The Divine Author Weaving History Today – Chapter 3

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the third chapter of Toldot Consequences, where we delve deeper into the divine symphony of Biblical accounts, this time spotlighting the profound interplay between Joseph and Jacob. Through these stories, we affirm Hashem’s authorship that extends seamlessly into our era. Israel today stands as irrefutable evidence of His ongoing guidance—we are His contemporary witnesses amid worldly upheaval.

With the shadows of Gog and Magog looming from Iran, as foretold by the Zohar and Chazal, our voices resonate across the globe. Yet, why is there no discourse on these profound links from your Messianic Rabbi, Pastor, Scientologist, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, or any of the 33,000 Christian groups? This series illuminates the path to truly knowing Hashem, echoing the words of Aleinu: “And you shall know today and take it to heart” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Continuing our exploration from Genesis 4:3, we now turn to the dynamics between Joseph and Jacob, where the ripples of decisions shape the toldot (generations) in extraordinary ways. These narratives are not mere isolated episodes; they are interlinked with a mastery that defies human craftsmanship.

This chapter centers on Joseph and Jacob, drawing from Rabbi David Fohrman’s insightful podcast “The Unity of Biblical Text: Refuting the Theory of Multiple Authorship”, from his rallying cry to “go on offense” against critics to the 38:58 mark, where he illuminates the chiastic structures weaving through Joseph, Judah, Tamar, Simeon, Reuben, and Jacob.

Joseph Jacob Book 1: Joseph – The Dreamer Who Ruled

Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and the firstborn to his cherished wife Rachel, entered the world with a name full of hope: “Yosef,” meaning “may He add” (Genesis 30:24), as Rachel longed for more children. His life unfolded as a tapestry of soaring dreams and plummeting trials, ultimately transforming him from a favored youth into a redeemer who ruled with wisdom forged in adversity.

From early on, Joseph was marked by his father’s blatant favoritism. Jacob gifted him a special multicolored coat, symbolizing elevated status and stirring deep resentment among his brothers (Genesis 37:3). Joseph, perhaps naively, shared reports of his siblings’ misdeeds and recounted vivid dreams foretelling his dominance: sheaves of grain bowing to his own, and even the sun, moon, and stars paying homage (Genesis 37:5-11). While his brothers seethed with jealousy, Jacob quietly pondered the implications.

One day, Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers’ tending flocks near Shechem. Wandering to Dothan, Joseph found them, but their envy boiled over into a deadly plot.

Reuben and Joseph

Reuben, the eldest, tempered the fury by suggesting they throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him outright, secretly planning a rescue. Judah, seeing passing Ishmaelite traders, proposed a profitable alternative: “What gain is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh” (Genesis 37:26-27).

But before they could act, Midianite traders passed by, drew Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelite caravanners headed for Egypt. The brothers did not know what happened to Joseph—only that he was gone from the pit.

To cover their deed, they dipped the coat in goat’s blood and presented it to Jacob, asking, “Haker na—please recognize whether it is your son’s robe or not” (Genesis 37:32).

Sold by the Midinites to the Ismmaelites

Sold into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, Joseph rose quickly through diligence and divine favor: “Hashem was with Joseph, and he became a successful man” (Genesis 39:2). He managed Potiphar’s household flawlessly until Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce him repeatedly, demanding, “Lie with me.” Joseph refused, declaring, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Spurned, she accused him falsely, leading to his imprisonment.

Even in the dungeon, Joseph’s integrity shone. He interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker: the butler would be restored to service, while the baker would be executed (Genesis 40). Two years passed until Pharaoh himself dreamed of seven fat cows and ears of grain devoured by seven lean ones. The butler remembered Joseph, who was summoned and explained the visions as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and advised strategic grain storage.

Joseph The Viceroy In Egypt

Impressed, Pharaoh exalted Joseph as viceroy, renaming him Zaphenath-paneah and giving him Asenath as wife. They had two sons: Manasseh, meaning “God has made me forget all my hardship,” and Ephraim, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:45-52).

When famine struck, Joseph’s brothers journeyed to Egypt for grain. Unrecognized by them, Joseph accused them of spying, imprisoned Simeon, and demanded they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, as proof. Overhearing their guilty consciences—”We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen” (Genesis 42:21)—Joseph wept privately.

The Snake In Benjamin’s Cup

On their return with Benjamin, Joseph tested them further by planting his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. When discovered, the brothers despaired, and Judah offered himself in Benjamin’s place. Moved, Joseph could no longer contain himself: “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” (Genesis 45:3). He forgave them magnanimously: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20).

In his final blessing from Jacob, Joseph received a double portion through his sons, with Ephraim prioritized over Manasseh: “Joseph is a fruitful bough… the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath” (Genesis 49:22-26).

