פירוש על בראשית 37:15

וימצאהו איש AND A MAN FOUND HIM — This was the angel Gabriel (Genesis Rabbah 84:14) as it is said, (Daniel 9:21) and the man (והאיש) Gabriel” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 2:3).

AND A MAN FOUND HIM, AND BEHOLD, HE WAS STRAYING IN THE FIELD. The verse is stating that Joseph was straying from the road, not knowing where to go, and he entered a field since he was looking for them in a place of pasture. Scripture mentions this at length in order to relate that many events befell him which could properly have caused him to return, but he endured everything patiently for the honor of his father. It also informs us that the Divine decree is true and man’s industry is worthless. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent him a guide without his knowledge in order to bring him into their hands. It is this that our Rabbis intended when they said⁵⁸Bereshith Rabbah 84:13. that these men⁵⁹And ‘a man’ found him … and ‘the man’ asked him … And ‘the man’ said … (Verses 15, 17). were angels, for these events did not occur without purpose, but rather to inform us that It is the counsel of the Eternal that shall stand.⁶⁰Proverbs 19:21.

'וימצאהו איש והנה תועה וגו, this paragraph has been written in order to demonstrate the reliability and eagerness of Joseph to comply with his father’s wishes; he did not use the fact that the brothers were no longer in Shechem as an excuse to abort his mission and to return home, but kept searching for them until, in the end, he located them. He remembered that part of his father’s instructions had been השיבני דבר, “bring me back a report!”

A man found him, and, see, he was lost in the field. This is Gabriel. From what is said, 'A man found him,' understand that this man had been seeking Joseph. He had been looking around for him, and he found him. But Joseph didn't find the man. The man intended to warn Joseph that he should be wary of his brothers. He saw that he was wandering in the field, mistaken in his opinion that he had gone towards peace, but there would be no peace for him and his brothers. Thus this must be an angel - he knew what was in Joseph's heart. If this is not the case, then how would he know who this other man was, or that he was walking this way in error. Maybe this is his path? Obviously Joseph must have been walking on some road or pathway!

תועה בשדה, walking in every direction to find where they were tending the flocks.

וימצאהו איש , after arriving in Shechem and not finding any trace of his brothers, Joseph went in all directions to see if he could find them, and in the process he lost his way.

My brothers. And from where would he know who he [Joseph] was and who his brothers were? And furthermore, what is this question "tell me please where they are pasturing"? From where would he know? Rather, [it must be] one of the two these possibilities: Either he was a well-known man to them in his importance, or, he recognized him as an angel or prophet that knew everything to do with his brothers. And in truth, the Torah should have said "and he [Joseph] found a man", for it was Joseph that was wandering alone searching and found the man, not the man who was walking on his way. Rather, the text comes to teach that the man was a messenger from Heaven, to encounter Joseph and bring him to such, and the man went and found him in that place.

והנה תועה בשדה, ”and here he was lost in the field.” He had departed from the road and entered a field, knowing that his brothers would choose the best looking pasture available.

This refers to Gavriel... Yoseif did not say to the man, “Do you know my brothers, and where they are pasturing?” Rather, he said [straight away], “Tell me please, where are they pasturing?” This shows it was an angel, [who assumedly knows]. And since Scripture refers to him as איש, this shows it was specifically Gavriel. [Furthermore,] if it was not an angel, why did the Torah recount the whole story of Yoseif going astray? What does it matter if he went straight there, or strayed? Perforce, it was an angel sent by Hashem to bring him to his brothers, in order to fulfill His decree. For Yoseif otherwise would have turned back from Shechem, as he could not find them. (Gur Aryeh)

וימצאהו איש והנה תעה בשדה, “a man found him while he was lost in the field;” this (the three letters in the word תעה) is where the Angel Gavriel gave Joseph a hint of three exiles the Jewish people would endure. ת=400 years of exile in Egypt; ע=70 years of exile in Babylon; ה=5, till the end of the exile commonly known as the Roman exile, till the coming of the Messiah. [The author attributes this to his father of blessed memory. Ed.] He adds that he had heard something along the same lines in the name of Rabbi Binyamin Gozel, but from Genesis 32,5, using the letters of word עתה as the hint.

Its midrashic interpretation is that he erred regarding the matter of the field, as is written of Cain and Abel. It would have been reasonable for Joseph to take to heart what had happened to Abel with Cain. Out of jealousy, Cain had killed his brother. Now Joseph thought: "Cain killed his brother ('when they were in the field') over a field. He said, 'This field that you are standing on belongs to me.' That is the reason for why he did what he did. However, why would my brothers kill me for nothing? Jealousy over a multicolored cloak does not resemble jealousy over a field!" This is the meaning of 'He was lost in (=mistaken about) the field.' The field referenced in the Cain story misled him. He did not realize that the nature of jealousy is volatile - for some little thing a man might rise against his fellow and murder him.

מה תבקש, what are you looking for seeing that you do not keep to the known paths?