Hidden Treasures

Menashe said to them: “Theft is punishable by death. But my lord, Yosef, is warm and good-hearted, therefore he will take only the thief as a slave, and the rest of you can go back to your homes.” The brothers quickly took their sacks down from the donkeys and camels, and Menashe looked through their things until he found the cup in Benyamin’s sack. Although Menashe knew where the cup was, he first checked the sacks of the other brothers so that they would not notice that the situation was a set up and the cup had been placed in Benyamin’s sack.

When the cup was found, the brothers tore their clothing out of shame and disgrace and they shouted at their brother Benyamin that he had embarrassed not only them but their entire family. From now on, all would say that there were thieves in Yakev’s family. With heavy hearts the brothers packed up their things into their sacks and loaded them back on their donkeys and camels and they all headed back to Egypt. On the way back, the brothers scolded Benyamin and beat him, because they thought he really had taken the cup. Benyamin was afraid and wept and cried: “I swear to you that I did not steal the cup.” The brothers, who had never before heard their brother swear, believed him and oppressed him no more.

Because Benyamin was innocently beaten and shamed, he merited that the Shekhina would dwell in his portion and the Beis-haMikdash (holy temple) would be built in his inheritance.  With great embarrassment and grief the brothers returned to the king’s palace. Their brother Yosef did not wish to shout or sentence his brothers in front of the Egyptian servants. So as not to embarrass his brothers, Yosef had them called into his chamber where no one would see them, and there he said to them: “Why did you all steal my cup? Did you not think that a man such as I, who knows many things, would know about the theft? Perhaps you wanted the cup because you knew that with it, you could find your long-lost brother? Now that you’ve been caught stealing the cup, your brother Benyamin, who was found to be the thief, will stay here with me as a slave, and you all are free to return home.” The brothers wondered and said to him: “You accuse us when we have not sinned. We have not, Gd forbid, stolen the cup, but we know that Hashem Yisboroch has brought trouble on us on account of our sin of selling Yosef.” Yosef said to them: “But your brother, Benyamin, wasn’t there when you sold Yosef, so why would he also be punished?” The brothers answered him: “Everyone who is with a thief when he is caught also gets punished. Therefore, Benyamin, who was found with us, also receives a punishment together with us.” Yosef did not listen to what his brothers were saying to him, and he said to them: “Do not omit to whom you have sinned and who punishes you. I relate to you as one must relate to every thief who gets caught, so go in health back to your father. You can say again what you once said: ‘The boy was devoured.’  If you could say this of your first brother who did no harm against you, then you can say it to your father of this brother, who has caused you anger and shame.”

The Wonder Cup in Benyamin’s Sack

Before the brothers left to return to their father, not yet knowing that the ruler was their brother Yosef, Yosef ordered his servants to put the money back into the brothers’ sacks, and he ordered his silver cup to be placed in Benyamin’s sack. Yosef warned Benyamin before they left not to tell his brothers along the way that he knew who and where Yosef was. “After you have left my palace, I will bring you all to a great test,” Yosef told Benyamin, “and after that I will know if they truly regret having sold me. I will order you to be taken to me in the palace, and I will see if they will give up on you or if they are willing to be moral and not foresake you at my hand. If they do so, I will know they regret the bad things they’ve done to me, and if they return home without you, I’ll know that you are not dear to them, and I will take revenge on them for both of us.”

The next morning the brothers, together with Shim’on and Benyamin, left on the road to their father in Canaan. They had not yet distanced themselves very far from the city when they realized that Menashe, Yosef’s son, was chasing after them, wishing to detain them with an order from the king. The brothers were overcome with fear. Menashe spoke to them in an angry voice: “Why have you repaid my lord with bad for good? Why have you taken the cup from him? Surely you know that this isn’t just a drinking cup, but it is a wonder-cup through which my lord Yosef knows all that has been and all that will be. Why have you taken this cup?” The brothers were no longer frightened and said to Menashe: “Why do you accuse us with such a false nonsense?  Gd-forbid we should commit such a great offense. Even the gold we found in our sacks earlier we returned, and we brought new gold and gifts, so how can you think that we have stolen such an important silver vessel from the house of your lord? You can search our things, and if you find the cup on any one of us, let him be killed and the rest of us will be slaves to your lord.”

Amongst his many treasures, Yosef had an expensive thing that was called “The Star Model.” On the model was engraved the whole land of Egypt: the river, the cities, the streets, the markets, the palaces of every city. When Yosef wanted to reveal himself to his brother, he ordered his servant to bring him the model, and he showed it to Benyamin, saying: “I have heard of you Jews that you know all wisdoms. Here is a map of the city for you. Let us see if you can look into it and tell me where to find your lost brother.” Benyamin looked into the model and found the grand palace where Yosef lived. He saw many people in the palace and was astonished to see that one of them was his brother Yosef. Yosef said to him: “Tell me what you see.” Benyamin replied: “I see my brother Yosef sitting in a room before me.” Yosef could no longer contain himself and he fell upon his brother’s neck, saying: “I am your brother Yosef!” Yosef and Benyamin embraced with great joy. Yosef asked Benyamin not to tell their brothers the secret until he himself could tell them the happy news. Benyamin agreed to keep secret Yosef’s revelation.