Deep dive on “chalom” (חלם): This root for “dream” appears over 90 times in Tanach, evoking visions that propel destiny. Chemically, it acts like an enzyme, catalyzing transformations without being consumed. In Joseph, chalom bonds with pesher (interpretation) to drive the plot forward: his dreams ignite conflict, while interpreting others elevates him. It reacts dynamically—Pharaoh’s chalomot echo Joseph’s, and in Daniel, similar motifs unfold. Joseph’s chalomot fuse personal ambition with collective redemption, a layered reaction no human author could replicate across narratives.

Joseph Jacob Book 2: Jacob – The Wrestler Who Blessed

Jacob, the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah, was named “Yaakov,” meaning “heel-holder” (Genesis 25:26), foreshadowing his life as a supplanter who grappled with destiny, deception, and divine encounters. His journey evolved from cunning survival to patriarchal wisdom, culminating in blessings that defined Israel’s clans.

Early on, Jacob traded lentil stew for Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and, with Rebekah’s help, deceived Isaac into bestowing the firstborn blessing upon him (Genesis 27). Fleeing Esau’s wrath, Jacob journeyed to his uncle Laban in Haran. En route, he dreamed of a ladder bridging heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending, and Hashem promising: “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth… and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:12-15).

Jacob served Laban seven years for Rachel’s hand, only to be tricked into marrying Leah first, requiring another seven years for Rachel. From these unions and their handmaids came his twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah from Leah; Dan and Naphtali from Bilhah; Gad and Asher from Zilpah; Issachar and Zebulun from Leah again; Joseph from Rachel; and finally Benjamin, whose birth cost Rachel her life.

Jacob’s Favoritism

Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph sowed familial discord, erupting when the brothers threw Joseph into the pit. Upon discovering him gone, they presented his bloodied coat to Jacob, who wailed, “A fierce animal has devoured him! Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces!” Mourning inconsolably, Jacob declared, “I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning” (Genesis 37:35).

Years of grief followed, until famine forced his sons to go to Egypt for grain. They returned without Simeon, insisting on bringing Benjamin next. Jacob resisted, but Judah’s solemn guarantee swayed him: “If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved” (Genesis 43:14).

The family reunited in Egypt after Joseph’s revelation, and Jacob descended with seventy souls to Goshen (Genesis 46:27). Seeing Joseph alive, he exclaimed, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive” (Genesis 46:30).

Wrestling With An Angel

Jacob’s life was punctuated by a transformative wrestle at Peniel with a divine being, earning him the name “Yisrael”— “one who struggles with God and with men, and has prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). In his twilight, he blessed Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, deliberately crossing his hands to favor the younger Ephraim, declaring him greater. Then, he gathered his sons for prophetic blessings, foretelling their tribal destinies (Genesis 49).

At 147 years old, Jacob died in Egypt, was embalmed, and carried back to Canaan for burial in the Cave of Machpelah (Genesis 50).

Deep dive on “barach” (ברך): The root for “bless” appears over 300 times, signifying empowerment and legacy. Chemically, it serves as a nucleus, anchoring generational bonds. In Jacob, Barach fuses with his toldot, shaping the children through words of prophecy. It reacts variably—Isaac’s barachah to Jacob sparks flight and growth; Hashem’s covenants amplify it. Jacob’s berachot transform past deceptions into future glory, a catalytic chain reaction of divine intent. (Word count: 1195)

What Do These Joseph Jacob Stories Have to Do with Each Other?

Reader, take a moment to reflect: Joseph’s tale of dreams and triumphant ascent contrasts with Jacob’s saga of wrestling and bestowed blessings—seemingly a father-son chronicle with parallel but separate paths. What truly unites them in the narrative of Joseph and Jacob?

The Joseph Jacob Interconnections: No One Could Have Written This

Now comes the mind-blowing revelation, as Rabbi Fohrman encourages us to “go on offense.” These stories are not merely adjacent; they are fused inseparably, with each dependent on the other to unfold—evidence of divine unity that dismantles notions of multiple authorship. Here’s a compiled list of 30 interconnections, drawn from Fohrman’s chiastic insights and textual echoes:

