Mock Trial of Joseph's Brothers

[searchinmyroots]

Thanks for everyone's comments!

I too am on the side of the jury, with only 1 guilty verdict.

What is very interesting to me, and this was part of my Parsha reading from one of Rabbi Fohrman's books, is who actually sold Joseph.

Isn't it very odd the way one verse is sort of glaring, seeming a bit out of place -

Genesis 37:28


Then Midianite men, merchants, passed by, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver [pieces], and they brought Joseph to Egypt.

So Joseph's brothers really didn't sell him into slavery, did they?

They were thinking of selling him to the Ishmaelites but never did. And Reuven was heart wrenched when he saw Joseph was gone.

The verse before, vers 27, mentions his brothers: "his brothers listened". So, the question is who is "they" in verse 28? It could be the Midianite men or Josephs brothers. Because his brothers talked about selling him before, I would guess that "they" refers to the brothers.

That's where the mystery remains!

Here are the verses -

26 - And Judah said to his brothers, "What is the gain if we slay our brother and cover up his blood?

27 - Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers hearkened. 

So yes, Judah made another suggestion, changing again what to do with Joseph and the brothers listened (as you mentioned). They now were contemplating selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites.

Then, all of a sudden out of nowhere, some Midianites popped up and someone took Joseph out of the pit and sold him.

28 - Then Midianite men, merchants, passed by, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver [pieces], and they brought Joseph to Egypt.

This seems to be a surprise to Reuben as verse 29 states -

29 - And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he rent his garments.
 
30 - And he returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! And I where will I go?"

So why would the brothers "return" to the pit if they were the ones who pulled Joseph from it and sold him? Why would they be surprised he wasn't there?