hither to do his bidding, but he must charge his own sons therewith. In Egyptian, or in Canaanite, that hath bought grain and then selleth it again shall be put to death, for none may buy more than he require for the needs of his household. Also, who cometh with two or three beasts of burden and loads them up with grain shall be put to death. At the gates of the city of Egypt, Joseph's stationed guards, whose office was to inquire and take down the name of all that should come to buy corn, and also the name of their father and their grandfather, and every evening the list of names thus made was handed to Joseph. These precautions were bound to bring Joseph's brethren down to Egypt, and also acquaint him with their coming, as soon as they entered the land. On their journey his brethren thought more of Joseph than of their errand. They said to one another, We know that Joseph was carried down into Egypt, and we will make search for him there, and if we should find him, we will ransom him from his master, and if his master should refuse to sell him, we will use force, though we perish ourselves. At the gates of the city of Egypt, the brethren of Joseph were asked what their names were, and the names of their father and grandfather. The guard on duty happened to be Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The brethren submitted to being questioned, saying, Let us go into the town, and we shall see whether this taking down of our names be a matter of taxes. If it be so, we shall not demure. But if it be something else, we shall see tomorrow what can be done in the case. On the evening of the day they entered Egypt, Joseph discovered their names on the list, which he was in the habit of examining daily, and he commanded that all stations for the sale of corn be closed except one only. Furthermore, even at this station, no sales were to be negotiated unless the name of the would-be purchaser was first obtained. His brethren, with whose names Joseph furnished the overseer of the place, were to be seized and brought to him as soon as they put an appearance. But the first thought of the brethren was for Joseph, and their first concern, to seek him. For three days they made search for him everywhere, even in the most disreputable quarters of the city. Meantime Joseph was in communication with the overseer of the station, kept open for the sale of corn, and, hearing that his brethren had not appeared there, he dispatched some of his servants to look for them, but they found them neither in Mizraim, the city of Egypt, nor in Goshen, nor in Ramses. Thereupon he sent sixteen servants forth to make a house-to-house search for them in the city, and they discovered the brethren of Joseph in a place of ill-fame, and hailed them before their master. End of Chapter 1, Part 10 Chapter 1, Joseph Part 11 of the Legends of the Jews, Volume 2 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Steven Escalera. The Legends of the Jews, Volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsberg. Joseph meets his brethren. A large crown of gold on his head, a pair old and business and purple and surrounded by his valiant men, Joseph was seated upon his throne in his palace. His brethren fell down before him in great admiration of his beauty, his stately appearance, and his majesty. They did not know him, for when Joseph was sold into slavery, he was a beardless youth. But he knew his brethren, their appearance had not changed a naught, for they were bearded men when he was separated from them. He was inclined to make himself known to them as their brother, but an angel appeared unto him, the same that had brought him from Shechem to his brethren at Dothan, and spoke, saying, these came hither with intent and returned home, and gave an account of their adventures to Jacob, they told him that a man had accused them falsely before the ruler of Egypt, not knowing that he who incited Joseph against them was an angel. It was in reference to this matter, and meaning their accuser, that Jacob, when he dispatched his sons on their second expedition to Egypt, prayed to God, God Almighty giving mercy before the man. And he took his cup in his hand, knocked against it, and said, by this magic cup I know that you are spies. They replied, thy servants came from Canaan into Egypt for to buy corn. Joseph, if it be true that she came hither to buy corn, why is it that each one of you entered the city by a separate gate? The brethren. We are all the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and he was gathered by the same gate that we attract not the attention of the people of the place. Unconsciously they had spoken as seers, for the word all included Joseph as one of their number. Joseph, verily ye are spies. All the people that come to buy corn return home without delay. But ye have lingered here three days, without making any purchases, and all the time you've been gadding about in the city. The brethren. We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of the Hebrew Abraham. The youngest is this day with our father in Canaan, and one hath disappeared. Him did we look for in this land, and we look for him even in the disreputable houses. Joseph, have you made search in every other place on earth, and was Egypt the only land left? Through that he is in Egypt, what should a brother of yours be doing in a house of ill-fame, if indeed ye are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? The brethren. We did hear that Semishmalite stole our brother, and sold him into slavery in Egypt, and as our brother was exceeding fair in form and face, we thought he might have been sold for illicit uses, and therefore we searched even the disreputable houses to another. You speak deceitful words when you call yourselves sons of Abraham. By the life of Pharaoh ye are spies, and you did go from one disreputable house to another that none might discover you. The expression, by the life of Pharaoh, might have betrayed Joseph's real feeling to his brethren, had they but known his habit of taking this oath only when he meant to avoid keeping his word later. Joseph continued to speak to him, let us suppose you should discover your brother serving as a slave, and his master should demand a high sum for his ransom. Would you pay it? The brethren. Yes. Joseph. But suppose his master should refuse to surrender him for any price in the world. What would you do? The brethren. If he yields not our brother to us, we will kill the master and carry off our brother. Joseph. Now see how true my words were that ye are spies. By your own admission ye have come to slay the inhabitants of the land. Report hath told us that two of you did massacre the people of Shechem on account of the wrong done to your sister. And now have ye come down into Egypt to kill the Egyptians for the sake of your brother. I shall be convinced of your innocence only if you consent to send one of your number home and fetch your youngest brother hither. His brethren refused compliance, and Joseph caused them to be put into prison by seventy of his valiant men, and there they remained for three days. God never allows the pious to language and distress longer than three days, and so it was a divine dispensation that the brethren of Joseph were released on the third day and were permitted by Joseph to return home on condition, however, that one of them remained behind as hostage. The difference between Joseph and his brethren can be seen here. Though he retained one of them to be bound in the prison, he still said, I fear God, and dismiss the others, but when he was in their power they gave no thought to God. At this time to be sure their conduct was such as is becoming to the pious, who accept their fate with calm resignation and acknowledge the righteousness of God for he meets out reward and punishment measure for measure. They recognized that their present punishment was in return for the heartless treatment that they had dealt out to Joseph, paying no heed to his distress, though he fell at the feet of each of them, weeping and entreating them, not to sell him into slavery. Reuben reminded the others that they had two wrongs to expiate, the wrong against their brother and the wrong against their father, who was so grieved that he exclaimed, I will go down to the grave to my son morning. The brethren of Joseph knew not that the viceroy of Egypt understood Hebrew and could follow their words, for Manasseh stood and was an interpreter between them and him. Joseph decided to keep Simon as hostage in Egypt, for he had been one of the two, Levi was the other, to advise that Joseph be put to death, and only the intercession of Reuben and Judah had saved him. He did