Why was Joseph Considered a Rebellious Elder by the Brothers? • The Daily Lesson

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Why was Joseph Considered a Rebellious Elder by the Brothers? • The Daily Lesson

from Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Dec 8, 2025•עורך ראשי Joseph Jewish Learning Chassidut Daily Chizuk Unity of Israel Unconditional Love

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Why was Joseph Considered a Rebellious Elder by the Brothers? • The Daily Lesson

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Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Sunday night, the 18th of Kislev 5786, Parshas Vayeishev:

One must study the Rashi (commentary) of all the Torah portions.
Rashi writes in the portion "him, with him, to him," and the Nitzotzei Shimshon (a Chassidic work) brings that Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman knocked on Rashi's grave to know the secret of this matter. Rashi revealed himself to him and taught him a new insight: that the dispute between the brothers and Joseph was the same dispute between the angels and the angel Metat (Metatron) twenty-two years before the creation of the world, regarding whether or not to create the world.
Hashem (God) told Abraham to listen to Sarah. Hagar was the daughter of Pharaoh, the son of Nimrod. Sarah said to Abraham, "My grievance is upon you."
When Nimrod died, Eliezer came to receive the inheritance. They told him that it was written in the will that only one who follows in his father's ways [receives it]. Abraham said that Eliezer is the only one 5. who follows in Nimrod's path; just as Nimrod rebelled against his father, so too Eliezer rebelled against his father [Nimrod].
Joseph disagreed with both Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai (the two major schools of Talmudic thought), as brought in Eruvin where they voted and concluded: "It would have been better for man not to have been created than to have been created." However, Joseph said yes, the world should be created. This is because he is the tzaddik (righteous person) and he is the guarantor. For this reason, the brothers judged him as a Zaken Mamre (a rebellious elder) who disagrees with an entire Sanhedrin (supreme rabbinical court).

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