Vayigash

After successfully predicting and preparing for an imminent seven year famine, Joseph is left in control of the only food in the region. The citizens of Egypt pawn all their possessions, and that gets them enough food for a year.

When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, "We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate." - Gen 47:18-19

Interestingly, the commentators write that Joseph willingly accepted all the real estate, but he did not acquire the citizens of Egypt as slaves. Now consider the incident of Jacob and Esau that took place a few parshiot earlier:

And Jacob simmered a stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that red stew; for I am exhausted." (Therefore was his name called Edom.) And Jacob said, "Sell me this day your birthright." And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die: of what use is a birthright to me?"

And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day;" and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau spurned his birthright. - Gen 25:29-34

Compare the actions of father and son. Jacob sees his brother about to starve and insists upon acquiring the poor man's birthright before feeding him. Joseph sees his subjects about to starve and refuses their own offer to become his slaves.

The Kabbalists write that the Patriarchs represented different sefirot, or attributes of the Divine. Roughly translated, Abraham was chesed: mercy; Isaac was gevurah: strength; and Jacob was tiferet: balance. As the lineage proceeded, the attributes were honed. I do not know of any commentators raising this particular example, but I like the clear contrast between Jacob's exploitation and Joseph's mercy.

There's a sensation you get with good literature, that the text is almost cognizant, and that when you curry its favour with diligent study, it rewards you with a new insight. Turn it this way, turn it that way.

Shabbath Shalom