not detain Levi too, for he feared if both remained behind together, Egypt might suffer the same fate at their hands as the city of Shechem. Also he preferred Simon to Levi, because Simon was not a favorite among the sons of Jacob, and they would not resist his detention in Egypt too violently, while they might annihilate Egypt as a four-time Shechem, if they were deprived of Levi, their wise man and high priest. Besides, it was Simon that had lowered Joseph into the pit, wherefore he had a particular grudge against him. When the brethren yielded to Joseph's demand and consented to leave their brother behind as hostage, Simon said to them, you desire to do with me as you did with Joseph. But they replied in despair, what can we do? Our households will perish of hunger. Simon made answer, do as you will, but as for me, let me see the man that will venture to cast me into prison. Joseph sent word to Pharaoh to let him have seventy of his valiant men to aid the casting robbers. But when the seventy appeared upon the scene and were about to lay hands on Simon, he uttered a loud cry, and as a silence fell to the floor and knocked out their teeth. Pharaoh's valiant men, as well as all the people that stood about Joseph, fled affrighted. Only Joseph and his son Manasseh remained calm and unmoved. Manasseh rose up, dealt Simon a blow on the back of his neck, put manacles upon his hands, and cast him into prison. Joseph's brethren were greatly amazed at the heroic strength of the youth, and Simon said, this blow was not dealt by an Egyptian, but by one belonging to our house. He was bound and taken to prison before the eyes of the other brethren of Joseph, but as soon as they were out of sight Joseph ordered good fare to be set before him, and he treated him with great kindness. Joseph permitted his nine other brethren to depart, carrying corn with them in abundance, but he impressed upon them that they must surely return and bring their youngest brother with them. On the way Levi, who felt lonely without his constant companion Simon, opened his sack, and he aspired the money he had paid for the corn. They all trembled, and their hearts failed them, and they said, where then is the loving kindness of God toward our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, seeing that he had delivered us into the hands of the Egyptian king, that he may raise false accusations against us. And Judah said, verily we are guilty concerning our brother, we have sinned against God, in that we sold our brother our own flesh, and why do ye ask where then is the loving kindness of God toward our fathers? Reuben spoke in the same way. Spake I not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear, and now the Lord doth demand him of us. How can you say where then is the loving kindness of God toward our fathers, though you have sinned against him? They proceeded on their journey home, and their father met them on the way. Jacob was astonished not to see Simon with them, and in reply to his questions they told him all that had befallen them in Egypt. Then Jacob cried out, what have ye done? I sent Joseph to you to see whether ye were well with you, and ye said an evil beast hath devoured him. Simon went forth with you for to buy corn, and you say the king of Egypt hath cast him into prison. And now ye will take Benjamin away and kill him too. Ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. The words of Jacob, which he uttered, me have ye bereaved of my children, were meant to intimate to his sons that he suspected them of the death of Joseph, and his disappearance as well, and their reports concerning both he regarded as inventions. What made him inconsolable was that now, having lost two of his sons, he could not hope to see the divine promise fulfilled that he should be the ancestor of twelve tribes. He was quite resolved in his mind therefore not to let Benjamin go away with his brother under any condition whatsoever, and he vouched safe Reuben no reply when he said, I'd buy two sons if I bring him not to thee. He considered it beneath his dignity to give an answer to such balderdash. My first born son, he said to himself, is a fool. What will it profit me if I slay his two sons? Does he not know that his sons are equally mine? Judah advised his brethren to desist from urging their father then. He would consent, he thought, to whatever expedience were found necessary when the bread gave out, and a second journey to Egypt became imperative. The Legends of the Jews, Volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg. The second journey to Egypt. When the supplies bought in Egypt were eaten up, and the family of Jacob began to suffer with hunger, the little children came to him and they said give us bread that we die not of hunger before thee. The words of the little ones brought scorching tears to the eyes of Jacob, and his sons, and bade them go again down into Egypt and buy food. But Judah spake unto him, the man did solemnly protest unto us, saying that we should not see his face except our brother Benjamin be with us, and we cannot appear before him with idle pretext. And Jacob said, wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? It was the first and only time Jacob indulged in empty talk, God said, I made it my business to raise his son to the position of ruler of Egypt, and he complains and says, wherefore dealt ye so ill with me? And Judah protested against the reproach that he had initiated the Egyptian viceroy in their family relations with the words, why he knew the very wood of which our baby coaches are made. Father, he continued, if Benjamin goes with us, he may indeed be taken from us, but so he may not. This is a doubtful matter, but it is certain that if he does not go with us we shall all die of hunger. It is better not to concern thyself about what is doubtful and guide thy actions by what is certain. The king of Egypt is a strong and mighty king, and if we go to him without our brother we shall all be put to death. Does thou not know, and hast thou not heard, that this king is very powerful and wise, and there is none like unto him in all the earth? We have seen all the kings of the earth, but none like unto the king of Egypt. One would surely say that among all the kings of the earth there is none greater than Abimelech, king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is greater and mightier than he, and Abimelech can hardly be compared with one of his officers. Father, thou hast not seen his palace and his throne and all his servants standing before him. Thou hast not seen that king upon his throne and all his magnificence with his royal insignia arrayed in his royal robes with a large golden crown upon his head. Thou hast not seen the honor and the glory that God hath given unto him, for there is none like unto him in all the earth. Father, thou hast not seen the wisdom, the understanding, and the knowledge that God has given in his heart. We heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us. We know not, Father, who acquainted our names and all that befell us. He asked also concerning thee, saying, Is your father still alive and is it well with him? Thou hast not seen the affairs of the government of Egypt regulated by him, for none asketh his lord Pharaoh about them. Thou hast not seen the awe and the fear that he imposes upon all the Egyptians. Even we went out from his presence, threatening to do unto Egypt as unto the cities and the Amorites, and exceedingly wroth by reason all his words that he spake concerning us as spies. Yet when we came again before him, his terror fell upon us all, and none of us was able to speak a word to him, great or small. Now therefore, Father, send the lad with us, and we will arise and go down into Egypt and buy food to eat, that we dine not of hunger. Judah offered his portion in the world to come, as surety for Benjamin, and thus solemnly he promised to bring him back safe and sound, and Jacob granted his request, and permitted Benjamin to go down into Egypt with his other sons. They also carried with them choice presence from their father, for the ruler of Egypt, things that arouse wonder outside of Palestine, such as the murex, which is the snail that produces the Tyrion Purple, and various kinds of balm, and almond oil, and pistachio oil, and honey as hard as stone. Furthermore, Jacob put double money in their hand to provide against the rise and prices in the meantime. And after all these matters were attended to, he spake to his sons saying, Here is money, and here is a present, and also your brother. Is there ought else that you need? And they replied, Yes, we need this besides that thou shouldst intercede