1. Favoritism motif: Jacob’s special coat for Joseph mirrors Isaac’s preference for Esau, fueling sibling rivalry.
2. Deception threads: The brothers’ trickery with Joseph’s coat parallels Jacob’s deception of Isaac for the blessing.
3. Dream visions: Joseph’s prophetic dreams echo Jacob’s ladder dream, both heralding future greatness.
4. Descent to Egypt: Joseph’s sale leads directly to Jacob’s relocation, saving the family line.
5. Recognition phrases: “Haker na” for the coat deception; Joseph’s emotional self-revelation to his brothers.
6. Mourning and resolution: Jacob’s prolonged grief over Joseph resolves in their joyful reunion.
7. Double blessings: Jacob grants Joseph a double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh.
8. Crossed priorities: Jacob’s crossed hands on Joseph’s sons recall his own supplanting of Esau.
9. Fruitful legacies: Joseph’s son Ephraim embodies fruitfulness, fulfilling Jacob’s ancestral promises.
10. Wrestling with fate: Jacob’s Peniel struggle prefigures Joseph’s trials of integrity in prison.
11. Seventy souls: Jacob’s full household descends to Egypt, sustained by Joseph’s foresight.
12. Sheol references: Jacob’s descent to Sheol in mourning; Joseph’s oath to carry his bones from Egypt.
13. Silver symbols: Twenty pieces for Joseph’s sale; the planted silver cup tested the brothers.
14. Guilt confessions: The brothers admit wrongdoing to Joseph, echoing Jacob’s past deceptions.
15. Emotional peaks: Jacob’s relief at seeing Joseph alive mirrors familial redemptions.
16. Toldot continuity: Jacob’s generations pivot through Joseph’s story of survival.
17. Word chemistry: Chalom (dream) + barach (bless) react to produce themes of redemption.
18. Chiastic structures: Ascents and descents mirror between Joseph’s rise and Jacob’s journeys.
19. Midrashic ties: Joseph as the “spark” of Jacob’s righteousness, preserving the lineage.
20. Israel’s foundations: Joseph’s sons become full clans via Jacob’s adoption and blessing.
21. Messianic hints: Joseph’s Ephraim line unites with Judah’s in end-times prophecies.
22. Gog/Magog echoes: The scattering and ingathering from Joseph and Jacob’s exile.
23. Hidden identities: Joseph’s concealment in Egypt parallels Jacob’s deceptive youth.
24. Burial oaths: Joseph swears to bury Jacob in Canaan; Jacob charges Joseph similarly.
25. Famine catalyst: Global hunger drives Jacob’s family to Joseph’s protective rule.
26. Viceroy salvation: Joseph’s position directly preserves Jacob’s descendants.
27. Peniel foreshadowing: Jacob’s divine wrestle anticipates Joseph’s God-guided elevations.
28. Ladder symbolism: Jacob’s heaven-earth connection; Joseph’s interpretive rise.
29. Bereavement fears: Jacob’s dread of loss is tested and overcome through Joseph.
30. Ultimate unity: The Joseph-Jacob bond prefigures the messianic merging of Ephraim and Judah.

Who could have crafted such intricate, interdependent links? As Rabbi Fohrman declares: No one. No team of human authors could interweave these elements so perfectly. Only Hashem, the eternal Author.

The World Sees and Hears Today: End-of-Days List

Connecting ancient threads to the present, as Chazal and the Zohar predicted, Iran (ancient Persia) spearheads the forces of Gog and Magog. Here’s a list of fulfilled prophecies with dates and events, underscoring Hashem’s real-time authorship. (Sources from verified news headlines.)

• Covid Pandemic (Year 2: Arrows of Famine/Plague): Began March 2020 (WHO declaration). Global plague like “arrows,” with Torah study disrupted amid lockdowns. NYT: “WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic” – March 11, 2020.
• Hyperinflation/Abundance Paradox: 2021-2023 U.S. inflation peaks at 9.1% in June 2022, despite overflowing supply chains. CNN: “US Inflation Hits 40-Year High” – July 13, 2022.
• Mass Migration/Refugees: Syrian crisis peaks 2015-2021; Afghan exodus in 2021; Latin American surges 2022+. BBC: “Afghan Refugees Flee to Borders” – Aug 15, 2021.
• Sea of Galilee Drying: Record low levels from 2018-2022. Reuters: “Israel’s Sea of Galilee Hits Lowest Levels” – May 2018.
• Gablan/Damascus Destruction: Syrian war ravages near Damascus; a specific Israeli strike on the Damascus countryside, Sep 27, 2024, killing 5 soldiers. Al Arabiya: “Five Syrian Soldiers Killed in Israeli Strike on Damascus Countryside” – Sep 27, 2024.
• Wars/Rumors (Year 6-7): Russia-Ukraine invasion 2022; Israel-Hamas conflict erupts Oct 7, 2023; Hezbollah escalation in Sep 2024, culminating in Nasrallah’s assassination on Sep 27, 2024. Al Jazeera: “Timeline: Key Moments Leading to Attacks” – Oct 2, 2024; Wikipedia: “September 2024 Israeli Attacks Against Lebanon” – Details Nasrallah killing.
• Hutzpah/Moral Decay: Rise of cancel culture and informers in the 2010s-2020s, with youth dishonoring elders in the social media age.

Where were your Christian prophets in these pivotal moments?

• Where were the Christian prophets on Oct 7, 2023 (Hamas attack on Israel)?
• Where were the Christian prophets on Sep 27, 2024 (Israeli strike on Damascus countryside and Nasrallah assassination)?
• Where was your Messianic Rabbi or Priest?

They weren’t issuing warnings rooted in Torah like Chazal. Hashem demonstrates His sovereignty through Israel in real time. Next chapter: A synthesis of these tales. Judah and Ephraim will unite soon, as Christians turn to their older brother.

Shalom, Gavriel (@huniarch)