Amos 2:6–3:8
Inexcusable Injustice

Sensitivity towards others is a crucial component of our service to Hashem. Many of the Torah’s mitzvos such as: judging someone favorably; not paining someone; not embarrassing someone, and not insulting someone are based on sensitivity. In addition, from a Torah standpoint, insensitivity towards widows and orphans stands above all and is responded to in the severest form. This week’s Haftarah displays an additional dimension of sensitivity and discusses Hashem’s response to insensitivity to the helpless and alludes to its catastrophic repercussions.

Unforgivable Harm to the Helpless

Amos Hanavi began our Haftarah and stated in Hashem’s name, “Regarding three offenses [I can be patient] but shall I not respond to a fourth one, over their selling the righteous for money and a pauper in exchange for shoes!?” (2:6) Amos continued, “They anxiously await the dirt of the ground [to be placed] upon the head of the impoverished.” (2:7) Amos admonished the Jewish people for their apathy towards injustice. Their judges would typically accept minimal bribes and render unfair judgments in exchange for inexpensive shoes. They would also discriminate against the poor and literally drag them through the dirt when they refused to comply with their unfair verdicts. (Radak and Metzudas Dovid 2:6-7) Amos said that Hashem expressed great disturbance over these crimes and declared them unforgivable.
Radak magnifies this message and explains that the first three offenses refer to the cardinal sins of idolatry, adultery and murder. Hashem said that He would respond to the injustice of the poor above all other offenses, even the three cardinal sins. In fact, Hashem regards injustice to the poor so severe that He promised to respond to it immediately. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that Hashem’s response is based on the pauper’s degree of dependence on Him. People with meager financial means generally do not generate respect from others, and Hashem becomes their sole source of security. Because they rely totally on Him for assistance, He pledges to come to their immediate defense and to respond harshly to all injustice done to them. (Rabbeinu Bachya intro. to Vayeishev)

Yosef’s Infamous Sale

Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer interprets Amos’ words to refer to the infamous sale of Yosef. He explains that Yosef’s brothers sold him for twenty silver coins and each of them bought shoes with his sale value. Amos referred to that sale when he reprimanded the Jewish people for selling the righteous for silver and a pauper for shoes. Hashem declared Yosef’s sale unforgivable and viewed it with greater severity than cardinal offenses. (Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer 38)
Apparently, Rebbe Eliezer explains that Hashem stated that He had no tolerance for Yosef’s sale and that He would ultimately respond to it with grave severity. He seems to mean that Amos’s prophecy alluded to the martyrdom of the Jewish people’s greatest sages, the Ten Sacred Martyrs. Amos predicted that the Jewish nation’s most pious sages would suffer torturous deaths to help cleanse the Jewish nation from its indelible stain. As we know, Amos’ prediction materialized, and the Ten Martyrs’ sacred deaths became the most tragic personal events in all Jewish history.

The Root of Interpersonal Offenses

Indeed, we find this point clearly underlined in the Midrash. Rebbe Abbin says that in every generation there remains a trace of the sin of Yosef’s infamous sale. Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi adds, that the Ten Sacred Martyrs met their fate to atone for Yosef’s sale. (Midrash Mishlei 1) Chazal reveal here that Yosef’s sale left an indelible impression on the collective Jewish soul. Rav Meir Simcha of Divinsk equates the sale of Yosef to the infamous sin of the golden calf. Regarding the latter the Torah states, “On the day that I will recall [your inexcusable actions] I will recall you [for this one, as well].” (Shemos 32:34) Chazal interpret this statement to mean that national misfortune always includes a degree of retribution for the sin of the golden calf. (Rashi ad loc) The explanation of this is that all offenses between the Jewish people and Hashem stem from the Jewish people’s return to sinful practice through their plunge into foreign service, after they had completely united with Hashem forty days prior when they accepted His Torah.
Rav Meir Simcha explains that this principle only applies to the Jewish people’s offenses between themselves and Hashem. But, regarding their offenses between one and another, the sale of Yosef is at the deep root of their sin. He explains that in the same manner that the golden calf led to all dissention between the Jewish people and Hashem, the sale of Yosef led to all the Jewish people’s dissention amongst themselves. Accordingly, whenever Hashem brings national misfortune for interpersonal offenses it includes a degree of retribution for the sale of Yosef. (Meshech Chachma on Vayikra 16:30)