for us with God. Then their father prayed, O Lord, thou who at the time of creation didst call enough to heaven and earth when they stretched themselves out further and further toward infinity, set a limit to my sufferings too, say unto them enough. God Almighty give you mercy before the ruler of Egypt, that he may release unto you Joseph, Simon, and Benjamin. This prayer was an intercession, not only for the sons of Jacob, but also for their descendants, that God would deliver the ten tribes in time to come as he delivered the two, Judah and Benjamin, and after he permitted the destruction of two temples, he would grant endless continuance to the third. Jacob also put a letter addressed to the viceroy of Egypt into the hands of his son. The letter ran thus, From thy servant Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, prince of God, to the mighty and wise king, Zephanath Penaea, the ruler of Egypt, peace. I make known unto my Lord the king that the famine is sore with us in Egypt, and I have therefore sent my sons unto thee to buy us a little food that we may live and not die. My children surrounded me and begged for something to eat, but alas I am very old and I cannot see with my eyes, for they are heavy with the weight of years and also on account of my never ceasing tears for my son Joseph who hath been taken from me. I charged my sons not to pass through the gate altogether at the same time when they arrived in the city of Egypt in consideration of the inhabitants of the land that they might not take undue notice of them. Also I bade them go up and down in the land of Egypt and seek my son Joseph may help they would find him there. This did they do, but thou didst therefore account them as spies. We have heard the report of thy wisdom and sagacity. How then canst thou look upon their countenances and yet declare them to be spies, especially as we have heard thou didst interpret thy dream and didst foretell the coming of the famine, are we amazed that thou in thy discernment couldst not distinguish whether they be spies or not. And now, O my Lord King, I send unto thee my son Benjamin, as thou didst demand of my other sons. I pray thee, take good care of him until thou sendest him back to me in peace with his brethren. Hast thou not heard, and dost thou not know what our God did unto Pharaoh when he took our mother Sarah or what happened unto Abimelech on account of her, and what our father Abraham did unto the nine kings of Elam, how he killed them and exterminated their armies, though he had but few men with him? Or hast thou not heard what my two sons Simon and Levi did to the eight cities of the Amorites which they destroyed on account of their sister Dinah. Benjamin consoled them for the loss of Joseph. What then will they do unto him that stretcheth forth the hand of power to take him away from them? Knowest thou not, O King of Egypt, that the might of our God is with us and that he always harkens unto our prayers and never forsakes us. Had I called upon God to rise up against thee when my sons told me how thou didst act toward them, thou and thy people, ye all would have been annihilated, ere Benjamin could come down to thee. But I reflected that Simon my son was abiding in thy house, and perhaps thou wasst doing kindnesses to him, and therefore I invoke not the punishment of God upon thee. Now my son Benjamin goeth down unto thee with my other sons. Take heed unto thyself. Keep thy eyes directed upon him, and God will direct his eye upon all thy kingdom. I have said all now that is in my heart. My sons take their youngest brother down into Egypt with them, and do thou send them all back to me in peace. This letter Jacob put into the keeping of Egypt charging him to deliver it to the ruler of Egypt. His last words to his sons were an admonition to take good care of Benjamin, and not leave him out of their sight, either on the journey or after their arrival in Egypt. He bade farewell to them, and then turned in prayer to God, saying, O Lord of heaven and earth, remember thy covenant with our Father Abraham. Remember also my Father Isaac, and grant grace unto my sons, and not into the hands of the king of Egypt. O my God, do it for the sake of thy mercy. Redeem my sons, and save them from the hands of the Egyptians, and restore their two brethren unto them. Also the women and the children in the house of Jacob prayed to God amid tears, and entreated him to redeem their husbands and their fathers out of the hands of the king of Egypt. End of Chapter 1 Part 11 Chapter 1 Joseph Part 12 of the Legends of the Jews Volume 2 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Rhonda Federman The Legends of the Jews Volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg Joseph and Benjamin Great was the joy of Joseph when his brethren stood before him and Benjamin was with them. In his youngest brother he saw the true counterpart of his father. He ordered his son Manasseh, the steward of his house, to bring the men into the palace and make ready a meal for them. But he was to take care to prepare the meat dishes in the presence of the guests, so that they might see with their own eyes that the cattle had been slaughtered according to the ritual prescriptions and the sinew of the hip, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, had been removed. The dinner to which Joseph invited his brethren was a sabbath meal, for he observed the seventh day even before the revelation of the law. The sons of Jacob refused the invitation of the steward and a scuffle ensued. While he tried to force them into the banqueting hall, they tried to force him out for they feared it was but a ruse to get possession of them and their asses on account of the money they had found in their sex on their return from their first journey to Egypt. In their modesty they put the loss of their beasts upon the same level as the loss of their personal liberty. To the average man property is as precious as life itself. Standing at the door of Joseph's house they spake to the steward and said we are in badly reduced circumstances in our country we supported others and now we depend upon thee to support us. After these introductory words they offered him the money they had found in their sex. The steward reassured them concerning the money saying however it may be, whether for the sake of your own merits or for the sake of the merits of your fathers God hath caused you to find a treasure for the money he paid for the corn came into my hand. Then he brought Simon out to them. Their brother looked like a leather bottle so fat and rotund had he grown during his sojourn in Egypt. He told his brethren what kind treatment had been accorded unto him. The very moment they left the city he had been released from prison and thereafter he had been entertained with splendor in the house of the ruler of Egypt. When Joseph made his appearance, Judah took Benjamin by the hand and presented him to the viceroy and they all bowed down themselves to him to the earth. Joseph asked them concerning the welfare of their father and their grandfather and they replied, thy servant our father as well he is yet alive. And Joseph knew from their words that his grandfather Isaac was no more. He had died at the time when Joseph was released from prison and the joy of God and the liberation of Joseph was overcast by his sorrow for Isaac. Then Judah handed his father's letter to Joseph who was so moved at seeing the well-known handwriting that he had to retire to his chamber and weep. When he came back he summoned Benjamin to approach close to him and he laid his hand upon his youngest brother's head and blessed him with the words, God be gracious unto thee my son. His father had once mentioned the children which God hath graciously given thy servant and as Benjamin was not among the children thus spoken of for he was born later Joseph compensated him now by blessing him with the grace of God. The table was set in three divisions for Joseph, for his brethren and for the Egyptians. The sons of Jacob did not venture to eat of the dishes set before them. They were afraid they might not have been prepared according to the Egyptians. A punishment upon Joseph for having slandered his brethren whom he once charged with not being punctilious in the observance of the dietary laws. The Egyptians again could not sit at the same table with the sons of Jacob because the latter ate the flesh of the animals to which the former paid divine worship. When all was ready and the guests were to be seated Joseph raised his cup and pretending to inhale his knowledge from it he said Judah is king therefore let him sit at the head of the table and let Reuben the first