Where is the transgression in this?” Many could find themselves in dire straits without access to bread. Should we blame diligence? Should we condemn prudence? One might further assert that Joseph gathered food during abundance to sell it in times of scarcity (See Genesis 41:1-57). Is anyone coerced into paying higher prices? Buyers have the freedom to purchase, yet no one is wronged in the process.
Following these remarks, another speaker rises to extol the virtues of agriculture, which yields its fruits for all and enhances the earth's fertility through honest labor. Negligence causes greater harm than good sowing, and the one who plants pure grain will reap a more excellent harvest, free from weeds. Fertile land will yield a hundredfold for what it receives, and a faithful field consistently produces a richer yield. From the abundant produce of arable land, one should rightfully anticipate a reward for their efforts and a fair recompense for the richness of the land (See Cicero: Off. 3:50). Why then do you turned nature’s gifts into deception? Why do you deny the people access to what belongs to all? Why do you strip the populace of their wealth? Why do you foster poverty? Why do you induce the needy to long for barrenness? If they benefit from the fertility yet see you profiting through hidden stock and inflated prices, they might prefer no harvest at all over your trade amid their hunger. You yearn for shortages and lack of provisions; you endure the land's fertility while mourning the abundance that should belong to everyone. You grieve at the sight of full granaries, eagerly awaiting desolation and a meager harvest. You delight in the curse that no one should bear fruit; it aligns with your desires! You rejoice when it is time for your harvest and enrich yourself at the expense of universal deprivation. Is this your definition of hard work? Is this your vision of diligence? It is, in truth, a clever ruse, a disingenuous scheme. You call your actions assistance, but they are nothing more than a brazen falsehood! Shall we label it theft or usury? You have discovered a prime opportunity for exploitation, entering the desperate need of the people like a cunning adversary. By inflating the prices of bread, akin to exorbitant interest, you threaten grave peril. By hoarding bread from sale, you further bolster your gains, selling it as though in an auction. Why do you wish harm upon everyone, praying for famine, poor harvests, and infertile years? Your profit comes at the expense of all.
Saint Joseph opened granaries for all (See Genesis 41:56), rather than locking them away, not seeking ways to inflate the price of bread but ensuring a constant supply. He hoarded nothing but thoughtfully planned for overcoming future famine. You have witnessed how in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus revealed the folly of a certain bread merchant who pursued the multiplication of his wealth. His riches brought him substantial profit, yet he lamented, “What shall I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits.... I will tear down my barns to build larger ones” (Luke 12:17-18)—unaware that his life would be required of him that very night. He was indecisive, as if he faced starvation, despite his granaries overflowing with bread, thinking himself impoverished.
Solomon rightly proclaimed: “He who withholds bread will leave it to the nations” (Proverbs 11:26), not to his heirs, for what is gained through selfishness cannot be inherited. What is unlawfully earned quickly becomes the property of others, like dust blown away. He added: “He who seeks to seize the harvest is cursed among the people; the blessing of the people is upon him who shares it” (Proverbs 11:26). Thus, it is clear that generously distributing bread is appropriate, rather than chasing after profit. Therefore, that which loses more in honor than it gains in utility is of little worth.
THEOSIS