Parashat Vayeshev relates the story of Joseph, whom Jacob sends to check in on his brothers, a task that will completely change the boy’s life. At first, he has trouble finding them, but he does meet a mysterious figure who sets him on the right path:

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What seekest thou?” And he said, “I seek my brethren. Tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock.” And the man said, “They are departed hence; for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. (Gen. 37:15–17)

Why does the Torah linger on this anecdote? What is it about an encounter with a nameless passerby that merits mention? The Torah could have omitted the episode and proceeded directly to Joseph’s meeting with his brothers in Dothan. On the face of it, the point is to show that Joseph is making an effort to carry out his father’s instructions. He could easily have given up and gone home without having found his brothers.

The Midrash (Genesis Rabba 84:14) says that the man was an angel of God. At crucial crossroads in our lives, the Midrash teaches us, God intervenes to actualize His plans. Thus, Joseph’s meeting with the man is no chance encounter; it changes the course of history. He goes on to find his brothers, who sell him off, paving the way for Jacob’s children to descend into Egypt. That, the Midrash says, is the will of God, realized through His messenger, whom He placed on Joseph’s path.

Nahmanides (on 37:15) posits a sublime existential interpretation of the Midrash: “The blessed Holy One furnished [Joseph] with an unwitting........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)