{"id":39981,"date":"2018-09-14T15:35:33","date_gmt":"2018-09-14T12:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=39981"},"modified":"2022-04-10T15:38:35","modified_gmt":"2022-04-10T12:38:35","slug":"commitment-to-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/commitment-to-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Commitment to Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[561,366,462,523],"acf":{"old_id":"39981","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":39967,"related_cahpter":"46","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"In seeing Joseph\u2019s brothers being open about who they are we see an early example of our people choosing to maintain their identity","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Chapter 46 of Genesis we reach the conclusion of the back-and-forth narrative between Joseph and his family. After having been sold into slavery by his own brothers, and having risen to second-in-command in Egypt, Joseph encounters his brothers who have come in need of grain because of a drought. After having revealed himself to his siblings, and having sent them to retrieve their father Jacob and the rest of their families to bring back to Egypt, Joseph notifies his family that he will tell Pharaoh of their arrival. However, Joseph asks that that they not reveal to Pharaoh that they are shepherds and instead to say that they are breeders of livestock as shepherds are an abomination to Egyptians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without specification in the text, the exact reason of this Egyptian sentiment is unclear, even to rabbinic commentators. Rashi agreed with the writing of Onkelos that sheep were sacred to Egyptians and therefore those who raised them for food might be considered an abomination. Ibn Ezra suggested that the Egyptians would not eat meat and may have even been vegan, which might explain a feeling of abhorrence to those who raise and might eat animals as well. Nevertheless, despite Joseph\u2019s counsel, in the following chapter the brothers tell Pharaoh that they are in fact shepherds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The text itself pays Joseph\u2019s unheeded advice no mind but I believe the brothers\u2019 choice to be honest about their profession is indicative of a larger pattern in Jewish history. Being a shepherd is in no way a part of Jewish identity, but the brothers\u2019 choice to not compromise on who they were despite pressure from their surrounding dominant culture is reflective of the Jewish historical narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the Jewish people\u2019s history of near-constant forced migrations in and out of countries around the world, the Jewish people maintained a distinct identity. In seeing Joseph\u2019s brothers choose to be open about who they are we may see an early example of our people choosing to maintain who they are despite a lack of power or authority in their new relocation. Notwithstanding Joseph\u2019s status in Egypt, the Israelites were looking to immigrate because of drought and likely would have been without alternative had Pharaoh chosen to reject their entrance after having heard of their profession. In seeing Joseph\u2019s brothers&#8217; choice to maintain even the smallest aspects of their identity we are not only provided with a valuable lesson but may have a better understanding of how Jewish identity was able to be maintained over thousands of years.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":96927,"id":96927,"title":"ecc12-shepherd","filename":"ecc12-shepherd.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ecc12-shepherd.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-words-of-the-sages-are-like-goads\/ecc12-shepherd\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ecc12-shepherd","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":96926,"date":"2021-08-31 17:26:56","modified":"2023-12-16 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