"Moses said to Joshua: Choose for us men and go fight Amalek!" (Exodus 17:9).
Yet, there’s a catch. Was Joseph the only one of Jacob's sons who feared God? After all, all of his twelve sons were tzaddikim. They were are righteous men, devout and God-fearing. So, why was it Joseph’s descendant who was singled out for this mission?
The Bedraggled Brother
The story of Richard and his brother could certainly teach a thing or two about human foibles. Richard’s brother had a remarkable talent: he could never hold on to a job for more than a week. A month? Forget about it. A year? Impossible.
Richard, the responsible older sibling, took it upon himself to care for his brother, supplying him with food, clothing, and a roof over his head. Since they were about the same size, Richard even gave him his old clothes. A kindness, it is true, but sadly, a short-lived one.
Within days, Richard noticed something strange. The coat he had just given his brother—a perfectly fine coat—was already starting to show signs of distress. Some buttons were missing, and the seams were unraveling. The coat now resembled something that belonged in a ragbag.
“What can I say?” his brother shrugged. “You gave me a coat that has seen better days. The stitching was poorly done, and—well, the buttons just popped off!”
Richard decided it was time for an experiment. He bought two brand-new, identical coats—one for himself and one for his brother. A few days later, when they met again, Richard looked as sharp as ever, in his pristine coat. But his brother? Well, you guessed it—his new coat was already starting to show signs of distress, as though it had endured a thousand rough winters.
“What happened to your coat now?” Richard exclaimed. “Look at mine! It still looks brand-new, while yours is already a pile of rags!"His brother was unfazed. “Do you really think you can change the laws of nature? Poor people wear ragged clothing, with missing buttons and fraying seams. It’s just how it is!”
Richard was disheartened but decided to let it go—until, that is, they both attended a dinner a short while later. After the meal, a comedian took the stage, his eyes gleaming with mischief. His act? Pretending to be a scruffy hobo who’d stumbled into a high-society party where tuxedos and evening gowns were de rigueur. The audience roared with laughter as he exaggerated the clumsy mannerisms of a bum utterly out of place.
Richard, ever the keen observer, couldn’t help but notice: the comedian’s coat, while certainly designed to look tattered, wasn’t actually torn. And all the buttons were intact.
Turning to his brother, Richard couldn’t resist pointing out the obvious: “Look at the comedian! He’s pretending to be poor, but his clothes—his clothes are fine! No rips, no missing buttons. So, you see, a poor person doesn’t have to wear ragged clothes!”
Joseph, the God-fearing Egyptian
To return to the matter at hand: Amalek, as we noted, had no fear of God. But Amalek might just respond, “What’s the big deal? Why should a non-Jew have to fear God? It’s all well and good for you to be devout and upright; but we’re doing fine without it, thank you very much.”
Enter Joseph. Now, Joseph was in a bit of a bind. As Pharaoh's viceroy, he had to walk a fine line between his Hebrew roots and his high Egyptian office. He dressed like an Egyptian, spoke their language, even adopted their mannerisms. His brothers didn’t recognize him, so well did he play the role. But here’s the kicker—he never let go of what mattered most to him. Amid all the pretense, Joseph still declared, “I am a God-fearing person.”
The point here is simple, yet profound. Joseph wasn’t just a model for the Jewish people; he was a model for all humanity. Moral rectitude, for Joseph, were not a uniquely Jewish trait. It was a universal one—a virtue that should be embraced by all, no matter their background.
So, when it came to fighting Amalek—when it came to standing up to a nation that had no regard for God or higher morality—who better than Joseph’s descendants to lead the charge? Joseph, the man who could navigate the halls of power in Egypt while still proudly proclaiming his God-fearing nature, showed that piety is a noble trait for anyone, anywhere. He demonstrated to the world, through both word and deed, that principled reverence for God is a virtue that transcends time, place, and background.
And so, we see: the tribe of Joseph, the one that upheld the trait of moral integrity and fear of God in the face of all that Egypt had to offer, was the one best suited to lead the fight against Amalek—a people who had forgotten what it means to stand before the Almighty.
(Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, pp. 147-148)
