1 ) Rav said : “ A parent should never give one child preferential treatment over others . It was because of one ounce of fine wool that Jacob gave to Joseph … when making him the striped coat that his brothers became jealous of him . And that led to our ancestors going down to Egypt .” 6
2 ) God said to the sons of Jacob : “ You sold Joseph for a slave … By your lives , year after year you will be reciting We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt ,” avadim hayinu l ’ Pharaoh . 7
3 ) In the process of selling grain during the famine , Joseph acquired all the Egyptians ’ money , livestock , and land for Pharaoh . “ And he removed the population town by town , from one end of Egypt ’ s border to the other .” 8 Joseph then gave them seed to plant and in return required a fifth of their annual harvest for Pharaoh . “ And they said to him , ‘ You have saved our lives ! ... We will be slaves to Pharaoh ( v ’ hayinu avadim l ’ Pharaoh ). “ A generation later , the Egyptians would take their revenge on Joseph for having reduced them to slavery , by enslaving his people .” 9
6
Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 10b
7
Midrash on Psalms 10:3
8
Gen . 47:21
9
Etz Hayim : Torah and Commentary , Rabbinical Assembly , 2001 , p . 288
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