The sale of Joseph has been misrepresented to impose more death and destruction on Jewish people than any other verse of the Hebrew Bible.
Genesis 37:27–28 tells of the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers and the eventual sale. The conventional reading places primary blame on the brothers, yet a closer look at the Hebrew suggests a more complex chain of kidnap and betrayal — one that implicates the Midianite (מדינים) merchants and their later rendition into Madanim (מדנים), transposed as "Mamdani", as the actual agents who slave-trade Joseph and finally sell him.
Quotation from 37:26 (Sefaria)
“And when the Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.” (Hebrew and English) (sefaria.org)
(Here the Hebrew text speaks of אנשי מדינים — “men of Midian” — as the ones who passed by, pulled him out of the pit and sold him.)
The subsequent verse 37:28
“וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ וַיַּעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף מִן־הַבּוֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃”
Here again the “Midianites” (מדיינים) are described as the ones selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites.
Then verse 37:36
“וְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים מָכְר֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו אֶל־מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפוֹטִיפַ֙ר סְרִ֣יס פַּרְעֹ֔ה שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִֽים׃”
Observe the shift in spelling: מדָנִים (Madanim or Medanim) — missing the י (yud) in comparison to מדיניים or מדיינים. This small letter change is significant: the Madanim are portrayed as the final vendors who sold Joseph into Egypt.
Attributing Blame: Brothers vs. Midianites/Madanim
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The brothers indeed plotted against Joseph.
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But the Hebrew narrative then shifts blame for the actual kidnap and transaction to the passing Midianite merchants (מדינים) in verses 27–28.
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And finally, the Madanim (מדנים) are credited with the sale into Egypt.
This suggests that the brothers’ guilt lies in conspiracy and complicity—but the physical act of sale was executed by external merchants. Thus, we must attribute operational blame for Joseph’s sale not to the brothers, but to the Midianite/Madanim kidnappers.
Why Does the Yud Matter?
That one letter—the י (yud)—in distinguishing מדינים (Midianites) vs. מדנם / מדנים (Madanim) invites theological reflection.
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The י often symbolizes the Divine Name or presence. Its omission may hint at a further step away from covenant-relationship, a more impersonal, commodifying sale.
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The narrative arc: Midianites (with י) engage in trafficking; Madanim (without י) finalize the sale. The spiritual decline is marked in the very spelling.
Thus the Madanim represent the cold commerce of a soul, whereas the earlier actors may still bear a shade of relational identity.
From Ancient Text to Modern Symbolism: Mamdani ↔ Madanim
In our era, one might draw a modern parallel. The surname Mamdani (an NYC mayoral candidate) when transposed resonates with Madanim (מדנים) — M-a-m-d-a-n-i vs. M-a-d-a-n-i m. The symbolic echo invites reflection: perhaps we live in a time when what once was the sale of Jewish people into exile may be reversed—when Jewish communities in diaspora centres (such as New York City) begin a mass “exit” or return to Israel. The ancient sale is reversed.
Conclusion: Reclaiming the Narrative
The Joseph narrative in Genesis shows that betrayal can have many agents: family, opportunistic traders, commerce. The text invites us not only to blame individual actors but to see the broader mechanism of exploitation. Yet within that mechanism lies the divine arc: the sale leads to Joseph’s rise, preservation of Israel, and the seed of redemption.
In our time perhaps we too are witnessing the reverse: what once was sale and scattering may now become return and restoration. In that sense, the Madanim are undone, and the children of Israel may step out of exile and into their land.
