*He Took Me Out of the Pit*

After Yaakov Avinu died, Yosef’s brothers suddenly became afraid. For years, Yosef treated them with kindness and restraint. Now they worried that this had only been out of respect for their father. With Yaakov gone, perhaps Yosef would finally take revenge for what they had done to him.

What caused this fear now?

The Midrash explains that on the way back from Yaakov’s burial, Yosef took a detour. He went to look at the very pit where his brothers had thrown him many years before — הלך והציץ באותו הבור (Bereishit Rabbah 100:8). When the brothers saw this, they panicked. To them, it seemed Yosef was reopening old wounds, reliving betrayal and humiliation. They assumed he was preparing to settle old scores.

But Chazal show that they completely misunderstood him.

Rav Tanchuma explains that Yosef’s intention was not revenge. He went there לשם שמים, for the sake of Heaven. Yosef returned to the pit to bless G d and say:
ברוך שעשה לי נס במקום הזה — “Blessed is Hashem who performed a miracle for me in this place” (

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)