born take the second seat and thus he assigned places to all his brethren corresponding to their dignity and their age. Moreover he seated the brothers together who were the sons of the same mother to Benjamin he said I know that the youngest among you has no brother born by his own mother next to whom he might be seated and also I have none therefore he may take his place next to me. The brethren marveled one with another at all this during the meal Joseph took his portion and gave it to Benjamin and his wife Asnath showed his example and also Ephraim and Manasseh so that Benjamin had four portions in addition to that which he had received like the other sons of Jacob. Wine was served at the meal and it was the first time in 22 years that Joseph and his brethren tasted of it for they had led the life of Nazarites his brethren because they regretted the evil they had done to Joseph because he grieved over the fate of his father Joseph entered into conversation with his brother Benjamin he asked him whether he had a brother born of his own mother and Benjamin answered I had one but I do not know what hath become of him Joseph continued his questions Has Thou a wife? Benjamin Yes I have a wife and sons Joseph and what are their names? Benjamin Bella and Becher and Ashbel Jira and Naaman Ehi and Rosh Mupim and Hupim and Ard Joseph why did Thou give them such peculiar names? Benjamin in memory of my brother and his sufferings Bella because my brother disappeared among the peoples Becher he was the first born son of my mother Ashbel he was taken away from my father Jira he dwells a stranger in a strange land Naaman he was exceedingly lovely Ehi, he was my only brother by my father together Rosh he was at the head of his brethren Mupim he was beautiful in every respect Hupim he was slandered and Ard because he was as beautiful as a rose Joseph ordered his magic astrolabe to be brought to him whereby he knew all things that happen and he said unto Benjamin I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom but does Thou know of this? Benjamin answered Thy servant also is skilled in all wisdom which my father hath taught me he then looked upon the astrolabe and to his great astonishment he discovered by the aid of it that he who is sitting upon the throne before him was his brother Joseph noticing Benjamin's amazement Joseph asked him what has Thou seen and why art Thou astonished Benjamin said I can see by this that Joseph my brother sitteth here before me upon the throne and Joseph said I am Joseph Thy brother reveal not the thing unto our brethren I will send thee with them when they go away and I will command them to be brought back again into the city and I will take thee away from them if they risk their lives and fight for thee then shall I know that they have repented of what they did unto me and I will make myself known unto them but if they forsake thee I will keep thee that Thou shouldst remain with me they shall go away and I will not make myself known unto them then Joseph inquired of Benjamin what his brethren had told their father after they had sold him into slavery and he heard the story of the coat dipped in the blood of a kid of the goats yes brother spoke Joseph when they had stripped me of my coat they handed me over to the Ishmaelites who tied an apron around my waist scourged me and bade me run off but a lion attacked the one that beat me and killed him and his companions were alarmed and they sold me to other people dismissed by Joseph with kind words his brethren started on their homeward journey as soon as the morning was light for it was a good rule to leave a city after sunrise and enter a city before sundown besides Joseph had a specific reason for not letting his brethren depart from the city during the night he feared an encounter between them and his servants and that his men might get the worst of it for the sons of Jacob were like wild beasts which have the upper hand at night the legends of the Jews volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg the thief caught they were not yet far beyond the city gates when Joseph dispatched Manasseh the steward of his house to follow after them and look for the silver cup that he had concealed in Benjamin's sack he knew his brethren well he did not venture to let them go too far from the city before he should attempt to force their return he hoped that the nearness of the city would intimidate them and make them heed his commands Manasseh therefore used the order to bring them to a halt by mild speech if he could or by rough speech if he must and carry them back to the city he acted according to his instructions when the brethren heard the accusation of theft they said with whomsoever of thy servants the cup be found let him die and we also will be my lords bondmen and Manasseh said as you say so it were proper to do for if ten persons are charged with theft and the stolen object is found with one of them all are held responsible but I will not be so hard he with whom the cup is found shall be the bondmen and the rest shall be blameless he searched all the sacks and in order not to excite the suspicion that he knew where the cup was he began at Reuben the eldest and left off at Benjamin the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack in a rage his brethren shouted at Benjamin oh thou thief and son of a thief thy mother brought shame upon our father by her thievery and now thou bring a shame upon us but he replied is this matter as evil as the matter of the kid of the goats as the deed of the brethren that sold their own brethren to slavery in their fury and vexation the brethren rent their clothes God paid them in their own coin they had caused Jacob to tear his clothes and his grief over Joseph and now they were made to do the same on account of their own troubles and as they rent their clothes for the sake of their brother Benjamin the descendant of Benjamin was destined to his on account of his brethren the people of Israel but because mortification was inflicted upon the brethren through Manasseh the steward of Joseph the allotment of territory given to the tribe of Manasseh was torn in two one half of the tribe had to live on one side of the Jordan and the other half on the other side and Joseph who had not shrunk from vexing his brethren so bitterly that they rent their clothes in their abasement was punished in that his descendant Joshua was driven to such despair after the defeat of Ai that he too rent his clothes convicted of theft beyond the peradventure of a doubt the brethren of Joseph had no choice but to comply with the steward's command and return to the city they accompanied him without delay each of them loaded his ass himself raising the burden with one hand from the ground to the back of the beast and then they retraced their step cityward and as they walked they wrapped Benjamin roughly on the shoulder saying oh thou thief and son of a thief thou hast brought the same shame upon us that thy mother brought upon our father Benjamin bore the blows and the abusive words in patient silence and he was rewarded for his humility for submitting to the blows upon his shoulder God appointed that his shekinah should dwell between his shoulders and he also called him the beloved of the Lord Joseph's brethren returned to the city without fear though it was a great metropolis in their eyes it appeared to be one of ten persons which they could wipe out with a turn of the hand they were led into the presence of Joseph who, contrary to his usual habit was not holding a session of the court in the forum on that day he remained at home that his brethren might not be exposed to shame in public they fell to the earth before him and thus came true his dream of the eleven stars that made the presence to him but even while paying homage to Joseph Judah was boiling inwardly with suppressed rage and he said to his brethren verily this man have forced me to come back hither only that I should destroy the city on this day guarded by his valiant men on the right and on the left Joseph addressed his brethren snarling what deed is this that ye have done to steal away my cup I know well ye took it in order to discover with its help the whereabouts of your brother that hath disappeared Judah was spokesman and he replied what shall we say unto my lord concerning the first money that he found in the mouth of our sacks what shall we speak concerning the second money that also was in our sacks and how shall we clear ourselves concerning the cup we cannot acknowledge ourselves guilty for we know ourselves to be innocent in all these matters yet we cannot avow ourselves innocent because