[Avodah] Your Father Instructed that You Must Forgive Us

[Meir Rabi]

Joseph's brothers began to realise that the implications of their father's
death.

"What if Joseph is still holding a grudge against us? He is likely to pay us
back for all the evil we did him."

They instructed messengers to tell Joseph, "Before he died your father gave
us final instructions. He said, 'This is what you must say to Joseph:
Forgive the spiteful deed and the sin your brothers committed when they did
evil to you.' Now forgive the spiteful deed that we the servants of your
father's Gd have done." (Genesis 50:15-17, The Living Torah)

 

Can a person be bludgeoned into submission and forced to forgive their
oppressor?

As our Sages explain this was a fabrication, the father did not leave such
an instruction.

But our problem is, It makes no sense. A forced confession is not a
confession and a forced apology is not an apology and a forced forgiveness
is not forgiveness.

 

Meir Rabi

 

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