the taint of shelo lishma

1) It's interesting that although Reuvain is the first one to speak out against the killing of Yosef, וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ (37:22), it is Yehudah who Yaakov, on his deathbed, gives credit to for saving Yosef, גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ  (49:9).  Rashi on our parsha comments: אמר: אני בכור וגדול שבכולן, לא יתלה הסרחון אלא בי.  The difference between Yehudah and Reuvain (as the Sifsei Chachamim points out) is that Yehudah had no ulterior motive in mind when he spoke up.  Reuvain, however, knew that ultimately he, as the eldest, would be held responsible for Yosef.  Therefore, he felt compelled to speak out.  It's amazing how just a tinge of she'lo lishma colors what otherwise would be a noble act.

This Sifsei Chachamim stands in stark contrast to R' Amiel's observation (which we've discussed in the past) that it is only Reuvain who gets the credit of  וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם (37:21).  

2) When Reuvain returns and discovers Yosef has been sold, he cries out וַיָּ֥שׇׁב אֶל־אֶחָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַיֶּ֣לֶד אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וַאֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי־בָֽא׃ (37:30), wondering how he can return home.  (The repitition of  וַאֲנִ֖י ... אֲנִי is reminiscent of  נָ֛א רְפָ֥א נָ֖א לָֽהּ by Miriam.  Are there other examples of repetition like this?)  There is a fascinating interpretation of R"Y haChassid quoted in the Tur in last week's parsha on the episode of Reuvain's "sin" וַיְהִ֗י בִּשְׁכֹּ֤ן יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֗֔ן וַיִּשְׁכַּ֕ב֙ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה֙ פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁ אָבִ֑֔יו וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵֽ֑ל  וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר (35:22)  Here is what he says:

 וה״ר יהודה חסיד פי׳ ויהי בשכון ישראל במקום ההוא וילך ראובן פי׳ שהלך לו וברח משם ולמה וישכב את בלהה פלגש אביו שרצה אביו לשכב עמה וע״ז נתקנא ראובן וברח וישמע ישראל שבשביל זה ברח ראובן ועשה מטתו באהל לאה ואז חזר ראובן ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר כבתחלה.

When Reuvain saw that his father had moved his bed to Bilhah's tent, he left home and fled.  He could not tolerate the disrespect that he perceived was shown toward his mother.  When Yaakov heard that, he moved his bed back to Leah's tent (it's not clear whether this was an admission of wrongdoing on Yaakov's part, or did he just want to mollify his son), and Reuvain returned.

Given R"Y haChassid's reading, the words of Reuvain in our parsha, אֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי־בָֽא, take on added significance.  Reuvain was saying that if he was willing to leave home in protest of the kavod of his mother, then how can he return home now and live in peace with his brothers after they have gotten rid of Yosef and dishonored their father.

3) Seforno comments on וַיָּקֻ֩מוּ֩ כׇל־בָּנָ֨יו וְכׇל־בְּנֹתָ֜יו לְנַחֲמ֗וֹ וַיְמָאֵן֙ לְהִתְנַחֵ֔ם (37:35) that Yaakov accepted on himself lifelong aveilus because he felt that he had a hand in whatever befell Yosef, as he had sent him out to find his brothers.  וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹת֖וֹ אָבִֽיו׃ at the end of that pasuk refers to Yitzchak, who bemoaned the situation.  There was a lot to cry over, especially given (as Rashi explains) that Yitzchak knew that Yosef was alive -- his son Yaakov suffering unnecessarily, the crime the brothers had committed, the breakup of the family.  But that's not why Yitzchak was crying according to Seforno.  He explains

 יצחק בכה על שקבל עליו בנו אבלות לכל ימיו, ובכן לא תשרה עליו שכינה.   

I don't think this means that Yitzchak saw all that transpired solely through the lens of the potential loss of hashra'as haShechina without any regard to the human dimension of loss and suffering.  I think what it means is that davka the acceptance of a lifetime of mourning, as opposed to the normal period of 30 days or a year that halacha mandates, disturbed Yitzchak.  There is a time to mourn, but at some point mourning itself can become debilitating and an obstacle to growth, i.e. hashra'as haShechina.  That is something to cry over.

4) Apropos: