Why Did Joseph Die Before His Brothers?

Great column, I diagree somewhat; unlike his brothers who were shepherds his job was watching over then and reporting back to his father! Yosef was very sensitive this job was stressful!
Things that may added to shortening his life:
1)Yosef was the favorite of Yaacov causing separation and jealousy
2) The Coat of many colors caused more separation feeding hatred
3) Expressing his dreams of domination causing him to be exhiled from the family even his father admonished him
4) Being incarcerated 3 times, without family support
5) Becoming the viceroy and chief accountant and the responsibility of saving the world from Starvation.
Just to name a few, any one of those could kill a normal person B"H, couple that with his averes, he was blessed🙌 to live a, relatively speaking", long life" B"H Reply

Agreed! Joseph passed on before his brothers because he fulfilled his purpose! Since Joseph‘s character proves his humility always giving credit to God and always looking for Pharaohs approval, it would be wrong to assume he was proud or boastful. All throughout the story of Joseph we did not see him behaving this way.
Another point I would make is that his brothers were by far more sinful since they all betrayed him the Ruben had tried to save him from the hands of his brothers. Only Reuben and Judah worked to spare his life. Judy had suggested selling him to make a profit rather than killing him thus saving his life, and in the end fulfilled God‘s purpose.
I have a hard time believing everything that is in the Midrash, such as the claim that Boaz was 80 years old and Ruth was 40 years old when they were married. Boaz was a wealthy man and there was no mention of a previous marriage or any children. Why would he not have been married or had children by the time he was 80 years old? Reply

Joseph passed on before his brothers because he fulfilled his purpose! Reply

Why does it say twice in the Torah that Yosef Hatzaddik died at 110 years? Reply

As many of the readers here, I can't imagine Yosef HaTzadik acting as superior and being punished because of if. He was an incredible great and righteous man. However, Rabbi Ginsburgh explains that at the end of the book of Genesis asks his brothers to take their bones from Egypt, while Yakov Avinu doesn't ask his sons to take their bones. As Rabbi Ginsburgh says, some sages understand that Yosef had reffered to himself as being bones while still alive due to have not argued against his father being his servant. I believe that for a man like Yosef who loved his father and had great sense of honoring the parents, sustaining a plot by agreeing that his own father was his servant mortified him. Reply

Our only testament to Joseph's character throughout this story is one of humility. Even, years after the plague had passed, when Joseph did not need to serve in his same capacity in Egypt, he humbly approaches Pharaoh through his court officials, [Gen. 50:4-6] to have them ask if he might fulfill a promise to bury his father. Pharaoh answered and the Egyptians responded with a huge company attending the journey and funeral. With a traditional aversion to the Israelites, [Gen. 43:31-32], this would not have happened, were it not for Joseph's kindness, and service to them these years.

Albeit younger than his brothers, he died at an old age,. Clearly, the time in traumatic separation, enslavement, prison, etc., took a tole. There is no text to support negative interpretations. Although a growing arrogance with prestige is a common conclusion, God had control over Joseph's heart. Common as well, is trauma without hope of rescue, often force victims to go to God on deeper levels. Reply

This explanation doesnt ring true to me either. I venture to raise another issue which for me personally is more problematic, and that is when Yosef faciliated buying up of the Egyptian people's lands & even that they sold themselves to pharoah.
Rabbi Riskin said it was for this reason Yosef isn't one of our "patriarchs" in spite of him being a tzaddik.

Cant people just die of natural causes anyway ? Reply

These are wrongful interpretations that vilify someone called HaTzadik. He was righteous to the core, never spoke wrong. I far prefer the Ibn Ezra's explanation that he did not live long so that he wouldn't see the degradation of the Jewish people at Pharaoh's hands. He went out in good times. Reply

I actually googled the subject because I was intrigued as to why Joseph died before his brethren as his instruction in Genesis 50:24 suggests but I'm not buying the answer you gave. The account of Joseph and his dealing with his father and his brothers does not suggest an air of superiority on Joseph's side at all. Accounts were he wept over his brothers and his father is not in line with someone with superiority complex issues. The bible recorded that he spoke kindly to his brothers and reassured them of his love and forgiveness of their evil acts. Genesis 48:12 recorded that he bowed down to his Father. He had no superior airs around his Father whom he honoured to death. Joseph was truly an honourable God fearing man. I rest my curiosity and believe that he died when God wanted him to and not as a result of his been punished for anything. I love Joseph. Reply

Joseph died at the age of 110 yrs. --- a pretty ripe old age for anyone really in the post-deluge world. (One of the Psalms notes that "three score and ten years" is more or less our lot in this life) Furthurmore, his brothers did not outlive him for long. Reuben, the eldest, died at the age of 125yrs. which would not be long afterwards.
I would like to defend Joseph aganst any suggestion of him being vain with all sorts of superior airs and graces. Joseph was a public figure and he had a office to maintain ---- he could not go around dressed as he pleased or doing what he liked --- he had to be careful of his public image, whether he liked it or not. Being still essentially a foreigner in Egypt he just had to be extra careful about even the least indecretion. Reply

Joseph's Death I really would understand better if you said we really don't know rather than trying to give some out of the way answer that is more disturbing than helpful. Reply

question why did Joseph die before his brotheres? How can we answer this? G-d gives life and each person their purpose, are we to determine that death was his "punishment" or had his purpose been fufilled? There is obviously a bigger picture that we cannot see. What about the Ari ? Reply