Vayeishev

The pesukim say “and Reuven heard and he saved him from their hands and he said, ‘we shouldn’t kill him.’ And Reuven said to them, ‘don’t spill his blood, throw him into this pit which is in the desert and don’t send a hand against him’ in order to save him from their hands to return him to his father. Rashi explains “in order to save him” is Ruach HaKodesh testifying on Reuven that he said this to save Yosef. (Sifsai Chachamim explains that he didn’t tell them why not to kill him.) Reuven planned to come and take him out of the pit. He said, “I am the first born of all the brothers, Yaakov will put the blame on me.”

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz brings another reason why Reuven tried saving Yosef. The Midrash says, on “and Reuven heard and he saved him”- where was Reuven that he heard? Rabanan say: Reuven said, he counted me with my brothers and I shouldn’t save him? I thought I was pushed away because of the story with Bilhah, and he counted me with my brothers. This is as the passuk says by Yosef’s dream 11 stars bowing to me. Yosef repeated his dream which had 11 stars in it referring to the shevatim, and Reuven was included. Because of this Reuven felt responsible to save Yosef.

Rav Chaim explains that “Reuven heard” means hisbonenus, thoughts of the heart. When they judged Yosef, Reuven was included. They all said he was chayiv. Reuven was misbonen however and saw he needed to change their ruling because of his hakaras hatov to Yosef. Therefore he said “don’t kill him.”

Rav Chaim says we see from here that although Yosef repeated his dream mainly for himself and not for Reuven’s sake, still Reuven needed to be makir tova. Since Reuven received good from Yosef, he became obligated in hakaras hatov. Because of Reuven’s hakaras hatov he was zoche that the passuk says, וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם.

The Midrash says that if Reuven would have known that the passuk would write about him וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם he would have put Yosef on his shoulders and brought him back to his father. Chazal tell us there was still a teviah on Reuven for not doing all that he could have.

May Hashem help us recognize all the good things done for us and give hakaros hatov back!