God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants like a creditor that goes about and tries to collect a debt owing to him two brothers take care not to enter a house of mirth and festivity together that they be not exposed to the evil eye but we all were caught together in one place by reason of the sin which we committed in company Joseph but if your punishment is for selling Joseph why should this brother of yours suffer the youngest he that had no part in your crime Judah a thief and his companions are taken together Joseph prevail upon yourselves to report to your father concerning a brother that had not stolen and had brought no manner of shame upon you that a wild beast had torn him you will easily persuade yourselves to say it concerning a brother that hath stolen and hath brought shame upon you go hence and tell your father the rope follows after the water bucket but continued Joseph in his purple mantle God forbid that I should accuse you all of theft only the youth that stole the cup in order to divine his brother's whereabouts shall remain with me as my bondman but as for you get you up in peace unto your father the Holy Spirit called out great peace have they which love thy law the brethren all consented yield Benjamin to the ruler of Egypt only Judah demurred and he cried out now it is all over with peace and he prepared to use force if need be to rescue Benjamin from slavery End of Chapter 1 Part 12 Chapter 1 Joseph Part 13 of the legends of the Jews Volume 2 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Rhonda Federman the legends of the Jews Volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg Judah pleads and threatens Joseph dismissed his brethren and carried Benjamin off by main force and locked him up in a chamber but Judah broke the door open and stood before Joseph with his brethren he determined to use in turn the three means of liberating Benjamin at his disposal he was prepared to convince Joseph by argument or move him by entreaties or resort to force in order to accomplish his end he spake thou doest wrong unto us thou who did say I fear God thou showest thyself to be like unto Pharaoh who hath no fear of God the judgments which thou dost pronounce are not in accordance with our laws nor are they in accordance with the laws of the nations according to our law a thief must pay double the value of what he hath stolen only if he hath no money is he sold into slavery but if he hath the money he maketh double restitution and according to the law of the nations the thief is deprived of all he owns do so but let him go free if a man buys a slave and then discovers him to be a thief the transaction is void yet thou desireest to make one a slave whom thou chargeest with being a thief I suspect thee of wanting to keep him in thy power for illicit purposes and in this lustfulness thou resemblest Pharaoh also thou art like Pharaoh in that thou makest a promise and keepest it not thou setst unto thy servants bring thy youngest brother down unto me that I may set mine eyes upon him thou call this setting thine eyes upon him if thou didst desire nothing beside a slave then wouldst thou surely accept our offer to serve thee as bond men instead of Benjamin Reuben is older than he and I exceed him in strength it cannot be but as I say thou hast a lustful purpose in mind with our brother therefore let these words of mine are about to speak find entrance into thy heart for the sake of the grandmother of this lad were Pharaoh and his house stricken with sore plagues because he detained her in his palace a single night against her will his mother died a premature death by reason of a curse which his father uttered in inconsiderate haste take heed then thee not and slay thee two of us destroyed the whole of a city on account of one woman how much more would we do for the sake of a man and that man the beloved of the lord in whose allotment it is appointed that God shall dwell if I but utter a sound death dealing pestilence will stalk through the land as far as know and Pharaoh is the first and thou art the second after him but in our land my father is the first and I am the second if thou wilt not comply with our demand I will draw my sword and hew thee down first and then Pharaoh when Judah gave utterance to this threat Joseph made a sign and Manasseh stamped his foot on the ground so that the whole palace shook Judah said only one belonging to our family can stamp thus and intimidated by this display of great strength he moderated his tone and manner from the very beginning he continued to speak thou didst resort to all sorts of pretexts in order to embarrass us the inhabitants of many countries came down into Egypt to buy corn but none of them didst thou ask questions about their family relations in Sooth we did not come hither to seek thy daughter in marriage or per adventure thou desirest an alliance with our sister nevertheless we gave thee an answer unto all thy questions Joseph replied verily thou canst talk glibly is there another babbler like thee among thy brethren why dost thou speak so much while thy brethren that are older than thou Reuben, Simon and Levi stand by silent Judah none of my brethren has so much at stake as I have if Benjamin returns not to his father I was a surety to my father for him saying bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me bear the blame forever in this world and in the world to come the other brethren withheld themselves intentionally from taking part in the dispute between Judah and Joseph saying kings are carrying on a dispute and it is not seemly for us to interfere between them even the angels descended from heaven to earth to be partakers of the combat between Joseph the bull and Judah the lion and they said it lies in the natural course of things that the bull should fear the lion but here the two are engaged in equal furious combat in reply to Judah when he explained that his greatest interest in Benjamin's safety was due to the pledge he had given to his father Joseph spoke why was thou not a surety for thy other brother when ye sold him for twenty pieces of silver then thou didst not regard the sorrow thou wasst inflicting upon thy father but thou didst say a wild beast hath devoured Joseph and yet Joseph had done no evil while this Benjamin has committed theft therefore go up and say unto thy father the rope hath followed after the water bucket these words had such an effect upon Judah that he broke out in sobs and cried aloud how shall I go up to my father and the lad not be with me his outcry reached to a distance of four hundred parasangs and when Husham the son of Dan herded in Canaan he jumped into Egypt with a single leap and joined his voice with Judah's and the whole land was on the point of collapsing from the great noise they produced Joseph's valiant men lost their teeth and the cities of Pitham and Ramses were destroyed and they remained in ruins until the Israelites built them up again under taskmasters also Judah's brethren who had kept quiet up to that moment fell into a rage and stamped on the ground with their feet until it looked as though deep furrows had been torn into it by a plowshare and Judah addressed his brethren be brave demean yourselves as men and let each one of you show his heroism for the circumstances demand that we do our best then they resolved to destroy Mizraim the city of Egypt and Judah said I will raise my voice and with it destroy Egypt Reuben I will raise my arm and crush it out of existence Simon I will raise my hand and lay waste its palaces Levi I will draw my sword and slay the inhabitants of Egypt Izachar I will make the land like unto Sodom Zebulun like unto Gomorrah I will render it Dan I will reduce it to a desert then Judah's towering rage began to show signs of breaking out his right eye shed tears of blood the hair above his heart grew so stiff that it pierced and rent the five garments in which he was clothed and he took brass rods bit them with his teeth and spat them out as fine powder when Joseph observed these signs fear befell him and in order to show that he too was a man of extraordinary strength he pushed with his foot against the marble pedestal upon which he sat and it broke into splinters Judah exclaimed this one is a hero equal to myself then he tried to draw his sword from it scabbard in order to slay Joseph but the weapon could not be made to budge and Judah was convinced thereby that his adversary was a god fearing man and he addressed himself to the task of begging him to let Benjamin go free he remained inexorable Judah then said what shall we say unto our father when he seeeth that our brother is not with us and he will grieve over him Joseph say that the rope