AND HIS BRETHREN WENT TO FEED THEIR FATHER’S FLOCK IN SHECHEM. R. Simeon said: The dots on the top of the particle eth in this sentence indicate that the Shekinah accompanied them by reason of their being a band of ten. (They were only ten because Joseph was not with them and Benjamin remained at home on account of his tender age.)
Hence, when they sold Joseph they were in the company of the Shekinah, and, furthermore, they associated the Shekinah with them in their oath (not to reveal the affair of Joseph); and until the fate of Joseph became known, the Shekinah did not rest on Jacob.
The proof that the Shekinah accompanied the brethren is the verse of the Psalms which speaks of “the tribes of the Lord, a testimony unto Israel” (Ps. 122, 4), a title which shows that they were all of them righteous and devout, constituting the support of the whole world, both on high and below.’
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶחָיו לִרְעוֹת אֶת צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם בִּשְׁכֶם. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, לִרְעוֹת צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי אֶ"ת נָקוּד מִלְּעֵילָא, לְאַסְגָּאָה עִמְהוֹן שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי עִמְּהוֹן שַׁרְיָיא. בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן הֲווּ עֲשָׂרָה, דְּהָא יוֹסֵף לָא הֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן, וּבִנְיָמִין אִיהוּ זְעִיר בְּבֵיתָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִינוּן הֲווּ עֲשָׂרָה. וְכַד אָזְלוּ הֲוַת שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְעַל דָּא נָקוּד מִלְּעֵילָא.
AND HIS BRETHREN WENT TO FEED THEIR FATHER’S FLOCK IN SHECHEM. R. Simeon said: The dots on the top of the particle eth in this sentence indicate that the Shekinah accompanied them by reason of their being a band of ten. (They were only ten because Joseph was not with them and Benjamin remained at home on account of his tender age.)
וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּזִמְנָא דְּזַבִּינוּ לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף אִשְׁתַּתָּפוּ כֻּלְּהוּ בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא וְאַשְׁתִּיפוּ לָהּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ כַּד עֲבִידוּ אוֹמָאָה. וְעַד דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא מִלָּה דְיוֹסֵף, לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב.
Hence, when they sold Joseph they were in the company of the Shekinah, and, furthermore, they associated the Shekinah with them in their oath (not to reveal the affair of Joseph); and until the fate of Joseph became known, the Shekinah did not rest on Jacob.
וְאִי תֵימָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת עִמְּהוֹן. תָּא חֲזֵי, דִּכְתִיב (תהילים קכ״ב:ד׳) שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ. כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקֵי וַחֲסִידֵי קִיּוּמָא דְכָל עַלְמָא, קִיּוּמָא אִינוּן לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא.
The proof that the Shekinah accompanied the brethren is the verse of the Psalms which speaks of “the tribes of the Lord, a testimony unto Israel” (Ps. 122, 4), a title which shows that they were all of them righteous and devout, constituting the support of the whole world, both on high and below.’