Yosef's Radical Disability Test
by Rafi Josselson
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Written in memory of Rabbi Eliezer Diamond Z”L
Oftentimes, the society that surrounds me tells me I don’t fit their standard. There is the doctor who assumes that my weight is due to soda. There is the program director who tells me, to my face, that my sensory overloads are a waste of his time. And there is the Health Secretary who uses my Autism as a tool to advance his agenda against vaccines or tylenol. This makes giving up the easy way out. But, I don’t abide by that. I just push back. I tell the doctor that I actually hate soda and that her assumption is offensive. I tell the program director that he is wrong, and I prove that I am not a force to be messed with. And, there is nothing that Secretary Kennedy hates more than a young Autistic man proving to the world that his bigotry is baseless.
My advocacy is not a new thing. It comes from the beginning of human existence, where בראשית explains that man is made B’tzelem Elohim - in the image of god. This is powerful, but abstract. Leaving the reader's question: how do I put this into action? I feel like this becomes clear in this week’s parsha: Vayigash.
Let’s illustrate the scene. Yosef is now the vizier of Egypt. He has risen through the ranks through grit, hard work and faith in G-D. But, it hasn’t been easy. You see, the Torah heavily implies that Yosef is neurodivergent. Early on, he is characterized as different from his brothers. Despite being seventeen years old, Yosef is described as a Na’ar, or child. Rashi explains that Yosef’s stimming meant he was immature. But, this isn’t the case: stimming isn’t an indication of immaturity, it is an essential self-regulation strategy for neurodiverse people. Then we learn that Ya’akov considers Yosef to be his Ben-Zekanim or son of old age. Ya’akov should be familiar with the perils of parental favouritism, so why engage in this practice? Professor Samuel Levine explains this is compensation, like many modern parents of neurodivergent children do, for the estrangement that Yosef is experiencing with his siblings.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. Rather, Yosef’s relationship with his brothers atrophies even further. Like many neurodivergent people, he misreads numerous social cues, even bragging to his brothers about his dreams of familial dominance. Abarbanel like Rashi recasts this, Yosef is a capable individual but struggles with social intelligence. His brothers don’t see this nuance, and take drastic action, throwing him into a pit and then selling him into slavery. The situation doesn’t get much better. After misreading more social cues with Potiphar’s wife, Yosef is thrown into prison. But here, he has a dramatic transformation. He learns to see his unique skillset not as a deficit but as a benefit - developing important coping and social skills that propel him to the very top, the vizier of Egypt.
By this point, Yosef has had years to reflect on his childhood experience. He realizes that his troubles were not his fault. His family didn’t understand his neurodiversity - the brothers ostracized him and his father overindulged him, both groups misunderstanding what needed to be done, giving Yosef room to grow and find his own path within the family. Now, Yosef seeks to teach his brothers a lesson, about what it feels like to be othered, and why it is so dangerous.
Ya’akov is terrified of losing his youngest son, Benyamin, like he did Yosef. He does not let Benyamin go on the initial mission to Egypt, and only lets him go on the second one with great apprehension. The brothers are on guard to protect him. But, that isn’t enough. Benyamin is falsely accused by a mysterious vizier of having stolen his silver goblet, and now the brothers are brought before the vizier to plead for their brother’s freedom. Yehuda is the leader. He is used to taking charge. But, unlike in the past, where he used his powerful position to argue for selling Yosef into slavery, he advocates for his brother’s liberation. This suggests a personal transformation. In the years since Yosef’s disappearance, the brothers have had time to reflect on their actions. And in his appeal, Yehuda suggests grief for his lost brother and reflects on the anguish that Yosef’s disappearance has had on their family. Adin Steinsaltz expands Yehuda’s thoughtfulness. Yehuda urges the vizier not to jump to conclusions, but to step back and understand the series of events that led to the situation. This is a dramatic change from years prior, when Yehuda and his brothers jumped to the conclusion that Yosef was mocking them, rather than struggling socially.
I argue that prompting Yehuda to reflect on their mistakes and adopt a thoughtful attitude, was the entire intention of Yosef’s trial. This test is to see if his brothers have grown, force them to reflect on past actions, and push them to apply what they’ve learned to a new dilemma. Yehuda’s spirited defense, and sacrifice to switch places with Benyamin certainly catches Yosef’s attention. He reveals he is the vizier, explaining how much he has also grown since he last saw his brothers.
This test and its implications are relevant to us today. Too often we are quick to judge, and this misunderstanding especially affects disabled and neurodivergent individuals like Yosef. Yehuda’s teshuvah is arguably one of the reasons why he is chosen as the messianic progenitor. His commitment to being better, and kinder, is exactly what we must strive for. It is foolish to expect perfection, but Yehuda demonstrates that change can happen, even amongst the worst of bullies. Yosef also models the ideal self-advocate. He utilizes his position of power to promote disability education, and he uses his skills to save an empire. Yosef now understands that his neurodivergence isn’t a deficit but a benefit. Furthermore, the Yosef narrative’s positioning is also significant. This narrative concludes the Jewish people’s journey as a family, now, in Egypt, they will transform into a nation. This will mean tackling complicated societal dynamics, which includes discrimination and miscommunication. Yosef sets an example for B’nai Yisrael - speak up, give the benefit of the doubt, and treat fellow beings with respect.
This brings me back to the beginning. I often don’t have the time to argue with the doctor or the trip director, and though I wish otherwise, I don’t have a platform to directly engage with the health secretary. But, what I can control is my own actions. I can demonstrate to others what a neurodivergent, self-advocate is like - someone who is smart, hard-working, willing to change and most of all kind. People really value this. When I speak to communities I see people’s perspectives get flipped. They see the awesome power of inclusion and disability empowerment. I live my life striving to be like Yosef, a living example of Kiddush Hashem. That should be our mission in life, to just be the best versions of ourselves, and improve the world along the way.
Rafi Josselson is an autistic freshman at Binghamton University. Rafi is a sought-after speaker on disability inclusion, especially within the Jewish community. He has spoken with groups from various denominations, ages and geography - from snowbirds in Florida to elementary school students in Maryland. He also has written blogs for MATAN, for his website, and for Jewish Disability Inclusion News. For the past year, he has been hosting the only podcast focusing on Disability with the Jewish Community: B'tzelem Elohim. Rafi hopes to spread a message of Empathy, Inclusion, Awareness, and, Acceptance through his work. For the past three summers Rafi has worked at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack as a camp counselor, and he is looking forward finding other ways to be involved with the Jewish community on campus.