hath followed after the water bucket Judah thou art a king why does thou speak in this counseling a falsehood woe unto the king that is like thee Joseph is there a greater falsehood than that ye speak concerning your brother Joseph whom you sold to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver telling your father an evil beast hath devoured him Judah the fire of Shechem burneth in my heart now will I burn all thy land with fire Joseph surely the fire kindled to burn Tamer thy daughter-in-law who did kill thy sons will extinguish the fire of Shechem Judah if I pluck out a single hair from my body I will fill the whole of Egypt with its blood Joseph such is it your custom to do thus ye did unto your brother whom you sold and then you dipped his coat in blood brought it to your father and said an evil beast hath devoured him and here is his blood when Judah heard this he was exceedingly wroth and he took a stone weighing four hundred shekels that was before him cast it toward heaven with one hand caught it with his left hand then sat upon it and the stone turned into dust at the command of Joseph Manasseh did likewise with another stone and Joseph said to Judah strength hath not been given to you alone we also are powerful men why then will ye all boast before us then Judah sent Naftali on earth saying go and count all the streets of the city of Egypt and come and tell me the number but Simon interposed saying let not this thing trouble you I will go to the mount and take up one huge stone from the mount throw it over the hole of Mizraim the city of Egypt and kill all therein hearing all these words which they spake aloud and know that he understood Hebrew Joseph bade his son Manasseh make haste and gather together all the inhabitants of Egypt and all the valiant men and let them come to him on horseback and a foot meantime Naftali had gone quickly to execute Judah's bidding for he was as swift as the nimble heart he could run across a field of corn without breaking an ear and he returned and reported that the city of Egypt was divided into twelve quarters Judah bade his brethren destroy the city he himself undertook to raise three quarters and he assigned the nine remaining quarters to the others one quarter to each in the meantime Manasseh had assembled a great army five hundred mounted men and ten thousand on foot among them four hundred to fight without spear or sword using only their strong unarmed hands to inspire his brethren with more terror Joseph ordered them to make a loud noise with all sorts of instruments and their appearance and the hubbub they produced did indeed cause fear to fall upon some of the brethren of Joseph Judah however called to them why are you terrified seeing that God grants us his mercy he drew his sword and uttered a wild cry which threw all the people into consternation and in their disordered flight many fell over each other and perished and Judah and his brethren followed after the fleeing people as far as the house of Pharaoh returning to Joseph Judah again broke out in loud roars and the reverberations caused by his cries were so mighty that all the city walls in Egypt and in Goshen fell into ruins the pregnant women brought forth untimely births and Pharaoh was flung from his throne Judah's cries were heard at a great distance as far off as Sukkoth when Pharaoh learnt the reason of the mighty uproar he sent word to Joseph that he would have to concede the demands of the Hebrews else the land would suffer destruction thou canst take thy choice with the words of Pharaoh between me and the Hebrews between Egypt and the land of the Hebrews if thou wilt not heed my command then leave me and go with them into their land the legends of the Jews volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg Joseph makes himself known seeing that his brethren were indeed on the point of destroying Egypt Joseph resolved to make himself known to them and he cast around for a proper opening which would lead naturally to his announcement at his behest and upon Judah's shoulder and his touch allayed Judah's fury for he noticed that he was in contact with the kinsmen of his because such strength existed in no other family then Joseph addressed Judah gently saying I should like to know who advised him to steal the cup could it have been one of you Benjamin replied neither did they counsel theft nor did I touch the cup take an oath upon it demanded Joseph and Benjamin complied with his brother's request I swear that I did not touch the cup as true as my brother Joseph is separated from me as true as I had nothing to do with the darts that my brethren threw at him as true as I was not one of those to take off his coat as true as I had no part in the transaction by which he was given over to the Ishmaelites as true as I did not help the others dip his coat in blood so true is my oath that they did not counsel theft and that I did not commit theft Joseph how can I know that this oath of thine taken upon my brother's fate is true Benjamin from the names of my 10 sons which I gave them in memory of my brother's life and trials thou canst see how dearly I loved him I pray thee therefore do not bring down my father with sorrow to the grave hearing these words of fighting love Joseph could refrain himself no longer he could not but make himself known unto his brethren he spake these words to them he said the brother of this lad was dead did you yourself see him dead before you they answered yes Joseph did you stand beside his grave the brethren yes Joseph did you throw clods of earth upon his corpse the brethren no then Joseph reflected saying to himself my brethren are as pious as a foretime and they speak no lies they said I was dead because when they abandoned me I was poor and a poor man is like unto a dead man they stood beside my grave that is the pit into which they cast me but they did not say that they had shoveled earth upon me for that would have been a falsehood turning to his brethren he said ye lie when ye say that your brother is dead he is not dead you sold him and I did by him I shall call him and set him before your eyes and he began to call Joseph son of Jacob come hither Joseph son of Jacob come hither speak to thy brethren who did sell thee the others turn their eyes hither and thither to the four corners of the house until Joseph called to them why look ye here and there behold I am Joseph your brother their souls fled away from them and they could make no answer but God permitted a miracle to happen and their souls came back to them Joseph continued ye see it with your own eyes and also my brother Benjamin seeeth it with his eyes that I speak with you in Hebrew and I am truly your brother but they would not believe him not only had he been transformed from a smooth faced youth into a bearded man since they had abandoned him but also the forsaken youth now stood before them as ruler of Egypt therefore Joseph bared his body and showed them that he belonged to the descendants of Abraham a bash they stood there and in their rage they desired to slay Joseph as the author of their shame and their suffering but an angel appeared and flung them to the four corners of the house Judah raised so loud and outcry that the walls of the city of Egypt tumbled down the women brought forth their timely births Joseph and Pharaoh both rolled down off their thrones and Joseph's 300 heroes lost their teeth and their heads remained forever immobile facing backward as they turned them to discover the cause of the tumult yet the brethren did not venture to approach close to Joseph they were too greatly ashamed of their behavior toward their brother he sought to calm them saying now be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither for God did send me before you to preserve life even such kind words of exhortation did not banish their fear and Joseph continued to speak as little as I harbor vengeful thoughts in my heart against Benjamin against you and still his brethren were ill at ease and Joseph went on think you that it possible for me to inflict harm upon you if the smoke of ten candles could not extinguish one how can one extinguish ten at last the brethren were soothed and they went up to Joseph who knew each by name and weeping he embraced and kissed them all in turn the reason why he wept was that his prophetic spirit showed him the descendants of his brethren enslaved by the nations especially did he weep upon Benjamin's neck because he foresaw the destruction decreed for the two temples to be situated in the allotment of Benjamin and Benjamin also wept unto Joseph's neck for the sanctuary at Shiloh in the territory of Joseph which was likewise doomed to