Tanakh Profiles

Eleventh son of יעקב and first son of רחל . Upon his birth, רחל wishes that God add (יֹסֵף ) yet another son (פרשת ויצא ). יוסף is יעקב 's favourite son, a preference the father demonstrates by giving יוסף a special coat. יוסף further provokes his brothers by reporting their offenses to יעקב and by relating dreams he has had. In his first dream יוסף is represented by a bale of wheat, and his brothers by other sheaves which are bowing down to him. In his second dream eleven stars and the sun and moon similarly honour him. Later, יעקב sends יוסף to check on his brothers who are tending sheep away from home. Seeing him from afar, the brothers plot to kill יוסף . ראובן intervenes and persuades the others to throw him into a pit instead (planning to later rescue the lad). In ראובן 's absence, יהודה suggests that they haul יוסף out of the pit and sell him to a band of passing ישמעאלים . He is then is traded to some מדינים who take him to Egypt. There, יוסף is sold to פּוֹטִיפַר , an officer of פרעה . With God's assistance, יוסף becomes very successful as פוטיפר 's servant and the master entrusts יוסף with all the responsibilities of his house. יוסף is good looking and this draws the attention of פוטיפר 's wife - the first recorded case of sexual harassment in the work place. יוסף repeatedly rebuffs her, whereupon she accuses him of trying to sleep with her. פוטיפר has יוסף imprisoned but God makes him shine in the eyes of the warden who allows יוסף the run of the jail. One day יוסף offers to interpret the disturbing dreams of two prisoners, פרעה 's wine steward and chief baker. יוסף explains that the dreams portend the butler's reinstatement and the baker's execution. Indeed, the fates of the two play out according to יוסף 's predictions (פרשת וישב ). Two years after that episode, פרעה , the king of Egypt has twin dreams about seven pairs of cows and seven pairs of ears of wheat. יוסף 's old acquaintance, the butler (שר המשקים ) remembers יוסף 's talent and recommends him to פרעה . יוסף is summoned from the prison and explains to פרעה that God is sending the king a message: seven years of plenty are about to begin but they will be followed by seven years of famine. פרעה trusts יוסף 's interpretation and appoints יוסף prime minister over Egypt giving him the task of overseeing the collection and storage of food in preparation for the famine. פרעה re-names יוסף - צפנת פענח (which might mean "He who deciphers the hidden"); the rabbis call יוסף a צדיק for feeding the hungry masses (מדרש תנחומא פרשת נח סימן ד ). יוסף marries and has two sons: מנשה and אפרים . When the famine eventually hits, it strikes כנען too, and יעקב sends ten of his remaining sons to Egypt to buy food, keeping בנימין with him. יוסף recognizes his brothers but they do not know him. יוסף accuses the men of being spies and when they argue that they are all brothers and they have another at home, he orders them to return to כנען to bring back בנימין . This will prove that their story is true. יוסף imprisons שמעון as collateral for the others' return. Eventually, the brothers do return to Egypt with בנימין , and יוסף is overwhelmed at the sight of his brother. יוסף lets the company go but plants a silver goblet in בנימין 's pack. After the brothers have left the city, יוסף sends soldiers after them to accuse them of theft. The goblet is found and יוסף declares his intention to keep בנימין as a slave and to allow the rest to return to כנען (פרשת מקץ ). יהודה makes an impassioned speech to יוסף describing the predicament he is in and the problem he faces in returning to יעקב without בנימין . יוסף cannot keep up the facade any longer and reveals himself to his brothers who are understandably shocked. יוסף directs his brothers to return to כנען and to bring יעקב and his family to Egypt. יעקב and יוסף are reunited and יוסף presents his family to פרעה . יוסף settles his family in the גשן area of Egypt and continues to administer the food distribution of the country (פרשת ויגש ). יוסף presents his sons מנשה and אפרים to his father יעקב when the latter is on his deathbed. יעקב insists on putting his right hand on אפרים 's head when he blesses the two, despite the fact that מנשה is the first born. יוסף objects and tries to correct his father, but יעקב is adamant and says that he knows what he's doing. After יעקב 's death, יוסף has his father embalmed and then seeks פרעה 's permission to take a leave of absence and travel to כנען to bury יעקב there. The request is granted and the entire family participates in the funeral and mourning period in כנען . Upon the return to Egypt, יוסף 's brothers tell him that יעקב instructed them to tell יוסף to forgive their sale of him nearly 40 years earlier. יוסף assures them that he bears no grudge. יוסף too asks his brothers not to bury him in Egypt when he dies but to eventually take his body with them when God takes the family back to כנען . יוסף dies at the age of 110 having lived to see his grandchildren (פרשת ויחי ). When בני ישראל leave Egypt in ספר שמות they take the bones of יוסף with them (פרשת בשלח ). The body is buried after the conquest of the land of Israel (יהושע כד :לב ).