The Trials of Leadership: Lessons from Judah and Joseph

As Jacob returned to his homeland, he exclaimed with great emotion, "For with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two camps."

Indeed, an unexpected prophecy emerged from his lips, foretelling that the people of Israel would divide into two camps: the children of Rachel and the children of Leah, with their most prominent members being Joseph and Judah.

The story of Joseph's sale marks the beginning of this significant dispute, where all the sons of Leah, led by Judah, sold Joseph to Egypt because their paths diverged so greatly that the land could not contain both. Yet, their intentions were with heaven in mind.

(Joseph was sold to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, which is curious because the price of a slave according to the Torah is thirty pieces. According to the verses in Parshat Mishpatim, a bull that kills a slave incurs this fine. Why the price difference? Professor Kitchen's research reveals the gap is due to the period. The regular and fixed price of a slave is indeed thirty pieces, as determined by the Torah in Parshat Mishpatim. However, at the time of Joseph's sale, there was a sudden influx of slaves in the Egyptian region, causing caravan prices to drop due to an oversupply. Once again, we see the precise detail of every word in the Torah, which no human could know if writing from the heart and not based on divine insight).

Joseph was taken down to Egypt and immediately faced a great trial. Alone and without support, in a place where the honorable woman of the house tempted him, with no societal pressures to deter him, as in her domain, Potiphar's wife was in charge. Yet, Joseph the righteous one resisted. This was his strength.

In the following chapter, the Torah depicts Judah, who, unlike Joseph, fails his trial but shows tremendous bravery by admitting his wrongdoing and correcting it with the statement, "She is more righteous than I." Without anyone to confront him, it was a test between him and the Creator, where he stood with courage and confessed.

These actions illustrate the qualities of the two camps among the people of Israel. The sons of Rachel adhere strictly to holiness, intolerant of any sin, and yet if they fail, they struggle to elevate themselves. As the sages said, if Joseph had stumbled, there would be no recovery. In contrast, the sons of Judah may falter, admit their sin, rectify it, return in complete repentance, and continue to ascend.

King Saul was a son of Rachel. He was holy from the womb, modest, and hidden among his possessions, yet when he sinned, he couldn't admit or elevate or amend. When he said, "I have sinned," he couldn’t recover, and hence the sages stated that Saul failed once and it cost him everything, while David failed in more than one area but knew how to admit and amend his sins, and because of "My sin is always before me," it was forgiven, granting him a lasting royal dynasty.

However, under the rule of Judah, there remained an essential place for the sons of Rachel to carry the flag of holiness. Jeroboam son of Nebat was a descendant of Rachel, a righteous and distinguished individual whom the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite supported to carry the flag of holiness against the House of David. When Solomon sinned according to his level with Pharaoh's daughter, Jeroboam son of Nebat was his adversary. But the moment he fell due to pride, he couldn't recover and became a sinner who led others to sin.

Therefore, when the ten tribes sinned, they were exiled and did not return, whereas the tribe of Judah returned and was healed. Deeds of the ancestors are lessons for the descendants.