Yosef's goblet plays quite a prominent role in Parshas Mikeitz. Rashi (on Bereshis 42:14) quotes Midrash Rabbah that Yosef disclosed to his brothers (who did not yet know his identity) that he divined with his goblet that two of them destroyed the city of Shechem. Rashi (ibid. 43:33) again cites the Midrash, this time regarding the festive meal that Yosef served his brothers when they came to Mitzrayim with Binyomin, explaining how Yosef tapped his goblet at the start of meal as he announced his brothers' names and lineage, and he instructed them to sit according to their birth order as he announced it. Yosef thereby gave the impression that the goblet empowered him with a degree of omniscience to know this information, which the brothers had not revealed to him. Similarly, Yosef told his messenger to make the brothers aware that the goblet was of great value, for it was utilized by Yosef for divining (ibid. 44:5).

Why was Yosef's goblet so important? Also, why did Yosef seemingly lead his brothers to believe that he was involved in some type of sorcery or divination (“nichush”)?

One may suggest that the answers to these questions may be found the nature of the overall scheme which Yosef set out for his brothers. In order to turn their hearts to teshuva, he placed them in a situation which was akin to that of their youth, at which time they resented Yosef and sold him. Thus, Yosef displayed preferential treatment towards Binyomin and placed him in apparent peril so as to test his brothers and determine if they would show love to this younger, favored brother and take responsibility for him. So too, Yosef knew that Binyomin's fate would affect that of Yaakov Avinu. The brothers were thereby faced with a repeated opportunity to relieve their father's anxiety and concern or to augment his emotional suffering. These trials were designed by Yosef to lead his brothers to the path of teshuva, by enabling them to make amends for essentially identical transgressions of years past.

When one intentionally commits an aveirah, a sin, there inheres in it a degree of denial of Hashem’s omniscience or omnipotence, at least for a letting moment and to an infinitesimal degree. Subconsciously, the ba’al aveirah, the transgressor, denies that Hashem knows about the sin about to be committed, or that He cares about it, or that He can or will do anything about it, or that the sin is really a problem. True teshuva therefore must include Hakaras Ha-Chet, recognizing that the act one committed was indeed an aveirah – a violation of the Will of Hashem. This concept is tied to the notion of S’char V’Onesh, that Hashem rewards people for adhering to the Torah and punishes them for violating it, and that everything which transpires on all levels of existence is part of His master plan for the individual and the world at large.          

In the same vein, Yosef knew that his brothers’ teshuva necessitated recognition that their sale of him was not just morally, ethically or practically wrong, but that it contradicted Hashem’s Will and that they would be subjected to punishment for it, for Hashem knows and controls all. In order to test his brothers in this area, Yosef attempted to impress upon them that their lives and deeds could be magically known and that their fates could be magically determined and sealed via the goblet and divination associated with it. The brothers were challenged with countering and denying the validity of this seemingly all-knowing and all-controlling force and asserting their belief in Hashem’s exclusive omniscience and omnipotence. Yehuda's immediate reply to the apparent theft of the goblet, "Hashem has found the guilt of your servants...", constituted an affirmation of Hashem's providence, signaling to the brothers that the experience was a punishment for their past deeds, in conformity with Yosef's scheme to evoke Hakaras Ha-Chet.

May the lessons of teshuva in Parshas Mikeitz be internalized by us all.