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Discussions Torah

Genesis 43 — Yosef meets his brothers again

Ya’akov’s family finally ran out of Egyptian grain and had little choice but to return to Egypt to get more. The 10 brothers had a duty to fulfill beyond their father’s call to get more grain: get Simeon released from prison. Ben-Yamin (Benjamin) was the only key to obtain that release, but Ya’akov (Jacob) did not want to let him go. Once Ya’akov acquiesced, the 10 brothers went to Egypt. Yosef (Joseph) celebrated their arrival with a feast rather than another interrogation. “The man” was full of surprises.

Ya’akov’s family finally ran out of Egyptian grain and had little choice but to return to Egypt to get more. The 10 brothers had a duty to fulfill beyond their father’s call to get more grain: get Simeon released from prison. Ben-Yamin (Benjamin) was the only key to obtain that release, but Ya’akov (Jacob) did not want to let him go. Once Ya’akov acquiesced, the 10 brothers went to Egypt. Yosef (Joseph) celebrated their arrival with a feast rather than another interrogation. "The man" was full of surprises.

Thought questions

Did the brothers suspect that this prime minister had another identity?

Why did Yosef give Benjamin a portion five times that of his brothers’?

How does “calamity bring unity”?

Why was the social hierarchy in Yosef’s household so strict?

Why didn’t they try to plant any of the grain the sons brought from Egypt?

Why did they call Yosef “the man”? 

Why did the brothers tell Yosef about their family?

What did Yosef want to forget?

Who appealed to Ya’akov this time to allow them to take Benjamin with them to Egypt? 

Why did Ya’akov relent at this point?

What kind of famine is it that the land of Canaan was still producing nuts, seeds, honey and myrrh but not grain?

Why is grain so important?

What did it mean when Ya’akov said in Gen. 43:14, “And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved”?

What did the steward say to the brothers when they try to return the money?

What do you think of the steward’s answer?

Why did Yosef tell the servants to “present the bread” to him first?

Why were the brother’s surprised by “the man’s” knowledge of the order of their birthright?

Why were they “drinking freely” with Yosef?

Reader: Joshua Brady. Speaker: Richard Agee.