Does jealousy make us bad people?

Parashat Miketz talks about the time when Joseph’s brothers go to Egypt seeking food during a famine, and Joseph accuses them of spying. He insists that they return with their youngest brother, Benjamin, and later plants a goblet in Benjamin’s bag.

Before this instance, Joseph always speaks angrily about his brothers, harboring anger toward them because of what they did to him. Jealous of his “replacement” (Benjamin), he chooses to frame him and unjustifiably condemn him. This mirrors the time when his brothers sold him because they were jealous of him.

So, we could say that instead of changing for the better and “being the bigger person,” Joseph chooses to follow the same path his brothers had taken, motivated by jealousy and a desire for revenge.

Therefore, he ends up doing the same bad thing that someone did to him to someone else. This raises the question: even though what the brothers did was horrible, does that make them bad? And does this make Joseph a “bad person” (the way his brothers are portrayed throughout the whole story)?

Overall, my personal takeaway is that we cannot judge someone’s character based on one action. As shown in Joseph's case, you can be a “good person” and still make a bad decision based on human emotion.

Amy Hornstein
BBYO Argentina