[Avodah] "Ha'od Avi Chai?"

[Zvi Lampel]

I wrote:

>
> Reuvain was not present when Yosef was sold. Why not? Because it was his
> turn in the rotation to be meshameish Yaakov. But Yosef was also with
> Yaakov! It seems that although all the other brothers took turns being
> meshameish Yaakov, Yosef's role was to always stay and study with him.
> (Likely adding to the brothers' concerns).
>
> So now, in addition to the strangeness of Yaakov sending Yosef out to see
> the welfare of his brothers (who what, needed Yosef's protection?) is the
> strangeness that all of a sudden, Yaakov sends out to them not Reuvain, but
> Yosef!
>
My mistake. True, Reuvain was with Yaakov, not the brothers, at the time of
the sale. But he was with the brothers, not Yaakov, at the time Yaakov sent
Yosef to them.

Nevertheless, since they took turns being meshameish Yaakov, one of the
other brothers was with Yaakov together with Yosef at the time Yaakov sent
Yosef to the rest. So the main point, the rhetorical question, stands: Why
didn't Yaakov send whoever was with him, rather than Yosef?

Zvi Lampel
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