24 Feb PURIM AND THE SALE OF YOSEF

The Midrash (Ester
Rabba 7:13) draws a
connection between
the Purim story and
the story of Mechirat
Yosef – the sale of
Yosef as a slave by his brothers. After the
brothers cast Yosef into a pit, the Torah relates
(Bereshit 37:25), they sat down to eat a meal,
and the Midrash comments that in response,
Hashem announced, “You sold your brother
amid eating and drink – so will I do to you!”
This refers to Haman’s decree to annihilate the
Jews, as immediately after issuing the decree,
the Megillah tells, “The king and Haman sat
down to drink” (3:15). Just as Yosef’s brothers
condemned their brother to suffering and then
sat down to eat and drink, so did Ahashverosh
and Haman condemn the Jewish People to
annihilation and then sit down to a feast.
The Midrash here teaches us that the root of
Haman’s decree can be found in the story of
Mechirat Yosef. Later commentators explain
that the sale of Yosef introduced the ill of
Sin’at Hinam – baseless hatred and strife
among Jews – into the fabric of our nation,
a “disease” that flares up, so-to-speak, when
we fall into internecine fighting. Haman
described the Jews of his time as “Mefuzar
U’meforad” – “scattered and separated”
(Ester 3:8), which, on one level, refers to their
dispersion throughout the Persian Empire,

but, in addition, denotes divisiveness. The
Jews were divided into different factions
and plagued by disunity, and this is what
brought Haman’s decree. This is why Ester
instructed Mordechai, “Lech Kenos Et Kol
Ha’yehudim” – “Go assemble all the Jews”
(4:16) and observe a three-day fast. The
commentators explain that more important
than the fast which the Jews observed was
the “assembly,” the effort to come together, to
transcend differences, and join in peace and
harmony.
This also explains why the salvation was
brought about specifically by Mordechai,
who, as the Megillah emphasizes, was an “Ish
Yemini” – a member of the tribe of Binyamin
(2:5). Binyamin was the only one of Yosef’s
brothers who did not participate in Mechirat
Yosef. Fittingly, this tribe was chosen to
accomplish the “Tikkun” (rectification) of the
Sin’at Hinam that plagued the Jews at that
time and reawakened the nation’s guilt for
what was done to Yosef.
The Sages allude to this association between
the Purim story and the sale of Yosef also in a

different context. In Masechet Megillah (16a-
b), the Gemara discusses the gifts that Yosef

gave his brothers when they returned to Egypt
with Binyamin. Yosef gave each brother a
change of clothing – but gave Binyamin five
changes of clothing. The Gemara wonders

how Yosef, who had suffered terribly
on account of the favoritism that
Yaakob had showed him, extending
to him preferential treatment over
his brothers, could have made the
same mistake by showing favoritism
to Binyamin. The answer, the
Gemara explains, is that Yosef
was alluding to his brothers that a
descendant of Binyamin would one
day wear five special garments. After
Ahashverosh had Haman killed, he
named Mordechai to Haman’s post,
and Mordechai was dressed in five
royal garments, bringing the Jews
immense joy (Ester 8:15).
Why did Yosef see fit to make this allusion,
and why was this done specifically through
the extra garments?
I heard Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim (1921-
2005) explain that Yosef gave Binyamin
these extra garments as part of the “Tikkun”
for his brothers’ sin. The ultimate repentance
is achieved when one finds himself in the
same position in which he had been when
he acted wrongly, but this time refrains
from sin. Yosef put his brothers in a position
where they would be jealous of their younger
brother – just as they had been twenty-two
years earlier, when Yaakob favored Yosef,
and they responded by selling him as a slave.

This time, upon seeing the favoritism showed
to Binyamin, the brothers did not react; they
were not disturbed at all. This accomplished a
“Tikkun” for their sin – thus paving the way
for their descendants’ salvation during the
time of Mordechai.
The Purim celebration revolves around
the theme of unity and brotherhood. We
enjoy festive meals with family and friends,
exchange gifts, and give money to the poor so
they would not feel envious or resentful. All
this is part of the effort to cure the ill of Sin’at
Hinam, to end fighting, conflicts and strife,
and to build peace, harmony and unity among
the Jewish Nation so we will be worthy of
miracles and of our final redemption, Amen.