Vayeishev 37:28 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 37:28

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִן־הַבּ֔וֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

And there passed by Midyanite merchants; and they drew and lifted up Yosef out of the pit, and sold Yosef to the Yishmaelim for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Yosef into Egypt.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yerushalmi Shekalim 2:3 (and parallel teachings linking the twenty silver to the five shekels of pidyon haben).

Sefaria — Yerushalmi Shekalim 2:3

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: לָמָּה צִוְּתָה תּוֹרָה חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים בְּפִדְיוֹן בְּכוֹר? לְפִי שֶׁמָּכְרוּ בְּכוֹרָהּ שֶׁל רָחֵל בְּעֶשְׂרִים כֶּסֶף, לְפִיכָךְ יְהֵא כָּל אֶחָד פּוֹדֶה אֶת בְּנוֹ בְּכוֹרוֹ בְּעֶשְׂרִים כֶּסֶף.

English: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Why did the Torah command five shekels for the redemption of a firstborn? Because they sold Rachel’s firstborn for twenty pieces of silver; therefore each person should redeem his firstborn son with twenty pieces of silver (five shekels).

On the daf / in context: The sale price of twenty silver is linked to the later mitzvah of pidyon haben, establishing a measure for the redemption of the firstborn.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Yerushalmi / midrashic sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The historical sale price becomes the normative amount for the redemption of the firstborn.

What Is Learned

The five shekels of pidyon haben correspond to the twenty pieces of silver for which Yosef (Rachel’s firstborn) was sold. Each firstborn is therefore redeemed at that same measure.