destruction Pharaoh was well pleased with the report of the reconciliation between Joseph and the Hebrews for he had feared that their dissensions might cause the ruin of Egypt and he sent his servants to Joseph that they take part in his joy also he sent word to Joseph that it would please him well his brethren took up their abode in Egypt and he promised to assign the best parts of the land to them for their dwelling place not all the servants of Pharaoh were in agreement with their master concerning this invitation to the Hebrews many among them were disquieted saying if one of the sons of Jacob came hither and he was advanced to a high position over our heads the devil will happen to us when ten more come hither Joseph gave all his brethren two changes of raiment one for use on the ordinary days of the week and one for use on the Sabbath four when the cup was found with Benjamin they had rent their clothes and Joseph would not have his brethren go about in torn garments but to Benjamin he gave five changes of raiment to distinguish him above his brethren Joseph remembered only too well what mischief his father had caused by giving him the coat of many colors thereby arousing the envy of his brethren he desired only to intimate that Mordechai, a descendant of Benjamin, would once be arrayed in five royal garments Joseph presented his brethren, apparald in their gold and silver clothes before Pharaoh who was well pleased to become acquainted with them when he saw that they were men of heroic stature and handsome appearance he gave them wagons to bring their families down into Egypt but as they were ornamented with images of idols Judah burned them and Joseph replaced them with eleven other wagons among them the one he had written for his brothers to view the land of Egypt this was to be used by his father on his journey to Egypt for each of his brothers' children he sent raiments and also one hundred pieces of silver for each but for each of the children of Benjamin he sent ten changes of raiment and for the wives of his brethren he gave them rich garments of state such as worn by the wives of the Pharaohs and also ointments and aromatic spices to his sister Dina he sent silver and gold embroidered clothes and myrrh allows and other perfumes and such presence he gave also to the wife and the daughters in law of Benjamin for themselves and for their wives the brethren received all sorts of precious stones and jeweled ornaments like those that were worn by the Egyptian nobility Joseph accompanied his eleven brethren to the frontier and there he took leave of them with the wish that they and all their families come down to Egypt and he enjoined upon them besides three maxims to be observed by travelers do not take two large steps do not discuss halakic subjects that you lose not your way enter the city at the latest with the going down of the sun end of chapter one part thirteen chapter one Joseph part fourteen of the legends of the Jews volume two this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the legends of the Jews volume two by Rabbi Louis Skinsburg Jacob receives the glad tidings in blithe spirits the sons of Jacob journeyed up to the land of Canaan but when they reached the boundary line they said to one another how shall we do if we appear before our father and tell him that Joseph is alive he will be greatly frightened and he will not be inclined to believe us besides Joseph's last injunction to them had been to take heed and not startle their father on coming close to their habitation they caught sight of Sarah the daughter of Asher a very beautiful maiden and very wise who was skilled in playing upon the harp they summoned her unto them and gave her a harp and bade her play before Jacob and sing that which they should tell her she sat down before Jacob and with an agreeable melody she sang the following words accompanying herself on the harp Joseph my uncle Libith he ruleth over the whole of Egypt he is not dead she repeated these words several times and Jacob grew more and more pleasurably excited his joy awakened the Holy Spirit in him and he knew that she spoke the truth the spirit of prophecy never visits Asir when he is in a state of lassitude or in a state of grief it only comes together with joy all the years of Joseph's separation from him Jacob had had no prophetic visions because he was always sad and only when Sarah's words reawakened the feeling of happiness in his heart the prophetic spirit again took possession of him Jacob rewarded her therefore with the words my daughter may death never have power over thee for thou didst revive my spirit and so it was Sarah did not die she entered paradise alive at his bidding she repeated the words again and again and they gave Jacob great joy and delight so that the Holy Spirit waxed stronger and stronger within him while he was sitting thus in converse with Sarah his sons appeared arrayed in all their magnificence and with all the presence that Joseph had given them and they spake to Jacob saying glad tidings Joseph our brother Libith he is a ruler over the whole land of Egypt and he sends thee a message of joy at first Jacob would not believe them but when they opened their packs and showed him the presence Joseph had sent to all he could not doubt of the truth of their words any longer Joseph had had a premonition that his father would refuse to give his brother in credence because they had tried to deceive him before and it is the punishment of the liar that his words are not believed even when he speaks the truth he had therefore said to them if my father will not believe your words tell him that when I took leave of him to see whether it was well with you he had been teaching me the law of the heifer whose neck is broken in the valley when they repeated this every last vestige of Jacob's doubt disappeared and he said great is the steadfastness of my son Joseph in spite of all his sufferings he has remained constant in his piety yea great are the benefits that the Lord hath conferred upon me he saved me from the hands of Esau and from the hands of Laban and from the Canaanites who pursued me I have tasted many joys and I hope to see more but never did I hope to set eyes upon Joseph again and now I shall go down to him and behold him before my death then Jacob and the members of his family put on the clothes Joseph had sent among them a turban for Jacob and they made all preparations to journey down into Egypt and dwell there with Joseph and his family hearing of his good fortune the kings and the grandees of Canaan came to wait upon Jacob and expressed sympathy with him and his joy and he prepared a three days banquet for them Jacob however would not go down into Egypt without first inquiring whether it was the will of God that he should leave the holy land he said how can I leave the land of my fathers the land of my birth the land in which the shekenna dwells and go into an unclean land led by the slaves of the son of Ham a land wherein there is no fear of God then he brought sacrifices in honor of God in the expectation that a divine vision would descend upon him and instruct him whether to go down into Egypt or have Joseph come up to Canaan he feared the sojourn in Egypt for he remembered the vision he had had at Bethel on leaving his father's house and he said to God I resemble my father as he was greedy in filling his maw and therefore I would go down into Egypt in consequence of the famine as my father preferred one son to the other so I had a favorite son and therefore I would go down into Egypt to see Joseph but in this I do not resemble my father he had only himself to provide for and my house consists of seventy souls and therefore am I compelled to go down into Egypt the blessing which my father gave me was not fulfilled in me but in my son Joseph whom people serve and before whom nations bow down then the shekenna addressed Jacob calling his name twice in token of love and bidding him not to fear the Egyptian slavery foretold for the descendants of Abraham for God would have pity upon the suffering of his children and deliver them from bondage God furthermore said I will go down into Egypt with thee and the shekenna accompanied Jacob thither bringing the number of the company with which he entered Egypt up to seventy but as Jacob entertained fears that his descendants would stay there forever God gave him the assurance that he would lead him forth together with all the pious that were like unto him and God also told Jacob that Joseph had remained steadfast in his piety even in Egypt and he might dismiss all doubts from his mind on this score for it was his anxiety on this account that he had induced Jacob