A Mikeitz’ Ten Commandments’ Moment: The Nature of Words

While Joseph’s narrative is packed full of drama, it also includes a multitude of meaningful moments of the Ten Commandments variety.

One is an exchange between Joseph and his brothers in the Torah Portion Mikeitz. This particular interaction touches on the Swearing Commandment- “Thou Shalt Not Use the Lord’s name in vain.”

Swearing, within the Commandment, is often misconstrued. The Commandments pertains to oaths and pledges as opposed to applying the Lord’s name in some profane way.

The interaction illustrates the Commandments’ utility.

Finally, Joseph’s statement leads one into a deep theological issue. The very nature of the Human-Deity relationship is revealed.

The Commandment

Before addressing the Joseph narrative, the actual words of the swearing commandment should be appreciated.

It states:

“You shall not bring up the name of the Lord, your God, for a falsehood, because the Lord will not make one innocent who will bring up His name for a falsehood.” Exodus 20:7 [Note: Friedman Commentary on the Torah translation.]

Arguably, to understand this commandment, it should be inverted. In essence, using the Lord’s name when one is being truthful or committed appears to be perfectly acceptable. It is designed for a reason- utility.

Its usage concerns “making things happen.” The employment of the deity’s name is tantamount placing an exclamation point to any particular commitment or representation!

At times, where papyrus, parchment, ostraca or parchment were not necessarily available, a binding oral representation would be quite practical. This especially the case in which a significant part of the population was not literate. They could neither read or write.

Even in present time, as a lawyer, oral representations are made. One’s word means something.

The Joseph Tale

Prior to addressing the passage of interest, some set-up is necessary.

In Mikeitz, Joseph had already ascended to his role as an Egyptian Government official. In that capacity, he managed the country’s food distribution during the regional famine. This was the very famine that Joseph had predicted from interpreting the Pharaoh’s dreams.

In Canaan, at that time, due to the regional famine, Jacob- Joseph’s father- directed his other sons to go to Egypt to purchase grain.

Jacob, however, insisted that his youngest son, Benjamin, remain with him. Genesis 41:1-4. Jacob feared any harm to him.

[Note: Joseph and Benjamin were maternal brothers. They were Rachel’s only two. Rachel was Jacob’s favorite. Tragically, she died giving birth to Benjamin. Thus, Jacob experienced legitimate anxieties concerning that part of his family. Not only was there the loss of Rachel, he believed that Joseph had died as well.]

Upon arriving in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers encountered Joseph when trying to purchase grain. The brothers did not recognize Joseph. See Genesis 42:7-8. Perhaps, it was due to both him adorned in Egyptian garb as well as the passage of time.

With his brothers not recognizing him, Joseph engaged in his own act of deception. He accused them of being spies. To clear themselves, he demanded that they produce their youngest brother, Benjamin. The request, as noted above, was problematic as it was counter to their father’s wishes.

Without the brothers’ initial acceptance of the deal, they were tossed into prison. See Genesis 42:14-16

The Passage of Interest

Mikeitz then reports:

“And Joseph said unto them on this third day, “Do this and live, as I fear God: ‘If you’re honest, one brother from among you will be held at the place where you’re under watch; and you, go, bring grain for the famine in your houses. And you will bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be confirmed, and you won’t die.” Genesis 42: 18-19

The operative term of interest in the passage is “as I fear God.”

Analysis

Joseph uniquely interjects God into his promise. He essentially swears and makes the representation that he has fear towards the Lord. He is telling his brothers that there is no deception in his representation. What he is saying, he is guaranteeing.

The use of the word fear is of interest. Both the Torah and in Commentaries have discussed its role in Human activities.

The Torah’s Fear References

Contemporaneous with the Decalogue’s first iteration, Exodus contains the following passage on the topic of fear.

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid, because God is coming for the purpose of testing you and for the purpose that his fear will be in your faces so that you won’t sin.'” Exodus 20:20. (20:17)

Rashi’s commentary on this section notes: “By way of the fact that you saw that He is feared and dreaded, you will know that there is none beside Him and you will fear him.”

Another passage on fear comes from Deuteronomy:

“And now, Israel, what is the Lord, your God, asking from you except to fear the Lord, your God, and to go in all His ways, and to love Him and to serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to observe the Lord’s commandments and His laws that I command you today to be good for you.” Deuteronomy 10: 12-13.

Rashi commented: “He demands nothing of you, except only to fear [the Lord, your God,…] Only to fear [the Lord your God,…]. Our Rabbis derived from this verse [“And now… what does… God demand of you”] that everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven (Ber. 33b).”

Rashi’s comment refers to the Babylonian Talmud section, Berakhot 33b. Within this section, there is discussion of the ‘fear of heaven.’ “And Rabbi Ḥanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven.“

[The concept touches on the universal notion of free will: In commenting on upon this, he notes: “The Lord asks man to perform these matters because ultimately, the choice is in his hands.”]

What is to make of this? When one fears the Lord, does it mean that they are essentially handcuffing their free will when they make swearings? If a commitment or pledge becomes something that they no longer choose to do, will they abandon this free will assertion? Will they override it because of their swearing?

Conclusion

The Swearing Commandment was intended to serve as a positive measure. It offers utility to guarantee representations and bargains.

It does, however, come with a steep price. Torah believers, in part, bring with them the concept of fear. This touches on the concept of how free will interacts with the Commandments.

Be well!!

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