- Torah and Jewish Thought
- Torah Teachings
Yosef
Question
1. Why did the brothers return Joseph’s coat intact if they claimed he was mauled by a beast?
2. Why does it say and they sent it (the coat) and later, that they brought it? Which did they do?
Answer
Actually, the Soforno answers both your questions at once. The word "vay'shalchu" in 37;32 he translates as "they cut up" in order to make it appear that Yosef was mauled by a beast. (See RaDaK and Seforno for derivation of that translation)
Another approach, 1. The colored coat was an outer garment (see Rashi verse 23), that Yosef would not wear while sleeping. The animal would have pounced on Yosef while asleep and dragged him away, leaving the garment behind.
2. The brothers sent the cloak in the hands of Yehudah, as their representative (Midrash) so it was if all of them brought it through his agency. (THe Ramban has another few variations on this theme)

What is meant by the term "selah" in Psalms?
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Sivan 16, 5780

COMPLAINTS AGAINST OUR GEMARRAH OR TALMUD
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tishrei 6, 5778

Defining dolls which aren't idols
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tammuz 7, 5780

Was Yael a Jew or a non-Jew?
Various Rabbis | 16 Tammuz 5763

Rabbi Chaim Tabasky
Rabbi Chaim Tabasky teaches a shiur in gemarah at the Beit Midrash program of the Machon Hagavoah l'Torah at Bar Ilan University. He is also a certified examiner of STa"M (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot) and a narrative therapist.

Bottom Challah
19 Sivan 5764

Tzniut in the Torah
29 Iyyar 5764

Can One Say Torah is Boring?
19 Sivan 5764

Crossing the International Dateline
20 Iyyar 5764

Mezzuzah for Non Jew
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 18, 5773
Genesis 24: 2-9 – Put your hand under my thigh
Rabbi Moshe Leib Halberstadt | Tevet 26, 5770

Non jew touch a mezuzah entering jewish home?
Rabbi David Sperling | Nisan 13, 5781

Popcorn at the cinema
Rabbi David Sperling | Nisan 8, 5773

Troubled by Basic Questions: God, Torah, Running the World..
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Iyyar 27, 5783

money issues
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Iyyar 24, 5783
