Egyptians and Shepherds (Copy) (Copy)

Based on Rashi and Onkeles, we have traditionally understood that when Joseph's brothers came to Egypt, the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews because they were shepherds and ate sheep which were an Egyptians' deity. Accordingly, when Joseph brought his family to Egypt, he instructed his father that telling Pharaoh that they were shepherds enable them to live separately from the Egyptians since the Egyptians despised shepherds. There are some difficulties with this understanding that will be presented here and I will present different readings based on other commentators.

We start with the initial reference in Genesis to this issue.

Between Rashi and Onkelos, we clearly see is the problem is that Hebrews eat sheep and therefore the separation. We go on to Joseph's instruction to his father.

Again, the Egyptians despise shepherds because they regard sheep as deities. Does this mean there were no shepherds in Egypt? Was Pharaoh (an Egyptian god) expected to tell Joseph that committing sacrilege outside of his sight was acceptable?

Commentators do indicate that shepherds did exist in Egypt, but they only raised sheep for milk and fleece. ר' בחיי בראשית מ"ה:י':י' identifies Goshen as being close to מִצְרַ֖יִם, but also clearly identifies this as the name of the capital city. מִצְרַ֖יִם is a place, at no point in Tanach does it refer to a people. This would support the thesis that sacrificing sheep in the capital would be offensive but not elsewhere.

So the issue was what would the shepherds raised the sheep for. If it was for milk and fleece that was acceptable. Another ambiguity below. What Abraham went down to Egypt , Pharaoh gave him many presents in a forced exchange for Sarah, including sheep. Why would an Egyptian give sheep to a stranger?

In Exodus, Moses indicates the danger of sacrificing certain animals in the presence of the Egyptians.

Commentators identify three other understandings of Egyptians attitudes towards shepherds.

1. They are members of a low caste
2. They are generally repulsive
3. They are revered

Caste

Hirsch on 47 32

I would tell them that you belong to the class of shepherds, although the profession is not considered in Egypt the most honorable one.

Hirsch on Genesis 47:33

In a state like Egypt, where caste prevailed and men were completely absorbed by their trade, and men were born as artisans, workers in the land, soldiers, etc. the first question was naturally about their profession. To Pharaoh's question they were unashamedly to acknowledge this unpleasant fact, for the disgust which the Egyptians which the could not disguise,.......

Hizzikuni below. Egyptians were arrogant and would not eat with strangers.

Repulsive

Rather than worshiping sheep, there are commentators that say the Egyptians despised sheep and goats, by extension they despised their keepers and considered a religious service that including the sacrifice of these animals as repulsive.

Respected

Both Bechor Shor and the Tur support the premise that the Egyptians respected shepherds! Bechor Shor sees the word תועבת as a epithet for the shepherds. Tur sees תועבת as a biblical reference to the sheep as a god of the Egyptians.

Abravenel reiterates that the phrase תועבת מצרים refers to the animals status as idolatrous gods such as themselves not the shepherds. The shepherds esteem status warrants giving them the best lands in Egypt.

Summary of Opinions and Explanation of Verses

1. Shepherding is a sacrilege
   1. Don't eat with them
   2. Don't let them live with you
   3. Send them to Goshen doesn't make sense unless Pharaoh was not so religious and just didn't want to see the sacrilege in his presence or Goshen was not technically part of Egypt .
   4. Give them to Abraham - Outside of מִצְרַ֖יִם therefore ok?
   5. Stone them to death for the sacrilege of sacrificing sheep
2. Shepherds are low caste
   1. Don't eat with them
   2. Don't let them live with you
   3. Send them to Goshen to get away from you
   4. Give sheep as gifts to Abraham, maybe he had shepherds who worked for him..
   5. Stone them - ?
3. Shepherds are disgusting
   1. Don't eat with them
   2. Don't let them live with you
   3. Send them to Goshen to get away from you
   4. Give sheep to Abraham, he values this stuff.
   5. Stone them (but not to death) for offering a disgusting animal as a sacrifice
4. Shepherds are revered
   1. Don't eat with them? - You can take this out of the equations by referencing HaEmek Davar's shita that the segregation was a matter of royalty dining alone
   2. Don't let them live with you - more of give them a good place to do their holy work
   3. Send them to Goshen - best place for shepherds
   4. Give them to Abraham - he was a shepherd , maybe that was enough to show reverence to him by giving him these gifts
   5. Stone them to death for the sacrilege of sacrificing sheep

Of course there could overlap with these positions: shepherding could be a sacrilege, low caste and disgusting. Shepherds could be revered and hated (see שפתי חכמים בראשית מ"ו see above).

Are these perushim too diverse to learn something from them as a group? The origins of antisemitism as we know it started in Egypt in the third century BCE with the writings of Manetho who indicated we were thrown out of Egypt for among other things our sacrilege of roasting and eating their sacred animals.

In the history of our exile we have been god-killers and torturers to the same people who revered us for our many talents and wished to exploit those talents even at arms length. Our mores have been repulsive to even our champions.. In the European enlightenment those who thought we were redeemable opined that if only we broke the barnacles of our obscurantism the good Jew would come out. As a member of the chosen people , we were revered for our closeness to their messiah or prophet and uniquely despised for our refusal to accept the "truth.". לפי שהם יודעין שהרועים רועי צאן יודעין הויתן לפי שהם תמיד אצלם הילכך יודעין שאין בה ממש הלכך שונאין כל רועי צאן. א"נ ל' תועבה