Joseph
"They (the brothers) sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes, and they saw; and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites
was coming from Gilad, bearing various spices, going to Egypt." (Gen 32:35)
Why did the Torah describe
the cargo? Did it make a difference? Did Joseph even care?
Normally, these caravans carried kerosene and resin, which
smell bad. For Joseph's sake, this one happened to be carrying pleasant spices, so that he wouldn't need to suffer the bad
odor.
Joseph went out to meet his brothers. They turned on him, stripped him of his coat, and threw him in a pit of
snakes and scorpions. And then, when his brothers took him out, it was only in order to sell him!
Because he was
a righteous person, the people taking him to a life of slavery were carrying sweet-smelling spices. What sort of benefit was
this? Did Joseph even notice the smell?
Whether or not it was of any importance -- YHVH gave him exactly what he needed.
For whatever reason, Joseph needed to go down to Egypt not as a prince, but as a slave, to enjoy elevation, downfall, and
then a rise to greatness while he was there. This was all part of a Divine plan, but there was no need for him to experience
a bad odor on his long journey to Egypt. He had no transgression, which the bad odor may correct or better enable him to fulfill
his destiny. So he was given only what he needed -- and the same is true for every person.
When Joseph's situation
appeared so terrible, YHVH gave him this sign that He was still with him.
When everything looks bad, we often only
need to look around us more carefully to see the good parts. Perhaps the best way to find the light at the end of the tunnel
is to look for its tiny reflection on the walls.
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