Rationale of Yosef’s Sale

At this point, it is important to place Yosef’s sale in proper perspective. We should note that the Haftarah only refers to one dimension of the sale, its insensitivity. Apparently, Hashem did not fault our patriarch Yaakov’s ten pious sons for the actual sale of their brother, rather for the humiliating way which it was done. Before discussing this, let us provide some background to the situation between Yosef and his brothers. The Torah relates that Yosef appointed himself spiritual supervisor over his brothers. In truth, his sole objective was to refine every imperfection in his brothers’ character and to develop their supreme spiritual qualities. Since the young boy Yosef did not feel adequate or qualified to reprimand his older brothers, he faithfully informed his father of all their suspicious mannerisms. Unfortunately, Yosef severely misjudged some of their mysterious ways and he was unaware of their innocence in all of their doings. Rav Shmuel Meltzan develops this idea and quotes one of his contemporary Torah authorities who explains that Yosef’s brothers perceived him as a threat to their basic existence, both spiritual and physical. Because Yaakov’s ear was always available to Yosef he became a threatening adversary to his brothers. The brothers were painfully aware of Yaakov’s penetrating power of speech and of how his innocent words had brought about the untimely passing of his cherished wife, Rachel. They feared that Yosef’s relentless campaign for their perfection could and would eventually kindle their father’s wrath against them. Who knows what powerful words Yaakov might express in response to the brother’s alleged wrong doings? Because of their heightened sensitivity about this matter, they developed a strong degree of suspicion about Yosef’s true intent. They reasoned that if he was truly concerned about their welfare, he would never endanger their lives with the tales he consistently brought to their father, Yaakov. The matter became increasingly difficult when Yosef seemed to have become overtly insensitive to their spiritual well-being. He seemingly had no difficulty relating to them his uncanny dreams about becoming their leader. The brothers were greatly disturbed by that insensitivity and ruled that Yosef certainly realized the sinful reaction he could elicit from them in response to his dreams, but he simply did not care! (From the comments of Rabbi Shmuel Meltzan to Even Shlomo 4:17) All the above built a stone wall between Yosef and his brothers and rendered it nearly impossible for them to discuss their disturbances with him. Accordingly, Seforno explains the brother’s rationale for the sale. When Yosef suddenly visited his brothers who were tending to their sheep far away from home, their warning signals began flashing. They concluded that he came to spy on them and discover some apparent wrong of theirs to report to his father. His suspicious unexpected visit “proved” to them his ill intent, and, in their trying situation, they regarded Yosef as a serious threat to their existence and therefore engaged themselves in self-defense. In situations of threatening danger, the Torah permits one to protect oneself at all costs, and the brothers justifiably sold Yosef to a traveling caravan in attempt to rid themselves of their problem. (based on Seforno’s comment to 37:18)

Inexcusable Shoe Purchase

Although these words present a clear defense for the actual sale, Hashem declared its humiliating manner — purchasing shoes with the sale value — totally inexcusable. Conceivably, the brothers denigrated Yosef’s honor to establish a pertinent precedent. From their perspective, Yosef had coveted the mantle of leadership and had disregarded the brothers’ wellbeing in the process. They erroneously believed that Yosef had regarded himself their superior and had focused on the unique benefits that his leadership could bring to their illustrious family. They understood that Yosef’s self-righteousness had grown to such proportions that it eventually threatened their actual existence. Fearing that such behavior could reappear amongst themselves they resolved to denounce it. They therefore purchased shoes with Yosef’s sale value to declare that any family member who would seek to become their superior would ultimately lose all of his dignity. (Radal to Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer ad loc) The above explanation reveals the brother’s rationale for purchasing shoes but the fact remained that their purchase extended beyond self-defense. True, Yosef was misguided, but because he remained one of Yaakov’s illustrious children he deserved his due honor and respect. Hashem therefore declared the humiliating manner of Yosef’s sale inexcusable. Unfortunately, the brothers’ approach to Yosef became ingrained in the Jewish nation’s soul and it opened the door for diversity and dispute amongst the Jewish people, and for religious factions to disregard the validity of differing opinions. Until Yosef’s self- appointed position, Yaakov’s household had functioned in perfect harmony. But, after that major rift the potential existed for unjustified hatred to appear amongst the Jewish people at any point. Hashem pledged to severely respond to such diversity if it would reappear and to help the Jewish nation cleanse itself from such inappropriate behavior.

The Ten Sacred Martyrs

Chazal relate that severe diversity did develop in later generations. They note that during the era of the Second Bais HaMikdash, concealed hatred became a way of life. (Yoma 9b) After a period of time Hashem responded to the Jewish people’s inexcusable behavior and decreed the destruction of the second Bais HaMikdash. But, as we have learned, whenever Hashem brings national misfortune for interpersonal offenses, He includes a degree of retribution for the sale of Yosef. Therefore, shortly after the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, Hashem recalled the infamous sale of Yosef and brought brutal deaths to three of the Sacred Martyrs. Conceivably, Hashem was showing the Jewish people through those sacred deaths the severity of the people’s insensitivities and was inspiring them to develop true love for one other. Unfortunately, the effect of that lesson was short lived, and fifty-two years later the Jewish people’s abhorrent behavior reappeared through the fierce hatred that developed between the inhabitants of Yerushalyim and Beitar. (Eicha Rabba 2:4) During the era of the Beitar massacre, Hashem recalled Yosef’s sale once again and completed the earlier martyrdom process with the brutal deaths of R’ Akiva and his colleagues. (Seder Hadoros, years 3828 and 3880) At that point, the Jewish nation pledged never to forget their tragic lesson and they eternalized its message in their moving Yom Kippur Selichos and Tisha B’Av Kinos. During these solemn moments, the Jewish people are motivated to reflect on their shortcomings in the area of inter-personal relationships and to resolve to rectify them in full.

Today’s Sacred Martyrs

In our times, the Jewish nation’s tragic personal experiences attest to the approaching era of Mashiach. Chazal teach us that before the advent of Mashiach our nation’s tragedies will become so common that people will grow insensitive to them. Let us do our utmost to combat this curse and to plead with Hashem to end our troubles. Let us implore Hashem to spare every precious Jewish soul and to sensitize us to the pain and misfortune of all those bereaved families. Let us internalize Dovid Hamelech’s classic words and follow his example and cry out to Hashem, “I pour my words before You and tell you ’my’ trouble.” (Tehillim 142:3)