Torah Thoughts:
Miketz

Submitted by Jennifer A. Horowitz
email address: jah69@columbia.edu

Why does Jacob, who, early in the parsha, refuses to let Benjamin go to Egypt with his brothers despite Reuben's reassurances, later relent and let him go when Judah asked him again? Are we to believe that the famine and the desperation to get food from Egypt had by now caused Jacob to forget his fears about Benjamin?

We see a clearer reason when we look at which brothers offered to watch over Benjamin on the journey:

First Reuben said: "If I do not return Benjamin safely to you, you may kill my sons in revenge." (my paraphrase)

Jacob must have thought that Reuben was quite foolish for saying this. After all, were not Reuben's sons Jacob's grandson's? The loss of two more beloved descendants would only make the theoretical loss of Benjamin that much worse! Besides, if Reuben could bargain so lightly with the lives of his own sons, how well would he take care of his brother? So no, said the fearful father/grandfather, I do not feel confident sending Benjamin in Reuben's care.

Later, Judah offered to be responsible for Benjamin's safety. This seemed to reassure Jacob enough to agree. Why? Judah was the one brother who had himself lost two sons - the first two husbands of Tamar. He alone among the brothers understood the pain of losing a child as his father did. Jacob knew that Judah was the one who could understand these fears, and that he would take them to heart, protecting Benjamin as he undoubtedly wished he could have protected Er and Onan.