to consider going down into Egypt he wanted only to make sure of Joseph's faithfulness and then return home but God commanded him to go thither and remain there before Jacob left Canaan he went to bear Sheba to hew down the cedars that Abraham had planted there and take them with him to Egypt for centuries these cedar trees remained in the possession of his descendants they carried them with them when they left Egypt and they used them in building the tabernacle although Joseph had put wagons at the disposal of his brethren for the removal of his family from Canaan to Egypt they yet carried Jacob upon their arms for which purpose they divided themselves into three divisions one division after the other assuming the burden as a reward for their filial devotion God redeemed their descendants from Egypt Judah was sent on ahead by his father to erect a dwelling in Goshen and also led Hamid Rash that Jacob might set about instructing his sons at once after his arrival he charged Judah with this honorable task in order to compensate him for a wrong he had done to him all the years of Joseph's absence he had suspected Judah of having made away with Rachel's son how little the suspicion was justified he realized now when Judah in particular had been assiduous in securing the safety of Benjamin the other son of Rachel Jacob therefore said to Judah thou hast done a pious God-bidden deed and has shown thyself to be a man capable of carrying on negotiations with Joseph complete the work thou hast begun go to Goshen and together with Joseph prepare all things for our coming indeed continued Jacob thou was the cause of our going down into Egypt for it was at thy suggestion that Joseph was sold as a slave and also through thy ascendance Israel will be led forth out of Egypt when Joseph was informed of the approach of his father he rejoiced exceedingly chiefly because his coming would stop the talk of the Egyptians who were constantly referring to him as the slave that had dominion over them now thought Joseph they will see my father and my brethren and they will be convinced that I am a free born man of noble stock in his joy in anticipation of seeing his father Joseph made ready his chariot with his own hands without waiting for his servants to minister to him and this loving action redounded later to the benefit of the Israelites for it rendered of none effect Pharaoh's zeal in making ready his chariot himself with his own hands to pursue after the Israelites the legends of the Jews volume 2 by Rabbi Louis Ginsburg Jacob arrives in Egypt when the Egyptian nobles observed their viceroy waiting his preparations to meet his father they did the same indeed Joseph had issued a proclamation throughout the land threatening with death all did not go forth to meet Jacob the procession that accompanied him was composed of countless men arrayed in vices and purple and marching to the sound of all sorts of musical instruments even the women of Egypt had a part in the reception ceremonies they ascended to the roofs of their houses ready to greet Jacob with the music of cymbals and timbrels Joseph wore the royal crown upon his head Pharaoh had yielded it to him for the occasion he descended from his chariot when he was at a distance of about fifty L's from his father and walked the rest of the way on foot and his example was followed by the princes and nobles of Egypt when Jacob caught sight of the approaching procession he was rejoiced and even before he recognized Joseph he bowed down before him but for permitting his father to show him this mark of honor punishment was visited upon Joseph he died an untimely death before the years of life assigned to him had elapsed that no harm befell Jacob from a too sudden meeting with him Joseph sent his oldest son ahead with five horses the second son following closely after him in the same way as each son approached Jacob thought he beheld Joseph and so he was prepared gradually to see him face to face meantime Jacob had a spide from where he was seated a man in royal robes among the Egyptians a crown upon his head and a purple mantle over his shoulders and he asked Judah who it might be when he was told that it was Joseph his joy was great over the high dignity attained by his son by this time Joseph had come close to his father and he bowed himself down before him to the earth all the people with him likewise prostrated themselves then Joseph fell upon his father's neck and he wept bitterly he was particularly grieved that he had permitted his father to bow down before him but a little while before without hindering it at the very moment when Joseph embraced his father Jacob was reciting the Shema and he did not allow himself to be interrupted in his prayer but then he said when they brought me the report of the death of Joseph I was doomed to double death that I should lose this world and the world to come as well the Lord had promised to make me the ancestor of twelve tribes and as the death of my son rendered it impossible that this promise should be realized I feared I had incurred the doom by my own sins and as a sinner I could not but expect to forfeit the future world too but now that I have beheld the alive I know that my death will be only for the world here below such was the manner of Jacob's arrival in Egypt he came with his whole family sixty-nine persons they were in all but the number was raised to seventy by the birth of Jacob Edd afterward the mother of Moses which took place when the cavalcade had advanced to the space between the one and the other city wall all the males in his family were married men even Palu and Hezron the latter of whom was but one year old at the time of their migration and the former but two years had the wives with them that had been chosen for them by their parents in general all the sons and grandsons of Jacob married young some of them had been fathers at the age of seven Joseph took some from among his brethren and presented them to Pharaoh he chose the weakest of them that the king might not be tempted to retain them in his service as warriors and as he did not desire his family to live at close quarters with the Egyptians and perhaps amalgamate with them he introduced them as shepherds the Egyptians worshiped the constellation of the rain and paid divine honors to animals and they kept aloof from shepherds Pharaoh therefore was inclined to grant Joseph's wish to give them the pastor land of Goshen for their sojourning place the land that was theirs by right for the Pharaoh that took Sarah away from Abraham by force had given it to her as her irrevocable possession in their conversation with Pharaoh the brethren of Joseph made it plain to the Egyptian king that it was not their intention to remain in Egypt forever it was to be only a temporary dwelling place then Joseph set Jacob his father before Pharaoh and when the king saw him he said to Og who happened to be with him at that moment seeest thou thou was want to call Abraham a sterile mule and here is his grandson with a family of seventy persons Og would not believe his own eyes he thought Abraham was standing before him so close was the resemblance between Jacob and his progenitor then Pharaoh asked about Jacob's age to find out whether he actually was Jacob and not Abraham and Jacob said unto Pharaoh the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years using the word pilgrimage in reference to life on earth which the pious regard as a temporary sojourn in alien lands few the evil he continued have been the days of the years of my life in my youth I had to flee to a strange land on account of my brother Esau and now in my old age I must again go to a strange land and my days have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage these words suffice to convince Pharaoh and Og that the man standing before them was not Abraham but his grandson when Jacob uttered the words the days of the years of my pilgrimage have been few and evil God said to him Jacob I saved thee out of the hands of Esau and Laban I restored Joseph unto thee and made him to be a king and a ruler and yet thou speakest of few and evil days because of thy ingratitude thou wilt not attain unto the days of the years of the life of thy fathers and Jacob died in an age thirty three years less than his father Isaac's on going out from the presence of Esau Jacob blessed the king with the words may the years still in store for me be given unto thee and may the Nile overflow its banks henceforth again and water the land his words were fulfilled in order to show that the pious are a blessing for the world God caused the Nile to rise above its bed and fructify the land of Egypt End of chapter 1 part 14